Network Bio Book

Kevin F. Adler is an award-winning social entrepreneur and bestselling author who believes in a future where everyone is seen as invaluable and interconnected. Since 2014, Kevin has served as the founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit headquartered in San Francisco that helps people experiencing homelessness across the United States rebuild their social support systems and financial security, primarily through family reunifications, a phone buddy program, and the first basic income pilot for unhoused individuals in the US, backed by Google.org as part of a $2.1 million randomized control trial led by researchers at USC. 

Kevin is also the author of When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America, “a must-read for anyone interested in solving the problem of homelessness" (Publishers Weekly). Previously, Kevin wrote Natural Disasters as a Catalyst for Social Capital, a book that explores how shared traumas can unite or divide communities. Kevin’s pioneering work on homelessness and 'relational poverty' as an overlooked form of poverty has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, on a billboard in Times Square, and in his TED Talk. Follow him at @kevinfadler.

Dr. Jennifer Alanis (she/her/Ella) is a first-generation Mexican American and a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) leader; she seeks to improve the campus climate of any institution she is a part of. She does this by creating shared learning experiences, equitable policies, and building collaborative relationships that challenge barriers, bring forth diverse dialogue, and provide educational opportunities. By exploring all dimensions of diversity, she hopes to develop positive and inclusive leaders who have a global understanding and can be accountable for creating a more equitable community.

Dr. Alanis focuses on creating an inclusive campus through programming and training and creating strategic plans and partnerships. She has worked in higher education and student affairs for over 16 years and has experience in diversity, inclusion, intercultural relations, and cultural and transfer student centers. She received her BS from Loyola University Chicago with a triple minor in Spanish, women’s studies, and literature. She received an MA in arts, entertainment, and media management from Columbia College Chicago and an MEd in educational policy and organizational leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Alanis completed her EdD in higher education and organizational change from Benedictine University.

Her research interests include justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education and at a policy level. She is also interested in access, retention, and success for students from historically excluded communities, first-generation college students, minority-serving institutions—specifically Hispanic Serving Institutions—and access and success of undocumented and DACAmented students. Her teaching areas have included foundations of student affairs in higher education, leadership at minority-serving institutions, and practicum experiences for students.

Dr. Alanis is involved at regional and national levels for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. She has also sailed on three voyages of Semester at Sea, once in the summer of 2009 and for the Maymester of 2012 as an LLC. Most recently, Dr. Alanis sailed as the assistant executive dean for the fall 2019 voyage. Dr. Alanis is from Chicago, Illinois, the mother of 4, and the spouse of a Bronze Star military veteran. Before higher education, Dr. Alanis worked for Radio Disney Chicago.

Tasia is the Senior Director of Training Strategies at Race Forward. She is a Black, biracial queer woman who grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Race Forward team, she provided consulting and facilitation services independently, helping non-profit organizations find ways to stabilize their operations and collaborate with less stress and more joy. She often served in the role of project manager, process optimizer, or technology strategist, connecting deeply with teams to identify pain points and design sustainable solutions.

Recent projects have included driving organizational development initiatives at the National Immigration Law Center; guiding an extensive Salesforce overhaul project at Race Forward; stewarding logistics for the Immigrant Movement Visioning Process, a unique project bringing 50+ immigrant movement leaders together to promote transformative change; and, of course, serving as an Affiliate Trainer with Race Forward.

Tasia previously worked at The Management Center, where for 5 years she helped grow a training program for progressive and social justice leaders from serving 3,000 people per year to serving over13,000. As part of that work, she co-founded the organization’s flagship People of Color & Indigenous managers training program, and was a key player in embedding racial justice content into the core training curriculum.

Tasia is dedicated to supporting the leadership of queer and trans people of color, particularly other Black women, in working towards equity in our world. She spends her free time enjoying her spouse’s hometown of New York City, cooking & eating delicious things, and playing cozy video games. She is grateful to all the elders who have shared wisdom and opened doors along her journey.

Jamillah Anderson is the Opportunity Operations Director at Guild, a company that unlocks the talent and potential of America's workforce. She leads initiatives aimed at fostering a Culture of Opportunity, prioritizing equitable access to economic mobility for all employees, with a special focus on marginalized groups.

Prior to Guild, Jamillah brings over 15 years of experience in marketing and communications across a mix of higher education institutions and corporations. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and an MPA from Arizona State University.

Jessica Aviva, Ph.D. is a writer, researcher, and social change practitioner who leads The Fruition Coalition – a social enterprise that creates flourishing organizations and communities through education, publications, and partnerships that: mobilize and connect people, ideas, and resources; integrate research, intuition, experience, and dreams; and result in meaningful, sustainable change. She convenes and facilitates Club Fruition, a collaborative online space where feminist leaders connect, learn strategies to create change in organizations and communities, and mobilize to enact bold visions for a flourishing world where everyone feels safe, welcome, and fulfilled. Jessica's dissertation focused on how women leaders in social movement organizations engage similarities and differences as they construct and experience solidarity. She also works with several community-based organizations in the US as a consultant and volunteer.

As MASS Design Group’s first Senior Director of Strategy & Impact, Veyom oversees strategic planning and impact evaluation for MASS as a whole and for the design studios in North America and Africa. He also builds partnerships to support MASS’s advocacy, impact, and research agendas.  

Outside of MASS, Veyom is a founding board member of the American LGBTQ+ Museum, one of the only museums in the world dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history and culture of LGBTQ+ people.  He has led strategic planning and fundraising to help bring this project to life in New York City, in national traveling exhibitions, and online.  

Raised in California in an immigrant family, Veyom has cultivated a wealth of experiences across cities and professional roles. He has lived in Mexico City, London, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington and worked at the White House, the Young Foundation, and Morgan Stanley. Notably, as a Managing Director at the Robin Hood Foundation, Veyom managed a $30-million portfolio of partnerships with 100 nonprofits and government agencies tackling poverty in New York City. 

He holds a Master in Urban Development Planning from the Bartlett and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor in Political Science. He was a Fulbright Scholar to Mexico and a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

David Barclay is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at the Good Faith Partnership, a cross-sector collaboration organisation dedicated to bringing together the worlds of faith, politics, business and charity. He started and leads the Warm Welcome Campaign, a UK-wide network of over 5000 community spaces, and has previously served as an Advisor to the Mayor of Bristol, as a community organiser in East London and as the Student Union President at Oxford University.

Lauren Barnett is the Chief of Staff at The Expectations Project (TEP), founder of consulting group Bound for Good, LLC, and vestry member at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh, NC. Her advocacy experience spans the Carolinas, Gulf Coast states, and federal agencies across a variety of subjects including education, Medicaid access, affordable housing, economic development, and equitable lending practices. Lauren has served in multiple nonprofits galvanizing people of faith for systemic impact, at one of which she co-developed a resource alongside N.C. State University to show the long-term effects of discriminatory housing legislation. She is also an active member of One Wake (a non-partisan, multi-racial, multi-issue group of religious congregations, associations, and other non-profits in the Wake County area with membership totaling in excess of 50,000 households). 

Prior to TEP, Lauren served in marketing and development capacities at Downtown Raleigh Alliance, at Habitat for Humanity Wake County, YMCA of Greater Houston, and Habitat for Humanity Charlotte. She is a cum laude graduate of Gardner-Webb University in Shelby, NC with a bachelor’s in Journalism.

Lauren’s interests span a variety of subjects such as pop culture, Afrofuturism, and most importantly, Beyoncé. She can frequently be found visiting galleries, sharing TikToks, and screening documentaries with her husband and two sons at their home in Cary, NC. 

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.

Abigail Barth, MPH is a doctoral student in Sociology at Rutgers University whose work explores how spirituality, identity, and community shape well-being - especially in early adulthood. She is driven by a deep curiosity about how people find meaning and purpose, build belonging, and sustain mental and emotional health in an increasingly disconnected world. Abigail brings a background in program management, health policy, and qualitative research, with experience at organizations including the Foundation for Social Connection, AIRnyc, and the National Association of Community Health Centers. She holds a B.A. in Religion from Barnard College and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy from George Washington University, where she was recognized for her Master's thesis on policy approaches for social isolation and loneliness among young adults.

Rich Bell is a UK-based policy and influencing professional who specialises in issues of social capital and social infrastructure. He is currently Director of the We’re Right Here campaign for community power and a strategic advisor to The Relationships Project. Rich established the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration alongside the then-prominent MP Chuka Umunna, has advised the Mayor of London on communities policy, and has led advocacy functions at The Cares Family network of loneliness charities and the social cohesion charity The Challenge. He has also worked as a Special Advisor to the Chair of the British Medical Association and is a former Chair of the refugee resettlement charity Reset.

