Meet the LaunchSpace Team
Brianna Drohen
President, CEO, & Founder
Brianna brings a wealth of leadership experience in business, event planning, and grant research to the LaunchSpace team. As a Wendell native, she is passionate about building community projects that enhance local economic growth and development, such as makerspaces and the Orange Innovation Center. Her work over the past five years has focused on bringing real change to the North Quabbin region. She has been involved with international education and resource development with the goal of bringing the LaunchSpace platform into third world community networks.
Alec MacLeod
Founder & Director
Alec MacLeod has been a maker and a tinker since childhood. He frightened neighbors by bombing down hills on a go-cart made of 2x4s, big nails, and lawnmower wheels, rebuilt a gift Raleigh three-speed bicycle, fixed power and push mowers, and disassembled a more or less defunct Renault 5. He learned early that shared creativity is more interesting, enjoyable and productive than solo slogging. He leads LaunchSpace believing that a makerspace is an ideal venue for people to find that their innate abilities have yet to be fully explored and that the happiest moments in life happen as today’s challenges are met and tomorrow’s come into view.
Mark Wright
Treasurer
Mark grew up in a contracting family and spent his childhood learning the trades. After college and with a background in business management and non-profit creation, he spent his time as a production designer for the entertainment industry and working on economic development in a variety of locations. His position as head of the North Quabbin regional chamber of commerce keeps him in direct connection with local industry as well as the arts community. He sees LaunchSpace as a vehicle to help lift the socio-economic conditions of the greater region.
Courtney Fifield
Board Chair
While some artists work with their hands to create art, Courtney enjoys working with people to help foster financial equality for individuals and with businesses to help entrepreneurs create sustainable income while doing what they love. Courtney is a lifetime resident of Orange and spends his days as President and CEO of Athol Credit Union (ACU). In addition to being a Director at LaunchSpace, he is also a member of; the North Quabbin Loan Fund Committee, the housing and steering committees for Invest North Quabbin (INQ), Athol–Orange Rotary, and the Orange Merchant’s Group.
Melissa Rancourt
Clerk & Secretary
Melissa joined the team after working with LaunchSpace on several efforts through a Project Management volunteer group that formed in response to COVID-19, where her passion for social impact finally catalyzed with her longstanding professional skills. Along her career path, whether as an Environmental Chemist, a GIS Analyst, or as a Project Manager, she’s brought organization and structure, as well as clarity around purpose, priorities, and goals. She’s one of those “planners,” always thinking about the process to get from point A to C and ensure the vision is achieved and successful. And regardless of the depth or breadth of work, she’s never afraid to dig in and get her hands dirty. Speaking of which, when she’s not working on a LaunchSpace initiative or as a Project Manager or Technical Writer, you’ll find her tending to her herbs and vegetables, hiking in the woods with her dog, or maybe daydreaming, ahem, planning future adventures in an RV, traveling the US. .
Anthony Novak
Director
Anthony is always looking for some way to learn a new skill or make something just a little bit better. He has spent the last 10 or so years helping teams discover issues in their products in various quality assurance roles or helping teams overcome obstacles as a producer. All the while, he tinkered away at various projects using his 3d printer, soldering iron, wood working tools or any other type of technology he can get his hands on. After nearly a decade working on video games, he has now set his eyes on helping people realize a new joy in their lives: bringing their imagination to life through the power of making, problem solving, and getting their hands dirty.
Sarah Adams
Director
Sarah Adams is an artist and business accountability coach from Western Mass. She has received formal training as an artist through MWCC where she received her Associate of Art (’12) and through UMass Amherst where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting (’14). She has also recently achieved her Master of Professional Studies in the Business of Art & Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (’21), where she learned the frameworks of what it takes to start & sustain a creative small business. Sarah holds 9+ years’ experience in small business administration and management, with the past 3 years being involved in NFP and creative organizations. She is also on the Board of Directors for LaunchSpace as of April 2022 where she hopes to utilize her skills in communications, implementation & optimization, and project leadership, to strengthen the bond between arts, accessibility, and the community. .
Emily Carbonara
Director
Emily grew up in Keene, NH (45 minutes north of Orange), and currently resides in the Greater Boston Area. She brings business and strategic planning experience to LaunchSpace, and is passionate about creating sustainable futures and opportunities for citizens across New England. The majority of her professional life has been spent supporting this passion through a healthcare lens, but she is so excited to apply her skills to the makerspace. Emily has a degree in health management and policy for the University of New Hampshire.
Trish Keenan
Director
Trish Keenan is an artist, craftsperson, entrepreneur and computer wiz currently working as the Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at Acquia, a software company in Boston. She jumped at the opportunity to serve as a board member at LaunchSpace, recognizing the wonderful work being done and wanting to share her skills to help grow and nurture the organization and our programs. Her work as a web developer in southern Vermont allowed her to partner with dozens of rural businesses seeking to use the web to promote artisans and small businesses, fundraise for non-profits, and sell farm products to a much wider audience than they previously could.
