HYPE Members

Rachel Presslein is the Program Director of Thrive at Community Thread. In this role, she is responsible for a membership-based network offering social activities, direct support services, volunteer opportunities and more for older adults in Washington County. Before moving to Minnesota in 2019, Rachel worked with the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation in North Carolina where she developed several programs focused on improving rural and community health and managed the organization's communications and fundraising efforts. Rachel also previously worked as a Volunteer Program Manager. Rachel holds degrees in Public Administration and Nonprofit Organization Management. Rachel lives in Oakdale with her husband and two young sons, and she is proud to additionally serve her community as a board member of the 622 Education Foundation.

Kelly works for Discover Stillwater, the convention and visitor bureau for Oak Park Heights and Stillwater, MN. She is a graduate from the University of Minnesota- Morris, and holds a certificate from the University of Minnesota for Growing Tourism Leadership, along with a certificate in Nonprofit Administration. Kelly was part of the award-winning efforts for “Integrated Marketing and Branding” recognized at the 2020 Explore Minnesota Tourism Awards Ceremony. She is an alumnus of the Blandin Community Leadership Program, and serves on numerous volunteer boards. She has a strong passion for travel, historic downtowns, and marketing, and is enjoying becoming part of the Stillwater community.

Nate is an agent with Goosehead Insurance located in Stillwater, MN. Nate joined Goosehead because of his unwavering commitment to take care of his clients. Using cutting edge technology to shop with dozens of "A" rated insurance companies in just a few minutes, he is able to find the right coverage at a competitive price. He takes the time to review all of the options and customizes a policy based on the unique risks and desires of each client. After finalizing an option, Nate is backed by a service team that has the highest client loyalty rating in the industry. 

Jenny is a Stillwater native now residing in Lake Elmo after living in the Bay Area with her family. Jenny is the Community Manager at Lift Bridge Cowork and loves supporting Cowork Members and the Stillwater Community. Jenny has experience working in the fast paced world of startups and Venture Capital with the players that brought Twitter to IPO. She is most excited to be back working on Main Street. Her first job was at The Supreme Bean in the Staples building at the North end of town.

Kadie is the General Manager of the Lora Hotel and a graduate of North Dakota State University. She serves on the Discover Stillwater Board of Directors, her HOA board, and is active in industry associations. When she's not working, Kadie enjoys golf, running, karaoke, quality time with her Grandma, and is a licensed wedding officiant. Kadie prides herself on creating a memorable and positive experience for guests. 

Joe works at Willis Towers Watson advising commercial construction, real estate, and design professional companies on their insurance programs and overall risk management needs. He and his wife, Lauren met while attending UW-Madison. Lauren owns an interior design practice in downtown Stillwater and they have three children. Joe is a fan of all things Wisconsin: cheese, beer, lakes, supper clubs, and The Packers.

Born and raised in Dassel, MN. Once I graduated from high school I started pursuing a nursing degree at Bethel University. After 2 years I decided to make a career change and started pursuing construction management at St. Cloud University. I graduated in the fall of 2015 and soon after started with my first company, Kraus Anderson. For the first 6 years of my career in the construction industry I worked/ managed projects across the country, including states (Ohio, Illinois, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming). I recently relocated to Somerset, WI and began working for Market & Johnson out of their Stillwater office. In my free time I enjoy being outdoors and spending time with my family.

Owner of Mediamazing and Monroe Film & Photo.

Grant is the founder/owner of MN Benefits, an independent health insurance brokerage based in the historic Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.  He is a UW-Eau Claire graduate (go Blugolds!) and a newer Stillwater resident.  

MN Benefits represents health insurance companies (BlueCross, United Health, Health Partners, etc.) and helps small businesses and Medicare eligible folks decide what coverage is best for them.  We are truly unbiased and our services are $0 cost! 

Frances serves as director of marketing for St. Croix Brewing Company, Stillwater's soon-to-open boutique brewery, beer garden and Public House located in the city's oldest standing building in the historic downtown district. She, along with her family, is excited to welcome the community and visitors to our brewery where you'll find 'history in a pint!' 

Emily is passionate about history and making connections between the past and present. Since 2021, she has served as the Site Manager at the Washington County Heritage Center in Stillwater. A native of Ohio, Emily graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in mass communication. She’s had a diverse career path, starting out as a radio DJ in Ohio to living in Nashville for five years and working for the Grand Ole Opry. Emily earned a Master of Library & Information Science with a focus in archives from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2020, for which she interned at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and other repositories. Emily also serves as the co-chair of HYPE Young Professionals program and is a member of the Chi Omega Archives Committee. Outside of work, she enjoys being out on the lake, listening to country music, and petting every dog.

Jeremy Tyler is a visionary that helps businesses think big, envision the future, and discover what is possible. As the Managing Director of Xceptional, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and leads the Account Services department which is responsible for developing and nurturing client relationships. For Jeremy, seeing team members and clients succeed is the most rewarding aspect of his role. Outside of the office, Jeremy enjoys spending time with his son fishing and weight training.