The Strategic Team
Reni Adebayo (she/her)
United States
Our team Gen Z communications specialist, Reni has always been an advocate for social justice. Her political life began in college, where she championed efforts for social change in Nigeria and Bath, England through think pieces, actions, and her first book, 52 Thoughts on Nigerian Politics. Since 2022, Reni has supported a wide range of electoral campaigns, crafting authentic, award-winning narratives to set grassroots candidates and organizations alike up for success. Reni has been featured for her advocacy work by the BBC, The New York Times, National Business Extra, ITRealms, and NTA. In her free time, Reni loves to dance, travel, and foster deep connections with others.
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Mame Yacine Bakhoum Diop (she/her)
Senegal
Yacine has helped move millions of dollars to multi-year and multi-sector projects that improve the lives of people in West and Central Africa. For more than ten years, she worked in fundraising and project management with international relief organizations such as Oxfam, Millennium Promise Alliance and the Norwegian Refugee Council, serving as principal contact to grantmaking program officers. Bilingual in French and English, Yacine has a masters' degree in Business Administration, a passion for social justice and women’s rights, and is serves on the board of directors for Justice and Dignity for the Women of Sahel.
Sarah Beckerman (she/her)
United States
Sarah Beckerman is an experienced practitioner and problem-solver with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of democracy, development, and conflict resolution. Her work spans the U.S. and more than a dozen countries, partnering with mission-driven leaders to advance democratic institutions, strengthen grassroots organizing, and foster social cohesion. She has held leadership and strategic roles at the One America Movement, the Truman National Security Project, and at the National Democratic Institute. Sarah holds an MA in International Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution from American University’s School of International Service and an MA in History and Political Science from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Sheena M. Brockington (she/her)
United States
Sheena is a dot-connector who aligns priorities, people, processes, and partnerships to accelerate nonprofit impact. She has led development efforts for national organizations, securing transformative corporate partnerships including a multi-year deal with the NFL's Inspire Change Initiative. Sheena has experience leading events, from corporate volunteer initiatives to virtual gatherings. Her work includes strengthening teams through leadership and professional development workshops and coaching.
Laura Esterly (she/her)
United States
Laura has two decades of experience in communications, resource development, and impact strategies across issue areas she is passionate about. She has worked with global nonprofits of all sizes to advance development goals, navigate changing attitudes and behaviors, strengthen services, and improve systems. With deep expertise in communications, fundraising, and evaluation across sectors like education, cultural heritage, health care, energy, and technology, she has successfully led institutional and corporate giving initiatives, donor cultivation programs, and strategic partnerships, helping build collaboration to advance organizational goals.
Khaled Farrag (he/him)
United States and Palestine
Born in Palestine, Khaled is co-founder and former director of Grassroots Al-Quds and co-founder and current lead of the Public Narrative Committee for the Urfod movement, which helps Druze youth who refuse to serve in the army against their values. Based in NYC, Khaled consults on management, strategy and resource development, and serves as board treasurer of Eyewitness Palestine. Over the past decade Khaled has worked with dozens of organizations and movements in the MENA region, with a focus on the Arab World. He is part of global professional and activism networks that work to advance justice and human rights, and has cultivated deep connections with movements, organizations, academic institutes, foundations, activist organizers and professionals in over 40 countries.
EJ Jacobs (he/him)
Canada
EJ has worked for more than 15 years to expand the definition and reach of philanthropic resources. He has been a leading voice for gender equity, human rights, and the effort to eradicate violence against children globally. He was the Program Director of the Nduna Foundation, where he oversaw the foundation’s philanthropic giving and partnerships, with a focus on human rights in conflict and post-conflict regions, predominantly in Africa. He is the founder and host of the resource center and podcast series Virtual Philanthropy, the author of The Conversation: Candid Perspectives and Advice on Fundraising Shared By Donors and Nonprofits, and the co-creator of donor funding networks responsible for coalescing tens of millions of dollars.
Fernanda Ordaz (she/her)
Türkiye
Fernanda Ordaz is a global communications and PR strategist with a decade of experience shaping narratives across art, architecture, politics, and cultural projects. She specializes in brand positioning, strategic communications, and content strategy, leading international teams to craft compelling stories that resonate. She has collaborated with renowned curators, scholars, and institutions on award-winning publications and exhibitions. She combines critical thinking, cultural analysis, storytelling and creative direction with expertise in digital strategy and editorial leadership to ensure brands and thought leaders make a lasting impact worldwide.
Kathryn Pauso (she/her)
Philippines
Our donor prospecting work is led by Team Strategist Kathryn Pauso, an accomplished grants specialist with more than a decade of experience in international development spanning Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. Kat's lead generation system leverages funding databases and tax filings and offers a range of tools to streamline funder research, including in-depth donor intelligence reports, financial insights, and tailored pathways to maximize opportunities. An Edward S. Mason Fellow, Kat earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
Kelsea-Marie Pym (she/her)
United States
Kelsea-Marie has over a decade of experience in US-based advocacy campaigns dedicated to strategic communications, partnerships, development, and project management. Kelsea-Marie’s issue focused work specializes in the intersection of economic advocacy and democratic reform to drive forward progressive change. Her general work focuses on scaling campaigns and non profits to increase ROI and to streamline processes. Kelsea-Marie is an alumnus of Boston University and sits on the Board of Yellow Arrow Publishing.
Kerry McGlade (she/her)
United States
Kerry McGlade is a passionate social impact leader dedicated to creating positive change through strategic fundraising and community building. With over a decade of experience and an MPA from Clark University, Kerry specializes in helping nonprofits grow, engage diverse stakeholders, and drive meaningful impact. Through executive leadership and consultancy, she empowers global organizations with tailored strategies in development, marketing, and donor stewardship. Her efforts have raised over $500k through impactful events and cultivated key partnerships for sustainable growth. Kerry's work has supported impactful programs across Central and West Africa, Ireland, India, and the U.S. Her work is driven by a deep belief in the power of collaboration to transform communities and improve lives worldwide.
Emily Velazquez (she/her)
United States
Emily has a decade of professional experience dedicated to development, fundraising, and grant writing for nonprofits across the United States and in Latin America. Our team specialist in foundation fundraising, Emily is bilingual in Spanish and has advised NGOs with budgets ranging from $1 million to $50 million. Her experience includes securing foundation support for issues such as advocacy, public policy, immigration reform and climate change.
