Boldly Go team

Rima Bettaieb brings over 5 years of expertise in strategy and implementation, with a robust background spanning both consulting and operational roles. She started her career in management consulting with Kearney, in Southeast Asia, where she helped large-scale organizations with their strategic planning. She also worked at Eden Strategy Institute, a Singapore-based social innovation consultancy. At Eden, Rima designed and facilitated change management workshops for government agencies. In the FinTech sector, Rima accrued 3 years of hands-on operations experience at Paxos. She led 20+ projects during her time there, focusing on streamlining and scaling operations, as well as optimizing the customer support experience.

Rima is an alumna of Yale-NUS College, holding a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Economics. She is also a graduate of the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in South Africa, a pioneering program developing Africa’s future leaders.

Driven by her ALA experience, Rima founded Empower Education, a youth empowerment initiative in Tunisia fostering the development of high school students’ soft skills and goal achievement. Rima was honored as one of the 25 most promising African women leaders by the Moremi Initiative in Ghana, from a pool of 1,260 applicants.

Beyond her professional and social impact endeavors, Rima finds joy in traveling the world, embarking on hiking adventures, and re-inventing food recipes.

Rima is fluent in French, Arabic, and English.

Ishan was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. He is passionate about areas such as economic development, labor markets, environment, and technology. Ishan has over four years of diverse professional experience working for different types of organizations including foundations, think tanks, and government institutions.

Previously, Ishan worked at a foundation called Humanity United (HU) in Washington DC as a consultant to institutionalize a network of migrant workers from the Global South. Prior to joining Cornell, Ishan worked in Nepal at Nepal Economic Forum (NEF), a premier development think tank in Nepal, where he co-authored three reports on education, legislation, and the economy, and wrote blogs on labor markets and social protection. He also supported the operations of projects which included conducting a survey for a private sector assessment. Besides this, Ishan worked at the National Planning Commission, the apex advisory body for the Government of Nepal, to conduct surveys for assessments and assist in the preparations of policy briefs.

Ishan received his Master of Public Administration degree concentrating in Economic and Financial Policy from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. For his undergraduate, Ishan received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree concentrating in Marketing from Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Lindsay Broyhill has over a decade of experience leading and executing strategies for organizations serving children, women, and families in the U.S. Prior to joining Boldly Go, Lindsay was the director of a strategic family foundation investing in child and family health in North Carolina, where she led strategic planning, program management, and communications strategies with the president and founder.

Lindsay enjoys finding high-impact opportunities at the intersection of philanthropy, policy, practice, and communications. She previously managed communications and supported fundraising and grantmaking at Ascend, a policy program at the Aspen Institute focused on building intergenerational cycles of prosperity for families in the U.S. Prior to the Aspen Institute, she held roles at management and communications consulting firms, where she supervised and supported projects for early childhood education, K-12 public education, and public health and financial federal agencies. Lindsay started her career raising funds and awareness for the largest child care provider for families with low incomes in New England.

Lindsay holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Cornell University. She was born and raised in North Carolina, and enjoys spending time outdoors and thrifting for antique artwork.

Ryder Buttry has over 5 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, holding various roles overseeing communications, fundraising, and grantmaking strategy. Ryder was formerly the Director of Strategic Programs and Initiatives at the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas where she led the design and launch of multiple programs including the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program and the Women’s Economic Mobility Hub, both of which aimed to address economic disparities for women of color in the state.

Ryder has also worked as an analyst at the Government Accountability Office and an independent consultant providing advisory, research and grant writing services to universities, foundations, and nonprofits. Ryder received her Master of Public Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Texas Christian University. She currently resides in Dallas, TX and enjoys reading, needlepointing, and trying new restaurants with friends in her freetime.

Priyasha brings five years of problem-solving experience in the international development and impact space. She has worked with non-profits, multilaterals, political leaders, social enterprises, and academic institutions. She has assisted senior leadership in measuring and maximizing social impact in development sectors including education, gender, climate change, and microfinance. Her academic background in business and policy analysis along with her strong analytical skills help her design innovative yet pragmatic strategies for impact focused organizations. She has worked on global projects spanning South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the United States. Recognizing the importance of robust evidence in tackling social issues, she is committed to leveraging evidence to bridge knowledge gaps and maximize impact.

