After 31+ years, Cheryl Collins retired on January 1, 2024, from her work with Mario Morino and the Morino Ventures team. Her last title was Senior Advisor, but she began working with Mario Morino in October 1992, during his discovery/journey phase that led to the Morino Institute’s formation in 1994. She served in key behind-the-scenes roles and provided support to philanthropic, educational, and civic initiatives of the Morino Institute and family, including the Potomac KnowledgeWay, Netpreneur, YouthLearn, 11600 Sunrise, Venture Philanthropy Partners, Leap of Reason, and the Leap Ambassadors Community with various other “small” projects along the way. Her operations roles encompassed a diverse set of responsibilities, including technology management, editorial oversight, web production, knowledge management, and research. Earlier in her career, Cheryl worked with students in grades seven through twelve, teaching English, journalism, and creative writing, and she was a program advisor for gifted programs at the Arkansas Department of Education.

Cheryl received a B.A. from Hendrix College, an M.Ed. in administration from Harding University, and an M.Ed. in gifted and talented education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She lives in Muskegon, MI.