Our Team

Jen Franklin Kearns, Social Media Analyst, joined the ds-connex team in January 2014, bringing with her many years of experience as a Buddy Walk® Team Captain. Since 2004, Team Alex has been a top fundraising team for the Columbus Buddy Walk®. Honoring Jen’s oldest son, Team Alex serves not only as a means for raising awareness and funding for Down syndrome, but also as a way to celebrate Alex’s achievements and to promote inclusion. As Social Media Analyst, Jen contributes to the ds-connex blog, assists in the creation of social media content, and provides training and customer support to Down syndrome walk event coordinators utilizing the Stride fundraising solution. Jen resides in the Columbus area with her husband, three children, and three dogs.

Amanda Pollock, Product Design Strategist, joined the team in May of 2017. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Miami University and a Master of Arts in Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Amanda works full time as a 2nd grade teacher and part time helping build Stride fundraising sites for Down syndrome walk events across the country. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband Matt and their children Owen & Olivia.

Meet Mike, the wizard behind the scenes of our Stride sites. In true programmer fashion, he shows up every day in jeans and a T-shirt. He can code anything with his magic fingers faster than you can say “Hello World.” Mike has a daughter who goes to Ohio University, where he majored in Computer Science. He’s passionate about healthy food and eats a salad for lunch most days. In his free time, he enjoys bird watching, perusing Food Network, and dreams about being a painter. The office is always more fun when Mike’s around. Mike is a dude.

Ashley is a sophomore at The University of Kentucky majoring in Kinesiology on a Pre-Physical Therapy track. She is a part of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at UK and has volunteered with their two philanthropies Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. As an intern at ds-connex, Ashley will be working to update partner websites and the ds-connex website, along with performing research and data analysis. In her free time, Ashley enjoys playing with her nephew, spending time with friends, and baking.

Hannah is a senior in the Acting program at Ohio University, and she also plans to earn a Social Media Certificate. As an intern at ds-connex, Hannah will be working to update partner websites, along with performing research. In her free time, Hannah loves listening to music, crocheting, playing the guitar, and spending time with her friends and family.

Parker is a sophomore at The Ohio State University majoring in management information systems (MIS). He’s active in the Ohio State entrepreneurial community and works for the Keenan Center of Entrepreneurship. As an intern at ds-connex, he helps update clients’ websites, compile media lists, and leverage Google Analytics for fundraiser insights. In his free time, he loves biking, watching movies, and spending time with his family.