Team
Alina Hardy
Communications Director
ahardy@tecna.org
Alina Hardy, Communications Director, TECNA
Alina Hardy serves as Communications Director for Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). Alina has experience in B2B marketing, public relations, and non-profit communication management. She is committed to serving TECNA’s member councils and communicating the value of the TECNA community to the regions and nations their member councils support.
Alina is a professional communicator with experience managing events, marketing campaigns, and brand presence. Alina is a dedicated lifelong learner committed to excellence. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Pepperdine University and a Master of Communication Management from the University of Southern California. In her free time, Alina loves to travel, and is an active volunteer teen mentor in her community. Alina lives in Orange County, California.
Kate Custer Kwedar
Operations Assistant
kkwedar@tecna.org
Belinda Nieves
General Manager, TECNA Business Solutions
bnieves@tecna.org
Lindsay Ries
Director, Government Relations
lries@tecna.org
Jennifer G. Young
Chief Executive Officer
jyoung@tecna.org
Jennifer G. Young Chief Executive Officer, TECNA
Jennifer Grundy Young serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). TECNA represents more than 60 technology trade organizations from across the United States and Canada that collectively represent more than 22,000 technology-related businesses.
Jennifer is driven by her passion for of helping and connecting people while working toward making the North American economy the best it can be. Her unique and strong work experiences built a deep understanding of and ability to work for and with nonprofits with a capitalist hat on her head.
As CEO, Jennifer leads TECNA’s efforts to support the continued growth and strength of the innovation economy in North America through national, regional and state advocacy to promote policies critical to the technology industry; identifying and developing industry best practices; and otherwise aligning resources and messaging toward a strong, unified tech sector. A long-time, fierce advocate of Canada-U.S. relations and commerce, Jennifer served on the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council Board for its entire 10-year existence and helped decommission the organization once it achieved its goals.
Jennifer is respected and credible thought leader on issues that impact the tech sector. She has testified before legislative committees and panels, including the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration & Citizenship, where she spoke about the need for high skilled immigration reform. A trusted and credible expert on tech issues, she has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Fox Business on issues affecting the tech workforce and its significance to the North American economy.
Prior to joining TECNA, Jennifer served as the Director of Policy and Public Affairs for Life Sciences PA, a statewide association that advocates on behalf of Pennsylvania’s diverse life sciences-related industries. She also served the members of the Pittsburgh Technology Council for nearly 12 years and worked directly with tech companies and other community leaders as a field representative for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.