Ted brings more than 30 years of experience as a coach, businessperson, administrator and leader into his role as CRI’s current Executive Director. He has been a successful head coach of collegiate club, Division III and Division I rowing programs and finished his coaching career at Northeastern University Men’s Rowing in 2015 where crews he coached won medals at the Eastern Sprints and IRA National Championships. Additionally, he has coached crews to the Royal Henley Regatta in the UK, lead USRowing Under-23 development camps and coached crews that represented the United States at the 2007 and 2008 World Rowing Championships.

In addition to coaching, he has held multiple leadership roles outside of rowing including management consultant for Fortune 500 companies; special projects manager reporting to the COO of a $5 billion furniture company; associate director of Career Services at Tufts University and was founder of a small business that combined the experiences of Olympic rowers with leadership training experiences.

Dr. Russell W. Booker, CEO of Spartanburg Academic Movement in South Carolina, is a dedicated advocate for education and community service. As a retired superintendent, Dr. Booker has significantly influenced the local education landscape.

Beyond his local role, he serves as the Chair of the StriveTogether board and sits on the board of Purpose Built Communities. Additionally, he holds trustee positions at Wingate University, the Mary Black Foundation, Strategic Spartanburg, and the Spartanburg Regional Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Booker's contributions have garnered him numerous accolades, including the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Humanitarian Award and recognition as South Carolina Superintendent of the Year. In 2020, he received the Order of the Palmetto, SC’s highest civilian honor and in 2023 was honored with OneSpartanburg Inc.'s 2023 Neville Holcombe Distinguished Citizen Award.

He earned his B.S. degree from Wingate University and his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina. Presently, he serves as a By All Means Senior Fellow at Harvard University's EdRedesign Lab in the Graduate School of Education.

Magda Borkowska is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Essex, UK. Her research centres on social capital, neighbourhood effects, migration and political attitudes. She is particularly interested in how individual life courses and local context shape social interactions and political attitudes.

Joe Ceriello is a 20+ year tennis industry veteran who served in multiple key roles during his13-year tenure with the United States Tennis Association including professional tournament operations, US Open player services, and ticketing operations. He led and opened the USTA's player development unit in NYC, and later managed many of the USTA's national youth marketing brands before his departure. Today, Mr. Ceriello serves as the Executive Director of Kings County Tennis League, an NJTL chapter in Brooklyn, New York. In this role he oversees KCTL’s grassroots service model that creates a tight-knit community of families, staff and volunteers of different socio-economic classes connected through free tennis and educational programming provided directly on-site within NYCHA communities.

In his own words, he is excited to serve as the ED because he believes "the impact of KCTL’s intentional use of tennis for developing the social and emotional learning (SEL) capacities that children need to succeed in life is truly compelling. I am thrilled to create greater access to the sport while bringing new opportunities and authentic relationships to KCTL’s young people, on and off the court.”

Directly preceding this role, Mr. Ceriello served as the NYJTL Chief Marketing & Development Officer and NYJTL Bronx Open Tournament Director for seven years where he successfully oversaw business development, fundraising, marketing, and communications. The work of NYJTL reached more than 85,000 children and provided free programming to more than15,000 under-resourced children throughout NYC.

Mr. Ceriello graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Literature and later earned a Master’s degree in Music from the Boston Conservatory. He also received a Master’s in Business Administration from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in Manhattan, where he now teaches as an adjunct lecturer instructing the next generation of nonprofit and commercial marketers.

Alexa leads the RSA US - overseeing research, Fellowship, and thought leadership development across key U.S. cities and regions on topics related to inclusive growth, universal basic income, economic democracy, the future of work, and creativity and education. She is helping to accelerate cross-city and regional collaboration and grow a distributed network of Fellows for collective impact.

An economic historian and ethnographer by background, Alexa is a leading speaker and expert on subculture and innovation from unlikely places. She is the co-author of the Misfit Economy (Simon & Schuster 2015), a book that explores underground and informal innovation. She is passionate about formalizing insights and learning from social change practitioners and has contributed to theory that has pushed for the application of open source thinking in the social sector.

Previously,  Alexa led Wisdom Hackers, an incubator for philosophical inquiry and co-founded the League of Intrapreneurs, a movement to create change from within incumbent systems and big organizations. Alexa has previously held positions heading up research and learning at Ashoka working with leading foundations and social entrepreneurs and as a consultant at SustainAbility Ltd working with Fortune 500 companies.

Alexa has written and appeared in Fast Company, Forbes, Wired, Dazed and Confused, VICE, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times and MTV. She is a regular commentator on topics related to economic transition, misfit subculture, social innovation and technology angst. She received her BA from Brown University and a MSc. from Oxford University.

Alexa is based in western Massachusetts. She has a love of hermits and Walden Pond.

Lisa Pilar Cowan is the Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and an occasional contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, NonProfit Quarterly, and New York NonProfit Media. She is the board co-chair of Nonprofit New York and sits on the board of NY KIDS Rise. Lisa is also a 3rd generation New Yorker, and a Leo.

Terrence Cummings is the Chief Opportunity Officer at Guild, a company that unlocks the talent and potential of America's workforce. Terrence is accountable for driving economic opportunity and mobility for Guild's learners, members, and employees. He previously served as the company's Senior Vice President of Member Services and Strategy, and before that led the company's employer partnerships teams. 

Prior to Guild, Terrence led product, marketing, partnerships, engineering, and analytics teams across a range of startup companies, and was previously a consultant at McKinsey & Company. He holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado. After stints in Boston and San Francisco, he now lives in Denver with his wife and son.

Chris is Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential, a community benefit society in Greater Manchester (U.K.) that specialises in social and economic innovation and system change. Unlimited Potential has run innovative projects and services with local people for over 15 years to address some of the most challenging social and economic issues, drawing on the strengths of communities. Originally a social anthropologist, Chris is a Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Edward DeJesus is a leading expert on social capital in the United States. For more than 30 years, he has mixed his love for policy, research, and practice by conducting research on effective programs that improve the economic mobility of underrepresented groups. He has been a consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, AARP, the U.S. Dept. of Labor, the Office of Job Corps, YouthBuild USA, the National Guard Challenge Program, and the National Education Association.

DeJesus is a W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Fellow. He holds a M.S. degree in management and urban policy analysis from the New School for Social Research and a B.S. from Fordham University in the Bronx. He is the author of Making Connections Work and the best-selling youth book, MAKiN’ iT. His work has been featured on NPR, in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and The Miami Herald. DeJesus served as a policy expert for the Sar Levitan Center for Youth Policy at Johns Hopkins University and served on the Task Force on Employment Opportunities for young offenders for the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He has served as a consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the U.S. Dept. of Labor, and the National Education Association.

Today, Social Capital Builders partners with the SkillUp Coalition, New Vision for Public Schools, The Howard County Economic Development Authority, Capital One Foundation, Youth Action YouthBuild, The Maryland Innovation Center, and many others.

Today, thanks to Social Capital Builders research and training, more than 50 workforce, educational and community development service organizations are integrating Social Capital Builders’ framework into their program designs.

Born and raised in Ethiopia,  Alfa lives in New Jersey with her husband and two boys. She is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization that provides underserved entrepreneurs with the resources they need to launch and grow successful businesses. Since 2005 the organization has operated the Community Business Academy, a 12-week course that provides intensive business management training coupled with year-round coaching and mentorship, now serving a network of more than 10,000 entrepreneurs in New Jersey as well as 17 other states with more in planning stages.

Corporate, foundation, and government funders underwrite the cost of tuition and services for all participants; 90% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and over 70% identify as women and single mothers. By building successful businesses, entrepreneurs meet their families’ basic needs, create opportunities for social mobility, and help transform their local communities into thriving economies.

Alfa is also the Co-Founder of Future Tide Partners, which equips cross-sector leaders to shift capital, policy and culture in a rapidly changing world of work towards an inclusive, flourishing future economy. She was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2015 and has appeared in leading media outlets including CNN, O the Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Bloomberg, Inc. Magazine, BusinessWeek and Entrepreneur Magazine. She also holds honorary doctorates from Saint Peter’s University and New Jersey City University. She has been recognized by President Barack Obama; received the prestigious 25th Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy and Employment category; and was named a CNN Hero and one of the Most Powerful Women Changing the World in Forbes. She most recently served as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Governor’s Future of Work Task Force and as a board member of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. She currently serves as Co-Chair of Hawthorne Valley Association and on the New Jersey Statewide Employment & Training Commission.

Phyllis Dickerson is a C-Suite executive, municipal government strategist, and an authority on government administration with two decades of experience, lending her expertise to mayors, U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressional members, and the White House by transforming policy into action. She is considered one of the most sought after crisis management and political strategists. Her unique combination of political and business acumen, gained by decades in the fashion retail industry, is relied upon by over 500 mayors in 30 states, representing over 22 million residents and over $180 billion in revenue.

