Meet the Team

Kent Olson
Chief Excitement Officer / Events Director (44 Miles)

Kent Olson was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. He has an education in business from Minnesota State University - Mankato. After completing a banking internship in 1992, Kent began pursuing a career in financial services. Kent started in customer service and then held various business development and leadership roles in the mortgage industry for several years.

In 2008, he began building a real estate franchise for Keller Williams Realty in the Minneapolis area, growing the company from 3 to 80 agents during his tenure as CEO/Team Leader. In 2013, Kent began working as Vice President of TheMLSonline.com, an independent real estate company operating in 2 U.S. markets. Having eventually become the company president, he remained there for almost 8 years. In 2021 Kent returned to the mortgage industry where his career began. He now enthusiastically works his high-level hospitality approach, called For YOU! Mortgage Science, with his mortgage team at Edge Home Finance Corporation.

Kent and his wife Laura have been married for over 20 years. They live in the Minneapolis suburbs with their two children, Matty and Katie. Kent enjoys running, attending church, reading, golfing and entertaining. He also loves getaways with family, including summer trips to the lake and searching for palm trees in the wintertime! In addition to volunteering for his church, his true big "why" is passionately serving the autism community through his role with TCAF.

Randy Pierfelice
Vice President of the Giving

Randy Pierfelice hails from Detroit, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, he pursued a career in Christian ministry and not-for-profit management. Along the way, he picked up an accounting degree from the University of Minnesota at Duluth and began working in corporate accounting. He worked for Honeywell, Carlson Companies and Cargill. He 2013 he switched gears and went to work for a local real estate company, TheMLSonline.com as their controller.

Randy has been married to his wife, Muggy for the past 27 years and they have two sons, Connor and Christian. They reside in Brooklyn Park, MN.

Laura Olson
Vice President of the Details / Hangouts Director (Spring)

Laura is from the Twin Cities. During the day you’ll find her choreographing many aspects of international logistics, a field she’s been in for over 20 years. Laura is currently with a company in Maple Grove where she has worked for over 15 years. In this profession attention to detail and project management skills are a must.

Since the Chief Excitement Officer tends to get excited, he has an appreciation for these particular skills Laura brings to the foundation. When Laura is not spending time with family and friends she lets Rocky (the family dog) take her for walks, fuels a love/hate relationship with running, enjoys live music and reading, and is a huge fan of stand-up comedy.

Jolene Peterson-Taylor
Backpack Director

Jolene Peterson-Taylor, A coffee loving road trip enthusiast, finding her calm in nature. Together she and her husband of 15 years are raising 3 beautiful daughters, one of whom is on the spectrum. Advocating for her daughter she understands the medical diagnosis of a family member creates a need for community providing support for all family members including emotional and mental wellness. Graduate of Winona State University and owner of Life in Full Photography since 2018, in which time has been published in both local and international magazines. She has the privilege of joining families in capturing and preserving authentic moments of connection, collaborating with local businesses and community members to create professional and meaningful projects including the support of Twin Cities Autism Foundation. You can find her on Facebook, or her website, lifeinfullphotography.com

Andy Williams
Hangouts Director (Fall)

Andy was born in Minnesota and grew up living in several midwestern states. He attended the US Naval Academy where he earned a BS in Systems Engineering. After serving 9 years in the Navy as an aircraft commander and instructor pilot, Andy returned to Minnesota and worked with Target Corporation for 8 years primarily in operations, logistics and inventory planning. He then spent 2 years working in supply chain development with Advance Auto Parts before transitioning to Polaris Industries. Andy is currently Vice President of Supply Chain for Polaris’ Parts, Garments and Accessories division. In his spare time, Andy has enjoyed coaching youth sports and serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley, most recently as President of the Congregational Board for the past 4 years.

