Meet Our Speakers
Meet the bold thinkers and cross-sector changemakers shaping the future of pro bono. IGNITE 2026 speakers bring deep expertise and fresh perspective on how we build a more resilient, equitable, and innovative social sector—together.
René Deida Director, Corporate and Community Engagement, Office of Corporate Social Responsibility, Prudential IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Cheryl Dorsey Chief Executive Officer, Echoing Green IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Jonny Dorsey Secretary of the Department of Service and Innovation and Senior Advisor to Maryland Governor Wes Moore IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Season Eckardt Director, Advisory Services, Taproot IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Cammie Erickson Senior Director, Social Impact, LinkedIn IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Diana Fischer Senior Director, Workday Foundation and Social Impact, Workday IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Janet Foutty President of Corporate Partnerships, RAISE US IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Nessa French Senior Manager, Inclusion and Sustainability, PwC IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Brittany Greer Founder and Executive Director, Rosie Riveters IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Bryan Hancock Partner, McKinsey and Company IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Thalamus "T" Hill Senior Vice President, Enterprise AI Strategy, Governance and Analytics, Voya Financial IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
John Kelly Chief Executive Officer, America’s Service Commissions IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Sona Khosla Chief Impact Officer, Benevity IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Whitney Kimmel Vice President and Global Head State Street Volunteers, State Street IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Sara Link Global Head of Employee Impact, Corporate Social Responsibility, IBM IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Naria Santa Lucia Founder and Principal, 35 North IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Brad McGowan Senior Manager, Leadership & Executive Development, CSAA Insurance Group IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Sarah Meron Chief Corporate Affairs & Brand Officer, IBM IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Cynthia Ni Program Management Officer, Amazon IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Mel Ochoa Chief Operating Officer and General Partner, Landmark Ventures and Social Innovation Summit IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Kyle Pennisi Managing Consultant, Taproot IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Patrina Pettry Executive Director of Early Careers Development & Experience, Wells Fargo IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Dhanashri Pitale Executive Director, Tech for Social Good, JP Morgan Chase & Co. IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum LINK
Sarah Richter Executive Director, Senior Lead, Social Impact and Sustainability, Wells Fargo IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Frederick J. Riley Executive Director, Weave: The Social Fabric Project, Aspen Institute IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Laura Rog Chief Service Officer, NYC Service IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Potoula Stavropoulos Senior Director, Social Impact, Regeneron IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Ryan Stowers Senior Vice President, Stand Together IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Shea Waldron Chief Program Officer (Interim), Taproot IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Cat Ward Chief Executive Officer, Taproot IGNITE: Summit Speaker IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Akilah Watkins President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Sector IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Marnie Webb Chief Executive Officer, TechSoup IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Amy Whittaker Claude for Nonprofits, Anthropic IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Nzingha Williams Lead Talent and Performance Management Consultant, Wells Fargo IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Esayas Wureta Head of Inclusion & Belonging and Community Impact, CSAA Insurance Group IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum Speaker LINK
Mary Zhu Founder and Executive Director, Develop for Good IGNITE: Summit Speaker LINK
Speakers
René Deida
Director, Corporate and Community Engagement, Office of Corporate Social Responsibility, Prudential
Bio coming soon.
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Cheryl Dorsey
CEO, Echoing Green
IGNITE: Summit
Cheryl L. Dorsey is the Chief Executive Officer of Echoing Green, a global nonprofit that supports emerging social entrepreneurs and invests deeply in their ideas and leadership. A social entrepreneur herself, Cheryl received an Echoing Green Fellowship in 1992 to launch The Family Van, a community-based mobile health unit in Boston. Cheryl has served in two presidential administrations and currently serves on several boards including The Bridgespan Group and Skoll Foundation. She has received numerous awards, including the Pfizer Roerig History of Medicine Award, the Robert Kennedy Distinguished Public Service Award, and the Manual C. Carballo Memorial Prize. Cheryl has been named one of "America's Best Leaders" by US News & World Report and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and one of The Nonprofit Times' "Power and Influence Top 50." She has a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and her master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School.
Jonny Dorsey
Secretary, Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation
Jonny Dorsey is the Secretary of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation and Senior Advisor to Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Moore from 2023 to 2025. Prior to joining the Moore-Miller Administration, Mr. Dorsey was Director of Innovation and Policy at Emerson Collective, where he focused on democracy, civic engagement, government delivery, and national service. He served as Policy Director for Mike Johnston's campaigns for Governor and Senate in Colorado. Earlier in his career, he was a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration, placed at the Department of Education, where he worked on special projects and strategic partnerships in the Secretary’s Office.
A serial social entrepreneur, Mr. Dorsey co-founded Global Health Corps, which recruits and places emerging global leaders with high-impact nonprofits to build health systems worldwide, and FACE AIDS, a nonprofit that mobilized students in the fight for global health equity, which was acquired by Partners In Health.