As the CEO of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), the only organization exclusively representing over 500 African American mayors in the United States, Dickerson works to empower local leaders for the benefit of their citizens. Under her leadership, AAMA advocates for public policies that improve the vitality of cities, while offering mayors the leadership and management tools required to turn those policies into action. The organization also functions as a forum for member mayors to share best practices related to municipal management and operational excellence. Dickerson provides crucial leadership to AAMA staff, acts as its most prominent spokesperson, and oversees a multi-million budget and fundraising strategy—all in service of meeting the diverse needs of the association’s members. She oversees a board of 17 member mayors, whom she nominates to the membership for confirmation and leverages their influence and voices to push public policy work in the federal government. Dickerson also represents AAMA with the Corporate Business Council that includes most of the Fortune 500 companies that do business with municipalities.

Before leading AAMA, Dickerson worked as an Lead Advance for the Clinton and Obama administration, as well as the Regional Mayoral Director for Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 Presidential Campaign. She became the first woman and Black to ever be appointed as chief of staff to the mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. In this role, she assisted the mayor in becoming the national President of the National League of Cities, which represents over 1,700 cities and towns and fostered his relationships on the international level. During her tenure at City Hall, she was also responsible for planning the historic Little Rock Central High Integration 50th Anniversary. Dickerson has been a spokesperson both nationally and internationally on the Roland Martin

Show, Rolling Out, Bakari Sellers Podcast, COP27 in Egypt, INC2 in Paris and INC3 in Nairobi, among others. Dickerson was recognized as Public Employee of the Year by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and as one of the 50 Power Women in the country by the U.S. Black Chamber. She has collaborated with Fund II Foundation and the Clinton Foundation during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on Black Maternal Health, Oprah Winfrey during her rollout of the Purple Circle, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create an Economic Mobility Leadership Institute with a focus on creating Black generational wealth.

Dickerson is also the CEO & President of Red Ink, LLC, which assists organizations with business development and government relations. Throughout her career, Dickerson has proudly served on the boards of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), the Delta Research & Education Foundation (DREF), and the Cross World Africa Foundation. She is a member of the Little Rock Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a staunch advocate for children with Sickle Cell Anemia Disease.

Dickerson holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Webster University, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management from the University of Central Arkansas. She currently resides in Washington D.C. and Little Rock, AR, where she enjoys traveling, reading, and watching Westerns.

Aimée is the founder and CEO of Braven which works to ensure underrepresented college students develop the skills, confidence, experiences and networks to get strong first jobs after graduation. She founded Braven based on her deep belief that our next generation of leaders will emerge from everywhere. Aimée spent the majority of her career at Teach For America. She held various senior leadership roles, including leading the organization’s groundbreaking work around its human capital and diversity efforts. Earlier in her career, Aimée taught sixth grade, led the Breakthrough/Summerbridge New Orleans site, and worked for the national organization. She is a recipient of 2023 McNulty Award, The 1954 Project’s 2021 Luminary Awards, a 2020 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, 2019 Obama Foundation Fellow, Pahara-Aspen fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a Braddock Scholar, a Draper Richards Foundation Entrepreneur, and a Camelback Ventures Fellow. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, Aimée resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.

Jessie Elisberg is Director of Learning & Development at Thread, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that harnesses the power of relationships to build a more equitable society. In her role, Jessie supports the professional and personal growth of all Thread community members, including staff and volunteers. She has over two decades of experience as a teacher, trainer, instructional designer, and learning program manager, and integrates principles of human-centered design, adult learning, and accessibility and inclusion into her work. Having spent much of her career prior to Thread in youth-focused international nonprofits including IYF, Jessie also has expertise in Positive Youth Development, youth-led social change, and effective engagement of young people. While at IYF, she co-managed and grew YouthActionNet, one of the world’s largest networks of young social entrepreneurs. Jessie holds a master's degree in international development (George Washington University) and a bachelor's degree in language and linguistics (Whitman College), and has worked and lived in Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia & the Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Miss Fadumo Farah served as Communications Officer for ACORN, a leading community union that advocates for renters’ rights, safe housing, and economic justice. During the 2023 evacuation of Barton House, she played a central role in organising residents, advocating for their rights, and pushing for greater transparency and accountability from local authorities. The campaign she helped lead contributed to a significant policy change—Bristol City Council now prioritises tenants who experience traumatic evacuations in its housing allocation system.

She has also been active in campaigning against the council’s use of bailiff companies to collect council tax and rent arrears, calling for fairer and more compassionate approaches that support residents in financial hardship rather than deepening their debt through bailiff enforcement and fees.

Alongside her activism, Miss Farah has worked in a wide range of roles across health and social care, including care coordination and service development. She is currently pursuing postgraduate study in healthcare technology to further strengthen her contribution to public service and policy reform.

Her work is rooted in lived experience, professional expertise, and a strong belief in community-led change. She is committed to promoting dignity, fairness, and ensuring that everyone has access to safe housing, effective support, and a voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Hello! I am an educator with over 30 years of teaching, writing, journalism and public speaking experience. I am an AP Seminar and English teacher at Palo Alto High School, where we are using Professor Chetty’s work on economic connectedness and friending bias to guide the formation of our first-ever Peer Mentorship program in the AP Capstone Pathway. We have deliberately recruited first generation, low SES students from our AVID program to take our AP Seminar class and be peer mentored by a high SES student from AP Research, the next class in the Capstone Pathway.  GPAs are rising amongst our low SES student participants and we are seeing promising signs that our peer mentorship model is disrupting friending bias and spreading social capital.  I look forward to working with other changemakers actualizing the work of Opportunity Insights.  Resume here. 

Julia Freeland Fisher is the director of education research at the Clayton Christensen Institute. Julia is the author of Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students’ Networks. Her research focuses on emerging tools and practices to radically expand who students know – their stock of “social capital” – by enhancing their access to and ability to navigate new peer, mentor, and professional network. Prior to joining the Institute, Julia worked at NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy organization that supports education entrepreneurs who are transforming public education. She also served as an instructor in the Yale College Seminar Program. Julia holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a JD from Yale Law School.

Carrie Freeman is the Chair of SecondMuse Group, which is the umbrella organization for SecondMuse family of organizations.  She is also the Interim Executive Director for the SecondMuse Foundation, a non-profit focused on advocating for building Relational Wealth as an approach to build inclusive and resilient economies.  The Foundation focuses on expanding this approach to a larger audience, learning from others in the field and on the forefront of this work, and advancing this tool together through collaborations and partnerships.  Carrie joined SecondMuse in 2012 as a managing partner and then became Co-CEO.  Prior to joining SecondMuse, Carrie spent 15 years at Intel driving change within the company and the industry.  

As Director of Programs, Chelsea Frosini oversees the execution of the Fellows longitudinal program with the Curriculum and Student Events, Student Services and Operations, and Social Work departments. She collaborates with program teams to hone OppNet’s proprietary Career Fluency® curriculum, provides facilitation trainings, and ensures the OppNet Fellows receive the appropriate services and resources as they progress through the Fellows program. 

Prior to joining The Opportunity Network, Chelsea was Manager of Teen Programs at the New-York Historical Society, developing and facilitating out-­of-­school time programs for teens aimed to broaden their academic perspective, increase their confidence in professional settings and enhance their knowledge of museum careers. Chelsea received her B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies from Fordham University, where she volunteered with neighborhood organizations and worked in Residential Life and the Admissions Office. Chelsea recently completed the Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.

Edward Garcia (Eddie) is the Founder and Chair of the Foundation for Social Connection – a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to the translation of scientific research to real-world solutions to address social connection. He is the Vice Chair of its sister-organization, the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness – a non-profit advocacy organization fighting to raise national awareness and policy change to combat the negative impacts of social isolation and loneliness within the US.  He is also the Co-Founder and Board Member of the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection, a partnership with 15 countries across the globe, the World Health Organization, and the European Union focused on raising global awareness, supporting knowledge dissemination, and the development of systemic, nationally-based strategies to address social connection.

Eddie’s 20 years working in US-government health care and social services programs has made him knowledgeable in a multitude of health and social policy issues. He has led and been actively involved in numerous multi-stakeholder coalitions aimed at improving the US health care delivery and financing systems and served within the US Department of Health and Human Services and US Congress between 2006-2016. Eddie currently serves as a Partner at Healthsperien, a US-based healthcare and social services consulting firm focused on transforming systems of care for the most vulnerable populations. Eddie holds degrees in political science and comparative health politics from Boston University and a Master of Health Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Eddie works and resides in Washington, DC USA. 