She has extensive research experience in the education space in India. Before she pursued her master’s, she was a Research Associate at ASER in India for over two years, leading impact evaluation initiatives in education. She led a team to conduct three large scale data collection exercises on learning outcomes in India, and generated evidence on access to educational content shared by schools during the pandemic. She also led the design of the first-ever large-scale assessment to test social and emotional learning of young children in India. The assessment was used to assess more than 35,000 children across 24 Indian states and in 14 languages.

Priyasha recently completed her Master’s in Public Policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and received her Bachelor’s in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce at University of Delhi. She also received a post-graduate diploma in Liberal Studies from Ashoka University.

A food enthusiast, she always makes sure she has visited the good eateries around her.

Teresa Crawford has been deeply rooted in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years. Her early career was spent in the Health and Human Services and Higher Education fields. Teresa started her career in philanthropy in 1996 while serving as the Grants Manager at the Frey Foundation, where she led the grants management system selection and implementation project that involved reimagining grantmaking processes, adopting a paperless system and creating more effective and efficient workflows. Her expertise spans database management, process improvement, data migration, and operations.

Teresa has a passion for streamlining processes and has extensive experience configuring and working in foundation grantmaking systems Blackbaud Grantmaking and Foundant GLM. She advised clients on the grants management system function and delivered end-to-end system implementation project management, training, and post launch support.

Teresa received her B.S. in Biology from Grand Valley State University and her M.M. in Nonprofit Management from Aquinas College. She is a former Board Member of PEAK Grantmaking and a founding member on the National Advisory Committee for Project Streamline. In her free time, she loves to cook for family and friends, and hang out with her dachshunds Noodle and Copper.

Noemi was born and raised in the Central Coast of California, where she spent her formative years working as a field worker alongside her family. Her upbringing set her passion to effect positive change in the areas of education, health, workforce development, and immigration.

Recently, Noemi received her Master’s in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and holds a Bachelor’s of Art in International Studies from Willamette University. With a diverse professional background, she has made meaningful contributions to organizations such as the City of Austin, Dallas College, the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Austin, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), and the YMCA International Services. Noemi is excited to incorporate her process improvements, data analysis, project management, and stakeholder engagement skills in her role as an Impact Analyst at Boldy Go Philanthropy.

Outside her professional pursuits, Noemi enjoys playing tennis with friends, longboarding, and sipping on the best coffee Austin, Texas has to offer. Noemi also enjoys traveling to California to be with her family.

Mary Claire is passionate about creating efficient systems and fostering impactful giving. At Boldly Go Philanthropy, she uses her extensive expertise in grantmaking and project management to help clients streamline operations and maximize their philanthropic efforts.

Before joining Boldly Go, Mary Claire served as Community Impact and Grants Manager for a corporate foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. In this role, she managed a $15 million grant portfolio, overseeing funding cycles that supported hundreds of nonprofits annually. Her meticulous approach included transitioning the foundation to a new grants management system and a comprehensive website update, which enhanced efficiency and improved partner engagement.

Mary Claire’s career began in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the global events industry before returning to her home state of Arkansas in 2021. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in English literature and art history from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Mary Claire currently resides in Little Rock with her husband and son. When she’s not working, she loves experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen and spending time outdoors with her family.

Amira Tripp Folsom is a recent graduate of American University in Washington, DC where she was a Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar and a Michael Jordan WINGS Scholar. Amira graduated summa cum laude with a double major in Economics and International Relations, a minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies, and a certificate in Socially Responsible Leadership. On campus, Amira acted as the Editor-in-Chief for AU’s only student-of-color-run newspaper, the Evaluation & Impact Chair of the Alternative Breaks Leadership Council, and a member of the Nu Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Off campus, Amira served as a student member of the Emerging Leaders Impact Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, a Giffords Courage Fellow, and a volunteer at the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance. For these efforts, she won American University’s Harold Johnson Award which recognizes the student who contributed the most to promoting understanding and acceptance of cultural and racial diversity within the University community.

Throughout college, Amira completed nine internships in consulting, finance, marketing, media production, research, and community organizing, two of which took place in Madrid, Spain, and Nairobi, Kenya. She returns to Boldly Go, having previously worked as an Impact Intern.

In her free time, Amira enjoys visiting DC’s numerous museums, trying new restaurants with her friends and family, going to concerts, and traveling.