Mr. Dorsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University, where he served as President of the Student Body and won the Deans’ Award for Academic Achievement. He also earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Zuckerman Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership.
IGNITE: Summit
Season Eckardt
Director, Advisory Services, Taproot
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Season Eckardt has spent over twenty years working across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors in the engagement field. Passionate about connecting people and resources to amplify impact, she currently serves as Director of Advisory Services at Taproot Foundation, where she co-leads a 20-person team that supports nonprofits build lasting capacity by turning pro bono expertise into impact at scale. In the last year, she has co-designed two new pro bono programs—one that engages college students to build capacity at scale, and another that leverages AI as an accelerator for impact. Previously, Season managed a graduate student program with Reimagining Service, a cross‑sector coalition focused on increasing social impact through effective volunteer engagement. Outside of work, she enjoys walking her dog, Carmy, and strategizing dinner plans before her two teens inevitably ask, “What’s for dinner?”
Cammie Erickson
Senior Director, Social Impact, LinkedIn
IGNITE: Summit
Cammie is committed to building a future of work that works better for everyone.
As Senior Director of Social Impact at LinkedIn, Cammie connects professionals overcoming barriers to economic opportunity at scale. She lead our Social Impact partnerships along with our Employee & Community programs and Disaster Response efforts - harnessing the collective power of our people, platforms and data to deliver on LinkedIn's vision to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.
She regularly speaks at industry events and conferences and was awarded Emerging CSR Practitioner of the Year in 2016 by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. She's a mom of two kids and is deeply committed to expanding access to paid leave and affordable childcare for all.
Diana Fischer
Senior Director, Workday Foundation and Social Impact, Workday
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
As the Senior Director, Workday Foundation and Social Impact at Workday, Diana leads the AI and Workforce Transformation grantmaking portfolio for the Workday Foundation. Her work focuses on the intersection of emerging technology, labor market changes, and workforce development. She is deeply passionate about programs and partnerships that create economic opportunity through meaningful work. She also leads strategic volunteer programs globally for Workday.
During her 13 years at Workday, Diana has held various roles focused on empowering individuals to create positive change through meaningful volunteer and giving programs. Her responsibilities include energizing employees around signature Workday volunteer events and causes, connecting Workday grantees with employee talents, and, previously, leading Workday's volunteer grants and donation matching programs. She also launched and scaled Workday’s global network of volunteer champions, which now serves 50+ Workday offices. Diana is a proud former Root (aka Taproot alumni) and was a contributing author of Powered By Pro Bono: A Nonprofit’s Guide to Securing, Scoping and Managing Pro Bono Services.
Janet Foutty
President of Employer Partnerships, RAISE US
IGNITE: Summit
Janet Foutty is President of Corporate Partnerships at RAISE US, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit helping American workers navigate the transition to an AI-powered economy by engaging government, corporate, and higher education partners around new models of worker preparation and support. Janet leads the organization's engagement with the private sector, building a founding coalition of major employers committed to co-designing and testing new approaches to worker transitions.
Janet finished her 33-year career at Deloitte in 2023, serving as CEO of Deloitte Consulting and Chair of the Deloitte US Board, leading large-scale transformation for many of the world's largest organizations. Since then, she has served as an advisor, consultant, and board member across women's health and leadership — including WHAM, Amboy Street Ventures, and the Milken Institute — and technology and workforce, including Argonne National Laboratory, Mudita Venture Partners, and P33 Chicago.
Janet is a best-selling author and frequent speaker on women's leadership. She holds a BS and MBA from Indiana University and lives in Chicago.
Nessa French
Senior Manager, Inclusion and Sustainability, PwC
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Bio coming soon.
Brittany Greer
Founder and Executive Director, Rosie Riveters
IGNITE: Summit
Brittany Greer is the Founder and Executive Director of Rosie Riveters, a nationally recognized nonprofit building the next generation of STEM talent. A results-driven executive with over 15 years of experience, she has led transformative initiatives at the intersection of workforce development, industry innovation, and mission-driven growth. Brittany has grown Rosie Riveters from a grassroots effort into an organization that has served more than 60,000 students across 15 states through hands-on programs that build critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical skills. Her global perspective, shaped by early leadership in UK political strategy and international energy communications, informs her work developing inclusive talent pipelines, forging cross-sector partnerships, and delivering scalable strategies that drive both business and social impact.
Bryan Hancock
Partner, McKinsey and Company
IGNITE: Summit
Bryan Hancock is a Partner in the Washington D.C. Office of McKinsey and Company, and he is one of the leaders of McKinsey's talent practice. He is also one of McKinsey's leading researchers on talent and the workplace, including the impact of AI and the evolution of remote work.