Brianna Drohen
President, CEO & Founder
Brianna brings a wealth of leadership experience in business, event planning, and grant research to the LaunchSpace team. As a Wendall native, she is passionate about building community projects that enhance local economic growth and development, such as makerspaces and the Orange Innovation Center. Her work over the past five years has focused on bringing real change to the North Quabbin region. She has been involved with international education and resource development with the goal of bringing the LaunchSpace platform into third world community networks.
Alec MacLeod
Founder & Director
Alec MacLeod has been a maker and a tinker since childhood. He frightened neighbors by bombing down hills on a go-cart made of 2x4s, big nails, and lawnmower wheels, rebuilt a gift Raleigh three-speed bicycle, fixed power and push mowers, and disassembled a more or less defunct Renault 5. He learned early that shared creativity is more interesting, enjoyable and productive than solo slogging. He leads LaunchSpace believing that a makerspace is an ideal venue for people to find that their innate abilities have yet to be fully explored and that the happiest moments in life happen as today’s challenges are met and tomorrow’s come into view.
Mark Wright
Treasurer
Mark grew up in a contracting family and spent his childhood learning the trades. After college and with a background in business management and non-profit creation, he spent his time as a production designer for the entertainment industry and working on economic development in a variety of locations. His position as head of the North Quabbin regional chamber of commerce keeps him in direct connection with local industry as well as the arts community. He sees LaunchSpace as a vehicle to help lift the socio-economic conditions of the greater region.
Courtney Fifield
Board Chair
While some artists work with their hands to create art, Courtney enjoys working with people to help foster financial equality for individuals and with businesses to help entrepreneurs create sustainable income while doing what they love. Courtney is a lifetime resident of Orange and spends his days as President and CEO of Athol Credit Union (ACU). In addition to being a Director at LaunchSpace, he is also a member of; the North Quabbin Loan Fund Committee, the housing and steering committees for Invest North Quabbin (INQ), Athol–Orange Rotary, and the Orange Merchant’s Group.
Melissa Rancourt
Clerk & Secretary
Melissa joined the team after working with LaunchSpace on several efforts through a Project Management volunteer group that formed in response to COVID-19, where her passion for social impact finally catalyzed with her longstanding professional skills. Along her career path, whether as an Environmental Chemist, a GIS Analyst, or as a Project Manager, she’s brought organization and structure, as well as clarity around purpose, priorities, and goals. She’s one of those “planners,” always thinking about the process to get from point A to C and ensure the vision is achieved and successful. And regardless of the depth or breadth of work, she’s never afraid to dig in and get her hands dirty. Speaking of which, when she’s not working on a LaunchSpace initiative or as a Project Manager or Technical Writer, you’ll find her tending to her herbs and vegetables, hiking in the woods with her dog, or maybe daydreaming, ahem, planning future adventures in an RV, traveling the US. .
Anthony Novak
Director
Anthony is always looking for some way to learn a new skill or make something just a little bit better. He has spent the last 10 or so years helping teams discover issues in their products in various quality assurance roles or helping teams overcome obstacles as a producer. All the while, he tinkered away at various projects using his 3d printer, soldering iron, wood working tools or any other type of technology he can get his hands on. After nearly a decade working on video games, he has now set his eyes on helping people realize a new joy in their lives: bringing their imagination to life through the power of making, problem solving, and getting their hands dirty.
Sarah Adams
Director
Sarah Adams is an artist and business accountability coach from Western Mass. She has received formal training as an artist through MWCC where she received her Associate of Art (’12) and through UMass Amherst where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting (’14). She has also recently achieved her Master of Professional Studies in the Business of Art & Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (’21), where she learned the frameworks of what it takes to start & sustain a creative small business. Sarah holds 9+ years’ experience in small business administration and management, with the past 3 years being involved in NFP and creative organizations. She is also on the Board of Directors for LaunchSpace as of April 2022 where she hopes to utilize her skills in communications, implementation & optimization, and project leadership, to strengthen the bond between arts, accessibility, and the community. .
Emily Carbonara
Director
Emily grew up in Keene, NH (45 minutes north of Orange), and currently resides in the Greater Boston Area. She brings business and strategic planning experience to LaunchSpace, and is passionate about creating sustainable futures and opportunities for citizens across New England. The majority of her professional life has been spent supporting this passion through a healthcare lens, but she is so excited to apply her skills to the makerspace. Emily has a degree in health management and policy for the University of New Hampshire.
Trish Keenan
Director
Trish Keenan is an artist, craftsperson, entrepreneur and computer wiz currently working as the Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at Acquia, a software company in Boston. She jumped at the opportunity to serve as a board member at LaunchSpace, recognizing the wonderful work being done and wanting to share her skills to help grow and nurture the organization and our programs. Her work as a web developer in southern Vermont allowed her to partner with dozens of rural businesses seeking to use the web to promote artisans and small businesses, fundraise for non-profits, and sell farm products to a much wider audience than they previously could.