Walid Hedidar comes to Boldly Go from the international development space. He has more than five years of work experience in seven different countries supporting international organizations, non-profits, startups, and governments with driving social impact. Walid has worked previously with the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C., the Ministry of Education in France, and the African Leadership University in Mauritius. He also consulted on several education and health projects with the United Nations Development Programme, Last Mile Health, and UNESCO’s International Institute of Educational Planning in Dakar.

Walid’s day-to-day work has previously involved: supporting countries with integrating 21-st century skills in their national education systems, designing COVID-19 response learning tools for community health workers, and conceptualizing TV-education programs for youth with low access to the internet.

Walid started his journey of social impact in his home country Tunisia. At the age of 17, he started two education reform initiatives focused on teacher training and youth development. These initiatives are now part of a startup, LEAPS Education, that Walid has been co-leading with a mission to revolutionize education in Africa and the Middle East.

Walid holds a master’s degree in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania and an executive certificate in Strategic Philanthropy from Cambridge Judge Business School. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and International Affairs from the University of Denver.

Walid speaks Arabic, French, and English. In his free time, he enjoys trying new recipes and playing the Oud.

Shira Hodges has been providing strategic guidance to philanthropists, foundations, and social sector leaders for nearly two decades. Skilled in client management, philanthropic partnerships, and strategic planning, Hodges thrives on complex challenges.

In her previous role as Executive Vice President at Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia (PNGP), Shira spearheaded strategic initiatives, steering strategy formulation and execution, as well as overseeing operational and financial facets of the organization. Her stewardship extended to managing relationships with over 130 member foundations, where she provided counsel on strategy development, operational efficiency, and grant allocation practices.

During her tenure at PNGP, Shira was instrumental in working with foundations to develop an on-ramp for impact investing, introducing pooled funding models, and reimagining programming paradigms. Prior to her role at PNGP, she served as a Program Director at Geneva Global, overseeing multi-million-dollar domestic and international initiatives with responsibilities spanning strategy development, program design, implementation, and evaluation. Shira also oversaw the strategic planning process for several non-profits and foundations, providing them with actionable plans and ensuring successful execution.

Shira holds an MPH from The George Washington University and a BA from the University of Denver. Shira also has a certificate in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University.

Sumati Joshi leads research and supports strategic advisory for clients—including small family foundations, funder collaboratives, private foundations, corporate impact teams, and community-based organizations. Her work has focused on health, gender, and racial equity and she is passionate about bringing entrepreneurial ideas to action. Sumati brings to the team five years of work experience as a founder of an adolescent girls’ reproductive health-focused social venture and an associate at a human capital advisory firm in India. She has experience of working with organizations across geographies, such as regional Menstrual Health Coalitions in Asia and Africa, UN agencies, Pivotal Ventures, New Jersey Birth Equity Funders’ Alliance, and other funders in the United States.

Sumati holds a MA as a Schwarzman Scholar from Tsinghua University and earned her BA in computer science. She is a Resolution Fellow and a recipient of The Diana Award for social action. She continues to publish research and volunteer time with young changemakers setting up their first non-profit.

Sumati speaks English, Hindi, and elementary Mandarin.

highlights

• Former Executive Director, Peter Kiewit Foundation: $450m place-based private funder.
• Former McKinsey consultant, built and led FSG’s San Francisco office and education practice.
• Six years of on-the-ground education experience as a teacher in the South Bronx and a nonprofit director in Harlem.

bio

Jeff Kutash started his career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching math at a public bilingual middle school in New York City. His students were all recent immigrants, and while he was teaching them math, they were teaching him the importance of hard work to overcome adversity and achieve big dreams. He left the classroom to revive the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, a dormant nonprofit serving youth in Harlem and Washington Heights. Jeff grew a small mentoring program into a college success pipeline that helped hundreds of youth finish high school, go to college, and get a degree. One of his proudest moments was when an early participant in his program finished college and became a teacher in the neighborhood she grew up in.

