ProSpeak

David Blyer is co-founder, CEO and president of Arreva, a digital fundraising, donor relationship management, health care hospitality and auction software that has been serving the nonprofit industry for more than three decades.  

David founded DonorCommunity in 1999, the first all-in-one fundraising software, and co-founded Arreva with Susan Packard Orr, through a merger with her company, Telosa, in 2017. Since forming Arreva, David merged two companies, acquired two companies, and integrated all technologies into one unified online platform and expanded the organization's account base in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

In 1994, he co-founded Vento Software, a provider of packaged vertical business intelligence applications, and served as CEO and president until November 1999, when Vento was acquired. After the acquisition, he served as president of the company's Enabling Technologies Division, opened offices in the U.S., Latin America and South Africa, and built a distribution partnership to expand globally and participated in acquiring 40-plus companies in a roll-up strategy.  

Prior to Vento, Blyer held executive management and sales positions with Tandem, NCR and other leading technology/consulting firms. 

David remains active in community affairs, serving as a member of the Entrepreneurs Council at Nova Southeastern University since September 2006, and the university's Blue Ribbon Scholarship Committee. He received the Nova Southeastern University Student Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013 Alumnus of the Year. He is actively involved with Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida and Davie Police Athletic League.   

David received his MBA in finance from Nova Southeastern University, and his Bachelor’s of Arts in business management from the University of South Florida.

As a founding principal of Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, Mark focuses on empowering nonprofits to accomplish more for the communities and constituencies they serve by dramatically increasing their financial resources. He is a leading national expert in funding nonprofit organizations and community initiatives through large fundraising campaigns.

Mark has managed and consulted on fundraising campaigns for a broad array of nonprofits, including schools, community colleges, museums, hospitals, women’s and children’s services, workforce development organizations, associations, arts and culture organizations, Boy Scouts councils, historic theaters, human service organizations, community foundations, YMCAs, animal shelters, hospices, social service nonprofits, community centers, chambers of commerce, and economic development corporations.

Mary Beth Westmoreland is Blackbaud’s chief technology officer, responsible for leading worldwide product, technology and analytics strategy, architecture, user experience and innovation across the company’s entire solution portfolio. Mary Beth joined Blackbaud in 2008 and has over 30 years of experience in software engineering and product development.

Prior to Blackbaud, Mary Beth was VP of research and development at Ipswitch, Inc. where she led software engineering, design and operations across the company’s global product portfolio. Before Ipswitch, she spent 15 years at the Savannah River National Laboratory, where she started as a programmer and eventually managed the company’s Enterprise and Technical Systems Engineering organizations.

In both 2019 and 2017, Mary Beth was named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council — a definitive list that honors the most extraordinary female leaders, influencers and achievers impacting the technology industry. She has been recognized for her leadership in Blackbaud’s transformation to a cloud software company that is innovative, agile and successful, for her mentorship of other women and for her commitment to corporate citizenship.

Mary Beth is a trustee at her alma mater, Immaculata University, where she graduated with a degree in mathematics and physics. She is also a member of the advisory board of Clemson University’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, a founding board member of Charleston Women in Tech, and is actively involved in a variety of STEM programs, Women in Technology initiatives and other nonprofits.

Charlie Hulme is managing director of DonorVoice. Part of the team that conducted the sector’s only empirical and applied study into donor loyalty. Today, he works with charity partners to radically alter the donor's experience and subsequent lifetime value.

Greg Fox is vice president of nonprofit vertical strategy at Merkle. He joined the company in 2000 to establish a data-driven, strategic fundraising agency group. Fox is a 30-year veteran of direct response fundraising, with expertise in developing innovative fundraising marketing strategies and solutions. He has helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for many of the largest and most respected fundraising brands in America, and while he has broad-based fundraising experience, he is highly regarded as a leader in the national health-charity sector. Prior to joining Merkle, Fox was a founding partner in TheraCom, a leading provider of full-service specialty pharmacy solutions and marketing strategies that served the healthcare and charitable industries. He also served as vice president of direct response fundraising at the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where he started his career and created the organization’s first national direct response program. Fox is an industry thought-leader, frequent speaker at industry conferences and an active participant in the DMA nonprofit federation. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

Steve Scheier, author of "Do More Good. Better. Using the Power of Decision Clarity to Mobilize the Talent of Your Nonproft Team," is the CEO and Founder of Scheier+Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations distribute power differently so they can do more good. Prior to founding Scheier+Group in 2010, Steve was vice president of human assets and training at College Summit, and president at Entrepreneurs Foundation. On the private-sector side, Steve has served as a vice president of human resources at Food.com and at CKS Group, and worked in marketing at Apple Inc. He is an occasional contributor to the North Bay Business Journal.

Kim Cubine is president of Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey (CCAH), a full-service direct marketing firm with offices in Arlington, Va., and San Francisco. She possesses over 20 years’ experience as a strategist and communicator for progressive causes and political candidates. She has managed the direct marketing programs of some of the largest, most prestigious campaigns and global nonprofit organizations, including Obama for America, EMILY’s List, Clinton-Gore ’96, The Wilderness Society, NARAL Pro-Choice America, AARP and the Democratic National Committee. Since assuming the presidency of the firm, she has been instrumental in developing CCAH into the first and leading, full-service direct marketing agency in the country.

Shawn Kemp is cofounder of ActionSprout, where he helps power people’s ability to create lasting change by connecting organizations with their supporters.

John Oddy is senior philanthropic director with Foundation Source in Fairfield, CT. Based in New York, John works directly with private foundations, their donors and families. Before coming to Foundation Source, John was Executive Director of The Royal Oak Foundation, a U.S. charity supporting the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Prior to that, he was Program Officer at the Getty Grant Program, the philanthropic arm of the J. Paul Getty Trust, supporting conservation of significant art and architecture internationally. John studied Art History as an undergraduate at Bard College and Urban Planning at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Leigh Kessler is VP of Marketing and Communications at donor management software platform CharityEngine and a frequent speaker on branding, fundraising, data and technology. He is a former nationally touring headline comedian and has appeared on numerous TV shows including VH1’s “Best Week Ever”, CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight”, Discovery Channel & Sirius Radio.​ He has overseen and informed research and branding strategies for some of the most well known brands in America.

Adam Weinger is president of Double the Donation, an organization that helps nonprofit organizations and schools increase fundraising from corporate matching gift and employee volunteer grant programs.

Ryan K. Sowers is the Assistant Director for Annual Giving at The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Individualized Studies with a minor in Marketing at Bowling Green State University in 2015 and would like to pursue a Master's degree in Business Administration. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh in 2015, Ryan worked in Corporate and Foundational Relations with Bowling Green State University, and was the Chairman and Founder of BGSU's Undergraduate Capital Campaign from Spring 2012 to Summer 2014.

Randall Anderson is the Chief Operations Officer of Listen Up Español, a leading bilingual call center. In his position, Randall uses his extensive experience in DRTV fundraising and call center operations to help nonprofit organizations reach out to the U.S. Hispanic market. In his spare time he enjoys golf, classical chorus, basketball, boating and travel.

Marc Bellanger is vice president of development for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, an environmental nonprofit based in New Bedford, Mass. For the last two years he has led the organization’s fundraising activities, including managing its signature peer-to-peer sporting events. Prior to joining the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Marc had a 15-year career in banking and management consulting. He has a BS from Georgetown University an MBA from Babson College. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Samaritans Inc., a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention.

Anthony Clervi is the vice president of growth at UNA Purchasing Solutions, a group purchasing organization (GPO) dedicated to helping businesses and organizations across multiple industries improve their financial and operational performance. With extensive experience in sales, marketing, and business consulting, Anthony provides consistent leadership and strategic direction for company success.

Jason Stone is the vice president of sales and marketing for Engage, a St. Louis-based, full-service web and mobile design and development firm servicing clients in a variety of markets, including associations and nonprofits.

Angela Struebing is president of CDR Fundraising Group, a multichannel agency focused on helping nonprofits maximize their online, direct mail, telemarketing and DRTV fundraising results. As president, Angela is responsible for overall agency management and strategic planning for national nonprofit clients to include The Wounded Warrior Project, Shriners’ Hospitals for Children, MoMA and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Angela is a frequent speaker at industry events and is recognized for her strategic expertise. She has also served as Education co-chair for the Bridge Conference.

Jeanne C. Zepp is a freelance writer with an interest in direct marketing techniques, especially as they apply to the nonprofit world. She works at DPR Group, directing its public relations function.

Bill Tedesco is a well-known entrepreneur in the field of philanthropy with more than 15 years of experience leading companies serving the fundraising profession.

Bill has personally conducted original research to identify markers of philanthropy and has developed modeling and analytical products that use those markers to accurately predict future giving.

Since 2007, Bill has been the founder, CEO and managing partner of DonorSearch.

James Gilmer is a compliance specialist for Harbor Compliance, which establishes 501(c) nonprofits and helps them stay compliant. Harbor Compliance assists charities in every state and several countries abroad. James serves on the board for two nonprofits in Lancaster, Pa.

Katie Zwetzig is executive director of Verified Volunteers, an organization that aims to help nonprofits and service organizations better fulfill their missions by reducing the time and costs associated with volunteer screening.

Katie is excited to lead the revolutionary change Verified Volunteers is bringing to the nonprofit and volunteer industry. She has been at the forefront of the screening industry for the last 14 years and founded her own background screening company, Tandem Select. She feels strongly that nonprofits and volunteerism are at the heart of strong communities.

Josh Gerben is U.S. trademark attorney and principal of Gerben Law Firm in Washington, D.C. Named the No. 3 U.S. trademark filer in 2009 by Trademark Insider, Josh has represented clients in more than 5,000 trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Josh has been a featured panelist on FOX News and has provided insights and opinions to a variety of national news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and NPR. Learn more about trademarks on Gerben Law Firm’s blog.

Scott Bailey is executive vice president of Target Data, which unlocks the power of customer data through highly targeted marketing campaign execution.

Robyn Mendez is a peer-to-peer fundraising rock star. Over the last 15 years, she’s done everything from setting up pop-up tents in the rain to deploying multi-national fundraising websites. She has a passion for using technology to raise money and believes that the collective few have the power to change the world. Robyn lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids and French bulldog.

Co-owner of NonProfit Central and MoneyMinder Software, Cyndi's career spans decades in the marketing and research and development field. It was while serving as board president for a local networking group that she discovered the pressing need for a simple, easy and affordable accounting software system. MoneyMinder Software launched in 2003 with the basic mission of simplifying volunteer activities of nonprofit leaders across the country.

An agency-trained, award-winning, freelance fundraising copywriter and consultant with years of on-the-ground experience, George specializes in crafting direct mail appeals, online appeals and other communications that move donors to give. He serves major nonprofits with projects ranging from specialized appeals for mid-level and high-dollar donors, to integrated, multichannel campaigns, to appeals for acquisition, reactivation and cultivation.

Tracy Vanderneck is president of Phil-Com, a training and consulting company where she works with nonprofits across the U.S. on fundraising, board development and strategic planning. Tracy has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, business development and sales. She holds a Master of Science in management with a concentration in nonprofit leadership, a graduate certificate in teaching and learning, and a DEI in the Workplace certificate. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), an Association of Fundraising Professionals Master Trainer, and holds a BoardSource certificate in nonprofit board consulting. Additionally, she designs and delivers online fundraising training classes and serves as a Network for Good Personal Fundraising Coach.

Craig Shelley is a managing director at Orr Group, which provides nonprofits with strategy, fundraising, leadership and management solutions and has offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Craig brings an entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, nonprofit management and strategy. Prior to joining Orr Group, Craig served in a variety of positions with the Boy Scouts of America, most recently as the national director of development and corporate alliances. He serves on the executive committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ New York City Chapter and the editorial advisory board for Nonprofit PRO, and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). 

Nick Rawitsch is a researcher and strategist working in arts, design and creativity-driven industries. Nick is currently the senior research analyst for UC Berkeley's Arts + Design Initiative and will graduate with an MBA in Design Strategy from CCA in May.

Marla Altberg is president, Nonprofit Engagement Solutions Division, for Ventura Associates International LLC. Reach her at maltberg@sweepspros.com.

Laurence is author of "The Nonprofit Fundraising Solution," the first book on fundraising ever published by the American Management Association. He is chairman of LAPA Fundraising serving nonprofits throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Dale Nirvani Pfeifer is changing the way we connect online by making social giving simple. An award-winning researcher and native Kiwi, Pfeifer applied the theory of Allophilia (like or love of others) to Maori leadership, demonstrating how the power of love and effective leadership can bring together big, diverse groups of people. She ran the Victoria University of Wellington’s Center for the Study of Leadership and collaborated with institutions like Harvard University. She later began working with organizations across the U.S. and New Zealand—from security think tanks to the Rockefeller Foundation—to help them understand their purpose; develop and implement programs and communications strategies; and design, lead and program a number of initiatives. Pfeifer’s work in the nonprofit and foundation sector led her to recognize the power of business to drive large-scale impact, and she founded Goodworld. She was recently named one of Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 business leaders in Washington and one of Trending 40’s New Power Women of DC Tech.

Cindi Phallen works with nonprofit boards and executives to build healthy boards that raise more money and execute on their vision. She is an author, educator, speaker, president of Create Possibility and a former ED. Known for asking the tough questions, she is on a mission to change the mindset of nonprofit leaders, so they move from intention to execution and maximize their impact.

Her popular book, “The Impact Triangle: The 3 Essentials to Accelerate Your Nonprofit Enterprise,” is recommended as mandatory reading for executives and volunteers. Cindi teaches fundraising at the University of San Diego, serves on various boards and is a Viewpoint partner for Social Venture Partners.

Cindi spends her free time jogging on the beach, snowboarding or watching her beloved Philadelphia Eagles!

Brett Meyer is the founder of Donation Spring, an online crowdfunding platform easily installed on a nonprofit organization's existing website, and the owner of 3River Development. Working with nonprofits throughout the last two decades, Brett uses his software engineering experience in the Fortune 500 world to help nonprofits survive and thrive in a digitally-driven world.

Julia is a nonprofit digital marketing, an online fundraising strategist and the author of the book, "Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits."

Mark believes in the often-untapped power of data and testing for more effective fundraising. For over 15 years, Frisina has been at the forefront of delivering highly targeted, data-driven direct response programs for a wide array of organizations. As VP of Strata Company, his efforts have helped numerous clients reach more of the right people the right way, generating higher response rates and a greater return on investment. Mark received an MBA in marketing from Villanova University and when he’s not in the office, you can find him out on the golf course or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Jeremy Silverstein is vice president of operations and vehicle dispatching at Goodwill Car Donations. Silverstein has handled tens of thousands of donated vehicles and has become quite an expert in the past five years he has been with Goodwill Car Donations.

Ify Aduba is a nonprofit compliance specialist for Harbor Compliance, a leading provider of compliance solutions for organizations of all types and sizes. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pa., Harbor Compliance partners with organizations in every state and over 28 countries abroad to help solve the most challenging compliance problems. With clients that range from the largest organizations in the country to fast-growth startups, Harbor Compliance fully manages government licensing compliance in both nonprofit and business sectors.

In her spare time, Ify actively volunteers within her community. She currently serves as president of the Board of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, president of the Administrative Ministries Team at Doylestown United Methodist Church and board member for the Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition. She is also a member of the Doylestown Branch of the American Association of University Women and Doylestown Rotary.

Ashley Thompson is the managing director for the Blackbaud Institute. She is responsible for driving Blackbaud’s extensive research, thought leadership, and best practice content.

Through this role, she builds thoughtful strategies and solutions for the philanthropic sector utilizing the most comprehensive data set in the social good community. She also manages internal and external relationships for the Institute, including the convening of the Blackbaud Institute Advisory Board.

Ashley is active in the Austin community and participates in numerous groups as a volunteer, active board member, and collaborative partner.

She is a regular contributor to sgENGAGE, serves on the Giving USA Editorial Review Board, and is a member of the NonProfit PRO Editorial Advisory Board.

Payman Taei is the founder of Visme, an easy-to-use online tool to create engaging presentations, infographics, and other forms of visual content. He is also the founder of HindSite Interactive, an award-winning Maryland based digital agency specializing in website design, user experience and web app development.

At Merkle, Chris is a senior leader in the Quantitative Marketing Group and leads a team of talented analysts leveraging advanced predictive techniques to drive net revenue and build donor pipelines for some of the leading nonprofits in the country. He strives to drive insight into donor data across all fundraising programs, use this knowledge to build constituent engagement that maximizes long-term donor value and ensure his partners thrive today while building a foundation to advance their mission over the long term.

Chris brings to Merkle over 10 years of experience in nonprofit marketing, analytics, and thought leadership, having previously served on the executive committee at the leader in higher education marketing. Chris has had the opportunity to partner with some of the largest and most recognizable institutions in the country to leverage personalized marketing to achieve their enrollment and advancement goals. Prior to his time in higher education, Chris held various analytic positions in financial services. Chris holds a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Darden School of Business.

Kylie Hutchinson is principal consultant with Community Solutions Planning & Evaluation and the author of “Survive and Thrive: Three Steps to Securing Your Program’s Sustainability,” which has been nominated for the Terry McAdam Nonprofit Book Award.

Rod Arnold is the founder of Leading Good. As the former chief operating officer of charity: water, Rod helped lead the young organization through a period of tremendous growth. Now he helps other nonprofits grow by applying principles and strategies that are proven to work.

Anna Murray is a technology consultant and the CEO of eMedia LLC. She is the author of the best-selling book in the Wiley CIO series, "The Complete Software Project Manager: Mastering Technology from Planning to Launch and Beyond."

Kayla Matthews writes about AI, the cloud and retail technology. You can also find her work on The Week, WIRED, Digital Trends, MarketingDive and Contently, or check out her personal tech blog.

Lee Mikell, CFRE, is a professional fundraiser with 30 years of experience—half as a staff member for five nonprofits and half as a consultant for three firms.

Taylor Shanklin is a TEDx speaker, podcast host and marketing innovator in the nonprofit sector. Taylor is the founder and CEO of Barlele, a brand and marketing strategy agency that helps mission-minded businesses and nonprofit organizations grow through clear storytelling, branding, digital marketing strategies and strategic growth coaching.

In her career, she has served 100-plus organizations on both national and local levels. Her areas of expertise are branding and digital storytelling, digital marketing for nonprofits, empowering one's authentic voice and helping nonprofit organizations realize their full potential through digital donor experiences that delight and surprise. Taylor lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children and dachshund named Lady.

M.L. Donnellan has more than 30 years of experience as a nonprofit CEO, motivational speaker, consultant, trainer, mentor and writer. She is the author of more than 60 books, guides and webinars on nonprofit management, which are in use in more than a dozen countries. She just recently published a series of 12 webinars for Nonprofit WebAdvisor's Nonprofit Executive Director Certification program. She has an M.S. degree in administration and a B.S. degree in human resources management. 

