Mia Letterie, Chief Operating Officer

Mia (she/her) is originally from Seattle where she began playing ultimate at Whitman College in 2014. After college, she moved to Nashville where she is in grad school for a Master's in Public Health and working at the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy. She has dedicated endless hours to the Nashville ultimate community through coaching YCC, being a board member for Nashville Ultimate Machine, playing on NightShade, and captaining ‘Shine. She has continued to get involved this year by joining Nashville Nightshade’s board as Chief Operating Officer. When she isn’t busy giving back to the community, you can find her cooking amazing meals for her friends, breaking it down on the dance floor, or trying out new restaurants in the area.

Rachel Kramer, Administrative Director

Having grown up in Atlanta, GA, Rachel (she/her) began playing ultimate in high school with Paideia. Rachel (aka NASA) continued to play in college at Tufts University, has been a member of Boston Brute Squad since 2017 (including a National Championship in 2019), and was a member of Portland Rising’s inaugural season. She recently moved to Nashville for a graduate degree in education policy. She joined the NightShade board as Administrative Director this year. Rachel can be found baking incredible treats, walking with her small pup, or enjoying a charcuterie board with her friends.

Grace Castro, General Manager and PUL Team Representative

Grace (she/her) began playing ultimate at Catholic University in 2014 where she helped lead the team to D-III Nationals. She continued to play women’s club in New England (Hope and Baywatch), Washington DC (Grit), and Kansas City (Wicked). Originally from Rhode Island, Grace recently moved to Nashville and began playing with ‘Shine. She is excited to join the NightShade board as General Manager and the Premier Ultimate League board as NightShade’s team representative. Outside of ultimate, she is a Quality Engineer who loves dogs, hiking/camping, and exploring her new city.

Colleen Wright, Founder and Board Member

Colleen (she/her) grew up in a suburb of Nashville and learned to play ultimate in 2002 from her older brother. She went on to play varsity soccer at Rhodes College before playing DeSoto/Encore for eight seasons, captaining the team to one Nationals appearance.

Colleen is the founder of Nightshade, prior Vice President of the Premier Ultimate League, and NightShade Board Member. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Jake Wright, and daughter. In her free time, she loves making homemade bread, wakesurfing, and doing home renovations. Colleen is a fierce competitor who was destined to play ultimate with a maiden name of Callaghan (pronounced Callahan).

Mariana Rodríguez, Board Member

Mariana (she/her) has been playing ultimate for 10 years. She was part of the inaugural 2018 NightShade team and captained in 2019. She now serves on the NightShade Board and is proud to be part of a movement that gives women in ultimate the opportunities and attention they deserve. Her club experience includes playing for DeSoto, including one Nationals appearance (2011), Old #7, including a 2nd place finish at mixed masters nationals in 2018 and a 3rd place finish in 2019. She also played with 'Shine in 2018, 2019 and 2021, with a club nationals appearance in 2021. Mariana enjoys rock climbing, house plants, and planning the next travel adventure with her partner Carl. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Mariana recently became an American citizen. She has called Nashville home for over 11 years.

Danielle Iwanicki, Marketing Intern

Born and raised in northern Colorado, Danielle (she/her) moved to Nashville in 2018 to study audio and video production at Belmont University. After joining Belmont’s women’s ultimate team, URSA, her freshman year, she fell in love with the sport and decided to get into ultimate videography. She’s since had the opportunity to create highlight videos for Nashville’s club team ‘Shine, film and edit content for NightShade’s 2020 season, and is currently working for Ultiworld editing highlight videos. Outside of ultimate Danielle enjoys spending time with her adorable cat, Eve, making DIY projects for her apartment, and listening to Taylor Swift.