Between creating college prep programs and visiting students in their homes to help with college applications, Jeff married his college sweetheart, Jessica. Together, they went off to Harvard Business School — Jessica to advance her career in marketing, and Jeff to pick up a business skill set he thought was needed in the social sector. After getting his MBA, Jeff joined McKinsey & Company where he worked with financial services, tech, manufacturing, and retail clients. Helping Fortune 500 companies with their most critical business issues honed Jeff’s problem solving, communication, and client service skills, which he took with him to join The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit consulting firm that helps funders and nonprofits create social impact.

In 2005, Jeff was recruited by The Seed Foundation to help open public college preparatory boarding schools in California. Jeff secured major pledges from donors, gained school district approvals, built broad community support, and ran legislation to fund the schools. And while the California budget crisis at the time put the project on hold, the groundwork was laid for The SEED School of Los Angeles, which will open its doors in 2022.

Jeff then joined Foundation Strategy Group (FSG), a nonprofit consulting firm focused on effective philanthropy and social impact. It was the perfect opportunity to combine his background in consulting with his entrepreneurial mindset. For the next seven years, Jeff led FSG’s San Francisco office, growing the team from two to over 30 professionals. He launched and built FSG’s national education practice, overseeing scores of consulting engagements with leading corporations, foundations, nonprofits, school districts, and government agencies. A few projects he is particularly proud of include helping reestablish New Orleans’ education system after hurricane Katrina and leading a statewide effort to reform New York’s juvenile justice system.

In 2013, Jeff and his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he became the CEO of the Peter Kiewit Foundation, a place-based private funder. Jeff crafted the foundation’s first strategic plan focused on education-to-career pathways, economic opportunity, and thriving and inclusive communities; transformed the foundation’s approach to grantmaking and evaluation; and retooled all operational functions. Jeff was responsible for $25-30M in annual grantmaking and led the foundation’s programmatic initiatives, community engagement, and operations. In that role, Jeff helped catalyze a $300M riverfront redevelopment, launch a regional transportation plan, and develop a statewide initiative on college success. After seven years at the foundation, Jeff left to found Boldly Go Philanthropy.

Jeff holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served on the boards of the Greater Omaha Chamber, College Possible, National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, and Great California Public Schools.

Jeff speaks around the country and writes on topics of effective philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, urban core and rural community development, effecting social change, and education.  He is author of multiple papers and case studies including “Structuring Post-Secondary Scholarships to Increase Student Success,” “The School Turnaround Field Guide,” and “Practices From the Portfolio: Case Studies on Effective Education Practices.”

Jeff and Jessica are the proud parents of three awesome kids – Gabriel, Theara, and Holden. As a family, they love to travel, mountain bike, snowboard, and hike. In those rare moments when he is not working or coaching his kids’ sports teams, Jeff can be found curled up on a couch with a great book.

Dominique “Nikki” Maffei is an experienced philanthropy and nonprofit leader with more than a decade of experience working alongside communities to tackle some of society’s toughest challenges. She has held roles at nonprofit, government, and philanthropic entities focusing on issues including social justice, public health, racial equity, and community development.

Nikki most recently served as Associate Project Director for the Healthy Start Technical Assistance & Support Center (the Center) at the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. The Center provides capacity building and technical assistance support to over 100 organizations working in rural, urban, tribal, and border communities to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in infant and maternal health.

Prior to joining the Center, Nikki worked at The Philanthropic Initiative, a distinct operating unit of The Boston Foundation, as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor. In this role she worked with clients to design, evaluate, and implement philanthropic strategies and programs. Engagements included strategic planning, program design, and management and evaluation of ongoing grantmaking activities. She has also held roles at the United Sates Peace Corps, the American Islamic Congress, and the Healthy Children Project.

Along her journey, Nikki has gained expertise in authentic engagement, racial healing, and cross-cultural dialogue. She holds a master’s degree in Global Health from The University of Manchester and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Boston College.

Sarah lives by the motto “leave a place better than you found it.” Most recently, she was a Business Development Lead at the environmental engagement SaaS company, Temboo. She developed the go-to-market strategy for a new product and designed environmental data collection systems for community-based, government and private organizations. At Walmart eCommerce, Sarah created a new model for identity-based employee resource groups that was replicated across several US offices. Previously, Sarah was the Business Development Lead at Saathi, an Indian biodegradable sanitary pad brand. She led the brand’s product launch and managed a NGO partnership to donate 25K pads to rural women and girls. Prior to Saathi, Sarah was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Bahrain where she taught research skills and English language courses. She graduated with her MMSc in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in summer 2021, and has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Jarred Myers is an independent consultant specializing in Philanthropy and Impact Investing. Jarred was formerly the head of the Innovation Portfolio for the Dell Family Foundation in their Africa office. Jarred designed, built, deployed and managed both the education and workforce programs. Prior to joining the foundation, Jarred worked as a consultant and project manager for more than 10 years at various organizations in South Africa, both in the nonprofit sector at Afrika Tikkun and in the corporate sector in various capacities.