Bryan serves a wide range of talent-intensive businesses, including large employers and providers across the human capital management ecosystem. In addition, Bryan serves a wide range of public and social sector clients, including those focused on education and workforce development.
Bryan is the co-host of the podcast McKinsey Talks Talent. He is also the co-author of the book, Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, which was released by Harvard Business Review Press.
Bryan serves on the boards of Homeboy Industries, the Taproot Foundation, and AlliedUP, reflecting his commitment to connecting people to opportunity and to bringing professional talent to nonprofits across the social sector.
Bryan holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude. He also holds a B.A., with honors, in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
Thalamus “T” Hill
SVP, Enterprise AI Strategy, Governance and Analytics, Voya Financial
IGNITE: Summit
Bio coming soon.
John Kelly
Chief Executive Officer, America’s Service Commissions
IGNITE: Summit
John Kelly is the Chief Executive Officer of America’s Service Commissions (ASC), the national association representing state and territorial service commissions. He has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of national service, public policy, workforce development, philanthropy, and community impact.
As CEO, John is focused on strengthening the role of states as laboratories for service innovation and expanding the connection between paid service, workforce development, and career pathways. He is helping lead national efforts to support states in using service to address pressing challenges, build talent pipelines, and create pathways into careers that strengthen communities.
Prior to joining ASC, John served for six years as Executive Director of Serve Colorado, where he helped establish Colorado as a national leader in service-to-career pathways. Under his leadership, Serve Colorado expanded its AmeriCorps portfolio and launched the Colorado Climate Corps, Youth Mental Health Corps, and COVID Containment Response Corps. John championed a model that integrates AmeriCorps with Registered Apprenticeships, industry-recognized credentials, career coaching, and employer partnerships, positioning service as a workforce strategy in fields including behavioral health, education, healthcare, and climate resilience.
Earlier in his career, John served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Corporation for National and Community Service and worked at the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama Administration, advancing national service and other domestic policy initiatives. He also held leadership roles at the Congressional Hunger Center and across the nonprofit and civic sectors.
Sona Khosla
Chief Impact Officer, Benevity
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Bio coming soon.
Whitney Kimmel
Global Head State Street Volunteers, State Street
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Whitney Kimmel is Vice President and Global Head of State Street Volunteers, where she leads the firm's global volunteer and skills-based volunteering strategy. She designs and delivers programs that connect employee talent with community needs, oversees volunteer engagement across regions and business lines, manages nonprofit partnerships, and leads the technology, communications, operations and reporting that power the State Street Volunteer ecosystem. Prior to State Street, Whitney spent 10 years with the American Cancer Society, advancing fundraising and volunteer engagement initiatives from the local level to global programs. Originally from Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Kansas, Whitney lives outside Boston with her husband, Matt, and their two delightfully chaotic children, Elliot and Oliver. She's an avid runner–ran the Boston Marathon this year for Rosie’s Place!–Marvel nerd, Murderino and has ADHD coming out of her ears.
Sara Link
Global Head of Employee Impact, IBM
IGNITE: Summit
Sara Link is the Global Head of Employee Impact for CSR at IBM, where she leads employee engagement, the company’s volunteerism, giving, and disaster relief initiatives. She harnesses AI, cloud computing, and employee expertise to drive positive societal impact across IBM's core CSR priorities: education and workforce development, social innovation, employee giving and volunteerism, and ESG initiatives. Under her leadership, she develops programs that empower IBMers to apply their skills and technology to strengthen communities worldwide.
Prior to IBM, Sara was at Verizon, where she launched the company’s first strategic volunteer program. Previously, as head of CSR for Verizon Media and President of the AOL Foundation, she focused on expanding access through technology for women, girls, and underserved youth. Her earlier roles include founding Little West Group, a social impact consulting firm, and leading global programs at Goldman Sachs.
Sara holds an M.A. from Columbia University in Organizational Psychology and a B.A. from the University of Maryland.
Naria Santa Lucia
Chief General Manager, Microsoft Elevate
IGNITE: Summit
As general manager for Microsoft Elevate, Naria leads Microsoft’s global capacity building solutions team, shaping education and workforce systems as they transition to the AI economy. Focused on expanding access to digital and AI skills, her team partners with governments, industry, educational institutions, and civil society worldwide so learners, educators, nonprofits, and workforce leaders can succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Naria served as executive director of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS). Under Naria’s leadership, WSOS raised over $200M in public-private support for scholarships and supports and to support 20,000+ students, the majority of whom are women, students of color and/or first in their families to go to college. Naria has also served as executive director of the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, a juvenile and education law and social work organization in Illinois and the director of LAW Fund and the Endowment for Equal Justice at the Legal Foundation of Washington.