Lynda Gonzales-Chavez leads the Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion portfolio for YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) and is responsible for leading the strategic priority to ensure that all segments of society have access to and feel welcome at the Y. A key priority of this work is promoting an inclusive, anti-racist organizational culture that values equity, embraces multiculturalism and fosters community and global bridge-building. Lynda and her team are focused on organizationally embedding and operationalizing equity practices, advancing cultural competencies to engage the most underserved communities and promoting collaborative strategies to ensure that Y reflects and effectively engages the communities they serve.

Prior to her current role, Lynda held other key leadership roles at Y-USA, including Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion and Senior Associate, Y-USA International Group.  Lynda began her career as Youth Director, YMCA of Central New Mexico and later as Senior Gang Interventionist, Youth Development, Inc., in Albuquerque, NM. 

Lynda holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Service and Nonprofit Management from DePaul University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Anna Gonzalez (she/her/hers), or “Dr. G'' as she is known to students, is a nationally recognized student affairs leader with over 30 years of experience in higher education. As the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), Dr. Gonzalez’s primary focus is to provide leadership to the university’s renowned Division of Student Affairs, engage with students to recognize their needs and enhance their experiences, spearhead transformative giving opportunities with University Advancement, and implement innovative strategies to ensure WashU is a leader in providing a 21st century higher education experience. Within her diverse portfolio, Gonzalez oversees WashU’s unified career center, health and well-being, Residential Life, the Center for Diversity & Inclusion, Athletics & Recreation, Campus Life, and Bear Beginnings — WashU’s orientation program for first-year students.  

Dr. Gonzalez served on several regional and national boards, including NASPA — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. She has delivered national keynotes and is a published author. Her research interests are focused on first-generation students, immigrant students, equity and diversity, higher education policy and governance, personnel development, and higher education finance. Her scholarly publications include the book “Transformational Encounters: Shaping Diverse College and University Leaders.”

A first-generation college student who immigrated to the United States at the age of 10, Gonzalez is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in international business. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees, both in education, from Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Gonzalez enjoys traveling, getting to know the local food scene, gardening, and spending lots of time with her family and her dog — Yoshi.

Jesús Gerena is CEO/President of UpTogether (previously Family Independence Initiative), a national organization with a bold mission of changing policies, systems, and underlying beliefs so that all people in the United States are seen and invested in for their strengths and are able to build power, reinforce their autonomy, and drive their own economic and social mobility.

Under Jesús’ leadership, UpTogether has developed a model for systemic change through philanthropic and government partnerships to support the broad adoption of UpTogether’s strength based approach of centering community, cash and choice. Over the past three years, UpTogether has grown its work and organizational capacity to expand its reach to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, distributing $190 million dollars in support of its mission.

A native of Puerto Rico, Jesús moved with his mother and siblings to Amherst, Massachusetts at just nine years old. This community was full of resources that were able to lift up opportunities for his family to achieve their goals. Despite struggling in deep poverty, Jesús learned firsthand at a young age the benefits of a support network and community. This life experience has shaped Jesús, fueling his desire to eliminate place, race, or economic position as the marker for individual and collective success through UpTogether.

Dr. Stuart Gill is the Global Head of Strategy & Operations at SecondMuse.  Stuart is a pioneer in applying a relational lens to economic development through partnership, finance and acceleration of entrepreneurs and their businesses.  This approach is motivated by a belief that all big challenges, from climate change to gun violence, are, at their core, relational problems and cannot be solved within our current paradigm.  Before coming to SecondMuse, Stuart founded the first innovation group at the World Bank and built public-private partnerships across a spectrum of global challenges.  Before the Bank, Stuart taught and researched in the Department of Astrophysics at Columbia University in the City of New York. 

Tigist is the Associate Director, Programs and Operations at SecondMuse Foundation.  Her work focuses on overseeing the Foundation's programs and operations, developing, monitoring, and overseeing all aspects of grant management, funder management and reporting.  She also serves as the Board secretary.  In addition, she supports the Chair of the SecondMuse Group as Director of Special Projects. Prior to joining SecondMuse Foundation, she worked for non-profits including Oxfam America, Chemonics Int., DAI and ActionAid in Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan.

A serial social entrepreneur and community wealth builder, Debra-Ellen Glickstein has spent more than 25 years working with communities to measurably expand economic opportunities. Debra-Ellen currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of NYC Kids RISE where she is leading the effort to build a first of its kind universal community-driven wealth building platform for New York City neighborhoods. Through her leadership, NYC public school students have a financial asset for their educational futures, starting in kindergarten, and communities have an additional tool to support their children’s economic success. Previously, Debra-Ellen has served as the Executive Director of New York City’s Office of Financial Empowerment, the Vice President of Strategy & Program Development at the New York City Housing Authority, and Co-Founder and founding Executive Director of Urban Upbound.  She is also a co-founder of the Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union – a community-owned financial institution providing affordable and relevant financial services. She earned a B.A. with honors from Wesleyan University, an M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of Business and M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Sorbrique “Sorby” Grant is the President & CEO of Climb Hire. Sorby launched her career in 2007 as a Teach for America Corps Member in the South Bronx. Following her stint in the classroom, she landed at Citizen Schools as the Managing Director of Program for the NYC region, where she served thousands of students through Expanded Learning Time partnership programs. Interestingly enough, this is where she would first cross paths with Climb Hire’s former CEO, Nitzan Pelman, who was Citizen Schools NY’s founding ED. Following Citizen Schools, Sorby transitioned into the field of Leadership and Talent Development, and worked as the Director of Principal Preparation at Achievement First (AF), supporting and coaching aspiring school principals. Soon after, she was recruited to be the turnaround principal of Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle School. Having achieved incredible results with AF, Sorby then briefly served as Head of School for KIPP New Orleans. Seeing the need for a more comprehensive response to the challenges facing New Orleans youth, she left KIPP and became the Chief Program Officer in 2019 for the Center for Resilience, Louisiana’s only therapeutic day program for children with behavioral health and autism spectrum diagnoses. Sorby brings to Climb Hire deep experience in Program & Curriculum design, Talent Management & Development, and Human Resources Management. Sorby holds a Masters of Teaching from Pace University, a Master of Public Policy & Urban Planning from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and American Studies from Cornell University. 

In her free time, she enjoys running marathons, traveling, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her fur babies (cats: Phoebe, Josephine Baker, and James Baldwin and dog: Enid). In 2023, she is training for an upcoming triathlon.

In his role as Program Director of Economic Opportunity and Financial Empowerment, Patrick serves as an advisor to local municipal leaders on strategies to promote equitable economic mobility, aligning programs and investments to support systems and policy changes that will benefit all residents. 

Before joining the National League of Cities (NLC), Patrick served as a program officer for the Social Innovation Fund at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), advancing evidence-based programs and Pay for Success financing. He also served as a program officer at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where he managed the benefits access portfolio focused on increasing LMI families’ connections to benefits, including refundable tax credits and expanding access to paid sick and family leave for low-wage workers. 

Andy Haldane is the Chief Executive of the RSA.

Andy was formerly Chief Economist at the Bank of England and a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Among other positions, he is Honorary Professor at the Universities of Nottingham, Manchester and Exeter, Visiting Professor at King’s College, London, a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Social Sciences. Andrew is Founder and President of the charity Pro Bono Economics, Vice-Chair of the charity National Numeracy and Chair of the National Numeracy Leadership Council. Andrew was the Permanent Secretary for Levelling Up at the Cabinet Office from September 2021 to March 2022 and chairs the Government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council. He has authored around 200 articles and 4 books.

Michelle Hamiel, Chief of Programs at Urban Libraries Council (ULC), brings more than 38 years of public library experience to ULC. Applying an equity lens, Michelle leads all UCL’s programmatic work but has particularly strong expertise on work surrounding opportunity youth, economic opportunity, and racial equity to help meet the ever-changing roles and needs of the urban library ecosystem. She comes to ULC from her previous role as the Chief Operating Officer for Public Services for Prince George's County Memorial Library System, where she not only led the mission, vision, innovation and operations of the library's 19 branches and the county detention center; she also created the library's race and social equity plan.  As a transformative leader, Michelle guided Maryland State Libraries' Antiracism work and

the Maryland Library Association's (MLA) Equity Diversity and Inclusion task force. Under Michelle’s leadership, MLA became an affiliate member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Founded in 2022, it became The Black Caucus of the Maryland Library Association. Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Maryland and an Executive Certificate in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion from Georgetown University.

Sarah Hemminger is a social entrepreneur, scientist, and ice dancer who co-founded Thread, a non-profit that harnesses the power of relationships to support exceptional young people facing extraordinary opportunity and achievement gaps. 

Sarah has overseen the development, expansion, and replication of an innovative, paradigm-shifting model that has led to exemplary outcomes for young people and a deeply knitted diverse community of thousands of Baltimoreans. This work fuels her belief that building strong relationships across lines of difference can transform the lives of all involved and weave a more equitable social fabric that improves educational, economic and health outcomes. 