Jarred was a founding partner at the Arc Impact Foundation where he helped launch their technology focused impact venture capital fund and he continues to serve on their investment committee. Jarred consults globally to foundations, family offices, and nonprofits on strategy, innovation, and impact management – he holds an MBA from Duke University in North Carolina. Jarred has several hobbies which he plans to resume after his five daughters have left for college.

Fernanda is a purpose-driven strategist with over a decade of expertise in strategy development and implementation, project management, and social impact. She has turned ideas into reality by leading high-performing teams implementing data-informed solutions in the social, public, corporate, and philanthropic sectors.

She began her career in the private sector, where in an internal strategy unit at the largest bank in Latin America, she successfully engaged c-suite executives in designing and implementing a uniform regional business model across 5 Latin American countries. She moved to the nonprofit sector to coach and support local leaders in researching, advocating, and implementing innovative policy ideas in climate change, environmental protection, gender equity, and education. As a management consultant, she has delivered complex, multifaceted projects across various industries, including developing a nonprofit’s 5-year strategic growth plan, collaborating with US City officials championing innovative solutions in sustainable transportation, affordable housing, and first responder mental wellness, leading impact assessments of education and sustainability initiatives, providing critical data-driven decision support to municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing 3 public-facing dashboards in partnership with a foundation, and acting as chief of staff for a technology firm managing governance and large-scale change. Her experience also includes international development projects, supporting private sector development strategies in Latin America & Asia, and assessments of climate insurance programs in Africa.

Skilled in problem-solving and engaging diverse stakeholders to achieve equitable outcomes, Fernanda is passionate about finding what works to build a more sustainable and prosperous society. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University, with specializations in Advanced Economic & Policy Analysis, and Technology, Media & Global Communications, and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (5th best University in Brazil and top 2.3% Universities in the world).

Roger Norman is a seasoned philanthropy and social impact consultant with over a decade of experience leading major initiatives across the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. He specializes in strategic advising, program development, and program implementation, helping organizations translate ambitious visions into tangible impact.

In his previous roles with the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart.org, Roger managed extensive portfolios spanning diverse subjects, including arts and culture, health and wellness, and community development. He was instrumental in establishing organizations and programs by crafting strategic plans and managing their implementation. Through his efforts, Roger developed leading arts programs at universities across the United States, advanced large-scale initiatives to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in cultural institutions nationwide, and furthered efforts to improve equitable access to healthcare through innovative delivery models. Additionally, he designed and implemented signature initiatives for executive leaders and directed the philanthropic response to major disasters and crises across the globe.

Roger’s work in the social impact sector also extends to policy advocacy, international development, and community health initiatives. His engagement with the ONE Campaign in the United Kingdom included evaluating international development policy advocacy efforts for major global political events and developing frameworks to assess advocacy strategies. Additionally, Roger led a community health needs assessment in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and advised the institution’s leadership in establishing a community health facility for student training in interprofessional healthcare.

Roger is known for his authentic and collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to pragmatic solutions that drive tangible impact. His adaptability allows him to excel in dynamic environments and tackle a range of issues and responsibilities. Whether working with grassroots leaders or senior executives, Roger builds partnerships rooted in trust and servant leadership to drive the progress of initiatives.

He holds a Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Arkansas Tech University.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Former Executive Director, Walton Family Foundation: over $600 million in grantmaking per year.
• Built and led Foundation Strategy Group (FSG) for 14 years: advisor to philanthropists around the world.
• Ten years of global development experience in Africa: on-the-ground training for impact.

BIO

Kyle Peterson joined the Peace Corps right out of college and fell in love twice – first with his wife, a fellow volunteer, and the second time with the adventure of making a difference. While in Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps, Kyle helped farmers plant over 100,000 oil palm trees, witnessed a rich culture and heritage, experienced unjust inequities, and was inspired by everyday heroes.