Tammy Zonker has been recognized as one of America's Top 20 Fundraising Experts. She’s an inspiring international speaker on the topic of transformational philanthropy and an AFP Certified Master Trainer. Over the past 20 years, she has trained, coached and led nonprofit teams to raise more than a $500 million including a single gift of $27.1M. Tammy moved to Detroit in 2008 determined to successfully raise money in the most challenging economy in the U.S., and has turned those experiences into strategies, tools and processes for skyrocketing fundraising results in any economy. When not speaking at conferences or fundraising, she's training her online membership community of Fundraising Transformers, or leading fundraising masterclasses, training intensives, and private workshops and retreats.

Nick Ellinger joined the Moore, where he works to increase the automation and customization of fundraising as chief brand officer, in January 2020. Before that, he was DonorVoice’s vice president of marketing strategy, working with organizations like Catholic Relief Services, Share our Strength | No Kid Hungry, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation to look at their fundraising with a different lens. He developed his direct fundraising muscle running Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s direct marketing program for a decade. He’s also the author of "The New Nonprofit" to challenge fundraising norms.

Angel A. Aloma is the executive director for Food for the Poor. 

As a “top-in-the-field” Certified Fund-Raising Executive, who has been billed as one of LinkedIn’s top philanthropy voices of the year, Robin Cabral has the skills and experience to focus your efforts, drive your results and enhance your ability and confidence through easy-to-understand and informative strategies, tools and templates. 

Helping fundraisers just like you excel and succeed in their careers through her unique programs, her approach is customized for those new to fundraising, wanting to excel in their new fundraising job or role, or advance in their career. She serves both fundraising professionals and executive directors alike.

She provides fundraising strategies, tactics and tools, including coaching, training and content for fundraising success.

Find out more at www.developmentconsultingsolutions.com.

Mark Gilbert is the founder and CEO of MBS Accounting Technology & Advisory, which provides bookkeeping, accounting technology integration, and C-level financial management solutions to SMBs and nonprofits. The firm is based in NYC and Portland, Ore. and hosts an annual event, MBSCalcutech.

Beth Kotz is a contributing writer to Credit.com. She specializes in covering financial advice for female entrepreneurs, college students and recent graduates. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and media from DePaul University in Chicago, Ill., where she continues to live and work.

Allison White serves as a VP of Graham-Pelton Consulting, a leading global fundraising and nonprofit management firm.

Sam Momin is the founder of Custom Water Bottle and handles outreach and sales for the company. Sam oversees orders and customer service, while constantly managing and updating the website from the Houston, Tx. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the gym, and keeping up with a healthy lifestyle—despite the occasional binge sessions she has with food and Netflix.

Mary Walton is a professional editor at Write My Essay Educational Center. She helps business people with resume editing and proofreading at Resume Writing Service. Read Mary's blog, Simple Grad.

Eric Burger is the director of marketing for BetterGood, an organization that creates exciting products, including VolunteerHub, that help organizations touch lives and make an impact within their communities. Eric has worked in the business-to-business software industry for eight years and has more than 12 years of experience in digital marketing.

Jim Alvarez is the founder and CEO of full-service fundraising technology company Gesture By Community Brands. Gesture has helped nonprofits across the country raise over $500 million since 2011 through the use of technology. Alvarez is the recipient of the Chicago Innovation Award and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce James Tyree Emerging Business Leadership Award for his innovative idea and launch of Gesture. He is an avid speaker and author helping nonprofits to embrace mobile fundraising technology to increase fundraising efforts. Alvarez drives the growing company to make hope happen for nonprofits developing innovative ideas that embrace technology.

Lori L. Jacobwith, founder of Ignited Fundraising™, is a master storyteller and fundraising culture change expert. With a passion for the positive, she has provided coaching and training for more than 4,500 organizations and 500,000 people. Her work has helped nonprofits raise $300 million from individual donors… and counting.

Karrie Wozniak is VP of marketing for BidPal, leading mobile fundraising platform helping nonprofits raise more money and connect with more donors.

Jimmy Park is the CEO and founder of Codejockey, and the former director of digital media at the Robin Hood Foundation.

Jason Lewis, CFRE & AFP Master Trainer, is the managing partner of BetterSchools LLC, an Austin-based firm partnering with independent schools throughout the U.S. In addition to this role, Jason owns Lewis Fundraising, a company he founded and currently operates. Together with his team of fundraising professionals, Jason serves as fundraising counsel for a growing network of nonprofit organizations.

Since graduating from Eastern University’s nonprofit management program in 2010, Jason has been re-certified as a CFRE and recognized as a member of the AFP’s Master Trainers. Most recently, he graduated from the College of Executive Coaching. Jason’s forthcoming book, "The War for Fundraising Talent," is a critique of contemporary fundraising and an introduction to his provocative fundraising philosophy.

Gary Wohlfeill is the director of Brand & Marketing at CrowdRise. He works with partners to develop highly engaging fundraising campaigns and leads the marketing team in developing the CrowdRise brand. Gary has been named as having the “third best haircut of people under 6 feet tall at CrowdRise" and hopes one day to slip to fourth.

Timothy R. Burcham, CFRE, is the president and chief solutions officer at Burcham Solutions Group.

Andrew Inderwick is the VP of business development at Informed Communications Group. He is responsible for client acquisition and strategic partnerships across all sectors providing solutions that focus on client/donor affinity, retention and growth.

As a business owner and senior account executive, with over 25 years of experience in communications and marketing in both the business and not-for-profit sector, he knows how to grow business and create efficiencies.

He brings a holistic perspective and skill set to provide clients with the power and partnerships to hone ROI while achieving their strategic goals across a range of activities including data analysis, strategy and design and multichannel deployment and fulfillment services.

David Heitman is the VP of communications at Wiland. 

Brad Shorr is director of content strategy at Straight North, an Internet-marketing company in Chicago that provides SEO, PPC and web-design services. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, Brad has been featured in leading online publications including Forbes, Moz and American Marketing Association.

Jeff Miller is director of marketing at OceanX, which is reinventing the membership economy by transforming customer-brand interactions and providing a powerful engine for subscriptions. Jeff is also the president of Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that heals at-risk kids and injured military personnel via surfing and ocean therapy.

Kate Thomas is a senior digital designer at Crosby Marketing, bringing smart solutions and empathy to user's experience. She loves helping nonprofits, government and health care clients more effectively Inspire Actions That Matter ^TM with her digital powers. 

Scott is the regional director and performance consultant at Crouch & Associates. 

Lauren’s “why” is to build trusting relationships with those around her. She is motivated by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Lauren does this by doing things the "right way" to achieve client's goals for fundraising, revenue generation, staff and board productivity, and strategic planning.

Lauren joined Crouch & Associates in September 2017 after a decade-long successful tenure at multiple national-brand nonprofit organizations in the health-cause arena. While Lauren’s development expertise is wide-ranging, she retains particular expertise in staff and board strategic development, large-scale special events, corporate revenue cultivation, volunteer recruitment and management, and young professional leadership.

A graduate of James Madison University with a degree in Public Policy & Administration and Nonprofit Studies, Lauren also enjoys cooking, reading, skiing and spending time with her family and friends. She resides in the western suburbs of her hometown of Pittsburgh.

­­­­Carol Wick is partner at Convergent Nonprofit Solutions. She started her career working with at-risk children and quickly gained national attention of her ability to create and implement innovative and sustainable solutions to century old problems. Over the years, she has developed a proven method that can be applied to any organization to help them grow, build their brand, and attract and retain investors. She has more 20 years of executive director experience and is the published author of several evidence-based studies on program effectiveness. Carol utilizes this wealth of experience to assist nonprofit organizations assess their capacity and take their organization to the next level.

Ikhlaq Hussain is a philanthropy and high-end events specialist, currently head of major gifts at Orphans In Need, trustee at Mind in Harrow, board member at Institute of Fundraising (South East and London), founder of Ment-Hour and regular blogger on the topic of fundraising.

Dan Harris is a Workplace Insights Analyst at Quantum Workplace, a company dedicated to providing every organization with quality engagement tools that guide their next step in making work better every day.

Bethany is the director of programs at Progressive Multiplier, a funding intermediary helping nonprofits scale their independent revenue generation efforts. She is a skilled nonprofit strategist with a passion for working at intersections — where fundraising and marketing meet, where consumer experience affects philanthropic behavior, where technology enables strategy, and where brand understanding incites activation. She has a 19-year track-record of developing successful integrated fundraising plans, creating new revenue opportunities and delivering optimal constituent experiences for some of the nation’s most respected charities. Before joining Progressive Multiplier, Bethany spent the first half of her career as a fundraiser at local, chapter and national nonprofits and the second half agency-side as a fundraising and marketing strategy consultant.   

Kevin O’Brien is the co-founder and COO for Engage, a St. Louis-based, full-service web and mobile design and development firm servicing clients in a variety of markets, including associations and nonprofits.

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is a thought leader in future-proofing, decision making and cognitive bias risk management in the future of work for nonprofit executives. He serves as the CEO of the boutique consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, which specializes in helping forward-looking nonprofit leaders avoid dangerous threats and missed opportunities.

As an author, he has written “The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships,” "Resilience: Adapt and Plan for the New Abnormal of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic" and Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage.”  

His expertise comes from more than 20 years of consulting, coaching, speaking and training on future-proofing, strategic decision-making and planning, and cognitive bias risk management. His clients include innovative startups, major nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies. His expertise also stems from his research background as a behavioral scientist, studying decision-making and risk management strategy over a 15-year span in academia. After getting a Ph.D at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was appointed as a professor at The Ohio State University, publishing dozens of peer-reviewed articles in academic journals.

Kevin Schulman is founder and managing partner at DonorVoice.

Ximena Hartsock is the founder, chief operating officer and president of Phone2Action, a venture- backed, award-winning, civic-engagement and communications technology company. Prior to founding Phone2Action, she was a member of the executive cabinet of former Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, serving as the director of the  department of parks and recreation and later as the chief of staff of the City Administration.

As parks director, she managed a $41 million annual operating budget and more than 1,000 employees. During her tenure, she oversaw renovations of Washington D.C. public pools, the completion of the city's state of the art olympic facility, Wilson Pool, the construction of numerous athletic fields and parks and the implementation of wellness programs for seniors, youth and families.

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. since 1999. He works with administrators, teachers, as well as outside support entities, such as PTAs and PTOs. Clay is a senior consultant at Big Fundraising Ideas.

Dan Quirk is the Marketing Manager at Salsa Labs, the premier fundraising software company for growth-focused nonprofits. Dan's marketing focus on content creation, conversion optimization and modern marketing technology helps him coach nonprofit development teams on digital fundraising best practices.

Leeann Alameda has more than 20 years of experience in directing and implementing best practices in marketing, branding, communications and advertising in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She is the founder and principal consultant of Alameda Marketing Solutions, which provides marketing strategy and branding services for nonprofits, foundations and mission-driven businesses.

Anissa possesses over 25 years of experience in nonprofit and chamber of commerce management and currently splits her time between her boutique consultancy, Swingbridge Consulting, and serving as a project director for Convergent Nonprofit Solutions.

Passionate about helping businesses and organizations grow customer, member and donor relationships, she has presented training and workshops to more than 30,000 business owners and nonprofit executives to help them build their capacity.

Patrick Coughlin is project director at Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, a nonprofit consulting and fundraising campaign management firm.

Wanda Urbanska is a performance consultant at Crouch & Associates, a nonprofit coaching firm serving clients across the U.S. Urbanska is also an author of 37 books, former host of an award-winning PBS television show, "The Simple Life," and a corporate social responsibility guru.

She is also heading an American-based philanthropy initiative in support of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw. Urbanska is a Harvard University graduate.

Maureen Wallbeoff brings more than 20 years of strategic and technical experience working inside nonprofit organizations and supporting nonprofit staff as a trusted advisor. Maureen was a founder of Firefly Partners, a creative digital agency providing services exclusively to nonprofits, in 2008. She spent the past decade as VP of Firefly, directing a team of twenty designers, developers and strategists. Her clients include Be The Match, Boston Medical Center, New Hampshire Public Radio, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Greater Yellowstone Foundation, American kidney Fund and the National LGBT Task Force.

She has authored two popular guides to nonprofit engagement software. Maureen’s sweet spot is merging the 30K foot strategic view with practical, hands-on-keys recommendations. She is focused on helping nonprofit staff solve technology challenges, so they can use their marketing, fundraising, and CRM systems more effectively.

Michael Krucker is a senior consulting manager with Plante Moran’s Employee Benefits Consulting practice.

Nate is a CFRE and was the co-founder of DonorPath.org, which merged with Network for Good, where he now serves as their senior program director of impact & sustainability. In this capacity, Nate is primarily responsible for helping grantmakers to evaluate and redesign their grants process to better accomplish strategic impact objectives.

Since beginning work in professional fundraising, Nate has helped more than 500 small and emerging nonprofits address their most pressing fundraising challenges. As a Millennial who has dedicated his career to the fundraising professional, he is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, helping Generation X and Baby Boomer fundraisers understand donor acquisition, digital, social and online fundraising.

Bonnie brings to her role as executive vice president of Meyer Partners more than 30 years of fundraising experience, with a special emphasis on multimedia approaches to new donor acquisition and development. Her expertise encompasses several facets of direct response fundraising, including copywriting and creative direction, market research, strategic planning, and comprehensive results analysis.

Allison Larsen is principal of TadZo LLC and a Certified Economic Developer. With over 20 years of economic development experience and more than 10 years in international business management and sales, she serves businesses, economic developers, nonprofits and communities with unconventional approaches to engagement.

She believes her role is to ask insightful questions to explore what’s possible, what’s of greatest interest and, ultimately, what stakeholders find most important to commit resources for action. She employs well thought-out questions and astute listening to get to the core of issues and solutions. Her extensive experience with business leaders, community stakeholders and hard-working professionals contributes to her recognition of what is true excitement and commitment, enabling her to facilitate positive change for clients.

Allison’s core competencies include community competitiveness assessments, site selection screening, action-oriented strategic planning, target industry analysis, talent strategies, marketing, graphic facilitation; and liberating structures for engagement.

Allison is a graduate of the University of California, Davis; the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute; and a Fellow of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Her company is named after her two dogs: Tadich and Enzo (a.k.a. TadZo).

Jeff Frey is the academic director at the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise at Archie W. Dunham College of Business at Houston Baptist University.

Drew Sementa is CEO of Tidal Commerce, a merchant solutions company that focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses grow. Drew has years of industry experience in the merchant services and financial technology industries, and started his business in his own basement back in 2003. Since then, he’s grown Tidal Commerce into a leading merchant provider.

A third-generation entrepreneur, Randy Fox is a founder of Two Hawks Consulting, LLC., and EzCharitable, LLC., an online training resource for professional advisors who wish to expand their capabilities in philanthropic giving. EzCharitable has created original content that is useful for attorneys, financial advisors, CPAs all of which will facilitate better philanthropic advice for families of wealth.

He is also currently the Editor-in-Chief of Planned Giving Design Center, a national newsletter for philanthropic advisors.

Randy has recently been named the Distinguished Co-Honorary Chair 2017 Improving Financial Awareness & Financial Awareness Movement by the Financial Awareness Foundation. In 2015, Randy was awarded the Fithian Leadership Award by the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy

Randy was a founding principal of InKnowVision, LLC., a national consulting and marketing firm that developed estate and wealth transfer designs for clients of exceptional wealth. During his tenure, more than 300 families were served and more than $500 million was directed to philanthropic purposes.

He served as director and faculty member of the InKnowVision Institute, which provided professional advisors with the advanced technical and interpersonal tools required to attract and work successfully with high net-worth clients.

Lt. Col. Ron Busroe, who recently retired from The Salvation Army at the end of 2017, was raised in Louisville, Ky. He has a bachelor's degree in history from Asbury College. He was commissioned as an officer of The Salvation Army, along with his wife, Lt. Col. Carol Busroe, in 1978.

Kenan Pala is the 13-year-old founder of Kids4Community, a nonprofit that helps kids and their families give back to their communities in meaningful ways. Kenan also founded Kids Tri Hard, a clothing line that provides more affordable clothing options for youth triathletes.

Arthur Criscillis, EdD, is a managing partner at Alexander Haas, Inc., a leading campaign consulting firm. Arthur has over 25 years of development and nonprofit experience specializing in colleges and universities. Consistently garnering the highest accolades for his speaking, including the CASE Crystal Apple Award, Arthur has chaired the CASE Conference on Major Gift Solicitation six times and the CASE Conference on Successful Annual Giving Strategies twice.

Waldorf, Md.-based Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager and president of Come Recommended, the PR solution for job search and HR tech companies. She writes about issues impacting the modern workplace.

Adam Moskowitz is the marketing manager at Greenworks Lending. 

Brandon Stec, director of marketing of GiveSmart by Community Brands, the leading provider of cloud-based software to associations, nonprofits, K-12 schools and faith-based groups.

Brandon is an Indiana University graduate who spent nine years in the sports industry until transitioning into the technology world. Brandon sits on the board of the Chicago Chapter of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; is a former candidate for Man of the Year; and is personally engaged in supporting nonprofits, including AFP, BBYO, Jewish United Federation and Lincoln Park Zoo.

Michelle Arnold is the messaging & creative lead at Leading Good. As a StoryBrand Certified Guide and copywriter, she’s trained and certified in a seven-step framework that leading nonprofits are using to clarify their message and engage more donors. The result? They fundraise with confidence and raise the money their cause deserves.

Andrea J. Rogers is a consultant for Community Resource Exchange. 

Bill Crouch is CEO and founder of BrightDot, a nonprofit consulting firm focusing on the fundraising needs of community colleges. Bill honed his fundraising skills as a development director at various colleges in the Southeast, and then as president of Georgetown College for more than 22 years. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is an Honorary Fellow at St. Regents Park College at Oxford University. Most recently, he served as the senior managing partner of Jerold Panas, Linzy and Partners. A member of the national board of trustees for The First Tee of the PGA Tour, Bill serves on the World Golf Foundation’s Diversity Council. If he has a free afternoon, you’ll find him on the golf course, but Bill is happiest when in the company of his wife Jan, five children and eight grandchildren.

Rick Gentry is director of customer strategy at Merkle. 

Angel Rutledge, chief operations officer and chief marketing officer at SignUpGenius, the leading online sign-up site for online volunteer and event management.

Jolynn Berk, Rise Against Hunger director of channel development, has more than 25 years of experience as a strategic marketing consultant to corporate and nonprofit brand managers. Born and raised in the heartland, she has a passion for building relationships, the hungry around the world, big blue skies, wheat fields and business jets.

Scott Rodgville, CPA, is an officer at Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn and has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He is the team leader of the firm’s nonprofit and employee benefit plan service areas.

As an auditor and accountant, Scott provides valuable support to clients in streamlining and strengthening their internal controls and operating efficiencies. His understanding of the needs of nonprofit organizations, labor unions, employee benefit plans and real estate operations provide an opportunity for him to help clients manage their organizations more effectively.