Andy and his wife, Tina, have been married 16 years and live in Brooklyn Park. He has 6 children and 3 grandchildren, all of whom live in Minnesota. In 2020, Andy and Tina committed to a goal of visiting all 7 continents in 7 years along with their youngest children (Evelyn and Quinn) – fortunately, they were able to get to Australia before the pandemic! Andy is passionate about our mission particularly because his youngest son (Quinn) is on the spectrum and he has seen the positive impact Foundations can provide in other arenas.

Chad Conzet
Events Director (Golf Classic)

Chad has long considered himself a very lucky man. He’s been enriched with such a wonderful family. He’s married to his beautiful wife of 26 years and has 3 incredible children. He is an Executive Account Manager for Asset Marketing selling rarities for over 20 years! Chad enjoys entertaining, playing golf and watching football...but most of all, traveling with his family. His motto has always been “Food, Family and Friends!” He also feels very blessed to be part of the work that TCA is doing. “I’m happy and very privileged to be a part of such an important cause,” he said. “My God Son Matthew has been such an inspiration and I'm so proud of him.”

Matt Nelson
Board Member At Large

Matt Nelson has been married to his beautiful wife, Gloria, for almost 11 years and resides here in the Twin Cities with Gloria and two girls! Before his time in real estate, Matt was in the IT/Computer Technology industry. He ran his own computer consulting business and worked with many large corporations on a variety of projects. After getting his real estate salesperson’s license in 2009, he used his tech and people skills to run a successful business. In 2020, he became a licensed real estate broker and now is helping lead one of Minnesota’s largest and most productive real estate teams. Outside of work and family, Matt loves to help others in the community, however he can. Since he was young, Matt has been volunteering his time and technical skills and to churches and organizations across the twin cities...and now he is honored to do the same with Twin Cities Autism Foundation.

Lisa Carlson
Board Member At Large

Lisa Carlson is Revolution Wellness Center's Director of Zing Performance and a Certified Health Coach. She has been married to her husband David for 30 years and is Mom to 3 grown sons, one of whom has Autism. Her journey with her middle son brought her into the arena of Natural Health over 20 years ago. Lisa has previous experience working with Brain Balance as a Nutritional Consultant, Center and Program Director, and is on Ancient Nutrition’s Healthcare Practitioner Advisory Panel and most recently was Director of Business Development for Zing Performance NA. She has extensive knowledge of nutritional support products and homeopathic remedies. Lisa has owned her own alternative health company for over 20 years and she is passionate about helping individuals and families on their health & wellness journeys — specifically Moms of children with Special Needs and young children facing challenges with learning and behaviors.

Justin Swenson
Board Member At Large

Justin Swenson was born and raised native Minnesotan. Ya sure you betcha!! He is married to his Gorgeous wife Andrea the rock and anchor of the family. Aside from Jesus Christ being the glue that holds them all together, she excels at making sure everything in the household is on task, appointments are kept and needs are met. Justin has been in the Residential and Commercial Construction industry for a majority of his life. Starting as a young boy, his parents bought and remodeled different properties over 17 times through his life landing him with a skillset that would later serve to provide for his family. Justin ran his own company for many years doing remodel and repair work on residential properties. Later moved into the commercial sector as a superintendent building banks, medical buildings, apartment complexes and finally moving over to Legacy Restoration where he has been for the last 6 years working insurance claims for homeowners after storms with over 1000 builds under his belt. The most important thing in Justin’s life is caring for his family which comprises of his wife Andrea, eldest daughter Tylar (17) who is high functioning on the ASD spectrum, Alexis (14) neurotypical teenage daughter, Bentley (11) who is low functioning ASD & nonverbal (which is why he became interested in TCAF), and Harley (5) his youngest son. Justin has a passion for better understanding autism, treatments and therapies that will best help his son and daughter live their best lives while keeping some semblance of balance in the nuclear family unit. He states that it is the most challenging thing he has ever been through in his life but also the most rewarding seeing joy on the faces of his kids and wife. LOVE FOR AUTISM!!!! Live it!! Love it!!!