The experience sparked an interest in Africa, international development, and solving big problems through business-like approaches. After getting business and public policy master degrees at the University of Texas, Kyle joined Population Services International (PSI), a non-governmental organization pushing the boundaries on social marketing, a new approach to social change at the time. Kyle went to Rwanda, six months after the end of the country’s genocide, as country director to restart PSI’s program shut-down during the war. He established a family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention program. Two years later, he started PSI’s social marketing program in Zimbabwe, the epicenter for HIV in Southern Africa in the mid-1990s. Kyle launched a number of novel health programs through the private sector — including a network of HIV counseling and testing sites and insecticide treated mosquito bed nets — that averted thousands of cases of HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Interested in private sector approaches, he signed on with Monitor Consulting to learn the strategy-making ropes, moving from Zimbabwe to Boston. He was soon in Wichita managing a competitiveness study for the firm’s founder, Harvard Business Professor, Michael Porter. He went back to Rwanda and started a multi-year project advising President Kagame and the Cabinet on the country’s economic strategy.

In 2001, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer had just started a new type of consulting organization — Foundation Strategy Group (FSG) — to help philanthropists be more effective. Kyle helped to launch and lead FSG over the next 14 years. While at FSG, Kyle built the global development and health practice areas and led over 150 consulting engagements for foundations, companies, and nonprofits. He also served on FSG’s board of directors and helped with big idea pieces, such as “Catalytic Philanthropy,” “Collective Impact,” and “Shared Value.”

The Walton family was searching for a new leader of their family philanthropy and Kyle signed on as the head of the 30 year-old Walton Family Foundation, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2016. In the role, he oversaw the transformation of one of the nation’s largest family foundations to support $600 million in annual grant making, across education, environment, and economic development program areas. He also supported the philanthropic projects of all Walton family members, which included establishing new charitable vehicles. He helped to create a think tank serving the Heartland and was the founding board chair for two groundbreaking charter school facility revolving loan funds. He strengthened the profile of the organization with a new mission and vision and values; led a diversity, equity, and inclusion assessment and organizational change effort; and built new collaborative relationships with other funders.

Kyle has a BA in international studies from the American University, an MBA from the McCombs School of Business (University of Texas), and an MPA from the LBJ School of Public Affairs (University of Texas). He has served on several boards during the last decade, including Foundation Strategy Group, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Global Health Council. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kyle is a frequent speaker on family and institutional philanthropy, corporate social engagement, and international development. He is author of several field reports including “Ahead of the Curve: Insights for the International NGO of the Future” and “Competing by Saving Lives: How Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Companies Create Shared Value in Global Health” and articles such as “Lobbying for Good” featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. He contributed the chapter  “Social Enterprise and Innovation in Emerging Markets” with Leslie Crutchfield in the 2016 book, Innovation in Emerging Markets. 

When not working, Kyle loves to travel, hike, and mountain bike with his wife, Maury, and teenage son, Finn.

Drew Petty is the President and Founder of Black Dog Group, an impact advisory firm based in Denver, Colorado. A seasoned leader in the impact sector, Drew has dedicated his career to transforming vision into reality. He is adept at navigating significant inflection points for individuals and organizations, expertly translating aspirations into actionable strategies and robust implementations. Drew’s comprehensive experience includes managing large-scale grants, fostering community engagement, and facilitating donor collaborations across a broad spectrum of domains such as the arts, healthcare, education, and community development.

In his role leading Black Dog Group, Drew provides strategic advisory services to individuals, family offices, companies, and foundations on matters related to philanthropy and the broader concept of social impact. He specializes in helping evolve strategies, developing new programmatic initiatives, and launching structures that enhance collaboration while also maximizing impact.

Prior to founding Black Dog Group, Drew worked with the Walton family on numerous large-scale initiatives in a variety of roles. During his tenure with the family, he helped launch an education innovation fund for Walton Family Foundation, form a de novo medical school in Arkansas, and scale a constellation of philanthropic entities for a member of the family. His roles had him overseeing strategic and operational management of philanthropic endeavors, including significant assets and complex philanthropic vehicles.

Before his work with the Walton family, Drew was a founding team member of the Markle Foundation’s Skillful Initiative, where he led national efforts to promote skills-based employment practices and facilitated the expansion of innovative workforce development programs across multiple states.

