Dianna was born and raised in the Santa Clara Valley. She holds a B.A. degree in Economics from San Jose State University. She has worked in the Bay Area as a controller for an anodizing company and has held various contractor positions in accounting. In 2003, she helped Professor Fredlund organize and found the Institute and was its first CFO. She enjoys traveling with her husband, T.J. Pellicer, a software engineer and musician.