Scott is currently chair of the BrightFocus Foundation, formerly the American Health Assistance Foundation, a Clarksburg, Maryland-based organization that funds research and provides education in connection with Alzheimer’s, Glaucoma and Muscular Degeneration. Scott is also a member of the Finance Committee for Paul’s Place, Inc., located in southwest Baltimore. Paul’s Place is an outreach center that provides quality of life services, programs and resources for the community.

Jen Linck is the chief marketing officer for Corporate Giving Connection. 

Lisa A. Cohen is the CEO of Capital Motion, a consulting firm that works with charitable nonprofits and mission-driven organizations. Engagements focus on key drivers of success including strategic and business planning and board development services.

Karmit J. Bulman, Esq., is the executive director of Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration.

Eve Smith is an experienced fundraiser with more than 20 years of nonprofit direct response marketing expertise. As senior director of client strategy at Merkle, Eve brings extensive knowledge and practice with integrated strategy, omnichannel fundraising and marketing, and program innovation. She specializes in both scaling up already-successful fundraising programs to raise more funds and crafting new programs that leverage peer-to-peer fundraising and social giving to bring in new revenue.

At Merkle, her clients have included major national health charities, international relief and faith-based organizations and animal welfare nonprofits, among others. Before joining Merkle, Eve was lead consultant to national cause-based nonprofits and worked with leading nonprofits and foundations to advance their online marketing and fundraising programs.

Tarsha Whitaker Calloway serves as chief philanthropy officer for Phalen Leadership Academies. For almost two decades, she has helped nonprofits develop fundraising, board governance and fundraising strategies to further their missions. Tarsha has directly led efforts to raise more than $50 million for organizations, including the Tessitura Network, Woodruff Arts Center, Emory University and the American Cancer Society.

Tarsha is the founder and CEO of Philanthropy Fortified. She frequently presents locally, regionally and nationally on fundraising; organizational and board development; and diversity and philanthropy.

Outside of work, she is actively involved in her community, including board of trustees for Destination Imagination, board of directors' executive committee for Leadership DeKalb, board of directors for National HBCU Hall of Fame and former board chair for Atlanta Shakespeare Theater.

Tarsha holds a master's of business administration in international business from Mercer University Stetson School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and theater from Texas Southern University. She also holds a certificate in current affairs fundraising from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and a certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace from South Florida University.

Tarsha resides in Atlanta with her husband and son.

Gary C. Smith is the president of NAEIR, National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources, the largest gifts-in-kind organization in the U.S. Since its founding in 1977, the Galesburg, Illinois-based NAEIR has received donations of excess inventory from more than 8,000 U.S. corporations and redistributed more than $3 billion in products to nonprofits and schools.

Aly Sterling is the president and founder of Aly Sterling Philanthopy.

Allison Jensen is the marketing coordinator for Compu-Mail. Allison specializes in helping organizations seamlessly integrate their marketing efforts through high response direct mail & digital retargeting. She works with marketers to uncover the best way to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. In prior roles, Allison has worked directly with agencies and non-profit organizations. She is a graduate of Niagara University.

Steve Johns is CEO of OneCause (formerly BidPal), developers of user-friendly fundraising software that helps nonprofits engage donors year-round, raise more money and save valuable time and resources.

Christy McWilliams is vice president of customer strategy at Merkle. 

Great is a next-generation charity project that will use its platform to bring change and goodwill to the world through philanthropy and powerful content initiatives.

Clay Braswell is the founder and CEO of Commit Good, a reward-based, charitable marketplace, fundraising and philanthropic ecosystem. 

Ray Gary is CEO of iDonate, a digital fundraising platform helping nonprofits do more good in the world.

Chief revenue officer Christian Valiulis at APS is a member of the Forbes Business Development Council. As a national human capital management and full-service payroll processing company, APS delivers a unified cloud solution backed by guaranteed payroll tax compliance services. Christian oversees marketing and sales, channel partnerships, and strategic product and service alliances.

Stewart A. Grubman is the partner-in-charge of the PKF O’Connor Davies’ Bethesda, Md., office and has over 30 years of experience in public accounting. His main focus is on auditing and tax services for affordable and special needs housing.

Paul Wolf is co-president of Denham Wolf, a real estate services firm serving New York City nonprofits since 1998.

Paul is an established leader in the field of real estate and nonprofit consulting, with over 25 years of development, brokerage and consulting experience. Paul’s expertise has been shaped by his long history and deep experience in New York City real estate, and is proven by his strong record of successfully realizing complex projects. As a principal of Denham Wolf, Paul’s projects have included providing guidance and financial expertise for a range of arts, cultural, community development and educational organizations. He has advised nonprofits on major development projects, represented tenants in acquiring and developing property, helped to finance projects through both traditional and less conventional routes, and represented developers and property owners to secure commercial tenants.

Dan Lafferty is the director of voice and music at PHMG.

With more than 15 years of marketing and PR experience, Jen Ribble is passionate about the art of storytelling and the science of creating high quality, data driven content. In her current role as director of public relations for Return Path, the world’s leading expert in email deliverability, Jen is responsible for elevating the company’s reputation in the marketplace, crafting engaging thought leadership content, enhancing customer relationships, and driving inbound leads.

In her spare time, Jen is an aspiring chef and food lover, a movie fan and a travel junkie.

Phil is the SVP of Customer Success at MobileCause and drives strategy, training and support services that help our customers achieve their fundraising goals through smart donor engagement. He is a versatile executive with 15 years of operational experience at high-growth, venture-backed, B2B SaaS startups. 

Prior to MobileCause, Phil was the Managing Director of Customer Success at ClearCare and the VP of Customer Success at Moovweb. Phil has also held a variety of roles at previous technology companies in services and support.

Ansley Jackson is an account supervisor at DRUM Agency. She has an extensive background in developing and managing consumer-facing marketing strategies and programs, account management, nonprofit marketing and direct response strategy, digital campaign strategy, event management and team collaboration.

Cody J. Riebe is the public relations & content specialist at BillboardsIn

Talena Barker has been working with nonprofit organizations on fundraising strategy and events for 16 years, raising millions of dollars for charities and their world-changing missions. She is passionate about philanthropy and designing tools to make it easier for businesses to give meaningfully and strategically and to lessen the barriers to success by and mutual communication across the giving lifecycle for charities and donors alike.

Michael Beville is VP of Marketing & Sales at Blackbaud Corporate & Foundation Solutions.

David H. King, president & CEO of Alexander Haas, a leading nonprofit fundraising counsel firm in the nation, has been in the field of nonprofit development for more than 30 years. In his 27 years at Alexander Haas, David has provided counsel to hundreds of organizations in the areas of higher education, independent schools, hospitals, conservation, human services, churches and faith-based organizations.

A frequent presenter and lecturer, David has authored articles featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes, as well as contributing information for two books: Black Tie Optional and the Essential Principles for Successful Fund Raising. 

Nora Snoddy is the director of demand programs at Campaign Monitor, a global email marketing company that offers a range of solutions to help marketers create meaningful, lasting connections with their audience.

Richard Heimsoth is the senior director of Customer Strategy at Merkle.

Ann Adrian serves as the executive director of Vital Life, a Marquis and Consonus Foundation. Ann comes from an entrepreneurial background as the visionary and owner of Goodnight Room, a multi-million dollar children’s specialty store in Portland.

Previously Ann was an executive at Nordstrom serving numerous leadership roles. Ann’s role as executive director includes fundraising, community engagement and strategic planning for the organization to bring the mission of The Vital Life Foundation to a wider audience across the United States.

Evan La Ruffa is a curator and entrepreneur who lives at the intersection of art and impact. Working as an artist, organizer, and consultant, he builds, creates, organizes and connects.

His unorthodox and innovative approach has led to the success of IPaintMyMind, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform people and spaces through the power of art, and does so by leveraging art services that fund the organization’s continued work bringing art experiences and programs to underserved communities throughout Chicagoland.

He believes in a better world, likes to create new solutions to big problems, and loves talking to people who are excited about the future of good work. He’s a father, a world traveler, and a foodie.

Evan has written for a variety of online and print publications, including Upper Playground, Beautiful Decay, IPaintMyMind, Beinsports, Profile Magazine and HispanicExecutive.com.

Entrepreneurship and a passion for social change drive the trajectory of Vanessa Wakeman’s career.

As Founder and CEO of one of the country’s leading social change agencies, Vanessa is a trusted advisor and influential futurist in the nonprofit world. Her company, The Wakeman Agency, addresses the entire ecosystem of what nonprofit organizations need to succeed: strategic counsel, public relations, events, fundraising, and thought leadership. Vanessa is one of the few black women to found and own a social change agency – helping to shift the paradigm of an industry that is led primarily by white men.  

In 2016, Vanessa evolved the agency’s core services to include She Roars, the first thought leadership program for women working in social change. Through She Roars, Vanessa enables women leaders to harness their ideas and expertise to advance important social causes by driving conversations, building credibility, strengthening support, and inspiring activism. 

Growing up in New York, Vanessa’s activism and commitment to social justice was instilled early on. She organized the workers at her first job, a catering company, to demand and win better labor conditions—when she was only 15. After working her way through college as a telecommunications manager at a law firm, Vanessa landed a position at Morgan Stanley. There, she re-engineered a technology department and expanded its services. While at the firm, she created career opportunities for women and people of color.

Ultimately, her natural predilection for entrepreneurship compelled her to leave the corporate world and establish her own company. IShe established her thriving agency without any prior experience in the sector.

Since launching The Wakeman Agency in 2003, Vanessa has been recognized as a champion for social change and building support for mission-driven causes. She masterminded campaigns for clients that include: U.C.L.A.’s Civil Rights Project, Metropolitan College of New York, YWCA of New York City, New York Urban League, Africa-America Institute, Harlem Education Activities Fund, Grace Institute, ROC-NY, Real World Scholars, ChemoCars, Help for Children, Animal Farm Foundation, and others.

Vanessa has been consistently recognized for evangelizing innovation and disruption in the nonprofit sector. In 2017, PRNews named her as one of “50 PR Game Changers” and she earned a spot on PRWeek’s list of “Champions of PR.” She was also designated one of the leading women in business in the New York metro region by 914Inc. magazine.

As a thought leader, Vanessa has been quoted by “ABC Eyewitness News,” Crain’s NY Business, New York Daily News, Black Enterprise, Smart Money, Philanthropy Journal, Chronicle of Philanthropy, and many other outlets. She is an increasingly sought after speaker, having presented this past year for UN Women, Hive, Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits and the Women’s Leadership Institute of New York. She also hosts “The Social Change Diaries” podcast, where she interviews leading figures in the nonprofit world about addressing the most pressing issues of our time.

Shoham Nicolet is the founding and present CEO of the Israeli-American Council, the fastest-growing Jewish organization in the U.S. He is an entrepreneur specializing in educational technologies and community-based collaborative networks.

Laura Zumdahl is the president and CEO of New Moms. New Moms is a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to interrupt the cycle of poverty for both mothers and their children by providing stable housing, job training and family support. Its program model is unique, and it’s one of the only nonprofit organizations in the U.S. caring for women and children in this way. This year marks the organization’s 35th anniversary.

Laura has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, and she has a Ph.D. in leadership as well. Under her leadership, New Moms has doubled in size, expanding its geographic footprint and capacity to transform the lives of mothers and children in Chicago.

With 25 years of executive search experience, John Fazekas works with colleagues in Witt/Kieffer’s not-for-profit and health care practices to identify outstanding leaders for clients' specific cultures and strategic needs. He has led and supported a range of engagements for CEOs/presidents, executive directors, COOs, CFOs and other key senior roles. Based in the firm’s Boston office, John's clients include foundations and trusts, major civic and cultural organizations, hospitals, health systems, community health centers, disease-based associations and research institutes, and many other mission-driven organizations.

As vice president of Orr Group, CJ Orr is responsible for a portfolio of work that includes operations, business development and partner relationship management.

On the operations side, CJ is responsible for setting and driving achievement of Orr Group’s financial targets and overseeing office real estate and management. Additionally, CJ leads and supports the efforts of Orr Group’s sales and marketing team to identify and cultivate new business opportunities and build relationships with nonprofit partners, ensuring that the services offered are best aligned with our partners’ needs.

CJ has a broad background in fundraising and development, strategic planning, campaigns, and event management. He has led strategic initiatives and fundraising for several large galas and campaigns. As a project and relationship manager, he executes on the development of strategies and tactics to ensure highly memorable events and campaigns that meet or exceed fundraising targets.

Raymond Prather is a partner at Prather Ebner LLP. Ray’s practice focuses on estate planning, advising tax-exempt organizations and consulting on tax issues in trust and estate litigation. Ray has advised hundreds of clients who require tailored estate planning advice due to contentious family dynamics, ownership in closely-held businesses and taxable estates.

Ray is a member of Lambda Legal’s National Legacy and Planned Giving Council and Advocate Charitable Foundation’s Planned Giving Council. Ray received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.

Matthew G. McCrosson is a Partner of the Firm and has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He provides a broad scope of management advisory services to a diverse range of clients, including business finance, operations, technology and performance improvement. Matt has significant experience in planning for organizational change, helping his clients remain on track in a rapidly-changing corporate environment.

Prior to joining PKF O’Connor Davies, Matt held a senior position at a Big Four accounting firm and focused on clients in the not-for-profit, higher education and government sectors. Earlier in his career, Matt served as the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer for several national and regional not-for-profit organizations, including the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the New York Urban Coalition.

Matt regularly speaks on the topics of financial reporting, organizational efficiency and operations management. He is a dedicated volunteer and sits on numerous not-for-profit organization Boards.

As the president of Kars4Kids, Robert applies his keen business and management sense to growing and expanding the Kars4Kids operation and brand. Highly creative and innovative, he is widely regarded as an expert on nonprofits and taxation matters.

Robert started in the nonprofit world as a volunteer and worked his way up the ranks of the organization to his current position. Besides developing Kars4Kids’ business growth, Robert finds time to be involved in the charity’s programs as a youth mentor, inspiring the next generation of business leaders.

Jeb is the founder and CEO of Capitol Canary. Jeb, who has been featured or quoted in The New York Times, Forbes Small Business, the Chicago Tribune, Politico, and Campaigns in Elections, is a thought-leader in the civic technology industry. He’s on the selection board for Stanford University’s Social Impact Grants, an advisory member of Designing Chicago, and an alumnus of IMI Plc’s graduate development program. Jeb’s work has spanned three countries, including Singapore, Shanghai, and the United States, where he led a business unit at DCI Marketing, now a Marmon company and subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

Ory, who has a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Stanford University and an MBA from Chicago Booth, has cofounded three technology companies. He lives in D.C. with his wife, Lea and his daughter, Sybil.

Margaret Rogers is a vice president at Pariveda Solutions, a consulting firm driven to create innovative, growth-oriented, and people-first solutions. With more than 17 years of experience, Margaret enjoys empowering organizations with impactful and sustainable transformation to realize their full potential.

Lisa is the CEO and Principal of Capital Motion, a boutique consulting firm serving charitable nonprofits and mission-driven organizations. Engagements with Capital Motion develop, grow and support organizational capacity for sustainable mission delivery over time, focusing on key drivers of success including strategic and business planning and board development.

Wendy Orleman is the nonprofit strategy director at Merkle.

Charity Abate is the account director for Meyer Partners. 

Chris Foster is the vice president of business development at Modern Postcard. 

Jennifer is a senior Manager of Audit and Accounting Services with Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn. She has more than 10 years of experience in audits, reviews and reconciliations for nonprofit organizations and small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, Jennifer is a member of the firm’s employee benefit plan niche team.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with a minor in Spanish from Towson University in 2004. During her senior year at Towson, she served as president of Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honor society. She received her CPA certification in 2006 and is licensed in the state of Maryland. She sits on the Board of Arrow Child and Family Ministries. She also helped to begin a program to teach Spanish-speaking adults the English language at St. Pius X Church in Towson, Md.

Nicole Bendel is a creative copywriter at DRUM Agency. She writes about how a great story can influence human behaviors, inspire action, and create social advocacy.

Dr. Renee Rubin Ross is founder and principal of The Ross Collective, a consulting firm that designs and leads inclusive, participatory strategic planning processes for nonprofit organizations.

Grant Hensel is the founder of Nonprofit Megaphone, an agency focused exclusively on acquiring and managing the Google Ad Grant for nonprofits. His team takes pride in their 100 percent success rate helping nonprofits receive the grant and in helping dozens of organizations use the funds to make a difference.

France Hoang is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of boodleAI, which builds people-focused predictive applications using artificial intelligence. 

Caleb Cosper is the SEO Manager at RicketyRoo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Oklahoma (Boomer!) and has turned his passion for all things data-driven and scientific into passion for SEO. Outside of RicketyRoo, his life consists of games (video and board), food (at-home and in-restaurant), and craft beer (any and all).

Brian Dhaniram is a senior development associate at LAPA Fundraising. 

Dannielle Pope is the director of innovative technology at America’s Warrior Partnership, a national veteran-serving nonprofit that empowers communities to empower veterans. She is responsible for overseeing WarriorServe® and the WarriorServe® Partner Portal, which help community organizations streamline systems and enhance holistic support for hometown veterans, military service members, their families and caregivers.

Mary Noel is the business development director of DoSomething Strategic. Starting from a core belief that there is massive potential at the intersection of positive social good and smart business growth, Mary helps clients identify opportunities to reach young people in ways that are authentic and impactful.

Prior to joining DoSomething Strategic, Mary led strategy and growth efforts for mission-driven tech startups Andela and Zocdoc. Once an impassioned and bold eighth-grader with an idea to volunteer on six continents before she was sixteen, she is now hoping to finally make it to Antarctica. Mary lives in Connecticut with her husband and one-year-old twins, where she is always on the hunt for the perfect avocado.

Turnaround Life Inc. aims to help organizations with programs that make it possible for people to turn their lives around. 

Jeb Banner is the founder and CEO of Boardable, a nonprofit board management software provider. He is also the founder of two nonprofits, The Speak Easy and Musical Family Tree, as well as a board member of United Way Central Indiana and ProAct. Jeb is based in Indianapolis, Ind.

Boardable is an online board management portal that centralizes communication, document storage, meeting planning and everything else that goes into running a board of directors.

Kevin Xu is the CEO of MEBO International, a California- and Beijing-based intellectual property management company specializing in applied health systems. He also leads Skingenix, which specializes in skin organ regeneration and the research and development of botanical drug products. Kevin is co-founder of the Human Heritage Project.

David is a marketing executive, public speaker and author who specializes in the effectiveness of storytelling in building revenue. As the VP of marketing for Togetherwork, David leads an in-house marketing agency that provides a depth of services to the numerous partner companies within the enterprise. Prior to his current role, David was the VP of marketing for OmegaFi where he established lead generation and nurturing systems and, most notably, oversaw unprecedented marketing growth for the software company.

Early in his career, David built a new content marketing team from inception as the content strategist for Regenerative Medicine Solutions, a cutting-edge medical firm.

David holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, and an MFA from the University of Tampa–both in creative writing. He has published various pieces of fiction and authored "Kingmakers: A Content Marketing Story," a reflection on the use of creative writing skills in modern marketing practices.

David is a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity and enjoys volunteering at educational programs around the county for the organization.

Sudeshna Sen is the Nonprofit Vertical Lead for Analytics at Merkle. She brings 12+ years of experience in nonprofit marketing, analytics and strategy; leveraging predictive and advanced analytics to build strong donor pipelines, drive growth in revenue, and maximize donor value for some of the world’s largest fundraising organizations. She also seeks to deepen understanding of constituents through research and analysis, and leverage these insights to drive stronger constituent engagement and transform their experience.

Prior to joining Merkle, Sudeshna held a key leadership position at NuStats, a market research firm, heading its analytics practice and managing several strategic client engagements. She has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, MS from University of Illinois at Chicago, and BS from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur.

Dave Nevogt is the co-founder and the CEO of Hubstaff. The 100% remote team builds time tracking software for growing organizations such as nonprofits, along with Hubstaff Tasks, the Agile project management tool.

Spencer Kashmanian is a fundraising consultant at American Philanthropic, a national firm dedicated to strengthening civil society by providing strategic consulting and services for philanthropies and nonprofits. Spencer graduated from The King’s College in New York City with a B.A. in politics, philosophy and economics. 

Scott Koskoski is the managing director of Changing Our World. Prior to joining Changing Our World, Scott served for four years as the co-founder and principal of a fundraising consulting firm that led a significant percentage of its clients to secure the single-largest gifts in their histories.

Prior to this, Scott spent 20 years as both a frontline individual contributor and development administrator, both participating in and leading fundraising teams and campaigns. His experience has been largely in major gifts, board engagement, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, special events and staff leadership development.

Scott is a graduate of Mercyhurst University and Robert Morris University. He is a past trustee and National Alumni Association board president at Mercyhurst and currently serves on its Presidents Associates group. He is a former AFP board member for both the Denver Metro and Western Pennsylvania chapters.

Scott currently serves on the boards of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Resurrection Power, Washington Youth Baseball and is an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Washington, Pa.

Augustus Franklin is founder and CEO of CallHub, a California-based Voice and SMS service company bridging the communication gap for political campaigns, advocacy groups and nonprofits. When he is not working, he is either making toys with his kids or training for a marathon. 

Before becoming a camp professional, Glen Greenstone enjoyed many other pursuits. A native San Diegan, he worked through college as a 911 dispatcher. He has a passion for literature and the outdoors, and is a veteran of U.S. Coast Guard, so he naturally loves to get out on the water with his wife and two kids whenever possible. He loves hearing camp cheers outside his office window during the summer, while helping camps across the country overcome their unique challenges!

Brittany LaGanke joined Corporate Giving Connection (CGC) as the director of nonprofit development after several years in the nonprofit sector. Initially starting her career in program management and later transitioning into development, Brittany has gained valuable insight into the common obstacles that organizations face while attempting to secure funding.

Brittany leans on her extensive experiences in event/auction management and proven track record in cultivating corporate donors to provide strategic solutions for nonprofit consulting clients.

Barbara Wolf is the VP of philanthropy at The NHP Foundation. She has over 25 years of distinguished fundraising, program management and advocacy leadership experience in both not-for-profit and for-profit environments.

Gregg Mellinger is the VP of Employee Benefits with USI Insurance Services. He works out of USI’s Chicago and Oak Brook, Illinois, offices and has 35 years of experience in the employee benefits industry. Gregg serves as a board member and VP of Membership with the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits.

Chris Budnick, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CCS is the executive director at Healing Transitions and has been working in the addiction treatment and recovery field since 1993. Chris became a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in 1998. He graduated from East Carolina University in 2000 with a Master of Social Work. He has been fully licensed as a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist since 2001; a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2002; and a Clinical Certified Supervisor since 2003. He was an intern from 1999 to 2000 with Healing Transitions and has been employed with them since 2000.

Chris has been an adjunct instructor with the North Carolina State University Department of Social Work since 2002, and has served on their Advisory Board since 2003, serving as chair on two different occasions. He also serves on the Recovery Africa Board.

Chris has conducted training and presentations nationally and internationally. Some of his most rewarding work has been collaborating with Mr. William White and Mr. Boyd Pickard on the history of mutual aid recovery fellowships.

Tony Martignetti is the principal of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors, which helps nonprofits build appropriate, scalable and successful planned giving fundraising programs. He is the host of the popular fundraising podcast Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio and author of "Charity Registration: State-by-State Guidelines for Compliance."

Michael Wasserman is CEO and co-founder of Tiltify, the most popular fundraising platform for content creators and livestream fundraising. With more than 10 years of experience in charitable fundraising, Michael has helped raise over a $100 million through innovative strategies for major charities as a consultant and executive prior to starting Tiltify in 2014. Since then Tiltify has re-invented the telethon with interactive technology that has shown to raise funds up to 37x faster than offline fundraising. Tiltify currently works with over 1000 charities around the world including St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Save the Children, HSUS, American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish America, United Way Worldwide and many more.

Chet Dalzell has 25 years of public relations management and expertise in service to leading brands in consumer, donor, patient and business-to-business markets, and in the field of integrated marketing. He serves on the ANA International ECHO Awards Board of Governors, as an adviser to the Direct Marketing Club of New York, and is senior director, communications and industry relations, with the Digital Advertising Alliance. Chet loves UConn Basketball (men's and women's) and Nebraska Football (that's just men, at this point), too! 

Patrick Cisler serves as executive cirector of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance and administrator of the Nonprofit LEAD 24/7 program.

With nearly a decade in the nonprofit technology space, Dawn Galasso has worked in sales and management with a focus on SaaS companies dedicated to serving nonprofits. As vice president of technology sales at GivingDNA, she specializes in providing clients with the best and most innovative products available in the ever-changing philanthropy space. Dawn’s love of all things data has focused her attention on the best analytic technology in the market to help over one thousand clients. She specializes in building repeatable strategies for explosive pipeline and sales growth, as well as creating processes to maximize sales success. Dawn’s passion is in working with companies that are bringing new features or platforms to nonprofit clients to help them raise money to further their missions.

Sue Citro is the chief experience officer at Best Friends Animal Society and is responsible for how the development, digital, marketing communications and brand experience teams collaborate and work in new ways to bring more people into Best Friends’ lifesaving work. Before joining Best Friends, Sue led new digital expansions for The Nature Conservancy in Asia and Latin America. She started her career working at Peace Corps headquarters, followed by time at a direct mail agency and then consulting in the digital fundraising space with nonprofits large and small.

Sue holds a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Jeremy, and 103 lb. rescued dog, "Little" Luca.

Danielle Holly is the CEO of Common Impact, an organization that designs skills-based volunteer programs that direct companies’ most strategic philanthropic asset — their people — to the seemingly intractable social challenges they are best positioned to address.

Christoph Gorder joined charity: water in 2012 to lead the organization's global water investments in 28 countries. Since its founding in 2006, charity: water has raised more than $500 million and provided clean water to over 13 million people. In his role as Chief Global Water Officer, Christoph also oversees technology innovations that increase transparency and long-term impact of clean water programs.

Prior to joining charity: water, Christoph spent 15 years leading disaster response operations and managing large scale healthcare delivery programs around the world. He grew up in the Central African Republic and Nigeria, where getting clean water is still a dream for millions.

Jen Newmeyer, CFRE, is a digital fundraising strategist specializing in integrated campaigns and online engagement. Through her groundbreaking work and creative approaches during her more than 20-year tenure, she's raised more than $10 million in online revenue for nonprofit organizations while managing development budgets of more than $25 million and leading teams through collaborative campaign projects. 

She is the author of "The Insider's Guide to Online Fundraising: Finding Success When Surrounded by Skeptics" and host of the podcast “From The Nest with CharityJen: Where Fundraising Takes Flight.” Jen is the director of digital fundraising strategy at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the vice president of education for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Washington, D.C., Metro Area Chapter.

Dr. Kenna Barrett is a fundraising coach at Pitch Perfect Fundraising in Silver Spring, Maryland. Kenna has raised millions of dollars for startups and world-class universities in areas such as social services, educational access, healthcare and the environment. Prior to joining the American Podiatric Medical Association as its senior fundraiser in 2018, Kenna served in leadership positions at Yale and Johns Hopkins universities. Kenna teaches fundraising at Sacred Heart University and coaches women, introverts and other change-makers in navigating the world of philanthropy. 

Kenna brings her expertise in cognitive science, philosophy and English studies (writing and rhetoric) to her thought leadership. She holds degrees from Wellesley College, University of California San Diego and the University of Rhode Island. Her essays have appeared in CASE Currents, the New Haven Advocate, Composition Studies and elsewhere. 

Michael D. Shaw is a UCLA- and MIT-trained biochemist. A consultant to nonprofits, he resides in Virginia.

Celeste Frye, AICP, is co-founder and CEO of Public Works Partners LLC, a certified Women's Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise planning and consulting firm, specializing in multi-stakeholder initiatives and building strong connections across the nonprofit, government and private sectors.

Matthew Mielcarek serves as senior vice president of analytics and insights strategy at Pursuant. In his role, he works hand in hand with C-level nonprofit executives to unlock latent value in constituent and transaction data. He also engages with fundraisers to validate current strategies and identify untapped opportunities for growth.

Matthew has deep integrated strategy and campaigning expertise, working for traditional and online advertising agencies since 1995. With experience leading more than 100 nonprofit client engagements, he has addressed challenges faced by the smallest regional organizations to the largest multi-chapter, multi-affiliate organizations across 15 nonprofit verticals. Matthew has a degree in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. Early in his career, he worked at GSD&M Advertising Kantar Millward Brown, a market research firm.

Murad Bushnaq is the founder and CEO of Morweb. Since its inception in 2014, Murad has acted as creative director and chief technologist to help nonprofits spread their vision online through engaging design, intuitive software and strategic communication.

Summer Gould is Account Executive at Neyenesch Printers. Summer has spent her 31 year career helping clients achieve better marketing results. She has served as a panel speaker for the Association of Marketing Service Providers conferences. She is active in several industry organizations and she is a board member for Printing Industries Association San Diego, as well as the industry chair for San Diego Postal Customer Council. You can find her at Neyenesch’s website: neyenesch.com, email: summer@neyenesch.com, on LinkedIn, or on Twitter @sumgould.

Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to  dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.

Heather DeBlanc is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore and advises nonprofit clients on corporate governance issues, bylaws, articles of incorporation, best practices for maintaining tax-exempt status, business contracts, grant agreements, and donations, fundraising and endowments.

David Wachs is the founder and CEO of Handwrytten, a company that is bringing back the lost art of letter writing through scalable, robot-based solutions that write your notes in pen. 

April Avant is the CEO and principal of Tr3fecta Media, which helps nonprofits and socially centered organizations increase their online and social presence. April has made helping people and raising up the voices of underrepresented groups through smart, creative campaigns and strategies the cornerstone of her career. Her experience supports departments and key stakeholders by providing clarity on the best ways to engage with media at all levels.

Rachel Michele is Arjuna Solutions’ chief technology officer and head of operations. She delivers a unique blend of technical, managerial and executive experience in support of product development, artificial intelligence, process automation, data visualization, infrastructure, strategic planning, forecasting and company operations. Prior to joining Arjuna Solutions, Rachel led a forensic data analytics team as a manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Her team was deployed in response to some of the largest cyber breaches, financial crimes and regulatory investigations in U.S. history. 

She has served as a guest lecturer at universities and professional organizations throughout the U.S. and has served on the data quality board for a national nonprofit. She has a bachelor's degree in decision science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Rachel enjoys traveling and exploring the world with her husband and two boys.

With nearly three decades of experience in the philanthropic sector, Alicia M. Lifrak is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive with demonstrated success in leadership, strategic planning, operations, budget management, board leadership, membership, program, marketing and all forms of fundraising. She is driven by a focus on developing and implementing strategic solutions that yield the best possible results in pursuit of mission achievement.

She currently serves as executive vice president for the Gabriel Group, an OSG company, leading the nonprofit division in offering full-service fundraising, marketing and strategy consultation to clients. Prior to joining Gabriel Group, Alicia spent 25 years leading teams to achieve exceptional results in nonprofit and higher education.

After moving around the U.S. for most of her life, Alicia now lives in Illinois with her four kids, a cat and a dog. She travels frequently, for work and for fun, is an avid reader and loves to see live music.

Steve Latham is the founder and chairman of DonateStock. Steve has an MBA from Harvard University. He is a serial entrepreneur with three decades of experience in starting and growing innovative technology companies in finance, marketing and data analytics.

Cassie Losquadro is a sales leader at GoodUnited, the social giving solution. Cassie has spent the last five years in the fundraising technology space. Cassie is energized by working with nonprofit leaders and changemakers who are to a person, saving the world through their initiatives. Hailing from Rhode Island, Cassie lives and works from Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, two children and a rescue pup Bella.

Tracy Archuleta is co-founder of image8creations, an AR agency in Salt Lake City, that is an authorized reseller of RealityBLU’s WorldViewAR platform.

Molly Trerotola is the head of social impact at ShoppingGives, a Certified B Corporation and an award-winning technology startup focused on building an economy of giving by creating a positive impact through everyday purchases. With a career rooted in nonprofit fundraising, her work has involved building strategic partnerships, products and programs for good, and her experience spans corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social impact tech, both in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to joining ShoppingGives, Molly was the vice president of social impact at Good Deeds, where she spearheaded partnerships and marketing strategies with top nonprofits to raise funding through an innovative social impact and ecommerce platform, and before that she was the director of engagement at Give Lively, a philanthropist-funded nonprofit fundraising platform.

Peter Panepento is co-founder and managing partner of Turn Two Communications, a full-service PR and communications agency that specializes in supporting nonprofits and foundations.

Rob Webb is the chief inspiration officer of Nonprofit Campaigns LLC, which he founded in August 2020 to offer expert online training courses to nonprofit professionals at an affordable cost. Rob is passionate about board development and helping nonprofits create volunteer-led, staff-managed community support campaigns that engage board members giving them ownership of the fundraising process.

Rob has more than 40 years of experience guiding volunteers and staff to create high-impact fundraising campaigns. His journey began in 1981 as aquatic director for the YMCA of Greater Long Beach where he learned all staff play a key role in the annual sustaining campaign (as they called it back then). 

Rob left the YMCA in 1995 to form R.M. Webb & Associates, a multi-discipline management consulting firm specializing in nonprofit fundraising solutions. His first client was the American Red Cross, Greater Long Beach Chapter where he worked to create its inaugural support campaign. 

Rob is a former city councilman in Long Beach, California, former Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), and past president of his local Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce. Rob is a graduate of Leadership Long Beach, has served as a consultant/trainer for The Nonprofit Partnership and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Los Angeles Chapter. Rob moved to Maui, Hawaii, in 2016 to pursue his life-long dream. He is an avid waterman and his hobbies include standup paddle boarding, sailing, bodysurfing, spearfishing and open water swimming. Rob is a long-time speaker for nonprofit special events and is active in his island community.

Chris Federspiel began his career at a young age, coding websites in middle school, followed by Perl and CGI scripts in high school. He later moved into sales and marketing for Internet Creations and Silverline. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found Plative as a Salesforce Systems Integrator (SI), followed by Brainiac. Chris’s latest venture, Blackthorn.io, was established in 2015 and has seen exponential growth and success since then, having received multiple Salesforce.org Partner of the Year awards. 

As co-founder and managing partner of Orr Group, Steve Orr has facilitated the growth and evolution of the firm to its current position as a national leader in the nonprofit consulting sector. Drawing on his investment banking and finance background, Steve brings a problem-solving approach, a focus on metrics and an outcomes-driven perspective to the nonprofit sector. Steve is committed to enhancing philanthropy using innovative technologies and approaches developed in the business world to disrupt the established ways of working and encourage experimentation.

Steve leads strategy and implementation teams for Orr Group’s clients, frequently serving in the role of executive director or CEO during times of transition. In addition to providing fresh thinking and visionary leadership, he drives transformational change to help nonprofits achieve their missions. He draws on his 30 plus years of experience to establish and build trust with staff, management, and boards, as well as to drive philanthropic revenue growth.

Steve began his career on Wall Street, serving in the financial institutions group at Goldman Sachs and as a ForEx leader at Citi. In 1991, inspired by the charitable efforts of his parents, Steve founded Orr Group with his wife, Carol, to help nonprofits fundraise more effectively.

In 1994, he also founded Youth Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps New York City grassroots youth programs expand through fundraising, board placements, training and direct grants. Steve led the organization for 20 years, during which time Youth Inc. partnered with 130 youth programs, placed 140 executives on its program boards and raised over $50 million.

As assistant vice president, Nicole Jolley directs Church Mutual’s nonprofit and human services business, bringing a balance of strong experience in insurance and underwriting with an immersion in the nonprofit sector. She was recognized by Business Insurance as a “Breakout Award” winner and as an emerging leader by NU Property & Casualty.

Nicole offers an inside look at the challenges and opportunities nonprofits face – especially within food banks, homeless shelters and group homes – in regard to risks and liabilities. As part of her role, Nicole ensures that Church Mutual works with its nonprofit clients to address emerging trends and evaluates how data and insight from new technologies and automation can support the nonprofit space.

Nicole provides a unique point of view on the ways nonprofit leadership decisions are impacted by risks related to decreased donations, staffing cuts, limitations with client/donor interactions, new advances in crowdfunding and approaches of shared economy (nonprofits sharing office space and vehicles). Nicole also brings the perspective of a millennial leader within the insurance industry and can speak to how insurance provides employees energy, social responsibility and affirmation.

Stephanie Minor is the founder and CEO of Success for Nonprofits, where she strengthens and advances nonprofit organizations through capacity building and technical assistance. Stephanie is an award-winning veteran fundraising professional, nonprofit executive and strategic development coach whose proven fundraising strategies have won big grants and gifts for important and impactful nonprofit causes.

She was awarded the 2023 “Outstanding Fundraising Professional” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Desert Communities Chapter. As a seasoned, spirited, and optimistic executive consultant, Stephanie guides nonprofits on how to create and execute winning strategies through the power of strategic campaigns and effective storytelling.

Rico Andrade is vice president of marketing at Celigo. He oversees Celigo’s marketing organization, where he is responsible for the company’s brand, messaging, demand generation, outreach programs, events and communications.

Prior to joining Celigo, Rico was vice president of marketing at iCharts, significantly enhancing the company’s visibility and reputation inside the NetSuite ecosystem. He spent 13 years as the executive producer at Transvideo Studios, where he worked closely on marketing strategy with some of the biggest companies in Silicon Valley. In addition, Rico also ran his own consulting company, traveled the world teaching innovation and design as part of the Stanford d.school’s d.global initiative, and helped launch Unreasonable at Sea with the Unreasonable Group. Rico holds degrees in computer science and communication from Stanford University.

