MEET
THE TEAM

John Wallace is a Co-Founder of Workbox. Prior to Workbox, John spent 20 years as a real estate and equities investor at Brookfield Asset Management, LaSalle Investment Management, and Legg Mason. He has led international teams and investment strategies at the Managing Director and Director level in the U.S., Amsterdam, and Hong Kong. John holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, BS from the University of Maryland, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Caitlin McAllister is the COO of Workbox. Prior to Workbox, Caitlin was the Executive Director of Catapult Chicago, one of Chicago’s earliest tech incubators (now part of 1871). Caitlin has also held executive roles at Starwood and IHG responsible for managing teams of up to 75 employees while developing experiential programming and managing strategic partnerships within the luxury brand segment. Caitlin holds a BA from the University of Portland.

Kyle O’Connor is the CFO of Workbox. Prior to Workbox, Kyle was the Vice President of Finance for Brookfield Asset Management and has held finance roles at Guggenheim Partners and Ernst & Young over the past 15 years. He has advised multinational corporations in the Real Estate, Financial Services, and the Automotive industries on financial structuring and implementation over his professional tenure. Kyle holds an MS from the University of Notre Dame, BS from Purdue University, and is a Registered CPA.

Gerald Beechum is an EVP and the Managing Partner of Workbox Ventures. Before Workbox, Gerald spent 25 years as an investor, operator, advisor, and inventor. He has worked with small and large companies across industries, including Fintech, Real Estate, and Food. Gerald also spent 16 years in various roles at JPMorgan Chase. Gerald holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS with honors from Cornell University.

Tawny Safieddine is the Director of Systems and Training at Workbox. She leads operational system procurement and implementation strategy as well as internal training for all community operations staffing. She previously held positions at Kids Science Labs and Guaranteed Rate. Tawny holds a BA from Northwestern University.

Kelly Pease is the Director of Business Development at Workbox. Prior to Workbox, Kelly wore multiple hats, leading strategy and development for Catapult Chicago, a startup incubator that is now part of 1871. Early in her career, Kelly led city-wide community engagement for the Chicago Park District where she managed various programs on the North, West, and South sides of Chicago. She also currently serves on the board of directors for a local nonprofit. Kelly holds a BS from DePaul University.

Samantha Schwartz is the Director of Business Services at Workbox. Having worked in the startup ecosystem of Chicago for over five years, she served as the Collaboration Manager at TechNexus Venture Collaborative and as the VP of Fontenelle Art. She is passionate about improving the entrepreneurial experience through connection, advocacy, and empowerment. Sam holds a BA from DePaul University.

Austin Taylor is the Director of Marketing at Workbox. Having held roles in marketing and advertising on both the client and agency side, Austin has managed digital and traditional advertising campaigns for multiple Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to Workbox, he spent 5 years with the Global Advertising team at United Airlines. Before United, he worked at Digitas, a global marketing and technology agency, developing digital advertising and marketing initiatives for Miller Lite of the Molson Coors Beverage Company. Austin holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.

Sloane Goff is the Community Manager at Workbox’s Gold Coast location, handling all daily operations of the space and assisting members. Prior to joining Workbox, she served as Community Manager at MakeOffices in the Loop. Though originally from Memphis, TN, she relocated to Chicago two years ago from Seattle, WA, and has over 10 years of experience in customer service roles. Sloane holds a BA from the University of Memphis.

Sebastian Collado is the Community Manager at Workbox’s West Loop location. Prior to joining Workbox, Sebastian managed restaurant operations for over 10 years in the New York City, DC, and Chicago markets. During that time, Sebastian managed cross-functional teams of over 45 employees while designing training programs from the ground up. Sebastian holds an AA from Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Katie Hornsby is the Community Manager at Workbox’s River North location, handling all daily operations of the space and assisting members. Prior to joining Workbox, she served as Impact Tech Consultant at Green Innovation Group in Lisbon, Portugal. Originally from St. Louis, Katie has experience in marketing, property management, sales, and over six years of experience in customer facing roles. Katie holds a BS from Indiana University.

Adam Mengesha is the Community Manager at Workbox’s Magnificent Mile location, handling all daily operations of the space and assisting members. Prior to joining Workbox, he worked at Rush Medical University Center as a Guest Relations Associate in the Emergency Department. Originally from Dallas, Texas, he relocated to Chicago five years ago, and has over 10 years of experience in customer support. Adam holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin—and once held the world record for most push-ups into a pan of BBQ sauce.

Brooke VanHoutte is an Operations Associate at Workbox assisting Community Managers in handling all daily operations of the space and member assistance. Prior to joining Workbox, she worked with children and families in different capacities over the past five years providing customer service and assistance helping her continue to deepen her passion for serving and helping others. Brooke holds a BA from Roosevelt University.