Driving Forward Board Members
Marvin Richardson
Co-Founder and Board Chair
Daytime Job: Advisor, Investor, Entrepreneur, Technologist. Formerly SVP & Chief Information Officer for HCSC, the largest member-owned health insurer with over 17 million members.
“As a ‘farm kid’ and first-generation Canadian college student, I learned about the corporate world through internships that provided the financial, experiential, and relationship pathway to a meaningful and rewarding career.
That experience makes Driving Forward’s mission very personal … I want to help ambitious and energetic college students advance their career journey through internships and professional connections.”
Fun fact: I love to travel, and though I didn’t take my first flight until after university, I’ve enjoyed visiting 6 continents, 42 countries, and 48 states.
Claire Pedersen
Co-Founder and Vice Chair
Daytime Job: Director, PricewaterhouseCooper’s Cloud and Digital Practice
“I feel like we all have a personal responsibility to give back and help others. I am so grateful to be able to do that through Driving Forward and appreciate the growth that I get through every staff, volunteer and intern interaction.”
Fun Fact: I love cooking and enjoy picking random ‘mystery’ ingredients at the grocery store to learn how to cook them. I’m also very excited to become a mom in 3 months.
Daytime Job: Partner and Midwest Geography Leader at Trexin Consulting
“I grew up in India in a lower-middle-class family with very limited resources. So as I reflect on my life, from my early days of struggle in undergrad to a meaningful career now, I can point to certain people who came into my life to guide me and support me along the way. I am grateful for those mentors and now that I am in position to help others, I find DrivingForward to be the perfect opportunity to Pay-It-Forward!"
Fun Fact: Last summer I got into boating, got my license and had a blast (32 trips in season). Now I am eagerly waiting for summer again to I can hit Lake Michigan again.
Daytime Job: Global Head of Talent Management for R&D AbbVie
“As someone who financed my way through college, I learned the challenges of working multiple jobs while navigating academics and positioning myself well for the job market. It is a difficult balance at that age. It has been so rewarding to create an experience for students in similar scenarios - providing them with a meaningful experiential opportunity that empowers them with professional development skills, makes them stand out candidates, and prepares them for paid internships via our corporate sponsors. Seeing them excel in the program and beyond has filled the entire Driving Forward community with joy and pride.”
Fun Fact: My hobby is triathlons, and last year I did an Ironman
Daytime Job: Chief of Technology & Administrative Officer of Lions Club International
“Sharing my experience to support our operations and working with and seeing the growth of our students throughout the program is the reason this matters. This program changes the world one life at a time."
Fun Fact: I am a certified yoga instructor, do flower arranging as my hobby, and have been in 49 of the 50 states.
Bhoopendra Singh
Board Member
Kate Neal
Co-Founder and Board Secretary
Sue Ben
Board Treasurer
Driving Forward Executive Director
Daytime Job: Driving Forward Executive Director. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, UChicago Booth School of Business.
“It is an honor and a privilege to lead Driving Forward on its mission. I have been involved in undergraduate career exploration and development for 15 years, so appreciate the enormous value our program provides students.”
Fun Fact: Scott is a fan and a practitioner of improv comedy, completing a year of training at the Second City Theater in Chicago.
Scott Metcalf
Executive Director
Executive Director Emeritus
Daytime Job: Happily retired as of April 19th, 2024!
Formerly Driving Forward Executive Director; Formerly Software Development Executive
“It was an incredible honor for me to work with and support our interns. I was rewarded everyday as I saw our interns grow and gain meaningful business and professional skills. I was appreciative that I could share my many years of professional experience and help students along the way.”
Fun Fact: Randi loves yoga and spending time in northern MN at her family cabin.