Eric Ryan has dedicated 25 years of his professional life to service. He is the co-founder of Mission Met, a company devoted to making strategic planning easier and more effective for nonprofit and organizational leaders around the world. Although he has focused on serving small nonprofits, Eric has also consulted with numerous corporations and government entities.

In addition to his consulting work, he has started one nonprofit, been an executive director, and served on several boards as both treasurer and board chair. He led the creation of nonprofit strategic planning software, Causey, and is the author of "Mission Met: Proven Strategic Planning Guidance to Help You Build a Financially Secure and Impactful Nonprofit."

With decades of transformational service and leadership experience at premier nonprofit organizations and ministries, Jeremy Montgomery journey in ministry began in high school when God placed it on his heart to tend to those in need living in our urban centers. Jeremy attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where received his Masters of Arts in urban ministry. After a decade of ministry experience, he continued his educational studies at Eastern University to receive his MBA in management.

Jeremy has found a true calling in steering the establishment of unparalleled levels of service for the homeless population of Philadelphia. Arriving at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission as CEO and president in November 2018 after eight years with Habitat for Humanity, he transitioned a New Jersey Habitat affiliate from all-volunteer to staff-driven and grew its operating budget from $175,000 to $3.1 million.

Growing up with his parents and with more than 100 foster brothers and sisters, Jeremy knows firsthand the importance of ensuring everyone has access to the full spectrum of resources required to physically and spiritually thrive, especially having a safe, caring place to live.

Candice Pascoal is an international spokesperson on innovation and technology, and a best-selling author.

Jeff Middlesworth is the chief product officer at Boardable, a board management software company serving nonprofits around the world. Jeff brings more than 20 years of SaaS, product management and executive leadership experience to the organization.

Outside of his work with Boardable, he is executive director of RunOne, a nonprofit focused on helping churches deliver digital experiences through apps that draw people to move in their spiritual journey. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and four daughters. In his spare time, Jeff coaches basketball and golfs whenever he can.

Bill McKendry is the founder and board president of DoMoreGood.org and author of the book, “Do More Good: Moving Nonprofits From Good to Growth.”

Pareen Kohlhaas is the chief operating officer at COOP Careers. She spent 13 years working in financial services across New York and London at Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Nomura. In 2015, she transitioned into the nonprofit sector through the Broad Residency in Urban Education, serving as the director of recruitment for KIPP NJ and consulting in talent strategy at East Harlem Tutorial Program and College Advising Corps. Most recently, she was chief operating officer at the SIFMA Foundation, a national financial education nonprofit.

She was born in India and came to the U.S. at age 4. She grew up in New Jersey and completed her undergraduate degree at Villanova University and a Master's in finance at London Business School.

She currently resides in her hometown of Middletown, New Jersey, with her husband, Michael, their two sons, Julian and Teddy, and their dog, Penny. Pareen speaks five languages and loves to travel.

Neil Taurins is the general manager of nonprofit solutions at Community Brands. He has been with the company for more than 12 years and is passionate about working with nonprofits to provide them with solutions to improve efficiency and better help them accomplish their mission.

As associate director, Indiana Thompson engages with Orr Group’s clients to develop and execute strategies to drive revenue to enhance programs and services. Her work includes drafting materials, conducting research and analysis, pipeline management, and assisting with board engagement.

Prior to joining Orr Group, Indiana completed a master’s degree in London. In September 2020, she finalized her dissertation, entitled “Modernism and Liberalism: Expanding a Cultural Cold War Debate.”

Indiana has international fundraising, political campaign and strategic communications experience, and has a strong background in research and analysis.

Dave Martin is the vice president of marketing for CharityEngine. He is a digital marketing expert with a unique combination of nonprofit and for-profit experience. Earlier in his career, Dave worked in global telecommunications marketing, product management and product development both in the United States and Europe. Dave has a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Buffalo, an Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, and an Master of Arts from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium.

Jay Woods is the founder and president of Omega Accounting Solutions where he is responsible for the company’s business development and strategic planning. With 20 years of experience in financial management, business leadership and corporate strategy, Jay’s focus is on building long-term strategic partnerships with clients and helping business owners access a full-functioning accounting department. To relieve businesses from the devastation of the pandemic, he added a tax incentives solution center as part of Omega's mission to help businesses not only survive but thrive.

Kija Chronister is the agency marketing manager at Slice Communications. In her role, Kija is responsible for strategizing and executing all agency marketing efforts, developing and implementing its employer brand, and fostering relationships with partners, sponsors and community relations.

Outside of Slice Communications, Kija is heavily involved with the independent nonprofit, Social Media Day PHL. She served as an integral piece in strategically repositioning the nonprofit beyond its annual conference to be a community for social media and communications professionals at all levels.

Philip Salerno III has been with the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation from the start, helping to transform the hospital from a single-site specialty provider into the largest pediatric rehabilitation system in the country. In his 33 years with the foundation — currently as president and chief development officer, he has helped foster the growth of Children’s Specialized Hospital, working with his high-performing team and a committed group of trustees to raise more than $200 million that expanded programs and facilities, provided critical support to increase access to care, utilized technology to improve outcomes, and launchd research projects to foster innovation. 

With a Bachelor of Science from Montclair State University and a Master of Education in community leadership and development from Springfield College, and originally from Saddle Brook, New Jersey, Philip has a strong connection to New Jersey and is grateful he has been able to make a long-lasting career out of serving the children and families in his community. Prior to joining the Children’s Specialized Hospital team, he gained experience with The Water Works Conservancy, Lead New Jersey, the Center for Nonprofits, Fairleigh Dickinson University Center for Excellence, Westfield Rotary and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Concord Leadership Group founder Marc A. Pitman, CSP, helps leaders lead their teams with more effectiveness and less stress. Whether it’s through one-on-one coaching of executives, conducting high-engagement trainings or growing leaders through his ICF-accredited coach certification program, his clients grow in stability and effectiveness.

He is the author of "The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be" He’s also the author of "Ask Without Fear!"— which has been translated into Dutch, Polish, Spanish and Mandarin. A FranklinCovey-certified coach and Exactly What To Say Certified Guide, Marc’s expertise and enthusiasm engages audiences around the world both in person and with online presentations. 

He is the husband to his best friend and the father of three amazing kids. And if you drive by him on the road, he’ll be singing '80s tunes loud enough to embarrass his family!

Yesenia Z. Carrillo is an associate attorney with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. She provides legal counsel to nonprofit organizations related to employment matters. She also serves as a board member for various nonprofits in Fresno and is a member of the board of trustees for a public school district.

Philip Carroll brings over 15 years of experience to Smile Train as the organization’s first-ever senior vice president of communications. Prior to joining Smile Train, he worked in senior communications roles for some of the world’s leading for-profit and not-for-profit health institutions, including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, PATH, and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Most recently, he served as a senior adviser (vice president) of global health and corporate responsibility at the award-winning integrated healthcare communications agency GCI Health. He holds a master’s degree in public health from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s in foreign service from Georgetown University.

Michael Gorriarán the president of Arjuna Solutions, a provider of behavioral economic modeling artificial intelligence services. He is a globally experienced technology sector executive with an extensive 30-plus-year career at Microsoft, Xerox, and early-stage, high-growth business ventures. He has held executive leadership roles in advanced cloud services, enterprise software, business process outsourcing and professional services businesses.

Prior to his current role, Gorriarán was most recently general manager of worldwide commercial markets strategy group at Microsoft. He has either led, been chief operating officer, general manager or a key executive in businesses ranging from less than $10 million to more than $77 billion in annual revenues. His responsibilities have included developing and implementing new business strategies and financial models, executing turnarounds, and launching new lines of business and go-to-market plans to gain a sustainable competitive advantage around the world.

Gorriarán holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a bachelor of science in marketing, with concentrated studies in economics and Spanish, from The University of Rhode Island. He is an avid distance runner, outdoor enthusiast and active parent with his wife Kris of their two children.

Erica Waasdorp is one of the leading experts on monthly giving. She is the president of A Direct Solution, a company serving nonprofit organizations with fundraising and direct marketing needs, with a focus on monthly giving and appeals. She authored "Monthly Giving: The Sleeping Giant" and "Monthly Giving Made Easy." She regularly blogs and presents on fundraising, appeals and monthly giving — in person and through webinars. She is happy to answer any questions you may have about this great way of improving retention rates for your donors.

Erica has over 30 years of experience in nonprofits and direct response. She helped the nonprofits she works with raise millions of dollars through monthly giving programs. She is also very actively supports organizations with annual fund planning and execution, ranging from copywriting, creative, lists, print and mail execution.

When she’s not working or writing, Erica can be found on the golf course (she’s a straight shooter) or quietly reading a book. And if there’s an event with a live band, she and her husband, Patrick, can be found on the dance floor. She also loves watching British drama on PBS. Erica and Patrick have two step sons and a cat, Mientje.

Tim Sarrantonio oversees Neon One’s ecosystem of software, consultant, and institutional partners that can address any nonprofit need. Neon One provides best in class products with NeonCRM, Rallybound, CiviCore, Arts People, and an ecosystem ensures that over 27 product integrations and over 90 consultants are working to solve problems specific to nonprofits.

Jennifer Hubbard is the executive director of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation and Animal Sanctuary, a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization working to promote compassion and healing through human animal connection. The foundation was founded in 2013 to commemorate and honor the life of Jenny’s daughter Catherine Violet Hubbard, a 6-year-old victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and passionate animal lover who dreamt of someday working with and caring for them.

Gary Pettengell is CEO of Empowering Communities Through Integrated Network Systems (ECINS), a social enterprise dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable people and empowering the practitioners who serve them.

Jackie Conrad is a marketing strategy executive with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations and brands tell their story, engage their constituents and achieve their goals.  A forward-thinking leader, Jackie has worked with Fortune 500 companies and start up organizations — and has a proven track record of leveraging this experience specifically to help nonprofit organizations. She is currently vice president of customer strategy at Merkle, where she works with some of the best nonprofit brands in the world to build meaningful and lasting constituent relationships.

Juan Sanchez is the chief information officer at Inteleos.

Nhu is a content strategist with over a decade of experience improving the way social good brands engage and build connections through human-first storytelling. She currently leads NTB Content, a content marketing agency with a niche in digital fundraising and nonprofit tech.

Dr. R. J. Dunn is a writer, speaker and consultant on board governance in nonprofit and public organizations. A former professor, he is the author of multiple articles as well as a recent book, “The Change-Making Board: Consequential Governance for Public & Nonprofit Organizations.

R. J. is currently the principal consultant for Change-Making Board Services. He previously served as a board member for the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and is currently a member of The Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. He splits his time between central Florida and southern Illinois.

Larry Talley is the founder and CEO of Everyware, a contactless payments and communications solutions company. His passion for partnerships, connecting with people, business development and customer satisfaction led to the creation of a payment and communications solution like no other. Everyware combines the tools that meet the high demand for contactless payment and two-way messaging in a multitude of industries. Larry lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three sons.

Duke Haddad, Ed.D., CFRE, is currently associate director of development, director of capital campaigns and director of corporate development for The Salvation Army Indiana Division in Indianapolis. He also serves as president of Duke Haddad and Associates LLC and is a freelance instructor for Nonprofit Web Advisor.

He has been a contributing author to NonProfit PRO since 2008.

He received his doctorate degree from West Virginia University with an emphasis on education administration plus a dissertation on donor characteristics. He received a master’s degree from Marshall University with an emphasis on public administration plus a thesis on annual fund analysis. He secured a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) with an emphasis on marketing/management. He has done post graduate work at the University of Louisville.       

Duke has received the Fundraising Executive of the Year Award, from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter. He also was given the Outstanding West Virginian Award, Kentucky Colonel Award and Sagamore of the Wabash Award from the governors of West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, for his many career contributions in the field of philanthropy. He has maintained a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation for three decades.

Tiffany Moore is a human rights activist, nonprofit organization consultant and coach to global activists redefining how we change the world at Humanitarian Entrepreneur.

Bettina Lipphardt is a partner on The Bonadio Group’s healthcare services team. In her role, she provides assurance services for various healthcare and nonprofit clients. With more than 20 years of experience, Bettina is an excellent source of knowledge for her clients. She regularly consults on best practices, efficiency ideas, cost reporting, internal dashboard reporting and compliance initiatives. She also regularly speaks at various conferences across the state.

Disclaimer: The summary information presented in this article should not be considered legal advice or counsel and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader.  If the reader of this has legal questions, it is recommended they consult with their attorney.

Amy E. Brin, MSN, MA, PCNS-BC, has been working on behalf of children/youth living with special needs and their families for over two decades. She currently serves as executive director and CEO of the Child Neurology Foundation.

By trade, Amy is a board-certified pediatric advanced practice nurse. Before joining Child Neurology Foundation, she led the development and provision of care in pediatric and perinatal palliative and hospice programs. She served as a national consultant, building systems of care for children and youth living with special health care needs, with a specific focus on program development for complex, chronic care models of service.

Amy is a published author, award-winning speaker and trusted convener, which has earned her international recognition as a recipient of the Platinum Facilitation Impact Award from the International Association of Facilitators, as well as being elected chair of the Epilepsy Leadership Council. In 2022, she was appointed to the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council.

Pete Kimbis is managing director of PKC, a boutique social good consulting firm based in North Bethesda, Maryland, that delivers technical and grant proposal writing, opportunity and solicitation analysis, legislative research, budgets, program analysis and evaluation, small business development, and acquisition support. Pete works with entrepreneurs and businesses based around innovative and inclusive missions that protect or improve lives or the environment.

Steven Edelman is a founding partner and president of Connect360 Multimedia, a marketing and communications company that works exclusively with nonprofit organizations, trade associations and agencies of the federal government. Steve is a CPA who has published numerous articles about accounting and compliance issues related to PSAs. He is a member of the nonprofit industry committees of the American Institute of CPAs and the New York State Society of CPAs.

Jack Alotto, CFRE, has his Master’s of Arts and is a trainer at the Fundraising Academy at National University.

As an insights consultant, Nicholas Hedenkamp is responsible for providing a deeper dive into constituent and transaction data for nonprofits. As an additional part of his role, he researches current and ongoing industry trends to provide fresh data and ideas to clients and Pursuant. He has experience in nonprofit fundraising both as a volunteer and development coordinator. Most recently, he worked for the statewide nonprofit Colorado Health Network, where he develops new fundraising strategies and grew its donor portfolio.

Korri Piper is sales and marketing consultant/director of vendor relationships at ShopRaise. She is a relationship director, project manager, writer and general life enthusiast. 

Parvathy Sree is the vice president of AmTrust Nonprofit Underwriting, managing growth and profitability for nonprofits’ products. She has more than 18 years of expertise in underwriting, marketing, talent management, product development, risk management and strategic planning.

Krista Martin, vice president of product and growth, has been with Boardable since 2017, starting as a product and marketing manager. During her time with the company as vice president of growth, Martin had a proven track record of scaling product usage from 100 users to over 90,000 users and assisting Boardable's growth from 18 customers to 2,000. Leveraging over a decade of experience in product management, Martin leads Boardable's product and growth teams to focus on driving customer and revenue growth.

Elizabeth Abel is a senior vice president at CCS Fundraising and expert in philanthropy. In her role at CCS, she has led capital campaigns and development initiatives that have collectively raised half a billion dollars for education, health care, arts and culture, and advocacy organizations. 

Elizabeth provides counsel on strategic planning, major gifts fundraising and board engagement. She is an Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania where she teaches “Fundraising and Philanthropy: The Donor Journey” to graduate students in the Nonprofit Leadership Program. Elizabeth has been recognized by BELLA Magazine as a “Woman of Influence in Philanthropy.” 

You can find Elizabeth offering her fundraising expertise at industry conferences, on nonprofit podcasts and on social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Instagram. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, and she is an avid hiker, traveler and tea drinker.

Allison Quigney is a principal at Public Works Partners, a WBE/DBE/SBE certified planning and consulting firm specializing in multi-stakeholder initiatives and building strong connections across the nonprofit, government and private sectors.

Chris Barlow is the founder of Beeline Marketing, which helps nonprofits grow the reach of their missions and donor bases.

Maria Clark is GoodUnited's executive vice president of partnerships, and chief evangelist. Clark is a career nonprofit executive with 30-plus years of industry experience. She is a champion of innovation in the sector and has fearlessly led technology adoption and change management efforts throughout her career. Previously, Maria spent 33 years at the American Cancer Society, a top 20 U.S. nonprofit.

Romaine Seguin is the CEO of Good360, which helps Fortune 500 companies and other organizations resolve the business challenge of responsibly distributing excess goods for maximum impact.

Erin Crotty serves as the vice president of customer success at boodleAI, a company that specializes in enriched analytics for sales, marketing and fundraising teams. Over her 25-year career in fundraising, Erin has served in almost every advancement role — from annual giving to major gifts to advancement services and consulting — and helped organizations raise more than $100 million. Erin lives in Northern Virginia with her blended family of five.

B. E. St. John is chief innovation and communications officer at Communities In Schools of Chicago, which is dedicated to removing barriers so students can unlock their potential and stay on the path to graduation.

Dr. Keith Leaphart is an innovator whose expansive, parallel careers in medicine, business and philanthropy have driven him to help redefine what it means to be a philanthropist. That’s why he founded Philanthropi, a company that is leading the next generation of philanthropy through its innovative giving platform, which democratizes giving for everyone and amplifies its impact.

In addition to his work with Philanthropi, Keith most notably serves as the chair of The Lenfest Foundation, where he has long served as the foundation’s primary liaison to The Giving Pledge and helped lead the organization’s work to support disadvantaged youth in Philadelphia in the areas of early learning, out-of-school care and career pathways. Keith also serves as an active board member for several other Philadelphia area organizations.

Shaby T. Rosales is partner and chief human resources officer for Orr Group. Shaby oversees the HR function for Orr Group, as well as strategic initiatives and long-term projects for the firm. Her responsibilities include talent acquisition, onboarding and orientation, payroll and benefits, personnel management, and organizational planning and development. 

She also leads Orr Group’s team providing outsourced HR leadership and services to nonprofit clients. For example, Shaby serves as the human resources director for one of the nation’s leading disease research institute foundations and leads the provision of outsourced human resources management services to a national civil rights advocacy firm. 

Before joining Orr Group, Shaby served as the vice president of human resources for Congressional Bank, a privately-held financial institution based in Bethesda, Maryland, where she managed the HR function for the entire organization, helping grow the business from a local 25-person team to more than 300 staff nationwide.

Philip DiComo is a shareholder at Nason Yeager. Philip serves as outside general counsel to a variety of both commercial and nonprofit organizations across various industries and tax statuses. He also concentrates his practice in the areas of emerging companies, entertainment and licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and executive employment arrangements.

Philip is widely recognized for his vast knowledge in nonprofit governance, policy and practices. In 2014, he earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy professional designation from The American College. The designation positions him as a leader in the philanthropy sector and qualifies him to help charities achieve financial success and donors to maximize their philanthropic giving. His early career was in media where he worked for nonprofit public television and radio stations for 15 years. Then, while working full-time in broadcasting, he attended law school at night.