Drew began his career in consulting, leading post-M&A integration engagements and developing strategic initiatives for clients in the telecom and energy sectors. This early experience in consulting provided him with a strong foundation in strategy development, systems thinking, and advanced data analysis, which continue to be valuable in his professional work.

Drew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His deep understanding of personal and institutional philanthropy, coupled with his expertise in the diverse ways funders can deploy resources—from grantmaking to collaborative efforts—makes him a trusted advisor in the field of social impact.

Tom Pyun is a strategist, master synthesizer, and data storyteller who has worked with leading public health and human services institutions across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and governmental sectors. As an independent consultant, he advised The California Endowment for over 8+ years on evaluation and strategic learning projects across various content areas, including criminal justice reform, healthcare access, policy, and school discipline reform.

Racial justice and health equity are at the center of his consulting practice. He previously worked with Blue Shield of California Foundation on an initiative to improve cultural competence in the domestic violence field. Additionally, he served as a FUSE Executive Advisor with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. During his fellowship’s tenure, he used expert facilitation, human-centered design, data analytics, and other change management techniques to drive impact at the population level. Moreover, he led a series of interventions and health innovation pilots that successfully cut patient wait times in half at the largest jail in the country.

Other past clients of his include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Edge Collaborative (a program of the Community Foundation of San Joaquin County), LYRIC SF, and SAGEVenture.

Previously, he served as an Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellow and Senior Technical Advisor at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He also worked at The Bridgespan Group, a social sector strategy consultancy incubated by Bain & Company.

He began his career in entertainment as a talent development intern at MTV Networks and as a mailroom clerk at a global talent agency before serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Oakland Unified School District.

Tom has a BA in Sociology from Vassar College, an MPH in Epidemiology from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University-Los Angeles. He has co-authored multiple articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and his creative writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Award.

Hannah Reyes is committed to refugee and migration issues, housing, public health, and poverty alleviation. Passionate about cross-sector collaboration, she leverages her expertise as a social worker with a strong foundation in research, analysis, and strategy to drive meaningful impact. 

With extensive experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, Hannah has served as a consultant for philanthropic and nonprofit programs focused on workforce development as a pathway out of poverty, health initiatives for individuals in subsidized housing, health coverage outreach, maternal and infant health, and animal welfare. She has also worked directly with vulnerable populations as a hospice volunteer, a supportive housing case manager, a resource for young adults with disabilities, and a student clinician assisting parents of children with developmental delays. As an AmeriCorps VISTA alum, she supported more than 14 nonprofits in the Greater Houston area with their training and capacity-building needs. 

Most recently, Hannah has focused on refugee support both domestically and internationally. She served as a Housing Coordinator for arriving refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders in Houston, following an internship at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. There, she contributed to the first-ever annual report on standby partnerships and assessed the process and communications of emergency deployment mechanisms. 

Hannah holds a Master of Public Affairs and a Master of Science in Social Work, along with a Data Science Certificate and a Nonprofit Studies Portfolio, from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker in the state of Texas. 

Lauren is an Impact Advisor at Boldly Go Philanthropy where she helps funders achieve their philanthropic ambitions and supports firm development activities.

Lauren previously served as a Senior Philanthropy Associate at Lever for Change, an affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that designs and manages grant competitions on behalf of donors. In her role, she supported the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors whom Lever for Change helped grant over $1 billion to high-impact nonprofits and social ventures.

Previously, Lauren held internship positions across the social sector including at the Global Food and Agriculture Program at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago’s Center for Global Health, and Health Access Connect, a public health NGO in Kampala, Uganda.

Lauren is a graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Global Public Health and History. In 2023, Lauren was selected as an Aspen Ideas Health Fellow.

Lauren was born and raised in Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new recipes and restaurants, and spending time outdoors.

Melissa D. Starace joins Boldly Go to execute the philanthropic activities of the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation following 25+ years serving community college and private higher education institutions.  As Foundation Director, Melissa will represent the family foundation in the Lehigh Valley community, oversee local grant making, help plan and execute philanthropic strategy, and utilize multiple philanthropic tools to drive impact with a particular focus on youth, arts, human services, and entrepreneurship. A convener and connector of people and programs, Melissa brings experience and a passion for fundraising, community engagement, board development and governance, advocacy, teaching and research.