Sarah was awarded fellowships from Ashoka, Echoing Green, Open Society Institute, and the Albert Schweitzer Fellows Program. Her work has been covered by the New York Times, Forbes, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She has been a featured speaker at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the White House, the Smithsonian Symposium on American Philanthropy, TEDx Washington Square, TEDx Baltimore and Emerson Collective Demo Day.

Sarah received her undergraduate degree (2002) and Ph.D. (2010) in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Her work on the role of the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex on the time scales of consolidation of motor memory was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neurophysiology, and Cerebral Cortex. She received the prestigious Siebel Scholars Award for outstanding work in the field of technology and engineering. Sarah is an adjunct assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering where her work focuses on the integration of academic and cultural excellence.

Simone Heng is a human connection specialist and former international broadcaster for, among others, Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia, and CNBC. She is one of the youngest female Certified Speaking Professionals in the world. 

 With over fifteen years of experience as a communicator on air, on stage, and one on one in different countries, connection has always been her life’s work.

As a speaker, Simone inspires people to connect in a world thirsty for connection. She has spoken to thousands, and often for Fortune 500 organizations. Her clients include Google, Meta, Amazon, ByteDance, KPMG, Spotify, Salesforce, SAP, Lucasfilm, the United Nations, and many more. Simone and her work have been featured on CNN and in Forbes, SCMP, TEDx, Vogue, Glamour, BBC Radio, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar, among others.

Simone is based and was born in Singapore but has also studied in Switzerland, was raised in Australia, and worked in the United Arab Emirates. She has a communications and cultural studies degree from Curtin University of Technology. 

Her latest book “Let’s Talk About Loneliness” is published by Hay House and available globally.

Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD is a professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University. She is also the founding scientific chair and board member for the U.S. Foundation for Social Connection and the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection. Her research focuses on the individual and population health effects, biological mechanisms, and effective strategies to mitigate risk and promote protection associated with social connection. She has given a TED Talk and given expert advice and testimony internationally to many organizations including being the lead scientific editor for a US Surgeon General’s Advisory and Framework for a National Strategy. 

Zakiya Jackson is a dynamic and influential leader, currently serving as President of The Expectations Project, a national organization that seeks to eliminate educational inequality and mobilizes people of faith to demand excellent public schools for Black, Brown, and other marginalized children.

Drawing from a wealth of wisdom and experience in schools, communities, faith groups, government entities, and advocacy organizations, Zakiya specializes in equipping faith communities, organizers, and activists to make meaningful impacts through strategic advocacy.

Zakiya loves to help people grow, heal, and transform their pursuit of justice and equity. She believes in addressing deeply rooted problems individually and collectively for liberation. Born and based in Washington DC, Zakiya loves mindful long walks, supporting local businesses, laughing until it hurts, and dreaming in color.

Kippy Joseph has been curious about group dynamics and social capital since her earliest experiences engaging peers in community change efforts.  Now, as Senior Fellow at the Results for Development Institute, Kippy brings 20 years of professional experience to strengthen the capacity and network-building initiatives of the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA). IDIA is a global learning network of the 15 largest bi-lateral aid agencies (e.g. USAID) and philanthropies (e.g. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) focused on innovation for development. With a flagship residential program run in five countries in partnership with Stanford’s Global Innovation for Impact Lab, Kippy leads IDIA’s convenings of development practioners and policy-makers to grow their personal and collective capabilities, awareness and critical thinking. The next iteration is focused on health innovation in Ethiopia and will take place in April 2024.

Kippy co-founded IDIA while serving as a program officer at The Rockefeller Foundation. At The Rockefeller Foundation she led an innovation team and her portfolio consisted of internal capability-building on innovation approaches as well as multiple external grant-making initiatives. 

Concurrently, Kippy serves as Senior Advisor on Gender with the Global Innovation Fund, strengthening the fund’s commitment to increasing the agency of women and girls, and addressing gender inequality.  Kippy's dedication to gender justice extends beyond her work as a gender-lens investor. She has served on the Board of Every Woman Treaty, supporting a systems approach to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5. Kippy is also on the board of several organizations, including The Shelter Foundation and The Baltimore School for the Arts and, with additional local volunteer service at Brooklyn Public Library and 92NY.

Kippy is a skilled facilitator of large and small groups and has consulted with government entities, NGOs and foundations on strategy and program development. She holds Masters’ Degrees in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and in Systemic Management & Consultation from the University of London. She earned her BA in Public Policy at Brown University.

Michael Anthony Kirsch founded MingleSpace, a community-building organization based in Milwaukee, WI, to make in-person connection easier in the places people already go. From Stevens Point, WI, has long been driven by a desire to serve others and to improve their lives through ideas with lasting impact. He holds a BA in History from George Mason University and an MS in Mathematics in Finance from NYU’s Courant Institute. He is the author of The Challenge of Credit Supply: American Problems and Solutions, 1650–1950, a concise, historically grounded study of how U.S. banking and credit policies shaped economic growth. Before MingleSpace, he worked on financial modeling and credit policy at KPMG, a global advisory firm.

Ali Knight is the President and CEO of Fresh Lifelines for Youth, a San Francisco Bay Area-based organization that supports young people impacted by the justice systems to remain crime-free and safe in their communities while becoming catalysts for systems change.

Ali has over 20 years of public service as a champion for change and a crusader for justice reforms. Earlier experiences include senior leadership roles at the Institute for Justice and Opportunity at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and at the Vera Institute of Justice, both in NYC, and in various youth-serving nonprofit organizations in NYC and in the SF Bay Area. Ali also taught courses in criminal and juvenile justice at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. He is a 2021 NYU Alumni Changemaker of the Year award winner, and a 2022 Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellow.

Ali has a Master of Public Administration from NYU, and a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Ali and his wife Van live in the city of Alameda with their daughter, Iris, and son, Robin Maxwell.

Frances Kraft (she/her) currently serves as Director of Research & Practice for the Foundation for Social Connection. In her role, she works closely with a Scientific Leadership Council and manages efforts to drive adoption of innovative evidence-based models across local, state, and national settings. Prior to joining the Foundation, Frances was part of the Weave team at The Aspen Institute, where she led the development and execution of a portfolio of engagement activities, tools, and resources to support the growth of trust and social connection for in-person and online communities.

Earlier in her career, she spent a decade in education, first as a classroom teacher, and later as the founder of a non-profit coalition of families, students, and teachers prioritizing relationship-based programs and advocacy to achieve equitable access, experiences, and outcomes children. A passion to connect people to change systems came after discovering the power of community organizing. An ongoing desire to understand how people can lead change led her to complete a master’s in teaching from Chicago’s Dominican University, a master’s in education policy from Harvard University, and a doctorate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focuses on the effects of relational dialogue on civic empathy and its connection to building social trust, solidarity, and a more inclusive democracy.

Theresa Kuchler is an Associate Professor of Finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business. At NYU Stern, Professor Kuchler is the current John L. Vogelstein Fellow in Finance and the director of NYU Stern’s Glucksman Institute. Professor Kuchler conducts research in the areas of household, behavioral and real estate finance and social networks, often involving large micro datasets. Prior to joining NYU, she earned a Ph.D. in Economics at Stanford University. Professor Kuchler completed her undergraduate studies with a diploma in Business Economics from the University of Mannheim and spent a year as a Fulbright visiting student in the Economics department at UC Berkeley.

Christine Lai has dedicated her life to connecting people, capital, and opportunities for positive social change. She is a cross-sector collaboration catalyst, who experiments with alternative ways of being and working in order to better realize our interconnectedness and interdependence.

She is a Partner with Together Institute, a collective dedicated to collaborating with purpose-driven communities and networks to sustain and thrive. Christine advises foundations – including the Kauffman Foundation, One Project, Schmidt Futures, and Skoll Foundation – on their community, ecosystem, and network strategies. 

Christine serves on the board of R3 Score, a platform for businesses to use socially responsible criminal background checks and a more inclusive alternative credit score, expanding economic access and opportunity. Previously, she served as Chief of Staff with Delivering Happiness, a coachsultancy [hybrid coaching + consulting] cultivating more successful, sustainable cultures with cities, governments, and organizations.  

Additionally, Christine dedicates time to mentor multiple fellowships, nonprofits, and startups, accompanying each in navigating systems and creating pathways towards a more thriving ecosystem and world. 

Christine graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Political Science. She is geo-flexible [in a different city almost every week] and loves bringing people together – especially around a shared meal – to foster meaningful connection and conversation to strengthen communities of collective action and belonging.

