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Staff

Hayes Ferguson

Director and Clinical Professor

Ferguson leads the Farley Center, including curriculum design, faculty development, alumni engagement, student mentorship and partnerships on campus and beyond. She teaches a wide range of entrepreneurship and innovation classes and is a Trienens Institute faculty affiliate. She also serves on the executive advisory board of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers and on the advisory council of CNBC Disruptor 50. Before joining Farley in 2020, Ferguson spent five years at The Garage at Northwestern, as an entrepreneur in residence and associate director. Previously, she held leadership positions at multiple startups, including Legacy.com, where she was part of the founding senior management team. Earlier in her career, Hayes was a project writer at PEOPLE magazine and the Latin America bureau chief for The Times-Picayune. Ferguson has a BA from Vanderbilt University and did graduate work as a Rotary Scholar at the University of Perugia, Italy, and as a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan.

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Kandra Parrott

Associate Director

Parrott oversees operations and finances for the Farley Center. She also supports Farley student ambassadors and entrepreneurs in residence. She previously worked as a purchasing clerk at GT Distributors and as an administrative specialist for O’Neal Manufacturing Services. Parrott has a BA from Texas State University and an MA from The University of Chicago.

Audrey Meyersieck

Program Coordinator

Meyersieck assists in the development and coordination of Farley programming and special initiatives such as the Farley Bay Area Quarter Program. She also supports Farley student ambassadors. She previously worked as a Graduate Assistant for Northwestern University’s Student Organizations & Activities and a Graduate Counselor for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She also served as a College Possible College Access Coach through Americorps prior to beginning her master's program in Student Affairs and Higher Education. Meyersieck has a BS from Marquette University and MEd from Loyola University Chicago. 

Ike Brown

Program Assistant

Brown coordinates events for students, fields student inquiries about Farley programming, and manages student workers. He also makes website updates and supports class registration. He previously worked as a barista at Starbucks and as managing director for a small theatre company called Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre. Brown has a BA from Millikin University.

Ashley Graham

Program Assistant

Graham manages the Farley Center email, maintains the office and student spaces, and schedules team and leadership meetings. She also assists with day-to-day operations in HR and finance. Previously, Graham worked as a teacher at Drama Kids International San Diego and barista shift supervisor at Starbucks. She is an actor and theatre artist, having worked and lived in five states during her career. Graham has a BA from the University of South Carolina. 

Student Workers

Hunter Gracey

Gracey (’27) is planning to double major in political science and history and double minor in economics and legal studies. He is part of the Northwestern Fencing Club and is currently working on writing a novel. In 2022 he competed in a national speech and debate competition.

Olivia Kieffer

Kieffer (’26) is studying psychology with a minor in entrepreneurship. She is also part of the Refresh Dance Crew on campus and works with NU Mini Chefs to further educate students and youth in the Chicago area about healthy eating and basic cooking. She has also been a peer advisor helping new students transition to Northwestern.

Courtney Kim

Kim (’26) is studying psychology with a minor in business institutions. She has a wide range of interests and likes to explore new clubs and events on campus. On campus, she works for NBN Magazine, SCNO, and volunteers for Books & Breakfast. In her free time, she enjoys long walks around Evanston.

Siwon Ryu

Ryu (’26) is studying mechanical engineering and pursuing a BS/MS in computer science. He is also involved with the Northwestern Formula SAE team, which competes an intercollegiate engineering design competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), where student teams design, build, and race formula-style cars.

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