Brenna grew up in Center, a coal mining town in the heart of North Dakota, where she discovered the small public library that changed her life. Between its shelves, she found whole worlds—and a lifelong belief that ideas can light even the quietest corners. That spark carried her to Concordia College and later to Harvard Divinity School, where she searched for meaning through the study of the humanities. Now, as Executive Director of The Study, Brenna builds places where anyone, anywhere, can slow down, think deeply, and find connection through learning.