Joanne Lee is Senior Project Director at Healthy Places by Design, and part of the organization’s leadership team. She engages directly with funders and leaders in the field to build capacity and develop initiatives that accelerate and sustain community-led action to ensure health and wellbeing for all. Joanne also provides strategic coaching and technical assistance to community-based partnerships across all phases of planning, implementation, and sustainability. She joined the Healthy Places by Design team in 2005, and has been involved in several of the organization’s major initiatives across national, state, and local levels.

Joanne has professional experience and personal passion around equity, cultural diversity, authentic community engagement, sustainability, and community-based policy and systems approaches. She has lived and worked in diverse settings across the country including in Hawai’i, Arizona, and North Carolina. Joanne completed her Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science degrees at the University of Hawai’i. She is a Registered Dietitian and holds a Certificate of Advanced Clinical Education from the University of California, San Francisco.

Nicholas Lemann is the Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. He was born, raised, and educated in New Orleans. He began his journalism career as a 17-year-old writer for an alternative weekly newspaper there, the Vieux Carre Courier. As a journalist and editor, he has worked at the Washington Monthly, Texas Monthly, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New Yorker where he continues to contribute as a staff writer. Between 2003 and 2013, Lemann was dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. His books include Transaction Man: The Rise of the Deal and the Decline of the American Dream (2019); Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War (2006); The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy (1999), which helped lead to a major reform of the SAT; The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America (1991). Since 2021, he has served as Cochair of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on Reimagining Our Economy. 

Kalani began his career as a history teacher at Kappa International High School in the Bronx, NY (with Teach For America). Later, he worked as a consultant at McKinsey in Zurich and Dubai and as a project leader at Google in California. Kalani grew up in the Bay Area, graduated from Stanford, and earned a master’s in education from Lehman College, CUNY. He is proud to represent COOP in the inaugural cohort of Obama Foundation Fellows. Kalani lives in San Francisco with his partner and their dog, Snacks.

Eric Leslie is the founder and lead organizer of Union Capital from Cambridge, MA, Eric began his career as a community organizer in Baltimore and New York City with the Industrial Areas Foundation. Eric later joined Teach For America and taught in North Philadelphia, serving as principal of KIPP Philadelphia Charter School from 2008-2012. Eric returned home to attend the Mid-Career MPA program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2013 and founded Union Capital the following year. Founded in 2014, Union Capital’s mission is to transform social capital into opportunity by rewarding community engagement. UC’s innovative approach combines technology and relationship building to strengthen neighborhood networks, build social capital, and create new pathways of opportunity for individuals and community. He lives back in Cambridge again with his wife and 12- and 9-year-old daughters.

Dr. Joynicole Martinez is the President & Chief Advancement and Innovation Officer at Rising Tide Capital, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building inclusive communities of resilient entrepreneurs catalyzing a thriving and sustainable economy for all. The founder of The Alchemist Agency, a management consulting firm serving leading executives, corporations, and organizations Dr. Martinez has over 30 years of experience providing capacity-building services, including strategic planning and organizational design with a focus on leadership and executive training and coaching, performance and change management, fund development and impact measurement.

Joynicole was recently recognized by the global diversity recruitment company Mogul as one of the nation’s Top 100 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leaders. She was awarded The

Distinguished Service Medal by the U.S. Presidential Service Center for her research and care for traditionally underserved populations during the COVID-19. As an epidemiologist, Dr. Martinez is an advocate for ethical and equitable solutions and systems that bridge industries addressing social determinants of health. With a focus on multidisciplinary teams and the need for diverse and inclusive cultures fostered by human-centric design, Joynicole has developed initiatives that strengthen population wellness and health.

Dr. Martinez is an award winning speaker and trainer and has presented at numerous local,

state, and federal conferences. A partial list of her list of clients includes the Health Care

Compliance Association, Microsoft Corporation, Wells Fargo, Books-A-Million, Women

Economic Forum, Ritz Paris, Cisco, American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants,

Ellevate, NASDAQ, and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. Joynicole has

trained executives across North and South America and in the United Kingdom, France,

Canada, the Netherlands, Russia, United Arab Emirates, and the Caribbean.

Dr. Martinez is a featured member on SheSource, an online brain trust of female experts on

diverse topics designed to serve journalists, producers, and booking agents. She is an

inaugural member of the Peace50 (P50) Community, an international engagement group that proposes policy recommendations related to peace. As contributor to the invitation only Forbes Coaches Council, she provides expert advice on leadership, management, and

business innovation. Dr. Martinez serves as a Board Member for Girls On The Run, is the US Ambassador for Diplomatic World Magazine and is a staff contributor to North Carolina’s oldest Black owned newspaper, The Carolinian.

Chelsea Mauldin is a social scientist and designer with a focus on government innovation. She directs the Public Policy Lab, a nonprofit organization that designs better public policy with low-income and marginalized Americans.

The Public Policy Lab partners with government agencies and NGOs to develop more satisfying and effective policies and service delivery through ethnographic research, human-centered design, rapid prototyping, and formative evaluation. Find out more on PPL's website, www.publicpolicylab.org.

Chelsea is an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs and a frequent keynote speaker and panelist. Previously, she consulted to municipal and federal agencies, directed a community-development organization, led government partnerships at a public-space advocacy nonprofit, and served as an editor for publishing, arts, and digital media organizations. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the London School of Economics.

Terry Mazany has enjoyed careers in archaeology, public education, and philanthropy.  Constant throughout these roles is his commitment to increasing opportunities for all.

For the past twenty-two years he has served in leadership roles with community foundations, including Chief Collaboration Officer for Collaboratory, helping to coordinate recovery and rebuilding efforts for a region devastated by Hurricane Ian, Senior Vice President of Philanthropy for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and a distinguished career of 13 years as President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust.  During his years in Chicago, he also served briefly as the interim chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools serving 400,000 students.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the first community foundation, Terry and his colleague, David Perry, co-edited Here for Good: Community Foundations and the Challenges of the 21st Century.

Terry serves on several nonprofit boards including Smithsonian Science Education Center and RFK Human Rights.  Previously, Terry served as a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and was past chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board that oversees the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP).

His professional roles include teaching Education Policy and School Reform at the University of Chicago and Social Entrepreneurship at both Northwestern University and the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

Terry has graduate degrees in Anthropology, Business, and Education. He has received Honorary Doctorate degrees from DePaul University, Governors State University, and Lewis University. 

David Obstfeld, Founder of the Social Capital Academy, is a Professor of Management at College of Business and Economics, at California State University, Fullerton, and an Affiliated Research Scientist at the USC Center for Effective Organizations. He is a recognized authority on driving creativity, innovation, and change through the power of networks and is the author of Getting New Things Done: Networks, Brokerage, and the Assembly of Innovative Action (Stanford Business Press, 2017).

David is well-known in the field of social science and is the author of multiple highly cited, high-impact articles that have shaped the conversation on how we coordinate action through networks to catalyze innovation. The relevance of his work spans business, social, educational, and artistic landscapes.

His most recent research applies his social network and social capital focus to improve the educational success of first generation and underrepresented minority students. In this work, he has designed a new program called The Social Capital Academy. The goal of the program is to teach students to use social and cultural capital to access career-related jobs and broadened career vision. Students harness their stories of resilience and multicultural capacity working alongside successful career professionals to meaningfully overcome the constraints of social inequality.

David is the recipient of numerous grants and recognitions including major grants from the National Science Foundation as well as the recipient of The American Sociological Association’s W. Richard Scott Award in recognition of his work’s outstanding contribution to the organizational discipline over the preceding three years.

Celestin is currently the Head of Research at the RSA.

Celestin started his career in local government before going on to pursue a career in academia and ultimately returning to the ‘real world’.

Celestin’s PhD at the LSE focused on societal and social influences on the experience of unemployment using a mixed-methods approach. As a recovering academic, he is mostly interested in using his skills to address disparities and promote inclusive, evidence-based practices to drive positive lasting change for marginalised groups.

In that vein, Celestin initiated and led the development of the Black Thrive Research Institute and Observatory, overseeing an extensive and innovative programme of work that examined the relationship between stop and search and young Black people’s mental health.

Sarah Oppenheimer is Executive Director at Opportunity Insights.  She guides OI’s strategies to foster economic opportunity for all, leads OI’s organizational and administrative structures, and focuses on ensuring that OI’s research and data have impacts in both academic and policy spaces.

Sarah’s work focuses on the intersection of research, policy, and practice, working toward approaches that bring sectors together toward more effective and equitable outcomes.  She previously served as the Director of Research and Evaluation for the King County Housing Authority, led cross-sector research at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Division of Public Health Practice and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Community-Based Research, and worked on evaluations for Building Changes and Abt Associates.  Sarah was inspired to pursue research application and policy directions after early work as a case manager and housing service provider – experiences with wise families and residents that have continued to inform her subsequent work.

