Open To Work
Connor M. Mautner
Chicago
Work Preference
Summary
Goal-driven strategic leader and decisive business professional brings track record of success in start-up companies. Outstanding background managing multiple products from ideation to market launch and profitable monetization. Strong entrepreneurial spirit, open mind, and willingness to take on new challenges that require patience and perseverance.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder & Interim Executive Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
Chicago
07.2025 - Current
- Led P&L, strategy, and execution across multi-program operations; aligned government, corporate, and nonprofit stakeholders to achieve integrated outcomes.
- Established programs to support refugee integration and community engagement.
- Collaborated with local organizations to coordinate resource distribution for newcomers.
- Developed training materials for staff on cultural competency and refugee services.
Founder & Strategy Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
Chicago
01.2021 - 07.2025
- Raised $400K+ to launch a net-new early childhood education model (Little Harbor Academy), structuring multi-channel partnerships across corporate, HNW, and institutional stakeholders.
- Scaled organization to $6M in delivered impact through development of operational systems, funding pipelines, and cross-sector partnerships.
- Built automation and AI-enabled workflows to coordinate 1,700+ volunteers, facilitating high-volume service delivery with minimal overhead.
- Designed, implemented, and scaled internal systems (BUOY, CENTS, PaperTrail) to enhance operational efficiency, client engagement, financial tracking, and impact reporting.
Strategic Communications Research Assistant II
NORC at the University of Chicago
Chicago
11.2022 - 06.2024
- Spearheaded the redesign of NORC's Thought Leadership Program, collaborating with departmental leadership to develop new tracking instruments and enhance participant engagement.
- Conducted UX diagnostics and content analysis on NORC communications assets, recommending improvements based on user research and industry best practices to enhance user experience.
- Gathered insights and feedback from NORC scholars on program enhancements, driving continuous improvement and fostering innovation within the organization.
- Performed meta-analysis to identify evolving trends in the field, offering recommendations to enhance engagement with NORC's online platforms.
Founder & Services Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
Chicago
06.2018 - 12.2020
- Launched organization with $100 in seed capital; developed programs, forged partnerships, and established service infrastructure from zero.
- Scaled team and operations, establishing foundation for growth to 7 staff and 1,700+ volunteers, enhancing service delivery capacity.
- Selected as repeat advisor to the Government of Canada on U.S. immigration policy.
- Achieved 50+ media placements across 4 continents, increasing organizational visibility and outreach.
Casework Staff Assistant
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
Orlando
05.2017 - 06.2018
- Managed high-volume casework portfolio, interfacing with federal agencies and constituents to resolve inquiries and enhance public services.
- Initiated and tracked Congressional Inquiries (CI), ensuring timely follow-up to constituents and analyzing outcomes data to guide policy recommendations.
- Facilitated communication between senior officials and constituents to effectively convey constituent concerns and improve response strategies.
Administrative Staff Assistant
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
Orlando
11.2015 - 05.2017
- Handled 750+ weekly phone calls, managed case filing, and conducted data entry to ensure efficient office operations.
- Reviewed and organized 500+ inbound correspondences weekly, drafting and editing 300+ outbound Senatorial responses to address constituent and interagency inquiries.
- Managed schedules and appointments for the U.S. Senator's office.
- Coordinated communication between constituents and legislative staff.
- Drafted correspondence and official documents for Senate activities.
Intern
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
Orlando
09.2015 - 11.2015
- Researched and coordinated outreach events for Senator and Regional Director, managing schedules to optimize attendance.
- Processed 1,800+ nomination applications for state-wide candidates applying to Military/Service Academies, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
- Assisted in drafting legislative documents and correspondence for the Senator's office.
- Conducted research on policy issues to support legislative initiatives and decision-making.
- Organized constituent outreach events to foster community engagement and awareness.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) ABD - Political Science
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago12-2025
Master of Arts - Public Policy and Public Administration
Northwestern University
Evanston06-2018
Bachelor of Arts - International Affairs
Rollins College
Winter Park05-2016
Skills
- Python
- SQL
- Stata
- Advanced Excel
- Business analytics
- Graphic designs
- Educational technology
- Video content management
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Strategic planning
- Program development
- Stakeholder engagement
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Communication strategies
- Policy advocacy
- Staff management
- Innovation management
- Revenue generation
- Team leadership
- Business administration
- Revenue development
- Growth mindset
- Process improvements
- Operations management
- Investor relations
- Intellectual property
- Client engagement
- Angel funding
- Contract management
- Financial planning
- Policy development
- Board reporting
- Strategic thinking
- Contract negotiation
- Organizational structuring
- Board collaboration
- Negotiation
- Performance evaluation
- Market Knowledge
- Visionary leadership
- Industry expertise
- Consulting
- Ethics and integrity
- Team building
- Startup management
- Governance practices
- Stakeholder engagement
- Revenue generation
- Revenue growth
- Organizational development
- Risk management
- Funding strategy
Research Instructional Experience
- Graduate Research Assistant, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 08/01/20, 05/01/25, Conduct advanced statistical analysis and contribute to research publications in the field of political science., Evaluated American political campaign rhetorical strategies, developed a hypothesis on the role of occupational representation in campaign advertising, manually coded variables through viewing a significant sample of political campaign advertisements, and employed intercoder reliability on the yielded dataset.
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 01/01/18, 03/01/18, Assisted in the development and facilitation of graduate-level courses in public policy and administration.
Timeline
Founder & Interim Executive Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
07.2025 - Current
Strategic Communications Research Assistant II
NORC at the University of Chicago
11.2022 - 06.2024
Founder & Strategy Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
01.2021 - 07.2025
Founder & Services Director
Chicago Refugee Coalition
06.2018 - 12.2020
Casework Staff Assistant
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
05.2017 - 06.2018
Administrative Staff Assistant
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
11.2015 - 05.2017
Intern
United States Senate, Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
09.2015 - 11.2015
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) ABD - Political Science
Loyola University Chicago
Master of Arts - Public Policy and Public Administration
Northwestern University
Bachelor of Arts - International Affairs
Rollins College