Expert Presenters: Nora Robinson, MSW, strategy director for WithInsight, helps organizations think and act strategically, from their long-term vision to their daily details. Nora brings a passion for good process, believing that in order for organizations to be impactful externally, they must be healthy and strategic internally. Some of her strengths include partnership development, program design, facilitation, team supervision, and project management. She excels in building trusting relationships with clients and coaching them through change to meet their long-term goals. Nora has built the capacity of hundreds of nonprofit organizations through training people to use best practices, actionable data, and appropriate quality improvement techniques. Prior to leading WithInsight, Nora worked at the cross-roads of nonprofits, philanthropy, and education. As program director of the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, she led the strategic vision and implementation of the Tutoring Partnership—a city-wide network of academic skill-building programs focused on quality improvement and alignment. Nora has a MSW from the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota, with a specialization in nonprofit management.

Kara Bixby, MPP, is the evaluation director at WithInsight, bringing expertise in program evaluation, data analytics and research. She is passionate about evaluation capacity building - helping others leverage the power of data and processes to learn and improve their work. Kara has trained hundreds of nonprofit organizations in evaluation methods and how to strategically use data for continuous improvement. Her unique approach to evaluation brings life and new perspectives to traditional evaluation tools like logic models and evaluation plans. Kara believes that when done well, evaluation gives stakeholders a voice, empowers staff to learn and develop their skills, and changes systems to become equitable and effective. Prior to leading WithInsight, Kara directed research and evaluation efforts for the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation and Minneapolis Public Schools. Kara has an MPP from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with a specialization in program evaluation.