Sarah received her BA from the University of Vermont, Masters in Public Health from Harvard University, and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Washington.  She was a Social Policy Research Fellow at UW’s West Coast Poverty Center, the recipient of the Harvard School of Public Health’s Albert Schweitzer Award and the UW Center for Statistics in Social Sciences Blacklock Fellowship, and has authored numerous papers on housing and social policy, health disparities, and related topics.

Lucria is the President & CEO of the Opportunity Network (OppNet), a national nonprofit dedicated to college and career access for students of color. She is an attorney by trade, and a community builder to her core. She has a 20-year multi-sector career in non-profit, government, and legal practice, starting her career as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders. She is a transformational leader known for fundraising and optimizing resources to achieve mission impact. Lucria is a lifelong advocate for marginalized communities with expertise in programs that address poverty, youth development, criminal justice, violence prevention, education and career pathways. She holds a steadfast commitment to equity and anti-racism as a regular conference speaker and workshop facilitator. Prior to joining OppNet, she worked 10 years for the YMCA, serving various communities and most recently as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Yonkers Family YMCA. Lucria sat on the YMCA of the USA National Board of Directors. She has chaired multiple multicultural affinity groups, and is a community organizer, poet, and fitness enthusiast. She is married and proudly parents two young rising leaders. Lucria is a first-generation college and law school graduate. She earned her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wesleyan University.

Amar Patel is co-founder and executive director of the Thriving Families Initiative (TFI), a collaborative, place-based startup effort that brings together families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to build stronger lives and a more connected community. TFI fosters meaningful, reciprocal relationships between families seeking economic mobility and broader life progress and community members looking to contribute and grow in their own lives. Through shared goal-setting, personalized coaching, and a network of relationships, TFI empowers all participants to take agency in their growth, support one another, and collectively strengthen the social fabric of their community.

Additionally, Amar is the founder and principal of Stronger Communities, a social impact consulting firm, which supports leaders and organizations to build and implement vision, strategy, and ultimately realize their community impact goals. He is passionate about cultivating conditions for communities to become places where all flourish – places free of poverty and filled with love and opportunity.

A son of Indian immigrants, a first-generation Hoosier and American K-12 public schools graduate, Amar graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in biomedical engineering. He began his career as a high school science teacher through Teach For America in Chicago. He went on to serve as Executive Director of Teach For America Indianapolis during which time he led the organization to top-flight results across the national network.

Amar is a member of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series Class XLIV, recipient of Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award, and was named among “Indy’s Best and Brightest” by Junior Achievement of Central Indiana. Amar serves on the boards of Tindley Accelerated Schools, Rooted School Foundation, Teach For India US, Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center of Indianapolis, and Hindu Community Relations Council, while also serving as a Sunday school teacher to high schoolers at the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana. He is the proud husband of the wonderful Amelia Patel and doting father of two joyful children, Pax and Veda Patel.

Stuart Phelps has led Baggator Nexus’s neighborhood planning efforts for over two years. As Convenor, he works to empower underserved communities in Easton and St. Philip's Marsh to build balanced, sustainable neighborhoods. Through facilitating forums and managing ElhPlan, he ensures that local voices are integral to shaping planning policies, while also supporting residents in developing their employment skills. His work centers on collaborative problem-solving and advancing the vision of a 15-Minute City that emphasizes equity and accessibility.

With over 40 years of experience in change management and small business operations, Stuart brings deep expertise in building capacity and resilience within communities and organizations. At Baggator, he leads post-Covid initiatives to reimagine its mission, focusing on neighborhood-driven solutions and inclusive decision-making through extended voting models. His approach integrates strategic planning, community engagement, and resource optimization to address the real-world challenges facing marginalized populations.

Shaifali Puri is Chair of the Board, RSA US.

Shaifali Puri is currently a visiting scholar at New York University's journalism school, where she is researching how technology can be harnessed to benefit the developing world. She is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the Board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. She was named in Crain's New York 40 Under-40 list and has written for publications including Fortune, The New York Times, Slate, and The World Policy Journal.

Previously, she was Executive Director for Global Innovation at the Nike Foundation. Her work with the Nike Foundation focused on the Girl Effect movement, which recognised the mission of empowering adolescent girls and their untapped potential. She helped to generate partnerships with both public and private sector players to move the needle on the eradication of global poverty. Prior to her role at the Nike Foundation, she was Executive Director of Scientists Without Borders between 2009 and 2013.

Frederick J. Riley is the Executive Director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute.  He previously served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati where he provided strategic leadership in financial development, advancing the YMCA mission through annual giving, government and foundation grants, endowment bequests, along with gifts and capital campaigns. He developed a fundraising board, positioned the Y as a dedicated community partner and led advocacy efforts, program impact and volunteer development.

Before joining the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, he served as the National Director of Urban Development for YMCA of the USA, the Y’s national resource office. There, he served as the principal thought leader and strategist for programs and services impacting over three million teens around the country.  He has also served in similar leadership roles for the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, Metro Atlanta YMCA, and the National Conference of Black Mayors.

He is passionate about the development of communities and its people. He has spent almost 2 decades ensuring the positive life trajectory for youth with a focus on urban, under-served communities and poverty. Originally from Saginaw, MI; college and professional opportunities allowed for stops in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, and Cincinnati. He participates in many professional and civic groups but none are more coveted than the role of favorite son, brother, uncle, and godfather.

jesikah maria ross has three speeds: listening, making and sharing. She brings residents and decisionmakers together in artfully designed convenings, creating a path and a plan that changes how we collect, tell and use the stories of our communities. She’s honed her expertise over 25 years of working in newsrooms, universities, community media centers, and development organizations around the globe. She makes storytelling work: for change, for healing, for belonging, for everyone.

Sheila Sarem (she/her/hers) is the Founder/CEO of Basta - an organization bridging the employment gap for first-generation college students of color. She launched the organization in 2016 and they have since become a trailblazer in transforming the education to career landscape for first-gen college students. Prior to Basta, Sheila served as Director of the National Leadership Recruitment Team for the KIPP network. Sheila started her career in HR at DC Public Schools, initially working in Principal Human Capital and was later tapped to build a Recruitment & Selection team from the ground up. Her team managed all recruitment and selection across the district and rolled out a cutting edge teacher selection model that was recognized nationwide. Before entering the field of education, Sheila worked on political campaigns, including the 2008 presidential and 2009 gubernatorial races. She spent the early stages of her career working in the tech industry across Paris, Amsterdam, and London. Sheila now calls Brooklyn home and is living her best life with Justin (partner), Azad (daughter), Dove (son), and Tahdig (cockapoo). 

Melissa, Founder and CEO of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to her work. Holding a B.A. from McGill University and an M.Ed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Melissa's journey began in New Orleans with Teach for America (TFA). Following this, she devoted three years to reforming Louisiana’s juvenile justice system before establishing YEP in 2004. Spearheading change, YEP became Louisiana's first program dedicated to assisting young people transitioning from incarceration back to their families and communities.

Under Melissa's leadership, the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) has flourished over the past two decades, evolving into Greater New Orleans' largest and most comprehensive community-based organization dedicated to supporting underserved young people. While maintaining its commitment to assisting those involved in the justice system, YEP has expanded its services to reach a wider demographic. Anchored by four core programs—YEP Works, YEP Educates, YEP Enriches, and YEP Mentors—the organization now annually engages over 900 individuals, providing vital support and opportunities for growth.

Melissa's exceptional contributions have been widely acknowledged and celebrated. She earned the title of "CEO of the Year" from Biz New Orleans Magazine (2022), was honored by The Times-Picayune as one of the "300 People Over 300 Years Who Have Made New Orleans, New Orleans" (2018), and received acknowledgment from the Chronicle of Philanthropy for her significant contributions to the nonprofit sector (2017). Furthermore, Melissa was distinguished as "New Orleanian of the Year" by Gambit Weekly (2016). Melissa is a current fellow with the Pahara Institute, a prestigious program cultivating diverse, values-driven leaders dedicated to transforming public education. Additionally, Melissa actively contributes to her community through volunteer board and committee service, a commitment she has upheld for years.

Calista Small is a Research Manager at More in Common, where she leads mixed-methods studies on social cohesion and division in the U.S. She recently co-authored The Connection Opportunity: Insights for Bringing Americans Together Across Difference (2025), which is now widely used by leaders across sectors to inform national bridge-building efforts. Her work has been cited in The New York Times, USA Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Hill. Before studying social psychology, she spent four years professionally engaged in the arts. She holds a B.A. in Humanities from Yale University and a post-baccalaureate degree in Psychology from Columbia University.

Tom is the Chief of Staff at the RSA. Tom leads the robust analysis of the RSA’s productivity and strategic initiatives to ensure optimum organisational impact. Tom ensures effective cross-organisational project and programme management and develops the strategy for our data and our global presence and impact in line with our vision and values.