A Florida native, Philip enjoys simple pleasures, like getting up early, sitting outside with his coffee, and listening to and watching the birds. He also enjoys reading, working in his yard and is a fan of all Florida Gator athletics.

Jessica Day is the senior director for marketing strategy at Dialpad, a modern business communications platform that takes every kind of conversation to the next level — turning conversations into opportunities. Jessica is an expert in collaborating with multifunctional teams to execute and optimize marketing efforts, for both company and client campaigns. Jessica has also written for other domains, such as BenchmarkONE and SME News.

Lauren A. Silverstein, Ph.D., is a data-driven executive and leader with a passion for growing mission-driven organizations. She is currently the chief impact officer at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, one of the largest philanthropies in New Jersey. She is also the founder of Jr. Apprentice, an internship and career mentorship nonprofit program that connects low-income students with local corporations and was recently acquired by Junior Achievement of Southwest New England.

Terilyn Juarez Monroe is the chief people officer at Bonterra, a social good software company focused on powering those who power social impact. Terilyn was formerly chief people officer, senior vice president of people and places at Varian, and chief people and culture officer, senior vice president human resources at Acxiom. Before that, Terilyn spent time at Intuit in a variety of HR and communication leadership roles, including chief diversity officer. Terilyn is a thought partner and leadership development professional focused on building inclusive cultures and reimagining HR functions to drive transformational change.

Ted Hart is the president and CEO of CAF America, president of CAF Canada and CEO of CAF International. As an internationally recognized speaker, he has more than 35 years of experience in advising philanthropy and is an expert in regulatory frameworks governing both domestic and global grantmaking and risk management. Since being appointed president and CEO of CAF America in 2012, he has transformed the organization into a donor-advised fund sponsor that now provides more than $725 million per year grant-making intermediary service from the U.S., U.K. and Canada to more than 135 nations worldwide. 

Ted is the co-editor of the book “Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide” and has co-authored eight published books on philanthropy. Ted is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy and a Certified Diversity Executive.

Marissa Bruette is skilled in creating visually engaging content and crafting compelling stories to help clients reach their target audiences on a meaningful level. In her role at Slice Communications as the content strategist, Marissa works diligently to achieve client goals through crafting the right mix of goal-oriented content for a wide range of industries including manufacturers, nonprofits, retail, architects, community programs, festivals, food and beverage, and more. Whether she’s drafting editorial calendars or managing an influencer program, Marissa has a passion for all things content.

Suzanne Battit is a senior vice president and principal at the Development Guild DDI, a national consulting firm providing executive search, fundraising counsel and campaign services to nonprofit organizations.

Paul Luu is the CEO of the Chinese American Service League (CASL). Drawing from 20 years of nonprofit management and leadership, organizational practices and trainings, and nonprofit best practices, Paul works to strengthen CASL’s resources and development, board governance and development, and strategic planning to better serve the greater Chicagoland area. Prior to leading CASL, Paul revitalized the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, spent a decade with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in many different leadership capacities, and worked with various Chicago neighborhoods to help build and restore clubs to serve thousands of underprivileged youth.

Indiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. She is also an expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle. 

Kymberlie Quong-Charles is a co-executive director at Youth Rise Texas, a nonprofit based in Austin, Texas, that is dedicated to creating the conditions for youth of color to rise from systems of oppression, heal from past traumas of parental incarceration and deportation, and become leaders in their communities that affect positive change. Quong-Charles has more than two decades of experience working in community organizing, social justice and youth empowerment.

A nonprofiteer for more than 20 years, Evan Wildstein has led fundraising, programming, and operations for organizations like The Juilliard School, Asia Society, Rice University, Houston Grand Opera and others. Inspired by the intersection of philanthropy, creativity and learning, he has consulted nonprofits on board development and talent growth, galvanized funding for innovative projects that inspire stronger communities, commissioned operas, and produced community-centered educational programs. 

Evan’s organizational and academic efforts center around nonprofit management and organizational leadership, and his writings are featured in Philanthropy News Digest, the International Journal of Servant-Leadership and elsewhere. His first book, "The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide" and Social Impact Staff Retention research report are helping to improve the overall health of the nonprofit sector. A native of New York, Evan and his family live in Houston.

Ken Wells provides communications and marketing services to Houston-area nonprofits through his company, StoryBoard HTX. He uses his more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit world to help organizations tell their own stories.

Courtney Rambo is the co-founder and director of Intellitonic, a digital marketing agency.

Ian Magee is a managing partner and chief financial officer at New Profit, a venture philanthropy organization advancing equity and opportunity in America. Previously, Ian worked at the Heron Foundation and The University of Chicago, after spending the first half of his career in for-profit finance. He is a native of Northern Ireland and currently lives in New York City.

Floyd Jones serves as the community and partnerships lead at Givebutter, a free fundraising platform that has powered more than $300 million in donations for millions of changemakers worldwide. Floyd supports Givebutter’s community strategy through partnerships, sponsorships, strategic campaigns and special events.

Marc Rubner is the CEO of DonorDrive.

With more than 25 years of global tax experience, Eric Loff serves as managing director for Global Tax Network. He is known for leading by example and finding the strengths in others, improving communication so all participants are engaged in a project, and serving as a bridge between a company and its expat employees. As a specialist in managing international assignment programs and the related tax, human resource and payroll matters, he serves as a frequent speaker on global mobility topics.

Ronald Pruitt is the president and founder of 4aGoodCause, an easy-to-use and effective online fundraising platform for small nonprofits. Ronald has more than 24 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations build websites and raise millions of dollars online for good causes. This extensive experience has made Ronald an expert in user-friendly online fundraising and understanding what drives donors to give online.

Jennifer Bielat serves as executive vice president of client strategy at Pursuant. With more than two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jennifer brings intimate knowledge and understanding of nonprofit management. In her role, she develops strategic solutions to help organizations navigate the opportunities and challenges facing today’s nonprofit organizations. Jennifer’s expertise lies in integrated marketing and communications strategy, comprehensive direct response strategy and execution, digital marketing and fundraising, and nonprofit leadership.

Before joining Pursuant, Jennifer was senior vice president of integrated marketing for Easterseals, where she led the organization in a brand renaissance with the goal of bringing greater clarity and relevance to the nearly 100-year-old brand. Under her leadership, the direct response channels — digital and mail — raised more than $32 million annually for the organization and served as a critical pipeline for other development areas, including planned giving and major gift development.

Aye Moah is the CEO and co-founder of Boomerang, which makes thoughtful tools that put people at the center of productivity. Aye, who came from Burma (now Myanmar) attended MIT on a scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in computer science.

Chad Royal-Pascoe is the senior vice president of resource development, corporate, cause marketing and special events at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Rick Elmore is an entrepreneur, sales and marketing expert, and former college and professional football athlete. As the founder and CEO of Simply Noted, Rick developed a proprietary technology that puts real pen and ink to paper to scale handwritten communication.

Mike Burns is partner at BWB Solutions. 

Brent Johnson is the chief information security officer at Bluefin.

Raphael Duguay is an assistant professor at the Yale School of Management. He studies the role of transparency in nonprofit organizations.

As founder and CEO of Kanopi Studios, Anne Stefanyk helps to create clarity around project needs, and turns client conversations into actionable outcomes. She enjoys helping clients identify their problems, and then empowering the Kanopi team to execute great solutions.

Anne is an advocate for open source and co-organizes the Bay Area Drupal Camp. When she’s not contributing to the community or running her web agency, she enjoys yoga, meditation, treehouses, dharma, cycling, paddle boarding, kayaking and hanging with her nephew.

Dan Reed, CFRE, is the vice president of fundraising for Media Cause. Dan has a Masters Degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy and has spent the past 15 years immersed in the digital fundraising space. He’s led fundraising efforts at the Smithsonian and World Food Program, and has been with Media Cause since 2018. He’s an expert in the big-picture strategy that drives successful fundraising efforts for nonprofits and will speak from experience about hitting goals in uncertain times.

Jeremy Berman is the co-founder and president of GoodUnited, a conversational messaging solution building relationships between nonprofits and their donors. Prior to founding GoodUnited, Jeremy was a product manager at IBM, responsible for leading the go-to-market strategy for the Apple-IBM partnership.

A certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) and Doctor of Business Administration, Dr. Cristina Jones boasts 20-plus years in hospital and healthcare leadership. As the chief program officer at Easterseals New Jersey, Cristina provides leadership over all programs and related services across the agency, including the intellectual-and-developmental-disability portfolio that includes five separate programs and 1,500-plus clients across the state.­ Prior to this, Cristina worked at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for 10 years, where she held various leadership roles and was responsible for the oversight and accountability of all business, clinical, academic and research functions.

John W. Griffith is a director and endowment specialist with Hirtle Callaghan. 

He has more than 30 years of higher education experience. From 2003 until 2014, he was the chief financial officer and treasurer of Bryn Mawr College. As the treasurer, he oversaw an $850-million endowment, managed cash, issued debt, and was responsible for budgeting and strategy planning. He also assisted in modernizing and diversifying the endowment. During the latest recession, Bryn Mawr was one of only a few colleges whose debt rating was upgraded. Prior to Bryn Mawr, John spent 15 years in various financial roles at the University of New Hampshire. John started his career at Coopers & Lybrand.

He earned a master’s in finance from Bentley University and a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the University of New Hampshire.

The information presented in this article is general in nature and is not designed to address your investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs.

Ryan Carpenter is the vice president of client success at GivingDNA. Prior to joining GivingDNA, Ryan spent time both on the agency side at THD, within a nonprofit at Year Up and offering nonprofit software solutions with Causemo.

He has experience and interest in developing innovative strategies that efficiently identify, cultivate, and solicit donors and prospects through effective engagement tactics. He has a keen ability to synthesize large data sets and identify the underlying trends and points of importance. Ryan has a proven track record in creating successful cross-channel donor engagement strategies that will deepen donor relationships with organizations, and upgrade those with the most capacity and inclination to give.

Sarah Sebastian is the director of corporate communications at OneCause. She’s a marketer and brand geek at heart with eight years of experience in the nonprofit tech space. Outside of work, Sarah can be found reading, hiking, kayaking, volunteering for Florida Access Network, or getting lost in the woods while photographing birds.

Steve Kane is a Boston-based, serial entrepreneur, investor, author and the co-founder and CEO of Golden Hearts Games, a charitable promotional games company that creates Internet and mobile games where players support their favorite charities while competing to win real cash prizes.

Previously, Steve was the co-founder and CEO of internet games pioneer Gamesville (acquired by Lycos Network in 1999 for $232 million), as well as GameLogic (acquired by Scientific Games), LuckyLabs (acquired by ScoutIt) and InterLab (acquired by CIT Group). Steve has also been a director, adviser and investor in various finance, media, tech and consumer products companies.

Steve is active in philanthropy. He is a board member at NewPolitics and Science on Screen. He has served on the mentoring staff at the NYU Leslie Entrepreneurship Lab, Harvard University Innovation Lab and TechStars. He is a past trustee of The Narrative Foundation, the Joslin Diabetes Center, and The David Project (acquired by Hillel International) and served on the Phillips Academy Andover Alumni Council. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover and New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

As the general manager of fundraising solutions at Community Brands, Steve Greanias is responsible for the financial and operational performance. Steve directly manages their customer success, professional services, support teams. He also oversees product, sales and marketing budgets and strategic initiatives as they relate to GiveSmart. Prior to joining GiveSmart in 2014, Steve lead the account management and major programs team at GoHealth Insurance. Steve is actively involved in his hometown of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with his daughters’ school and the Glen Ellyn Infant Welfare Society, where he helps with their fundraising initiatives. Steve is married with two daughters and two dogs. He spends his free time working out, playing both golf and paddle tennis, and cooking.

Chris Lyons is the president and publisher of NonProfit PRO and contributes to NonProfit PRO on select topics of value to the nonprofit community.

Eric Schlissel is the CEO/chief technology officer at XOverture, which specializes in helping nonprofit organizations set up, manage and support tech they'll love. Eric is a nonprofit tech and cybersecurity thought leader who has been featured in publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Wired, PCMag and more.

Joe Frye is a digital marketer who has spent more than a decade helping organizations make an impact and connect their missions with individuals. He has led award-winning projects and campaigns for organizations, including PBS, No Kid Hungry, the Identity Theft Resource Center, Partners of the Americas, ADL and UNESCO. 

Joe’s experience at the intersection of technology, data and creativity provides a unique perspective that allows organizations to create impactful digital ecosystems, increase donations, grow membership, improve member retention and increase overall revenue.

Kristin Ostby de Barillas has dedicated the last 17 years of her career to supporting the mission of Boys Hope Girls Hope. In her role as president and CEO, Kristin leads the organization’s vision, strategy, planning and execution to achieve the mission of Boys Hope Girls Hope across 13 U.S. and two Latin American affiliates. She also works to engage, inspire and equip her team to carry out the organization’s mission with high standards of excellence. Kristin has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Carleton College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Christine Kane joined Audubon International in 2016. As the organization’s CEO, she is responsible for all aspects of the nonprofit’s operations, including its core certification programs, member services, conservation initiatives, and human and financial resources.

Christine has worked at the senior management level in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years and is skilled in program development, strategic planning, fundraising and communications. Her experience in the environmental sector includes work on a wide range of environmental issues, including hazardous waste site identification, BMPs for non-point source water pollution and land conservation.

In addition, Christine is vice president of the board of trustees for The FairWays Foundation, which provides grants for conservation-based projects around the world.

She holds a Master of Science degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy from Bay Path University, a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the CFRE credential.

As director of strategy, Brandon Emerson co-leads Orr Group’s strategy practice area. In his role, Brandon collaborates with clients to build actionable strategies that optimize their fundraising and organizational function.

Experienced in both organizational and departmental strategic planning, he is passionate about how maintaining a well-defined strategy will enable focus and growth. He takes pride in actively listening to stakeholder feedback to offer solutions that improve client organizational capabilities and offerings. He brings five years of experience in fundraising, strategy, events management and systems development.

Additionally, Brandon is responsible for facilitating consistently high-quality strategic thought and methodology execution across the firm to ensure that each client receives top-quality services that meet their unique needs.

Before joining Orr Group, Brandon was a member of the development team at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

As boodleAI’s chief experience officer, Mike Alonzo is dedicated to crafting amazing human experiences. Mike is on a mission to simplify nonprofits’ fundraising workflow by streamlining donor acquisition, repeat giving and, ultimately, lifelong support.

Malaika Cheney-Coker is the founder and principal of Ignited Word, a consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits increase their impact through creativity. She delights in the kaleidoscope of ideas that is creativity as well as the analytic thinking and research that partner with those ideas for effective social change. With experience in both the U.S. and international nonprofit arena, she works across a range of subject matter areas, including evaluation and organizational learning, thought leadership, coalition building, and organizational creativity.

Luke Dringoli first worked in the private sector with brands like Unilever, Dodge, Lexus, USA Network and STARZ where he used technology to forge connections and build digital communities. Now, as senior marketing technology director at Media Cause, Luke works with nonprofits and organizations, such as United Nations Development Programme, Stand Up to Cancer and Center for American Progress, to use technology — the right mix of platforms, integrations, and tracking solutions — to achieve more impact. There are few things he enjoys more than helping his clients realize that technology can give them back time in their day — instead of taking away from it.

Eva E. Aldrich is president and CEO of CFRE International, the first globally recognized fundraising credential. Prior to joining CFRE International, Aldrich was associate director of public service and The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Before that, she was a member of the consulting team at Johnson Grossnickle & Associates and was assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center at Franklin College. 

Aldrich has been widely published in fundraising journals and is one of the editors of “Achieving Excellence in Fundraising,” Third Edition. She holds a Ph.D. in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

A.M. Bhatt is founder and CEO of DAE, a nonprofit democratizing access to 21st century digital career and life skills for high school students and young adults from communities that have been historically and systemically under-resourced.

Michael Flaherty, called Mikey by all, is a world-ranked swimmer who was a member of the University of Southern California’s NCAA 1997 championship team. Mikey became a swim instructor and coach and discovered her true passion was working with children and adults with special needs. She founded Swim With Heart in 2010 based on the philosophy that learning to swim cultivates confidence, courage, and independence in and out of the water. To date, the nonprofit has worked with nearly 1,000 swimmers and their families.

Maureen “Mo” Rhodes is senior vice president of customer success at Center and has spent more than 15 years in the financial services industry. She is deeply passionate about crafting and delivering world-class client experiences through thoughtful processes. Prior to Center, she served as vice president for SAP Concur, where she led consultation and project management across North America’s smallest and largest customers. Mo holds a Bachelor of Science in information systems and finance from the University of Florida, Warrington College of Business.

Claire Hapke is chair of the board for the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice, and an adjunct professor at New York University. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, as well as a master’s degree and doctorate of psychology from Alliant International University Los Angeles.

Rachel Kribbs has more than a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector. As director of new business at FORM, she uses her background to understand the needs and concerns of mission-driven organizations. Combined with her skills in communications, fundraising and program management, Rachel is uniquely adept at identifying ways in which FORM can help nonprofits increase revenue, reach more patrons and amplify their missions.

She holds degrees from the Catholic University of America and Cleveland Institute of Music, and, in 2018, the Cleveland 20/30 Club awarded her the Northeast Ohio Mover & Shaker Award. She is a former member of the NTEN Accessibility Committee, an active volunteer with LakewoodAlive and board president for Documentary Songwriters. She lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and two children. 

Joshua D. Hale is the president and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund, which has raised more than $500 million over the course of 36 years to create wider access to a network of schools in Chicago and Northwest Indiana that provide a high-quality, values-based education for students in underserved communities. 

Joshua is a fellow in Leadership Greater Chicago and an inaugural member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Emerging Leaders Program. He also serves on the board of directors of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago. Hale is also a director on the board of Amerigo Education and FirsTech. He is a member of The Commercial Club, The Economic Club, The Chicago Club, Chicago Commonwealth Club and Vistage International. Joshua was named a “40 Under 40” honoree in 2010 and a Notable Leader in Community Development in 2022 — both by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Previously, Joshua was on the management team at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and a consultant with The Hale Group. He resides in Chicago with his wife and their two sons.

Joy A. Karsner, CFRE, is assistant director of development at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Joy has worked in nonprofit administration since 2013, focusing on development, marketing and communications.

Joy serves as a volunteer member of the board of directors for the Delaware County Literacy Council. Joy holds a Master of Business Administration from Villanova University and a Master of Public Administration in nonprofit administration from West Chester University. Joy is also a CFRE.

After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin launched his consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training, which builds on the success of his more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services that nonprofits need to compete for and secure major gifts. 

He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country, and publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. He is the author of “10 Simple Fundraising Lessons” and “How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift.”

Tita Cherrier’s love of writing, skill for storytelling and ability to emulate the voice of clients demonstrate her joy in working with words. The only rule? Use purposeful language that moves audiences to action.

