Our Team
Leadership
Kathy F. Rocha
Associate Director
Werth Institute Operations, Signature Programs and Events
Kathy F. Rocha is Associate Director of the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Institute guides students through the ecosystem of programs and resources that help them identify and develop their ideas, potentially leading to entrepreneurship. It also provides targeted programs that foster curiosity, ideation, and innovation. Her leadership includes Director of the Innovation House Learning Community which brings together like-minded students with an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. She also teaches a class for students interested in using their entrepreneurial skills to get a job or start a business.
Prior positions at UConn include entrepreneur-in-residence for the School of Engineering including the Third Bridge Grant and Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster (QCIC) programs. She was involved with the creation of UConn’s entrepreneurship consortium which was the precursor to the Werth Institute.
Kathy has a passion for business and mentoring students, startups and established organizations. Her background includes an impactful career as an executive in the computer networking industry with positions in venture-backed startups and F100 companies including Bytex, 3Com, and Cisco Systems. Kathy is an angel investor, initially with Golden Seeds in Boston and a judge for many notable business plan competitions in MA and CT. She is a board member of Day Kimball Hospital and trustee of the KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation. Kathy holds a bachelor's in political science and MBA degrees from Providence College in Providence, RI.
Staff
Katie Britt
Director of Leadership Development
Werth Innovators Program
About Katie
As the Director of Leadership Development at The Werth Institute, Katie empowers the next generation of innovators. She oversees the Werth Innovators program, guiding undergraduate students as they transform their ideas into tangible realities. With a passion for creativity and mentorship and a keen eye for talent, Katie fosters a supportive environment where students can thrive through collaborative learning.
Before joining the Werth Institute, Katie worked in regional government and education. She holds degrees from the University of Connecticut - a BA in Sociology and an MA in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development. Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her family and pets, gardening, and exploring her creative side through floral design.
Julie Gehring
Director of Mentorship & Student Development
NetWerx Program
About Julie
Julie is the Director of Mentorship and Student Development at the Werth Institute, where she helps students develop an entrepreneurial mindset. For more than five years, she has been a key part of the Institute’s mission to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the university.
Her leadership includes facilitating initiatives designed to connect students with alumni mentors and resources. In addition to her role at the Institute, she is a Ph.D. candidate at UConn, focusing on how emerging entrepreneurs can develop opportunity recognition skills.
With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur, educator, and consultant, Julie has advised a range of organizations on workforce and talent development strategies. She has taught courses on communication and entrepreneurship at several colleges, including UConn.
Julie holds a master's degree from Emerson College and a bachelor's degree from Towson University. She is passionate about building communities and cultivating meaningful relationships that help people grow both personally and professionally.
Judy Reilly
Director, Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation (CNDEI)
About Judy
Judy joined The Werth Institute in 2021 to design and direct a national academic center to address barriers that block bright, professionally capable autistic and neurodivergent individuals from meaningful, successful employment outcomes. UConn’s center educates employers in practice change and better connects neurodiverse college students and alumni with opportunities.
Judy is trained in special education law and spent two decades securing services, supports, interventions, and strengths-based approaches to enable neurodivergent children and adults to thrive.
She earned her MBA and bachelor's degree from University of Michigan and is the parent of four adult children, two of whom live with neurodivergent conditions that have significantly impacted their educational and employment journeys.
Aaron Rosman
Operations Manager & Fiscal Officer, Werth Institute; Assistant Director, Innovation House
Operations, Finances, & Events; Innovation House
About Aaron
Passionate about the student experience, mentorship, and sustainability, Aaron looks to blend the experiences he had as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Connecticut into the work he does for the Werth Institute. Aaron seeks to build connections with and mentor students who are interested in sustainability, natural resources, or just looking to navigate UConn. He’d be the first to tell you that most routes in life are “unconventional” but that does not make them any less meaningful!
Aaron holds an MBA and BS in natural resources, both from UConn .
