The Beacon’s Board of Directors

BRITTANY BARRIENTOS is a partner at Stinson LLP, practicing environmental law. Between dealing with Clean Water Act provisions and environmental health and safety issues, she has been active in the community, volunteering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Greater Kansas City United Way, Junior Achievement, Operation Breakthrough, and Brookside Mothers’ Association. Barrientos has also been heavily involved in pro bono efforts internationally on policy issues with Advocates for Human Rights and locally co-captaining a nonpartisan election protection call center. She was a member of the Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Class in 2019. A Texas native, she holds a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas Tech.

MARK HORVIT is an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where he teaches investigative reporting, and is director of the school’s State Government Reporting Program. He previously served as executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), where he conducted training in investigative reporting and data journalism throughout the world. Horvit worked as a reporter and editor for 20 years before joining IRE. He serves on the board of directors for the Institute for Nonprofit News.

MICHAEL OUIMETTE leads the Strategy and Startups team at the American Journalism Project. Previously he led the domestic direct-to-consumer businesses at VICE Media. In that role, Michael spearheaded efforts to diversify revenue streams and content formats through launching VICE’s first subscription product in the U.S., and managing its experiential business. Prior to that role, he led strategy and operations for VICE’s digital division, driving efforts to grow audiences and profitability among VICE’s collection of digital brands. Michael is based in New York.

ANURAG PATEL is founder of Helix Health, a clinical data analytics tool that supports decisions for healthcare providers and payors  use their own data to improve patient population health outcomes and lower the cost of care. He currently leads primary research in healthcare data analysis and health outcomes. His education was in Medicine at UMKC – School of Medicine and Healthcare Administration at KU – School of Medicine and his relevant work history includes work at the KU Medical Center as a clinical assistant professor and director of strategy in information security and COO of a local tech startup. He is also a board member at Startland and the KC Social Innovation Center, and enjoys biking and tacos in his free time.

MELISSA ROBERTS CHAPMAN has worked at the nexus of policy, entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development throughout her career. She identifies as an ecosystem builder and entrepreneur and is a native of De Soto, KS.

Before leading Kansas City’s Tech Hub consortium, Melissa was director of entrepreneurship and ecosystem policy at the Federation of American Scientists and a senior program officer at the Kauffman Foundation, where she led a grantmaking team focused on building more inclusive, collaborative and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Heartland. Previously, she held leadership roles in entrepreneurship support organizations, started her own business, led coalition-building efforts and managed political campaigns. Melissa is deeply involved in her community, working both “in” and “on” Kansas City, through her involvement in KC Rising, BioKansas, the Ecosystem Building Leadership Project, the UMKC Center for Law, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and through other volunteer activities. Melissa is also a lecturer at the KU School of Business.

In her free time, she and her husband Brad enjoy watching the Royals, perfecting brisket smoking techniques and throwing dinner parties. Melissa earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a certificate in business analytics, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College.

MATT WAGGONER serves as vice president of growth and brand at GreenUp Wealth Management. He joined the firm in 2024 after an accomplished 20-year career in media and communications. Prior to GreenUp, Matt served as station manager for Kansas City’s NBC affiliate and held leadership roles across the country, building experience that ranged from newspaper reporting to serving as a senior director of broadcast news. Although his career took him to communities nationwide, he is proud to call the Kansas City area home. 

DAVID OLIVER (1952-2025) 

David Oliver was a founding board chair of The Beacon, trusted advisor and lifelong advocate for civic journalism and local engagement. He was an attorney at the Kansas City law firm Berkowitz Oliver LLP, specializing in litigation, class action defense and accounting and professional liability. He also had a consulting practice helping companies diversify and strengthen their boards and implement best practices in board/management relations. His civic activities included serving as a board member of AlignED; board member and board chair of MRIGlobal; board member of William Jewell College; board member and chair of DeLaSalle Charter High School; board member of the UMKC Trustees; board member of the UMKC Enactus Business Advisory Board; board member of Teach for America – KC; board member of DIBS for Kids; board member of the Missouri Advisory Board for Educator Preparation; advisory board member of the Spencer Art Museum at the University of Kansas; advisory board member of the AUP+D Department at UMKC; advocacy committee member of ArtsKC; and advocacy committee member of Nonprofit Connect. He was on the board of The Francis Family Foundation; the board of The Cross Foundation; and was a Trustee of the Murphy Charitable Fund. He was a graduate of Haverford College and Boston University School of Law.