Pinhead People
Sarah Holbrooke
Executive Director
Sarah Holbrooke is the Executive Director of Pinhead Institute. Before joining the organization in April 2014, she was a filmmaker and Peabody award-winning television producer, working for ABC News, CBS News and CNN. She collaborated with anchors such as Peter Jennings, Katie Couric and Larry King. As a television producer, Sarah specialized in particularly complicated and daunting field production, organizing shoots at the Museum of Natural History, the red carpet at the Oscars and filming in medical operating theaters. She also was a senior booker for several networks including CNN, where she arranged on-air interviews with leading opinion makers, scientists, and celebrities. Sarah is a graduate of Wesleyan University, with a double major in English and Psychology with a concentration in BioPsych. After living in New York city for two decades, she now lives in Telluride, Colorado with her husband David, the Founder of Original Thinkers, her three children and her two dogs. In her spare time she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, biking and relaxing with a good book.
Trang Pham
Program Manager
Trang has been romping around Telluride since 2012, but it took a while for her to realize she belongs at Pinhead. She’s always been an avid STEM lover, and she holds a B.S. in Media Studies and a minor in Math from Harvey Mudd. She was a middle school math teacher prior to Telluride and has tutored and mentored numerous youths in Telluride ever since. Pinhead is the cumulation of all the hats that she wears, and she’s really proud to be wearing this new hat to help students develop a passion for STEM. During her free time, find her teaching cooking classes at Ah Haa, whipping up latte art, or attempting to create some functional pottery.
Jeanna Jasperson
West End Program Coordinator
After dedicating 25 years to teaching STEM subjects in Montrose County, Colorado, I retired but soon realized my passion for working with kids persisted. This led me to join Pinhead as the Coordinator for the West End STEM Program. In this role, I enjoy guiding students in enhancing their math skills and undertaking exciting STEM projects after school. Beyond the classroom, I spend my time biking, tending to chickens on my ranch, or hiking with friends and my dogs. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science from Regis University in Denver and a Master of Science in Science Education from Montana State University in Bozeman. I initially taught science for five years in Green River, Wyoming, before relocating to Montrose to be nearer to my family. I am proud of my three wonderful daughters, who have grown into remarkable individuals, and I feel blessed to have them in my life. I am excited to collaborate with the dedicated staff at Pinhead and to discover new opportunities that will inspire students in the West End to achieve great things.
Kendal Oakleaf Smith
Administration
Kendal holds an MS in Nonprofit Administration and a BS in Spanish with a minor in International Studies. Bringing a diverse background in both education and administration to the Pinhead Institute, Kendal has spent 20 years working for nonprofits and in some version of education across a spectrum of unique environments. Her perspective is shaped by her experience working in schools on three continents, leading wilderness expeditions for the Colorado Outward Bound School, and many years instructing for different adaptive sports organizations. She loves living in the San Miguel watershed, where she is known to pick up rocks to examine later, enjoys all types of precipitation particles, and marvels in the magic of rainbows and Wrights Mesa sunsets. She romps around with her husband, daughter, Tukuh-dog and 2 spunky cats.
Jessica Tenenbaum
Advisory & Special Projects
Jessica is always excited to share her love of science with all the kids at Pinhead. She holds a B.A. in Earth System Science from Cornell University and comes to Pinhead with a diverse professional background that includes: outdoor retail, horticultural production, and manufacturing. Jessica enjoys getting to learn and teach so many interesting topics. Her favorites are coding and botany, because you can only stare at a screen for so long before it’s time to play in the dirt. When she’s not helping at Pinhead she can be usually be found gardening, cooking, and exploring our amazing area with her family.
Larry Rosen
Finance & Bookkeeper
Originally from Connecticut, Larry Rosen has called the Telluride region home since 1993. He rejoined the Pinhead team in July 2026 after previously serving as Pinhead’s bookkeeper from 2006 to 2014. He brings more than 25 years of experience supporting nonprofit and community-based organizations in the Telluride region focused on outdoor recreation, community engagement, and hospitality, with expertise in finance, administration, and organizational leadership.
A longtime outdoor enthusiast, Larry has spent much of the past three decades exploring the mountains, rivers and canyons of southwestern Colorado and the greater Colorado Plateau. He and his wife, Heather, enjoy raising their two daughters, Eleanor and Gretchen, in their Ophir home, with their dog, Coco, and cat, Taika waiKitty.