Erica Sorensen

Erica is in charge of Individual Partnerships in the Development Department at 1517. She holds a B.A. in both International Economics and Spanish from Valparaiso University and a M.A. in Teaching from the University of St. Thomas. Erica has a diverse work background in non-profit business operations, K-12 education, and fundraising.

She is a passionate Gen Z advocate and speaker to church leadership and youth alike, teaching about the unique joys and challenges of sharing the Gospel message with young people in a post-Christian world.

Amy Mantravadi

Amy Mantravadi lives in Dayton, Ohio, with her husband and son. She holds a B.A. in biblical literature and political science from Taylor University and an M.A. in international security from King's College London.

She is a contributor to 1517 and the author of Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation (2024) which explores the theological and personal conflicts among Luther, Erasmus, and Melanchthon, and its sequel Face to Face (2025), as well as the Chronicle of Maud series of historical novels. When she is not writing, she enjoys geeking out about history and theology, filling the internet with GIFs, and spending time with her family.

Gretchen Ronnevik

Gretchen loves writing about rich theology rooted in real life. She has authored a training course for intergenerational mentoring called Gospel Mentoring. Gretchen is a popular, sought after conference speaker, and has authored two books with a third being released in 2027. Gretchen is a mother to six kids who are quickly growing into adults. Her family lives in western Minnesota.

Gretchen works as a writer and enjoys knitting, reading many books at the same time, and embarrassing her teenagers in public.

Katie Koplin

In each space of her life, Katie has a passion for empowering people with the great love of Jesus, equipping people to see Jesus at work in their lives and Bibles, and encouraging others to live in the freedom we have because of Christ. Katie has a bachelor's degree in Communications and a master's degree in Professional Clinical Counseling through Bethany Lutheran College. She works as a licensed mental health professional.

Katie's home is in a small town in western MN where fields of grain meet trees and lakes. In her little nook of the world, she leads Bible studies, writes for various sources, and speaks at retreats. Encouragement for Motherhood: Devotional Writings on the Work of Christ. This collection of essays, which Katie co-authored, is firmly rooted and focused on Christ's finished work for us and the hope, peace, and sustainability that knowledge brings to a mother's work.

Katie is married to Dallas, and they love lunch and brewery dates together. Dallas and Katie have four busy, growing children involved in many activities, which makes life exciting!

Kelsi Klembara

Kelsi works as the online content manager for 1517. She holds a Master's degree in Reformation Theology from Concordia University, Irvine. Kelsi's Master thesis, "Comfort in Certainty: Assurance of Salvation within the Reformation and Today," compared Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon's views of assurance with those of the Radical Reformers. She used this comparison to offer parallels to today's views of assurance and argue for the need for a reclamation of assurance.

She is the co-editor of Theology of the Cross: Luther's Heidelberg Disputation & Reflections on its 28 Thesis. Kelsi is the host of a videocast called Outside Ourselves which features conversations about God's gift of faith and what it means for a saving faith to stand outside of our abilities and works. Episodes drop every other week. Kelsi lives in Dallas, Tx, with her husband, Doug, and their four children.