Contributor

In addition to being a social entrepreneur, new urbanist, mass collaborator, and co-creator, Valerie is a marketing expert by training and a career of more than four decades. Valerie earned a B.A. in Marketing from Illinois State University and in the past decade has engaged diverse stakeholders in sustainability initiatives… Read More

Stephanie Ellis-Smith is the CEO and owner of the philanthropic advisory firm Phīla (pronounced phyla) Engaged Giving and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) . She works with ultrahigh-net-wealth and high-profile individuals, families, foundations and corporations to make catalytic investments in people and organizations. Stephanie and her husband Douglas Smith started the Rockhaven Fund in 2008 to fund the arts, humanities,… Read More

Brian Hamilton is a board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. He is also the CEO of Trillion Corporation. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in the Birmingham suburb of Bessemer, the company provides a range of services in the telecommunications marketplace, including procurement, warehousing, just-in-time inventory management and project management… Read More

Abbas Barzegar, Ph.D.  serves as the Director of the Horizon Forum where he stewards its collaborative and stakeholder-centered research programming. He is a term-member of the Council on Foreign Relations and maintains research and teaching affiliations with Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Emory University’s Masters in Development Program, and George Mason’s Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies… Read More

Anne Marie Toccket has worked across the globe with social enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and individuals to build strong, lasting, effective institutions. Anne Marie is currently executive director of the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, a growing family foundation using diverse philanthropic tools to support solutions to social, environmental, and economic challenges around the world. Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Anne… Read More

Peter S Myers, PhD, is the Chair of the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation and a fourth-generation member of the family. He is the Program Manager in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. Peter advocates for underrepresented persons and is a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion education and action. In his spare time, Peter is… Read More

Mary Sobecki is the Executive Director of the Needmor Fund, a 65-year-old family foundation based in Ohio. Mary first became aware of the work of Needmor while serving as Senior Program Officer for the Toledo Community Foundation. Lured by the call of social justice and supporting systemic change, she joined the staff in 2004, becoming Executive Director in 2017… Read More

Nithin Jilla is a passionate educator, social entrepreneur and philanthropist who champions building models and systems of social change that are sustainable and empower the next generation. Nithin began with his first efforts in philanthropy with his high school class – establishing a project to help raise funds to renovate educational facilities and provide students with scholarships in Kenya, to… Read More

Daniel develops trusted partnerships with institutional, family, individual, and corporate funders as a strategic advisor to advance their philanthropic goals. Daniel has advised dozens of impact-driven philanthropists on articulating their visions, developing their giving strategies, and deploying their passion and resources to transform the fields of health, education, global nutrition, affordable housing, and many others. At TCC Group, Daniel leads… Read More

Deepti brings a relatable style to engaging stakeholders at all levels. Highly responsive to changing environments with unwavering focus on key goals, she is an effective communicator, willing to raise up difficult issues and address them head on. With a background in advocacy and working with grassroots organizations, Deepti is inspired by opportunities to proactively partner with communities to impact… Read More