staff
Kat identifies as an ex-teacher, full-time educator. After seeing the sadness phones were causing in her students’ lives, Kat developed Dis/connect’s meeting model. Using her 15-years of teaching experience, Kat now helps teens and young adults transform from tech victims into tech leaders in their communities.
Kat Zilka, co-founder & exec director
Joseph Dallas Westerfield is passionate about rethinking the way we engage with technology and each other. As Director of School Partnerships at dis/connect, he works closely with educators to develop meaningful, school-wide strategies that foster focus, balance, and real-world connection. With a background in language education and cultural immersion, he understands the power of presence and intentional communication. Whether training facilitators or collaborating with school leaders, Joseph is dedicated to creating learning environments where students and educators can engage more deeply—with their work, their communities, and themselves.
Joseph Westerfield, school partnerships
Dalyn is a full time tech executive. As a technologist, he is interested in the impact phones and mobile devices have on emotional well-being, mental health, and cognition. He believes that understanding this impact and developing the tools needed to create healthy relationships with technology are among the most important problems to solve today.
Dalyn Ward, co-founder & ops
Kavon Cortez Jones, facilitator
Kavon Cortez Jones is a Milwaukee-born poet, storyteller, and educator who believes in the power of words to inspire young minds. Mentored by Kwabena Nixon and Muhibb Dyer in seventh grade, he discovered poetry as a tool for self-expression and has been writing ever since. Whether leading workshops or performing in schools, he helps kids recognize the value of their own voices. Through poetry and conversation, Kavon empowers young people to share their stories with confidence.