Lisa Porat

Board Chair

Lisa Marquette Porat is a licensed clinical social worker and U.S. Lead, Patient Advocacy for BeOne Medicines. She holds a B.S. from DePauw University in Sociology/Psychology/Communications and a M.S.W. from Indiana University Graduate School of Social Work. She also holds several licensures and certifications in clinical social work, mental health counseling and oncology.

Lisa began her involvement with FIRST over 12 years ago as a proud parent and mentor/coach when her daughter was in FLL and continued as a mentor/coach throughout FTC and continues to mentor FRC Team 1741, Red Alert Robotics, where she is the Past-President and current Leadership & Business Mentor. Lisa has served in various roles throughout FIRST over the years including event volunteering, judging, and helping to host/run numerous events at all levels of FIRST. Lisa also has served on numerous national, state and local boards and consults nationally on board development and strategic planning.

Monica Bravo Hochstein

Vice Chair

Grant Carlile

Secretary

Grant Carlile is the Managing Director at Mountains. Over the past 25 years Grant has facilitated teams and events for impact by pouring into three buckets: running, startups, and robotics. Grant believes in leveraging diversity as a place to start, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with passionate people on projects they believe in.

Since starting with FIRST Robotics in 2004, Grant has held most roles related to the FIRST Robotics program including: Volunteer, Coach, and Organizer. Grant is an alumni of FIRST Robotics – he credits the trajectory of his life in part to his time as a FIRST Robotics participant. Grant joined the FIRST Indiana board of directors in his crusade to advocate for, and increase access to, impactful educational and life experiences.

Karla Tugan

Treasurer

Mady Stricker

Chair, Competition Committee

Mady Stricker is the STEM Community Engagement Director for BioNanomics, a nonprofit in northeast Indiana, where she focuses on expanding access to and supporting the sustainability of FIRST programs across the region. Prior to this role, Mady worked in the manufacturing and IT industries. She earned a B.S. in Informatics from Indiana University in 2020.

Mady’s involvement with FIRST began as a student member of FRC Team 1501, T.H.R.U.S.T. While in college, she served as a mentor for FRC Team 3494, The Quadrangles, and has since mentored three different teams. She is currently an active mentor for both FRC Team 3494 and FRC Team 10332, Carroll Charger Robotics. In addition, she supports FTC Team 11329 and serves with RoboBoosters Inc., the nonprofit organization supporting Teams 3494 and 11329.

With a strong background in FIRST as both a student and mentor, Mady is deeply committed to giving back to the program that shaped her own journey. Her passion for expanding opportunities and ensuring the long-term sustainability of FIRST programs drives her continued impact on students, teams, and the broader STEM community.

Dimple Shah

Chair, STEM for Everyone Committee

Dimple Shah takes pride in having a home in two different countries. Originally from India, she’s currently living in Carmel, Indiana with her family – her husband of 19 years and her 13-year-old son. With over two decades of work experience in the IT industry, she has held various roles, demonstrating a strong commitment to agility and diversity.

Dimple was first introduced to FIRST only 3 years back when her son became a part of a First Lego League (FLL) team. Almost immediately, she recognized the profound impact these programs have on youth development and their future prospects. Her dedication to FIRST Indiana Robotics has grown significantly over the years. Dimple will serve as the Chair for STEM for Everyone committee in the FIN board. Her passion for fostering an inclusive environment is a tremendous asset to the FIN community.

Kris VanKleek

Chair, Education Committee

Kristopher VanKleek is the Vice President of Global Operational Excellence at Nouryon. He holds a Masters of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management from Penn State and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. With a rich background in operational excellence and leadership, Kristopher is dedicated to driving innovation and efficiency within global operations. His professional journey is marked by a commitment to enhancing organizational performance through strategic initiatives and continuous improvement.Kristopher’s journey with FIRST began in 1996 as a freshman at Gavit High School in Hammond, where he was a part of Team 71 – Team Hammond / Beatty. After periodically volunteering at events over the years, he rejoined Team 71 as a mentor in 2023. Passionate about STEM education, Kristopher launched the FLL program at his children’s elementary school in Elmhurst, IL, in 2024. He joined the board to expand access to FIRST programs, aiming to help schools implement structured STEM pathways even without major sponsors. His dedication to fostering educational opportunities in STEM is a driving force behind his contributions to the board.

Mary Baker

Chair, Development Committee

Mary Baker is the Director of Customer Service & Marketing for AndyMark, Inc,. Prior to AndyMark she had a brief stint as a stay-at-home mom, and was the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for St. Joseph Hospital in Kokomo for 10 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Bloomington in Journalism and Political Science.

Mary began her involvement with FIRST as a supportive spouse in 1997 for her husband, Andy, who was a mentor on FRC 45 TechnoKats. In 2004 she took a more active role when Andy started AndyMark with Mark Koors to provide robotics parts for educational robotics, primarily FRC teams. Mary was a mentor for her three amazing daughters’ FIRST Lego League team before helping start FRC Team 3940 CyberTooth where she was a mentor until 2023. She has volunteered in various roles in all of the FIRST programs including Judge, Volunteer Coordinator, Pit Admin Supervisor as well as serving on district planning committees. Mary is an active community volunteer, serving on several local boards.

Cameron Elder

Chair, Marketing & Communication Committee

Cameron Elder is a videographer and media creator based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has produced marketing and storytelling content for nonprofits, performing arts organizations, and robotics programs, with a focus on building visibility and community support. Cameron began his FIRST journey in 2013 as a student in FIRST LEGO League and has since stayed involved as a mentor and volunteer. He currently works with FRC Teams 3494, 4982, and 10332, supporting students in technical, leadership, and outreach roles while helping teams grow their presence and impact.

Jack Doherty

Chair, Volunteer Committee

Jack Doherty is a software engineer for Oracle’s VirtualBox, a free and open-source virtualization product. He graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Computer Science in 2021.Jack grew up in Massachusetts and began his involvement with FIRST in 2014 as a student on FRC team 4169 and as an FRC volunteer as a Team Queuer. While at Purdue, Jack was a member of Purdue FIRST Programs serving as a member of the event planning team, director of that team, and two years as President. Afterward, while in Indiana, he began volunteering for key roles and served on various event planning committees.Jack now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and serves as a mentor for FRC team 5924, Golden Gate Robotics, in San Francisco. He currently serves as an FRC referee and kickoff coordinator for the San Francisco FRC Kickoff, and Tournament Director for Sunset Showdown. Jack was also a member of the FIN Volunteer Committee for two years before joining the board as chair of that committee, and formerly served as a Volunteer Coordinator across multiple FIRST programs and events.

Sean Dewey

Member at Large

Kevin Spindler

Member at Large

Kevin Spindler is the General Manager of Stamping, Plastics, and the new Battery plant at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana in Princeton, Indiana. He oversees Production, Engineering, Maintenance, and New Model development for these shops shops which produce Toyota Highlander, Sienna, Grand Highlander, and Lexus TX models with Gas, Hybrid, and Plug-in Hybrid power trains. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Mechanical Engineering and worked at an automotive supplier before joining Toyota 25 years ago.Kevin was first an FLL coach for a team in Gibson County when two of his children were in grade school. He went on to become a referee at the USI FLL event and looks forward to continuing his involvement with FIRST as a board member.