At Slice Communications, Tita serves as a content manager where she executes writing components of strategic communication plans, as well as researching and scripting media pitches, thought leadership pieces, human interest stories, executive profiles and other content that achieves client goals of moving their audience from aware to advocates.

Lesley Ray is the executive manager of Philanthropy at Mater Foundation, one of Australia’s leading healthcare foundations where she has the greatest privilege of working with philanthropists to connect their personal values and motivations with Mater’s mission to provide exceptional healthcare, education and world-leading research.

She is past chair of CFRE International. Lesley is a fellow and past national chair of Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) and gained her CFRE certification in 2002. Lesley is also a founding member of Women & Change, a women’s giving circle that aims to engage women in philanthropy.

Jamie Bearse is an award-winning nonprofit CEO and executive. Over the past 21 years, he’s helped lead and advance cancer causes through strategic planning, fundraising, retention and recruitment, and team and culture building. Currently, he’s the CEO and founder of Build a Better Nonprofit and lives outside of Boston with his family.

Adam O’Brien is the director of product and growth marketing at GoodUnited, a messaging automation platform for social media fundraising. With almost 15 years of combined enterprise B2B and nonprofit marketing experience, Adam brings his unique viewpoints on marketing and fundraising strategies through GoodUnited’s Nonprofit Growth Lab series.

Mike Snusz brings 20 years of digital fundraising experience to his role as director of nonprofit customer experience at Tatango. Today, Mike closely partners with Tatango's nonprofit customer to maximize the impact text marketing can have to further their mission.

Prior to Tatango, Mike spent 15 years at Blackbaud, leading a team of digital consultants focused on increasing nonprofit fundraising. Mike started his nonprofit career managing the Ride For Roswell in 2003. 

Sarah Dunlap is the director of digital fundraising for Media Cause. She joined Media Cause in 2019 and has worked with clients across the nonprofit sector.

She began her nonprofit fundraising career in 2009 with the Public Interest Research Group, serving an array of clients across the environmental and consumer protection space. In this role, she worked across digital and printed channels to inform, cultivate and solicit donors. Sarah brought these skills to Partners In Health in 2013, where she built a thriving digital fundraising program, drove consistent year-over-year growth and kept pace with aggressive growth targets.

Mindy Opper is an accomplished leader, sought-after adviser in the nonprofit marketplace nationwide and lead consultant at RAISE Nonprofit Advisors. Having served in both professional and volunteer roles for more than two decades, she possesses a rare capacity to offer 360-degree perspectives to organizations with a public service mission. 

Before her focus on strengthening nonprofits through board service, Mindy was the director of UJA-Federation of New York’s lawyers division. Earlier in her career, she raised funds for the United Way and the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital. Mindy is skilled at building relationships, motivating lay leaders to become fundraisers and developing boards. Her experience on nonprofit boards and positions of leadership make her an excellent conduit for professional staff and lay leaders. 

Mindy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Administration from the College of Charleston, where she pursued nonprofit management as an academic focus. Her first class was an introduction to fundraising and she was hooked. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

As founder and creative director of Fifty & Fifty, Javan Van Gronigen is the tip of the proverbial spear. Javan started his digital design career 20 years ago as art director for what is now one of the world’s largest digital agencies  — Mirum, a JWT Company. He then moved on to Invisible Children where he was responsible for managing the team and all digital assets through the entire historic Kony 2012 campaign. At Fifty & Fifty, Javan has participated in and led every project, including 300-plus websites, campaigns and brands.

Rebecca “Becca” Segovia is a seasoned fundraising executive with a strong vision and passion to help nonprofits reach more donors and raise more dollars to further their mission. With over two decades of leadership experience spanning the disciplines of marketing, fundraising, and technology, Becca provides guidance across client services, marketing and sales to help nonprofit organizations achieve breakthrough results. She has a special affinity for omni-channel and relationship-based fundraising strategies aimed at increasing donor lifetime value and nonprofit health.

Casey Williams is a partner and chair of the Nonprofit Practice Group at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, a trusted adviser to California’s public entities, educational institutions, and nonprofits. Her practice focuses on helping mission-driven organizations achieve their goals while staying compliant and working through complex disputes. 

Jessica Ketz is currently the digital marketing manager at FORM, where she is responsible for leading digital marketing strategy, as well as developing and executing campaigns for nonprofit clients.

Prior to joining FORM, Jessica served as digital communications manager at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she strategized multichannel marketing initiatives to expand attendance, boost engagement and bolster the nonprofit’s national and international reputation. Her innovative work has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and a certificate in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University.

Tony Sadowski is vice president of creative at Slice Communications. With nearly two decades of broadcast television and radio promotions experience, Tony is a versatile marketer and content creator with a wealth of storytelling and brand management experience. As a writer-producer at FOX43 in Central Pennsylvania and, more recently, as senior producer at WHYY in Philadelphia, he has crafted countless creative campaigns, written volumes of copy, launched a wide variety of programs and brands, and led on-air and digital promo strategies. 

Tony is the owner of the marketing strategy, media production and voice-over company Spec Communications. An avid podcaster since 2011, he is host and producer of Starting Artists, a life and career change podcast featuring interviews with creative people who have had interesting work journeys, plus insights into escaping toxicity, moving forward with your goals, and getting to a happier place.

Taryn Heins has been working in digital marketing for nearly 10 years. Through her experience working at fast-paced marketing agencies, she’s become skilled at a range of tactics including SEO, social media, and content strategy. For the past seven years, Taryn has concentrated her expertise in creating and executing successful paid media strategies for her clients. At Media Cause, her expertise and passion for philanthropy has enabled her to support her clients’ missions and impact as the associate media director.

Dave McMahon is the co-executive director of Dismas House of Massachusetts and project director of the Commonwealth Green Low-Income Housing Coalition. He is an appointed member of the Governor's Global Warming Solutions Act Implementation Advisory Committee.

Tim Badolato is the CEO of eCardWidget, an innovative platform for digital employee recognition, donor acknowledgement, business marketing and nonprofit marketing. He has a passion for using technology to drive positive outcomes for mission-driven businesses and nonprofits.

Elliot B. Karp is a lead consultant at RAISE Nonprofit Advisors. Elliot has extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising and financial resource development as well as many other facets of executive leadership.

Kris Kepler is CEO of LavaMaeX, a nonprofit that teaches people around the world to bring mobile showers and other essential care services to the street, where unhoused people need them most.

Karen Houghton is the CEO of Infinite Giving, a relationship- and technology-driven nonprofit investment adviser. Karen leverages her deep nonprofit expertise to bring a modern and curated investment experience to nonprofit organizations all over the U.S. She advocates for organizational sustainability through better financial management, strategic access to curated investment practices for reduced management fees and increased asset giving.

Nichole Vander Wall has worked in search marketing for a decade and now teaches nonprofit marketers to drive new customers and revenue with the Google Ad Grant. She lives between Australia and the United States, and works with nonprofit clients all over the world.

With more than a decade of experience working in nonprofit strategy and development for diverse nonprofit organizations, Whitney Norman has developed an aptitude to identify and understand the unique strengths and opportunities each nonprofit organization may possess. As the vice president of client solutions at Pursuant, she engages new potential partners, builds and maintains lasting relationships, and provides appropriate solutions for those organizations to grow to their full potential.

Jon Nevett is the President and CEO of Public Interest Registry (PIR), the nonprofit that operates the .ORG Family of Domains -- including the flagship .ORG domain. From innovative marketing initiatives that offer .ORGs a platform to share their work, to a learning center that offers free educational videos to startup mission-driven organizations, to its own awards program: under Jon's leadership, PIR is creating a community that empowers changemakers to make the world a better place.

Adrian Heredia is driven by the opportunity of bringing impactful ideas to life through powerful storytelling. He has transitioned into the role of sales and marketing manager for Slice Communications. Adrian previously served as a social media account manager where he engaged in a number of key functions for his clients, including running their social channels; managing their various communities; conducting key data analysis and reporting; and overseeing various LinkedIn Sales Navigator initiatives. 

Adrian dives deep into understanding the core values that define his clients’ businesses and the essence of who they are. His efforts extend to knowing precisely the story that his clients are trying to tell their audiences through social media, and contributing to strategy and business development in order to ensure that their narrative aligns with their goals. Adrian brings his years of coaching experience, working with large to small teams to achieve what might, at times, seem like impossible goals. No challenge is too great when you are surrounded by passionate, intelligent, hard-working, and kind people. This is something Adrian believes he has found at Slice Communications and is eager every day to jump into the lion’s den and get to work.

Jon Biedermann is the vice president of fundraising strategy for Community Brands. With more than 25 years of nonprofit industry experience, Jon has developed several fundraising tech platforms that have served more than 50,000 nonprofits. He also volunteers at the local and national level and is the current treasurer of The Giving Institute, as well as the co-founder and immediate past chair of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, a program of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Dawn Stanhope is the president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County in Bradenton, Florida. She has more than 30 years of nonprofit management experience, serving in various capacities to support youth and their families.

Meghan King serves as a director in the customer strategy group at Merkle. With more than 35 years of experience, Meghan’s expertise in direct mail, email and telemarketing is punctuated by an ability to translate ideas into actionable plans using data analytics, constituent insights and market-driven insights. 

Having held leadership roles in agency, corporate and nonprofit environments, Meghan has experience with integrated marketing plan development, learning agendas, test and learn plans, direct response fundraising, membership appeals and acquisition, audience segmentation and selection, content marketing, program management, and campaign analytics.

Rachael Grail, a senior consultant at Interaction Associates, aims to enable peak performance in teams through effective communication, strengths-based collaboration, and sustained well-being. As an experienced facilitator and coach, she skillfully weaves new concepts and awareness into practical actions. She leverages a breadth of experience and numerous evidence-based frameworks to be highly responsive to the unique needs of each group she supports. 

Rachael supports leaders and teams in global companies, high growth startups and nongovernmental organizations. Her experience includes engagement with clients at: Amazon, Adobe, DocuSign, Meta, Outside PR, PG&E, Service Now, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Mark Miller is the co-founder of Historic Agency where he leads product strategy, marketing transformation, and brand. He is also the co-author “Culture Built My Brand” and creator of the Nonprofit Writing Bootcamp.

Megan Landau is a media director at Media Cause, a nonprofit marketing and  fundraising agency. She worked in the for-profit world prior to joining Media Cause, managing media budgets and campaigns for clients, including Ford, InnovAge, Denver International Airport, and Hack Reactor. 

Megan loves being able to bring her media experience to the nonprofit world through her work at Media Cause. She thrives when she’s able to use her creative, big-picture-oriented ENFP brain alongside nitty gritty performance data.

Brooke Monaghan (she/her) is a Certified Leadership Coach and Project Management Professional who works with founders and leaders of values-driven organizations to help them grow by centering leadership and culture. She believes that organizations have a unique ability to create change for both their communities and employees and started her coaching and consulting practice to help both entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders increase their impact.

Jon Osterburg has spent the past nine years helping more than 100 nonprofits around the world with their finances as a leader at Jitasa, an accounting firm that offers bookkeeping and accounting services to nonprofit organizations.

Allyson Fryhoff is the managing director of nonprofits and nonprofit healthcare at AWS. In this role, she leads a team helping nonprofit and healthcare organizations accelerate their digital transformation and mission outcomes through cloud technology.

Sonia Urlando is the content marketing manager at Personify for the WildApricot and MemberClicks brands. In the content she creates, she is passionate about putting people at the heart of the story.

As principal and co-founder of FORM, Teresa Kiplinger works to develop key growth strategies, production methods, best practices and efficiencies. In her role as chief creative officer, she shepherds the creative team and defines design standards for FORM’s creative work.

In her 30-plus year career, Teresa has served nonprofits throughout the U.S. and her work has been recognized by AIGA, American Advertising Federation, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, and Communication Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Kent State University and served on the inaugural Advisory Board for Kent’s Visual Communication Design program.

Emily Messegee is a wealth adviser and director at Mercer Advisors. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author and are subject to change.

Joe Fisher is CEO of Indianapolis-based Ren, an independent philanthropic solutions provider that aims to serve as a driving force that powers people, ideas, and institutions for good.

Meredith Lancaster, the head of marketing at boodleAI, is a marketing visionary who combines her passion for content creation, design and data-driven decision-making with a strong belief in the power of AI to increase productivity and drive positive change. Outside of the home office, you'll find her chasing after her ever-energetic 1-year-old son and keeping up with her crazy, lovable pup.

Caroline Hromy is the director of social media for Slice Communications. Through her role at Slice, Caroline has honed her expertise in social media marketing and content development. Working closely with financial firms, manufacturers, trade associations, nonprofits, and as executive social manager for financial services, she has gained valuable insights into leveraging social platform features to build vibrant communities and deliver impactful, value-driven campaigns on numerous social media platforms. With her wealth of experience, Caroline consistently guides her clients toward achieving their digital marketing objectives.

David Rodriguez is the vice president of marketing at Everyware, a customer engagement, billing and payments company based in Austin, Texas.

Matt Nash is the executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund, leading the organization’s mission to unleash generosity by connecting people to causes they care about around the world. An expert in donor-advised funds and philanthropy, Matt is an advocate for local public education, having served as a foundation president funding innovative educational programs. He received a bachelor of mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

As a social good executive, Bethany Baron has over 20 years of experience driving and navigating nonprofit partnerships and delivering consistent donor growth to support broad organizational initiatives. Prior to joining RAISE Nonprofit Advisors, Bethany led the fundraising efforts for The Honorable Tina Brozman Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research and built and led the corporate giving program at NYU Langone Health. She also has a love of teaching and was an adjunct professor at Fordham Graduate School of Social Service and Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

Bethany resides in the Berkshires and, in her free time, Bethany’s favorite activity is hiking with her family and their fun-loving dog, Jolene.

Joey Stanford brings more than 30 years of experience to his role as the vice president of privacy and security at Platform.sh. Prior to joining Platform.sh, he managed information security and development-operations programs for companies in the U.S., France and the U.K. With a passion for free and open-source software, Stanford is responsible for global security, data management and compliance, and ensuring Platform.sh is a trusted custodian of its customers' data.

Victoria Glickman Hodgkins is the CEO at PeopleKeep, a provider of health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) and wellness stipend administration software for small to medium organizations.

Kelli B. Newman is president of the Houston-based communication strategies firm, Newman & Newman, where she leads a team of talented professionals dedicated to advancing the success of purpose-driven clients. Her work centers on formulation of brand messaging strategies and development of award-winning marketing communication tools for nonprofit, corporate and government clients. 

Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America since 1989, Kelli is also an instructor for Rice University’s Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives (LINE), teaching marketing and public relations. She is also a founding member of the Ignite Health Network, a by-invitation coalition of executive women with leadership responsibilities influencing the future of healthcare. In 2019, she was appointed to a three-year term on the organization’s board and continues to serve as a member of its steering committee.

Kelli’s achievements have earned the recognition of multiple national and regional award programs, including the New York International Film & Video Festival and the Grand Excalibur, PRSA Houston’s highest recognition of professional standards. Invited regularly to speak at professional conferences, she has written several articles regarding communication strategies. 

Prior to joining Newman & Newman in 1996, she spent 11 years as in-house public relations counsel for Baylor College of Medicine (including the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center) and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Linda Handley has made it her mission to help others and improve the lives of those around her, often through creative and unconventional means going beyond volunteering and donating to her favorite charities.

Linda launched LindaHandley.com, to help diverse nonprofits start and scale their work. Drawing upon more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Linda and her team have prepared more than 500 grants and helped clients from across the United States raise over $100 million through fundraising.

Charles Lehosit has been described as an entrepreneur, solutions architect, strategist, technologist and futurist. As vice president of technology at RKD Group, Charles excels at developing solutions that answer clients’ business needs. Charles understands what it takes to deliver successful projects, and he has done so for clients like Coca-Cola, U.S. Army and General Motors before moving into the nonprofit industry.

Charles brings deep digital experience to clients, having performed virtually every job an IT professional can hold. He is a leading expert in application development, API integration, CMS, CRM/eCRM, email marketing, lead generation, mobile development, SDLC and website development.

Matt Miszewski, CEO of Catchafire, was born into and raised by a family of labor activists, so social justice and the empowerment of disenfranchised communities has been core to Matt’s life personally and professionally. A trained civil rights attorney, Matt continued his career in government working to strengthen the broken infrastructure of local communities, and has since married his commitment to improving societal inequities with deploying technology solutions for social good at firms, including Microsoft, Salesforce and Socrata. 

Matt brings years of expertise building revolutionary, disruptive technological sales programs and global go-to-market strategies that transformed the status quo and has built incredible teams and leaders who have achieved substantial goals together. Matt’s previous experience includes building out and leading the public sector businesses for both Microsoft and Salesforce, building the global revenue organization for Digital Realty, leading the revenue function as chief revenue officer at Socrata, where he helped governments use data more strategically in the design of their programs, mission and open government initiatives.

Dr. Te Wu is the CEO of PMO Advisory, a Project Management Institute (PMI) authorized training partner and an associate professor at Montclair State University. He is also certified in portfolio, program, project and risk management.

Patrick Schmitt is co-CEO of FreeWill. Before FreeWill, Patrick founded two nonprofit organizations and served as the head of innovation at Change.org, where he helped grow the organization to 100 million users in four years.

Philip Bendheim is a member of Yad Sarah’s International Board of Overseers as well as a Board Member of Friends of Yad Sarah, which was established by his late mother and has been awarded Charity Nagivator’s four-star rating — its highest award, achieved by only 5% of all evaluated charities.

Rakesh Prasad is senior vice president of strategy and solution at Innover. Rakesh is passionate about solving business problems by leveraging digital and analytics solutions, and partnering with clients to thrive in an open digital economy. 

As a business leader, Rakesh has delivered consistent results in leading digital transformation programs, managing global teams and delivering business growth. Having spent 18 years at the intersection of business and technology, Rakesh understands the importance of experience and insight coming together for clients to deliver ROI-driven business outcomes.

Jackie Sue Griffin, a former journalist who uses transformational stories to expand nonprofit and human services, is the owner and executive director of Jackie Sue Griffin & Associates, 

Her mastery of all forms of written and oral communications has resulted in procuring more than $1.8 billion in government grants to expand behavioral health and systems of care services in partnership with Turnaround Life and Turnaround Achievement Network. Based on her 29 years working with nonprofit leaders, she has proven competencies in grant development, grant management and performance assessment, and provides technical assistance in strategic prevention framework, community assessment, board development, strategic planning and sustainability. 

Jackie is the former vice president of development for Operation PAR and executive director of the LiveFree! Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Pinellas County, Florida. She has taught undergraduate and graduate students at Springfield College as an adjunct instructor for 19 years. She is the president of the Community Advisory Board for Springfield.

Jackie has a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management and a Master of Science in organizational management and leadership, both from Springfield College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in writing and English from the University of Tampa.

