Brenda Marin, MBA, MSMOB
Partner
Brenda has twenty years of high-level experience as an executive, consultant, and professor while living and working in the US, UK, Germany, and Africa. With extensive global expertise in international business, strategy, and organizational psychology, Brenda has created and implemented corporate curriculums in change management, hiring and firing, employee and labor relations, and group dynamics. She has managed departments from eight employees to 1,500, led the human capital components of multi-million USD government infrastructure projects in the Global South, and her consulting work has taken her to six continents where she has given lectures and delivered numerous trainings at public companies, micro- and social-enterprises, government agencies, and nonprofits of various sizes. Brenda has degrees in International Business (BS), Organizational Behavior (MS), an MBA in International Business, and most recently was a permanent faculty member in Management at the University of St. Andrews—the top ranked management program in the UK the past four years. Brenda leads Venture Resolution’s global team and offerings, splitting her time between the US and UK offices.
Andrew Marin, PhD
Partner
Dr. Andrew Marin has twenty years of highly specialized expertise in both the public and private sectors bridging the theory and practice of conflict analysis and resolution; bilateral and multilateral negotiations; targeted training and programming; and the processes driving institutional and social change within corporate, political, and interreligious contexts. His portfolio includes stabilizing team dynamics and advancing peak performance in venture-backed startups and Fortune 100 multinationals, to being tapped by the multi-government/military Coalition against ISIS to lead the first sanctioned team of conflict researchers and negotiators into ISIS-controlled Iraq–where the United Nations Security Council and International Criminal Court is currently using his work to prosecute captured ISIS leadership and fighters. Additionally, Andrew has developed proprietary analytics that have been utilized to assess and bring to resolution a wide-range of cross-sector problems, disputes, and organizational bottlenecks in over forty countries. With a track record of delivering high-impact solutions in the most demanding situations, the BBC has called Andrew “a hopeful model for the future.” He is an award-winning author of three books and sixteen articles, an affiliate researcher at the University of St. Andrews, and has been a guest lecturer and visiting faculty at over thirty-five universities around the world. Previously he led a Chicago-based nonprofit on bridging opposing worldviews and was a high-level advisor and project-lead on conflict resolution and social change for the Obama White House and United Nations. Andrew has a BA in Applied Psychology (Human Development), an MA in Urban Studies (Social Change), and a PhD in Contextual Studies (Human Dynamics).
Peter Polk
Global Strategy
Peter is one of America’s foremost strategy, systems, and intelligence experts over the past four decades. After graduating from Covenant College and then serving twenty years in the US Army, he led the country’s next generation of commissioned officers into the coming global technology boom as a Professor of Computer Science and Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Peter’s tenure at West Point ended upon his appointment to the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s General’s team at the Pentagon, working successively with General Powell then SecDef Cheney in the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office. Retiring from the Army in 1997 as a Lieutenant Colonel, he left the Pentagon for the National Security Agency (NSA) as a lead consultant developing the next-generation signals intelligence systems (SIGNIT)–which allowed for novel cross-function, multi-attribute large data analytics. After 9/11, Peter was tasked to lead the cross-Intelligence team to create the Directorate of Intelligence (now called Office of the Director of National Intelligence)–which, for the first time, integrated intelligence systems across four security levels to provide secure access to data previously unavailable across Agencies. In this capacity Peter delivered reports directly to President George W. Bush. He then joined the NSA full-time, advising Director Hayden and working on several special purpose, high-performance computing systems supporting key missions requirements and crafting their multi-dimensional integration and risk-reduction strategies. Peter left the Agency in 2013, and today, leads Venture Resolution’s global strategy.
Caitlin McKenna
Global Consulting and Innovation
Caitlin has twenty years expertise leading organizational, cultural, and product innovation and transformation that builds the bridge between the start-up innovation world and the critical issues facing corporate boardrooms. Previously Caitlin led the Business Strategy and pandemic return-to-office experience for a $9B portion of JLL, and prior, led Product Innovation for seventeen hotel brands at Hilton HQ. She has mastered the confluence of traditional industries and powerful disruption, blending deep product expertise with net new thinking by focusing on inspiring the behaviors and commercial shifts needed to segue into new high-yield territories and markets–from tech to investment to experience design, commercial modeling, branding, and wellness. Through her evolution as an executive in publicly-traded giants, Caitlin is an expert at connecting disparate environments, ideas, subjects, and methodologies to build and sustain high-performing teams that empower and encourage purpose-driven impact. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and certifications in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. Caitlin is a guest lecturer and curriculum designer at Georgetown University, Cornell University, and the University of Houston; and leads Venture Resolution’s global consulting and innovation department.
Jeremy Olsen, MA
Client Process
Jeremy specializes in corporate processes and sustainable business development. Before joining Venture Resolution he successfully led a multi-million USD investment and M&A strategy at a private equity firm and then at two high net worth family offices, turning significant profits at each stop. Jeremy has also been a pioneer in coworking spaces, co-founding The Commons in the Washington, DC area as a hub to bolster innovation with entrepreneurs and startups. Internationally, Jeremy spent significant time in sub-Saharan Africa consulting for social innovation companies to create economic development initiatives that fund and implement new infrastructure and healthcare capacity projects throughout the region. He has a Master’s degree from Georgetown University and is also an alumnus of The College of Charleston and St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. Jeremy leads Venture Resolution’s client processes, combining his industry knowledge with a targeted approach that provides a clear path to institutional sustainability and increased profits.
Donny Dye
Strategic Advisor, Sales Systems
Donny has spent the past two decades as an entrepreneur, executive, and consultant specializing in scaling predictable revenue for startups and large enterprises alike. His expertise is building, leading, and fixing sales departments and platforms through team dynamics, enterprise, B2B, Saas, and channel sales across several verticals. Before joining Venture Resolution Donny helped build and sell three companies—one selling for 9-figures. He has a degree in business administration and marketing and is a certified trainer in digital economy from Google and IAB. Donny curates a free resource on sales innovation called Pitchwise NYC, and advises Venture Resolution’s leadership team on our global sales systems.
Lily Cook, MA
Operations
Lily became interested in international affairs and conflict resolution from a young age as a student at the United Nations International School in New York City for the first nine years of her education. After obtaining a BA in Critical Studies (Innovation) from Hampshire College, she earned an MA in Global Studies (Conflict Resolution) from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also helped lead undergraduate courses on Israel/Palestine, policy planning, and twentieth century history. Previously Lily served a year with AmeriCorps through an inner-city anti-poverty council, and continues to give her time to equality and social justice initiatives. Lily leads Venture Resolution’s global operations.