Awais Sufi is a consultant, attorney and executive coach that regularly provides strategic counsel and leadership in the design and execution of complex public-private, philanthropic and nonprofit ventures. In his consulting work, Awais works as a close partner to executive leaders, boards and investors as they construct and execute upon new approaches designed to drive growth and greater impact.

Through his own ventures, Awais has catalyzed new enterprises and efforts supported by over $250M in investments from foundations, companies, individuals, and governments. Prior to building his strategy consulting practice, Awais served as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he raised capital, built the strategy and led the team at SchoolSmartKC, a $100M+ collaborative fund designed to catalyze educational improvement and innovation in Kansas City. In building this collaborative platform, Awais worked in close partnership with the core donors anchoring this effort including the Kauffman Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the Hall Family Foundation.

Prior to his work at SchoolSmartKC, Awais served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at the International Youth Foundation (IYF) where he drove strategy across teams working in 50 countries through 10 worldwide offices. Prior to his work with IYF, Awais was the founding Managing Director of the Education for Employment Foundation, a startup venture that now continues two decades later working closely with business leaders to annually provide thousands of Middle Eastern youth with exceptional training and jobs.

Awais started his career as a lawyer, working as a corporate and securities attorney at the Washington, D.C. law firm Arnold & Porter, and as Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge John Sprizzo of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.  He’s a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review, and the University of Chicago where he was a member of the Maroon Key Society.

Rachel Gordon Vivas

Rachel has over 10 years of experience providing both strategy and management consulting services to non-profits, foundations and public sector entities. In a variety of cross-sector roles, she has developed a toolkit of best practices and data-driven techniques to closely collaborate with partner organizations and drive social impact.

Rachel began her career advising academic institutions on how to increase operational efficiencies, reduce costs and mitigate risk through data analysis, business process redesign and stakeholder interviews. She then transitioned to providing project management support to local governments, including planning, executing and implementing long-term initiatives, as well as advising on performance improvement strategies to enhance their daily operations. More recently, Rachel works with social change organizations to develop high-impact strategies and operational approaches centered on racial equity.

Outside of consulting, Rachel has managed research and evaluation projects to support data-driven decision-making regarding resource allocation and real estate investment in support of community development activities. She has led focus groups with community members and conducted demographic analyses to assess education, health and housing needs and develop models to measure long-term outcomes in their areas. She also served as a Mayoral Fellow focusing on government efficiency, policy analysis and enhancements to city-wide initiatives related to economic development, education, public safety and sustainability for the City of Chicago.

Rachel earned her BA from the University of Michigan in Organizational Studies and Political Science as well as her MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She also currently serves as an Associate Board Member for City Year Detroit and a mentor to its corps members.

Maggie has over a decade of experience working in the social sector. She brings a blend of experiences including teaching and facilitation, project management, operations, and building partnerships with external and internal stakeholders. Maggie enjoys working with smaller organizations to support their growth and strategic development as they begin and transition into new phases of organizational life.

She began her career in the classroom, teaching high school Algebra in Charlotte, NC, through Teach For America and then joined the national organization’s recruitment team. She was the founding project manager of Read Charlotte, a community initiative dedicated to improving children’s literacy from birth through third grade. Most recently, Maggie lived abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, with her family. There she served as the Head of Internal Operations for a small nonprofit organization called the Right Livelihood Foundation which gives monetary prizes and additional support to various changemakers worldwide.

Maggie graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington with a bachelor’s in political science. She also holds an M.S. from Stockholm University in Management and Organizational Development. With her family, Maggie currently resides in Charlotte, NC, and enjoys a nice hike in the Blueridge mountains, time at the beach, and chasing her toddler.

Jesús Luis Zúñiga IV graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with dual master’s degrees in Nonprofit Leadership and International Educational Development. He is interested in collaborative philanthropy and dedicated to improving quality and access of education. Prior to Penn, Jesús Luis was Director of Development at the Latin American Leadership Academy in Medellin, Colombia. Previously, he taught English in Cameroon as a Peace Corps volunteer and later in Puerto Rico, after making a pivot from investment banking. Jesús Luis is from Houston, TX and holds a B.A. in economics from Amherst College.