Prior to joining the RSA, Tom was the Senior Economic Advisor to the Levelling Up Taskforce in the Cabinet Office, leading the cross-Whitehall negotiations of UK Government’s twelve levelling up missions. He was previously the Deputy Head of Research at the Industrial Strategy Council and worked as an economist at the Bank of England from 2011 to 2020.

Colby Swettberg (they/them) has been Chief Executive Officer of Silver Lining Mentoring since 2009.  Under Colby’s leadership, Silver Lining been lauded as a national leader in mentoring services for youth in foster care. Silver Lining was named as a Social Innovator for “providing a sustainable solution to one of the region’s toughest social issues,” and was subsequently selected as a three year investee by Social Venture Partners as a result of the organization’s high impact, results-driven model.

Colby came to Silver Lining Mentoring (SLM) after working in child welfare where they opened and oversaw a group home for LGBTQ teenagers, did clinical work in adoption and family stabilization, and provided training and consultation nationwide on sexual orientation and gender identity issues.  Colby was honored to be chosen by former Senator John Kerry for the “Angel in Adoption” award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and to be chosen as a Barr Foundation Fellow for their service to youth in foster care.  

As a former educator, Colby earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Simmons School of Social Work.  Colby is the proud parent of two elementary aged kids and enjoys any excuse to chase summer on or in the water!

Kini (she/her/hers) is the past Executive Director of the Maine Resilience Building Network (MRBN), a public health nonprofit working to improve the health and well-being of children, individuals, and communities through capacity building, system integration, education, policy, and advocacy.

Kini has worked in public health and healthcare for 40 years as an RN, educator, advocate, and leader. She brings proven system transformation leadership to advance health equity, and well- being. In addition to her MRBN leadership, her career expands across maternal and child health; home visitation, school-based health centers, youth leadership, advocacy, and community health. Kini is a Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership Class VII graduate. She has served as a school board member and Chair of the RSU #38 school committee and a past recipient of the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) Youth Leadership and Advocacy award. Kini is a recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement HOPE Award from the Center for Community- Engaged Medicine, Tufts Medical Center.

Cindia Velasco currently serves as the Director of Constituency Services- Workforce and Economic Development at the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing economic development and mobility initiatives. In her capacity, Ms. Velasco leads the design, implementation, and development of economic mobility policy institutes and governance training opportunities for Latino elected officials across the United States.

Ms. Velasco's dedication to serving working families extends beyond policy arenas. Before her transition into policy development and advocacy, she served as a Teach For America corps member, teaching second graders in Chicago.

A proud Angeleno from the San Gabriel Valley, Ms. Velasco earned her Master's in Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Reverend Vanessa Oliver Ward serves as President of the Omega Community Development Corporation and holds the title of Pastor Emerita at the Omega Baptist Church.

Under Reverend Ward's leadership, the Omega CDC has achieved notable milestones. In collaboration with Pivotal Housing Partners, Omega CDC co-developed an 81-unit affordable senior housing facility, Omega Senior Lofts, on the Harvard Campus. Additionally, Reverend Ward spearheaded the development of the Hope Center for Families, a project valued at $11 million, focusing on whole-family wellness within Northwest Dayton. The Hope Center for Families not only houses Omega CDC, but partners such as Dayton Children’s Hospital, Sinclair College, Mini University, and Miami Valley Children Development Centers.

In 2023, the Omega CDC was awarded a $28.7 million Promise Neighborhood Grant from the U.S. Department of Education: first of its kind in Ohio. This grant serves as a catalyst for Omega CDC's ongoing efforts to enhance educational and social outcomes for children and families in Northwest Dayton, addressing critical needs in the community.

Reverend Vanessa Ward's leadership and the Omega CDC's dedication continue to make a profound impact on the Northwest Dayton community, driving positive change and fostering opportunities for growth and development.

Hashim Walters currently serves on the board of directors for the Wall Street Connection. He is a native New Orleanian that has a passion for developing the next generation of leaders within his city. He previously served as the Executive Assistant to the President of the City Council, and the Special Assistant to the District Attorney of the City of New Orleans. He is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and the Loyola Institute of Politics. He also is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Emily Weiner is a systems thinking entrepreneur, business advisor, and coach who has spent more than 25 years connecting people and ideas to activate change. She models how to bring intentionality to relationships and partnerships, and leaders rely on her ability to connect the dots, especially between people, to cultivate new opportunities, leading to innovation and impact. She founded The Connectors to help people of all ages develop effective strategies to form relationships, uncover resources, and shift mindsets to move ideas forward.

In addition to her work with established changemakers and professionals, she’s helped thousands of young people connect to their passions, develop new skills, and embrace societal problems as entrepreneurial opportunities. She coaches everyone – from teenagers to people in their 60s – to discover how they can activate change in any organization, role, sector, and community.

As an entrepreneur, she has started her own businesses and worked across most sectors, including corporate, nonprofit, academia, government, and politics (though she promises to never return to politics!).

Emily is a Wellesley College alumna, RSA Fellow, Global Advisor to Orora Global, Advisory Board member of Community Dispute Settlement Center, Host Committee Member of the EmpowerHER campaign, and Anchor Partner for the RSA’s Power of Connection Boston 2025 program. She has been a champion and facilitator of Women2Women, an international leadership program for women in their teens and 20s, since 2013 and is privileged to support and empower the next generation of leaders who identify as female.

Josh is Policy Manager at Power to Change, the think-do tank that backs community business. Leading their overall advocacy efforts, Josh generates ideas, strategies, and research to influence change, building coalitions to do so alongside people with real-world experience. As the organisation’s lead on ‘community power’ Josh has led the organisation’s recent policy and advocacy work in this area, as well as supporting new practice in places across England. He advises the We’re Right Here campaign on its political strategy, which has successfully campaigned for a Community Right to Buy in England.

Prior to working at Power to Change, Josh has worked at the Jo Cox Foundation and the think tank British Future.

Chris Wood is Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Locality, supporting communities across the country to improve the lives of local people and take decisions over the services, funding and development that matter to them. Locality is the national membership network of 2,000 local community organisations, who believe in the power of community to create local opportunities and a fairer society. It supports members and others with specialist advice, peer-learning, resources, and campaigns to help communities thrive. 

Chris leads Locality’s efforts to promote the role of community organisations across the country in achieving change, and builds the relationships and campaigns needed to help them succeed. He previously worked at charity Shelter, leading campaigns that raised awareness of homelessness and bad housing, won an eviction ban during the COVID pandemic, achieved legislative change to improved policy on renters’ rights, and got more social housing built to tackle the root causes of homelessness. He also worked at charity RNID, successfully overturning cuts to hearing aid provision across the country. He has also worked as a policy and strategy advisor in government, a politics tutor and a researcher at the British Medical Association and Social Enterprise UK.

Chris has a PhD on the influence of social capital theories on policy in the UK and Australia, for which he studied the development and implementation of ideas and policies such as citizenship education, social exclusion, Local Strategic Partnerships and the New Deal for Communities.

Elizabeth (she/her) is a 12th generation European American settler, descended from people of Britton, Celtic and Germanic cultures. For a decade, Elizabeth has worked towards racial equity through philanthropy at the Emerson Collective, direct services at Columbus House and the Bridgeport Public Defenders, and public education at the Equal Justice Initiative where she contributed to the research, development and opening of the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Elizabeth is now leading Reckon With with the mission of accompanying European Americans to acknowledge and repair racial harm in themselves, their families, and institutions they’re part of -- every day. Informed by growing up in segregated Fairfield County, Connecticut and fighting sexual violence as student body president at Stanford University, Elizabeth is an experienced Theater of the Oppressed facilitator, community organizer, and researcher. Elizabeth lives on Maskoke Native Land (Montgomery, Alabama).

Muna has over 20 years’ experience in financial inclusion services. She is the CEO of Rooted Finance (RF), a London-based specialist debt advice Charity. Rooted Finance provides bespoke on-to-one support for London’s Diverse Ethnic Communities helping them manage financial distress, multiple debts, and work towards financial wellbeing and resilience. In March 2021 she was appointed to the VCSE Advisory Panel convened by VCSE Crown Representative, Claire Dove. The VCSE Advisory Panel has been set up to advise the government on how to help more organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors compete effectively in public sector contracts.

 In June 2021, Muna was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and was awarded an MBE for charitable Financial Services to Disadvantaged People during Covid-19. She has a particular interest in reducing financial inequalities and increasing economic empowerment of disadvantaged communities – with a focus on minoritised communities and women. Muna recently served as a Trustee at Toynbee Hall and was

previously on the board of Women Advancing Microfinance UK (WAMUK).