Meet the Team
Bryan Benham
Director of Learning
Jeff Cogswell
Instructional Manager
Jeff is a seasoned software developer since landing his first job after college in the 90s. He has worked primarily for large phone companies and has programmed with almost every language imaginable. He’s excited to share everything he knows with Grand Circus students. Jeff has also written a dozen books, including C++ All in One for Dummies.
Laura Crouch (She/Her/Hers)
Career Services Manager
Laura has 12+ years of experience in career coaching, recruiting, and higher education. Laura was lucky enough to join the Grand Circus team in April 2021. It is so exciting for her to see students land their first job in tech. What could be more fulfilling than being able to support someone in such a huge transition in their life? Outside of her work, Laura spends most of her time with her husband and two young kids. They enjoy hiking and camping, especially at state and national parks. Being a North Carolina resident, they frequent the Blue Ridge Parkway and its surrounding areas often.
Mitchell Cuckovich (He/Him/His)
Instructor
Brennan Davis (He/Him/His)
Digital Operations Manager
Brennan is a passionate advocate for alternative education and training pathways for learners who don’t feel college is the right path for them. He brings experience in marketing, branding, graphic design, web development, and education to his role as the Digital Marketing Operations Specialist here at Grand Circus. Outside of work, you can probably find Brennan playing video games with his friends or in the corner, absent from the world, reading a fantasy novel.
Elizabeth Heaton (She/Her/Hers)
Sr. Manager, Career Services & Alumni Relations
Elizabeth is a Chicago native who relocated to Detroit to pursue her love of helping others reach their highest potential. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling from Adler University. With 10 years experience in education, Elizabeth transitioned to Detroit to help adults achieve their career goals. Elizabeth brings a diverse background of experiences and insights to help individuals regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Elizabeth is a Mom of three, an avid Peloton rider, and an activist for the LGBT+ community.
Andrea Hoffman
Teaching Assistant
Justin Jones
Instructor
Hannah Jordan (she/her/hers)
Digital Content Creator
Hannah is a Tennessee native and a current Philadelphia resident. She attended Drexel University where she studied Public Relations and Communications. Hannah feels extremely lucky to have found her niche at Grand Circus as the Digital Content Creator! She strives to find creative ways of bringing people together using storytelling and interactive media. Outside of work, you can find Hannah out for a hike or at the river playing with her new puppy, Finley (aka Fin Diesel).
Rachel O'Sullivan (She/Her/Hers)
Sr. Manager of Admissions
Rachel is a passionate student advocate that you’d find in our Admissions Dept. as our Sr. Manager of Admissions! She joined GC in Sept ’21 & will tell you she’s in her dream job helping guide students through a career change or achieve a personal goal of theirs. Now, after finding her ‘career home’, her + her husband + their 2 dogs – MJ & S’More – are expecting their first baby!! When she isn’t answering emails, or getting ready for Baby X’s arrival, you can find her on the golf course trying to shed strokes off her handicap!
Jeff Robinson
Program Coordinator
Damien Rocchi
CEO & Founder
Damien is the CEO and Founder of Grand Circus. He started Grand Circus to close the technical skills gap and to create a path for people of all backgrounds into high-paying, high-growth technical careers. Damien is originally from Australia and has worked in leadership roles at some of Australia’s largest media and consumer companies. He is passionate about all things Australian, AFL, his family and calamari fishing.
Scott Tribble (He/Him/His)
Director of Marketing & Enrollment Management
Frank Urso
Vice President of Business Development
Frank works with our enterprise partners in helping them grow and acquire the talent they need to tackle today’s IT challenges. He is passionate about Grand Circus’ mission to directly connect learning to careers, with a focus on creating talent that reflects the community we live in. Born and raised as a Detroit Tigers fan, a seismic shift has occurred as he supports his new hometown team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tommy Waalkes
Instructor
Ian Washington (He/Him/His)
Director of Social and Community Impact
Ian joined Grand Circus in December 2014 after a few years in the beverage industry where he was a partner with a local brewery. Why Grand Circus? As a native Detroiter and lifelong learner, the idea of tech education was exciting and challenging. “Nothing like Grand Circus existed while I was growing up” – So with that said, Ian decided that he wanted to be a part of growing this business and industry in the Detroit area and beyond. Ian is married with 2 kids and lives a quiet life in the woods with mediocre wifi access and deer that eat his prized hosta garden.
April Watkins (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Operations
April leads operations, managing processes, systems, and OKR development, and people operations & culture. She has held leadership roles at established companies and startups ranging from early-stage Internet companies to personal healthcare. At Dolby Laboratories, she worked in creative services, real estate, finance, and operations, oversaw expansion into over 30 countries, and served as integration lead for multiple acquisitions. After many years in San Francisco, April is now back in Northern Michigan, and is thrilled to have found a home with the Grand Circus family!
William Westley
Program Manager
David Wolverton
Curriculum Manager
David has been a bootcamp instructor at Grand Circus for over five years and oversees our Full Stack JavaScript curriculum. Before joining the staff, David worked as a software developer for many years. He loves working in IT and got into teaching because of a desire to help others get into the field.
