The NOVA
FOUNDATION Team
NOVA Foundation is powered by the people behind NOVA Innovation Group and Uninterrupted Performance. Together, we channel our expertise into a shared mission: creating spaces where community and wellness fuel bright, new starts.
KATIE SAVARISE
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Katie is a seasoned operations leader with over a decade of experience guiding large teams through complex projects and events. Previously, she ran Uber’s Global Events team, delivering major productions worldwide. Her own transition came in taking the leap to start NOVA Innovation Group and later create the NOVA Foundation alongside her team - transforming a long-held dream into reality and proving that uncertainty can be the spark for bold new beginnings.
ALEX VERSEN
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Alex brings a decade of experience across tech, consulting, and sport to his role as Executive Director of the Nova Foundation. Growing up in a family of athletes and coaches, he saw firsthand how difficult—and how defining—the shift beyond competition can be. That perspective, paired with career chapters at Uber, with NOVA, and now as a Lecturer at the University of Maine, shapes his leadership of the Foundation. His focus is ensuring the Nova Foundation builds the community and resources people need to carry their identity forward and find strength in life’s next game.
JEFF POWELL
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Jeff Powell is the founder of Uninterrupted Performance and Fitness Director of the United Center, with over two decades of experience designing programs that integrate rehabilitation, performance training, mental and physical exercise, and recovery. He has successfully implemented his unique approach with professional athletes across the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, PGA, and Olympic teams. His journey reflects starting over—moving from Washington, D.C. to Chicago and rebuilding his business from the ground up. That reinvention reinforced his conviction that resilience, relationships, and movement are crucial to growth both on and off the field.
RACHEL CAVISE
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Rachel is an experienced brand marketer with a decade of work across technology, hospitality, wellness, and sustainability. She partners with mission-driven organizations to drive impact and equity. Rachel’s transition has been both personal and professional—navigating mental health challenges and burnout that led to a reshaping of her mindset around work-life balance. By embracing her own next chapter of building her consultancy, she brings a deep commitment to helping others face uncertainty with curiosity and courage.
KELLY BEAUPRE
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Kelly supports the Foundation’s community-building and partnership efforts, helping connect people and organizations to the mission. A DePaul University MBA graduate and former 5-year NCAA Division I softball player, she knows firsthand what it takes to perform under pressure and adapt at life’s turning points. During her 4 years at Dartmouth, she balanced a double major in Film & Media Studies and Economics with the demands of high-performance athletics—an experience that fuels her commitment to helping others navigate growth with resilience and curiosity.
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