Nanci Hibschman is a managing principal with C3 Nonprofit Consulting Group, a division of SullivanCotter. With more than 25 years in the field, Nanci helps nonprofits create effective compensation and performance strategies. She speaks regularly at conferences across the country and is an author and expert in nonprofit people and culture solutions.

Taylor Gray has been a trustee and treasurer of the Countess Moira Charitable Foundation since its inception and is a member of the board of directors of Exponent Philanthropy, a national, member-led community of lean funders.  

His interest in promoting practical and scalable approaches to qualitative and quantitative impact measurement in the philanthropic space is an outgrowth of his long career in the financial services industry. He volunteers his time and expertise to grantees of the foundation and to other entities as well.

Kerri Lee is a copy supervisor with 20 years of experience in fundraising and marketing. From the nonprofit side to agency life, she successfully filled roles in development, special events and account management before letting her creative drive take over and using this vast background to create engaging and emotional copy for national nonprofits and brands with Merkle.

Mark Kepner-Clough, director of people operations and risk, joined Consumer Directed Choices  in September 2022 as program manager. He is a seasoned healthcare professional with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Excelsior College and an associate degree in applied science in nursing from Maria College.

He brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of healthcare and advocacy, including roles in various management and senior leadership positions at local nursing homes ranging from quality assurance nurse/compliance officer to director of nursing. He also served as a policy analyst and clinical consultant at LeadingAge New York, where he appealed to state and federal legislatures, advocating on behalf of not-for-profit members in nursing home, assisted living and senior housing settings. 

Mark is diplomatic and tactful with professionals and non-professionals at all levels and is accustomed to handling sensitive, confidential records. He approaches his work daily with a singular focus on centering the consumer’s experience and providing the most compassionate, exceptional quality of care possible for the individuals and families Consumer Directed Choices serves.

Felida Villarreal currently serves as the president and CEO of Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA), committed to higher education attainment and expanding accessibility to equitable education opportunities. She is also responsible for implementing and maintaining regional alliances for resource development and public funding in the educational nonprofit sector, ensuring fiscal integrity and compliance with all public and private grant funded requirements. 

Prior to this role, Felida also served as VIDA’s deputy executive director and director of finance. In addition, she has nearly a decade of accounting and financial management experience in the private and public sector.

Felida is a Certified Public Accountant and an active licensee of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. She holds a master’s degree in accountancy from the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Texas – Pan American. 

She actively volunteers her time to promote community involvement, currently serving as a board director for local organization, City of Mercedes Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of the Fast Company executive board. She also currently serves in the Hidalgo County’s Prosperity Taskforce, an initiative to address the ongoing challenges of poverty and promote economic mobility through education.

Jessica Ayre is a content marketing specialist at Text Request, a business messaging solution.

Ben Vorspan has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 20 years and, during that time, has built a reputation for the creativity that he injects into nonprofit marketing, communications, fundraising, programming and membership engagement.

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Ben began working in marketing, communications and creative roles with an assortment of businesses and organizations, including the Hebrew Union College, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, schools, religious organizations and a variety of mission-driven nonprofits.

In 2007, Ben founded Inspired Multimedia, a consulting firm specializing in working with nonprofit organizations around the world to build websites, improve marketing efforts and provide tools and resources customized to fit this niche. During that time, he also co-founded and ran a thriving nonprofit group for young professionals in the Los Angeles area, receiving national recognition and grants.

In 2023, Ben became a published author with his debut book, “The Nonprofit Imagineers,” which explores how to use the same principles that make Disney Imagineering the gold standard of imaginative thinking to transform your organization into an equally inventive and creative environment.

Tony Doye is the president of Silver Tree Consulting and Services. Before joining Silver Tree, Tony held executive roles at Computer Sciences Corporation, Unisys, Fujitsu Americas, CompuCom and IBM before shifting to nonprofits. He joined the Girl Scouts of the USA in 2014 as interim chief information officer and was named chief operating officer in 2015.

Kristen Friedel leads Media Cause's data analytics specialty, where she applies her strong technical and soft skills to strategically leverage data that will move missions forward.

Kristen has nearly 10 years of nonprofit experience, working both in-house and in agency settings. Over her career, Kristen has worked with more than two dozen nonprofits to develop actionable marketing reports, create automated data pipelines and design experiments geared at optimizing performance.

Amanda Baldwin boasts over a decade of expertise in philanthropy and nonprofit development. Currently, she's a senior customer success manager at GoodUnited, a marketing automation platform that helps nonprofits find their supporters where they are — on social media.

Previously, Amanda held significant roles at Blackbaud, the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity specializing in corporate strategy, relationship-building and fundraising.

Jane Mack is CEO of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Friends Services Alliance, which provides services to more than 115 nonprofit organizations in 16 states — predominantly in the aging services sector.

Jesús Gerena is CEO of UpTogether.

Michelle Flores Vryn, CFRE, is a nonprofit executive based in Austin, Texas. With 15-plus years of experience in the field, she has dedicated her career to fostering social change through innovative leadership and community-centered fundraising. Her insights into psychological safety and leadership have been informed by her extensive work in nonprofit fundraising and her passion for creating real social impact.

Anthony A. Luna is the CEO of Coastline Equity, a commercial real estate advisory and property management firm based in Southern California. Anthony has a previous background in nonprofit management and is a former director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. He remains actively involved with local charity organizations in Los Angeles and serves on multiple boards of directors.

Mark Eshman is the director of Mercer Advisors’ endowment and foundation services. 

All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author as of the date of publication and are subject to change. The information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed or warranted by Mercer Advisors. For financial planning advice specific to your circumstances, talk to a qualified professional at Mercer Advisors.

Mercer Global Advisors Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and delivers all investment-related services. Mercer Advisors Inc. is the parent company of Mercer Global Advisors Inc. and is not involved with investment services.

Jennifer C. Loftus is a founding partner of and national director for Astron Solutions, a compensation consulting firm. Jennifer has 23 years of experience garnered at organizations including the Hay Group, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Eagle Electric Manufacturing Company and Harcourt General. 

Jennifer has held volunteer leadership roles with Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), New York City SHRM and WorldatWork. She serves as a subject matter expert to the SHRM Learning System and as a SHRM instructor. Jennifer is a sought-after speaker for local and national conferences and media outlets. Jennifer holds adjunct professor roles with Pace University, Long Island University and LIM College.

Jennifer has an MBA in human resource management with highest honors from Pace University and a Bachelor of Science in accounting summa cum laude from Rutgers University. Jennifer received the 2014 Gotham Comedy Foundation’s Lifetime Ambassador of Laughter Award.

As business lead at Getting Attention, Jessica King helps nonprofits acquire and manage the Google Ad Grant to expand their impact. Prior to her work at Getting Attention, Jessica worked in nonprofit and higher education organizations focusing on communication and digital marketing and, most recently, in search engine optimization in the mission-driven sector. Jessica holds a master’s degree in communication from Virginia Tech. In her free time, you can find her reading, building furniture and hanging out with her cats, Benny and Olive.

Mara Lassner is excited to serve as the director of communications at RAISE Nonprofit Advisors as there are so many worthy causes and this allows her to use her skills to advance and support their missions. She brings with her strategic planning, integrated marketing, writing and design skills honed while working with nonprofit and for-profit clients locally and internationally. 

Her successes include conceptualizing the theme and honorees for highly successful annual campaigns and lookbooks, editing weekly industry newsletters, and curating articles, photo, and more for fundraising and friend-raising efforts. In an effort to achieve fiscal and environmental goals, Mara created and implemented an internal system for compiling and designing virtual and printed commemorative journals representing millions of dollars in contributions. 

Mara is also managing and creative partner at Mara INK and was the director of public relations and advertising for 20 years at the Ramaz School and a media planner and account executive for blue-chip brands. She has partnered with many companies and organizations, including Miller Brewing Company, Prudential Financial, Avis, the Food Network, the Accessibility Accelerator, Care for Special Children, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and The Propel Network.

Kristin Priest serves as vice president of client strategy for Allegiance Group and Pursuant. With more than 15 years of experience as a consultant, coach and fundraiser, Kristin has partnered with diverse nonprofit organizations, including healthcare, secondary and higher education institutions, and faith-based ministries, to strengthen their fundraising programs and advance their mission. Her expertise includes comprehensive fundraising counsel, major and mid-level giving, gift officer coaching, campaigns, and board development.

Elyssa Dole is the executive director of The Conversationalist. She previously served as a program director at NationSwell, supporting a network of 1,000 organizations tackling issues like racial and social justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equity, education and sustainability. Throughout her career, she focused on building equity and community-centered programs for clients like NASA and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Dole holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Barnard College. She is deeply passionate about problem-solving, cultural learning and fostering connections with others.

Morgan Falor is a consulting director for Armanino LLP, where she focuses on helping nonprofits create strategic approaches to both finance and development. Since joining Armanino, she has aimed to enable nonprofits to further their mission and create greater impact using data-driven approaches.

She has experience in both public accounting and industry, most recently serving as executive director and vice president of finance for a high-profile nonprofit. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Iowa and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Bromme H. Cole is the CEO of Sound Start Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to early intervention and education opportunities for children born deaf and hard of hearing. His career to date has been marked by insightful strategic thinking, anticipating the next and strong organizational management. He believes clarity, alignment and purposefulness are essential qualities of well-run organizations while his calling is to rationalize challenges, seize opportunities and advance toward the objective by engendering employee discretionary efforts.

His ethos underscores a conviction that communities can be improved for everyone with courage, accountability and organizational mindfulness.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Elias Correa Menendez understands the needs of business owners and nonprofit leaders. He received his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, magna cum laude in 2002, and his Master of Laws in commercial law from Tulane University. He has a passion for working with entrepreneurs, businesses and nonprofits of all sizes. He is a partner and the chief legal officer at Trembly Law Firm.

Michael W. Michelsen Jr. is a freelance writer in Riverside, California. Prior to freelancing, he worked for the Boy Scouts of America and the American Cancer Society.

Jennifer Arbore joined The Bonadio Group in 2017 as a partner with the firm’s healthcare/tax-exempt audit practice. In 2019, she transitioned into the outsourced accounting and finance group where she leads a team focused on providing outsourced accounting services to nonprofits. Jen has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting working with nonprofits.

Cara Dickerson is the vice president of customer success at GiveSmart by Community Brands where she oversees a team dedicated to assisting thousands of organizations utilize fundraising and donor management technology platforms to exceed their financial goals and fund their missions. With close to 16 years in the nonprofit space, her passion for this industry runs deep. While she loves to travel anywhere and everywhere with her husband, Cara is proud to call Chicago home.

Stef Arck-Baynes is the founder and CEO of Achieving Good Communications, a mission-driven communications consultancy that empowers nonprofits and socially responsible for-profits to tell their story and raise awareness of, and funds for, their work. Prior to founding Achieving Good in 2023, Stef worked as an in-house communications staffer for over a decade at nonprofits, including Brooklyn Public Library and Philabundance, the Philadelphia region’s Feeding America affiliate. When she’s not working, she’s with her 6-year-old daughter and husband at playspaces and playgrounds around Philadelphia. And petting all of the dogs, including her own.

Justin Nelson is the vice president of customer success at Speedeon. Justin is a results-driven, forward-thinking marketing leader with extensive experience in the sector. His expertise includes promotional planning, campaign analytics, project management, field marketing and communications.

Colleen Neese is the nonprofit practice group leader at Duffy Group, a global recruitment firm based in Phoenix.

Victoria “V” Wheeler is the senior manager of partnerships at Momentum. She studied sustainable agriculture in Kentucky and has worked on food security and healthy communities on the local, national and international stages. Her fundraising background includes cultivating and retaining corporate, foundation, government and individual funders, and she raised more than $6 million over three years in her most recent frontline role. V spends her non-working hours wandering the hills of Appalachia, listening to horror podcasts and lounging in conversation with friends.

Cait Abernethy is the director of marketing at UpMetrics, an impact measurement and management software company that’s revolutionizing the way mission-driven organizations harness data to drive positive social outcomes. With a wealth of experience across technology organizations, Cait is responsible for all aspects of marketing for the company and is passionate about helping the world’s foundations, nonprofits and impact investors to drive accelerated social and environmental change.

Rob Shaw is the production director at Media Cause. Before joining Media Cause, Rob spent 15 years working for a number of small design studios and big ad agencies on brands like Apple, Levi’s, Nike and Visa. He is skilled in a wide range of visual communication projects, including branding, campaigns and website design, as well as motion graphics and video. At Media Cause, Rob puts his expertise in design to work for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations in an effort to bring about positive social and environmental change.

Ricky Chilcott is a co-founder of Mission Met, where passion meets purpose. He infuses his love for software development, business strategy and project management to uplift mission-driven leaders not only in the U.S. but also in Kenya and Australia.

Ricky also leads the development of Causey, a strategic planning software that helps organizations confidently execute their strategic plan.

A true jack of all trades and a master of some, Ricky loves wearing many hats within Mission Met. Whether it's delving into the intricate world of technology and business strategy, optimizing operational efficiency, or drafting plans for the future — Ricky is a driving force behind Mission Met’s mission to make strategic planning simpler and more effective.

Paul D’Alessandro, J.D., CFRE, is a vice president at Innovest Portfolio Solutions. He is also the founder of High Impact Nonprofit Advisors (HNA), and D’Alessandro Inc. (DAI), which is a fundraising and strategic management consulting company. With more than 30 years of experience in the philanthropic sector, he’s the author of “The Future of Fundraising: How Philanthropy’s Future is Here with Donors Dictating the Terms.” 

He has worked with hundreds of nonprofits to raise more than $1 billion dollars for his clients in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, as a nonprofit and business expert — who is also a practicing attorney — Paul has worked with high-level global philanthropists, vetting and negotiating their strategic gifts to charitable causes. Paul understands that today’s environment requires innovation and fresh thinking, which is why he launched HNA to train and coach leaders who want to make a difference in the world.

If you like craft fairs, baseball games, art openings, vocal and guitar, and political conversation, you’ll like to hang out with Claire Axelrad. Claire, J.D., CFRE, will inspire you through her philosophy of philanthropy, not fundraising. After a 30-year development career that earned her the AFP “Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year” award, Claire left the trenches to begin her coaching/teaching practice, Clairification. Claire is also a featured expert and chief fundraising coach for Bloomerang, She’ll be your guide, so you can be your donor’s guide on their philanthropic journey. A member of the California State Bar and graduate of Princeton University, Claire currently resides in San Francisco.

Kristy Morris is a creative professional in corporate and nonprofit social media advertising and brand strategy. As the chief marketing officer at Funds2Orgs and Elsey Enterprises, she works with a suite of global fundraising brands and manages national campaigns for her clients. She hosts a monthly webinar with Funds2Orgs, teaching nonprofits how to make an impact with their social media strategy. Kristy is a passionate individual that loves nothing more than to help others make an impact in their market and the world.

Kristy also contributes monthly to her NonProfit PRO blog, “Marketing IRL.”

Susan Schaefer helps nonprofit leaders fund their priorities through major grants. Her firm, Resource Partners, guides clients to secure their largest, most impactful foundation and corporate partnerships.

Katrina VanHuss has helped national nonprofits raise funds and friends since 1989 when she founded Turnkey. Her client’s successes and her dedication to research have made her a sought-after speaker, presenting at national conferences for Blackbaud, Peer to Peer Professional Forum, Nonprofit PRO, The Need Help Foundation and her clients’ national meetings. The firm’s work is underpinned by the study and application of behavioral economics and social psychology. Turnkey provides project engagements, coaching, counsel and staffing to nonprofits seeking to improve revenue or create new revenue. Her work extends into organizational alignment efforts and executive coaching.

Katrina regularly shares her wit and business experiences on her and Otis Fulton's NonProfit PRO blog “Peeling the Onion.”  She and Otis are also co-authors of the books, "Dollar Dash: The Behavioral Economics of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising" and "Social Fundraising: Mining the New Peer-to-Peer Landscape." When not writing or researching, Katrina likes to make things — furniture from reclaimed wood, new gardens, food with no recipe. Katrina’s favorite Saturday is spent cleaning out the garage, mowing the grass, making something new, all while listening to loud music by now-deceased black women, throwing in a few sets on the weight bench off and on, then collapsing on the couch with her husband Otis to gang-watch new Netflix series whilst drinking sauvignon blanc.

Katrina grew up on a Virginia beef cattle and tobacco farm with her three brothers. She is accordingly skilled in hand to hand combat and witty repartee — skills gained at the expense of her brothers. Katrina’s claim to fame is having made it to the “American Gladiator” Richmond competition as a finalist in her late 20s, progressing in the competition until a strangely large blonde woman knocked her off a pedestal with an oversized pain-inducing Q-tip. Katrina’s mantra for life is “Be nice. Do good. Embrace embarrassment.” Clearly she’s got No. 3 down.

Roger Devine is a co-founder of Northworld, the developer and distributor of SchoolAuction.net auction-management software. Before starting the company, Roger worked for many years in software, website development and publishing. He's chaired at least 30 auctions over the past 20 years (one loses count after a while), has served terms on the boards of several nonprofits, loves all dogs on the planet and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Shannon Litton is the CEO of 5by5, a digital marketing agency delivering clarity, reach and results to those who work where life change happens. With more than 20 years of experience in agency leadership, Shannon has worked with more than 500 organizations on everything from rebranding to multicultural marketing. Under her leadership, 5by5 was named to the Inc. 5000 list four years in a row and recognized as a Nashville Business Journal Best Place to Work twice.

Marcie Bomberg-Montoya brings more than 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles in both financial institutions and private enterprise to her engagements. She has developed a high level of proficiency, leading a myriad of complex enterprise-wide endeavors, such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic analysis and plan implementation, growth and transformation strategies, as well as innovative product and service development. 

Marcie is leader of the strategic advisory services practice across all industries Wipfli serves. She specializes in futurist planning, creating experience cultures, leadership development, emerging technologies and digital evolution.

Sean Kosofsky is The Nonprofit Fixer. For 30-plus years, he’s helped causes, campaigns and candidates raise millions of dollars and transformed nonprofit organizations and leaders. 

Adrian Power is a founding partner and brand strategist at Good Stuff Partners, a purpose-driven brand growth agency that helps clients have a greater impact on the world by creating simple, bold and memorable brand stories. Adrian has worked in the world of marketing since 1995, supporting clients ranging from Pepsi, Salesforce, Toyota, Ericsson, Lexus, HSBC, Nokia, Hyundai, Philips, UK Department of Health, Audi, and most recently, Tipping Point, The Tides Foundation, The Global Fund for Women, Marin County and Ritual Coffee.

What drives Adrian is taking all of his great experience working with giant corporations and using it to build brands with bigger purpose and meaning. Since co-founding Good Stuff Partners a decade ago, Adrian and his team have been helping “build brands that give a damn” across sectors like social and political impact, human services, healthcare and more.

Sara is the vice president of PR and communications for Slice Communications. She brings 10 years of nonprofit marketing and Capitol Hill communications experience to Slice, as well as a passion for media relations and messaging. Sara graduated from Temple University, where she studied political science and English.