Naria currently serves on (and was formerly the Co-Chair of the World Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment steering committee within the Jobs Group. She also serves on the Board of Seattle Arts and Lectures, where she is the Chair of the Development, as well as the Board of Taproot Foundation, a national organization with the mission of driving social change by leading, mobilizing, and engaging professionals in pro bono service. She was recently appointed to the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. Naria is a graduate of the Law School and the College at the University of Chicago.
Brad McGowan
Senior Manager of Leadership & Executive Development, CSAA Insurance Group
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Brad McGowan is the Sr. Manager of Leadership & Executive Development at CSAA Insurance Group, where he leads the company's Leadership Institute. In this role, Brad and his team create meaningful development experiences that support leaders at every stage of their leadership journey, from emerging leaders to experienced executives.
For Brad, leadership development is more than a professional responsibility; it's a personal passion. He gets energy from helping others grow, providing leaders with the tools, support, and opportunities to strengthen their leadership presence, increase their effectiveness, and become the best version of themselves.
At the heart of Brad's approach is a belief in the collective power and knowledge of others. He is passionate about bringing people together, facilitating engaging conversations, and creating environments where individuals can learn from different perspectives, challenge their thinking, and grow together.
Through the Leadership Institute, Brad and his team bring this philosophy to life through leadership development programs, coaching, assessments, and collaborative learning experiences designed to help leaders translate insights into meaningful action.
Brad believes that leadership development is an ongoing journey, not a destination. His goal is to help leaders become more intentional about how they show up, more effective in how they support others, and ultimately, to help everyone be better tomorrow than they are today.
Sarah Meron
Chief Communications & Brand Officer, IBM
IGNITE: Summit
Sarah Meron leads the Corporate Affairs & Brand team at IBM, overseeing corporate communications, employee communications, brand marketing, social media, and IT industry analyst relations for the company. Prior to IBM, Sarah led the Communications function for Gap Inc. and its portfolio of seven brands (including Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta) where she was responsible for external and internal communications. She served as corporate communications lead at Yahoo, leading corporate, policy, business-to-business and internal communications, in addition to acting as the primary company spokesperson. Sarah also held a variety of communications roles at American Express supporting merchant services, corporate affairs, advertising, M&A and mobile payments. She began her communications career in a series of PR roles at Carnegie Hall.
Sarah is based in New York City. She studied political science and anthropology at Vanderbilt University, and graduated from Columbia University’s Masters program in Strategic Communications.
Cynthia Ni
Program Management Officer, Amazon
IGNITE: Summit
Cynthia Ni is the Program Management Officer for Amazon Business Operations, leveraging a decade of expertise to lead operational excellence, change management, and continuous improvement. Cynthia has used her passion for organization, artistic expression, and small business advocacy to co-found a fiber arts program at Amazon’s HQ2 office and assume the role of a Community Ambassador, driving volunteering activations for her team.
Before joining Amazon in 2022, Cynthia’s career journey included leading retail operations for Eastbanc’s Concept 31/M in Washington D.C.’s historic and commercial Georgetown district, managing a penthouse studio above New York City’s Union Square for internationally renowned design specialist and architect Stephanie Goto, and driving new business development for fashion-consulting showrooms across New York City’s Tribeca and Chelsea neighborhoods.
Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology Management from the New York University Tandon School of Engineering.
Mel Ochoa
Chief Operating Officer and General Partner, Landmark Ventures and Social Innovation Summit
IGNITE: Summit
Mel Ochoa is Chief Operating Officer and a General Partner at Landmark Ventures, a strategic and financial advisory firm that offers a unique combination of venture development and global investment banking services. Within Landmark, he also helps lead the Social Innovation Summit (SIS), a global platform that brings together leaders across business, philanthropy, nonprofits, government, technology, academia, and social entrepreneurship to surface ideas, build relationships, and catalyze partnerships that advance social impact. For more than a decade, Mel’s work has focused on building cross-sector ecosystems and identifying and connecting leaders, organizations, and ideas with the relationships and resources that can help them grow. He plays a senior role in shaping year-round SIS and Landmark programming and community-building, including executive convenings, VIP dinners, Learning Journeys, and other experiences designed to foster collaboration among corporate leaders, funders, and innovators. Earlier in his career, Mel co-founded an enterprise software company that was later acquired and served on the leadership team of a network of public charter schools. His career has also included work in early childhood education, consumer packaged goods, communications, and public service. Mel serves on the boards of Partners for Justice, New Rising Ventures, and SparkWheel and on the advisory board of WorldQuant University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MBA from NYU Stern, where he was a university-wide fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
Kyle Pennisi
Managing Consultant, Taproot
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Kyle Pennisi, MSW (she/her), is a Managing Consultant at the Taproot Foundation, where she designs and leads pro bono programs that connect skilled volunteers with nonprofits seeking to strengthen their impact. She designs and oversees high-impact program portfolios, and coaches staff in delivering effective, community-centered consulting services
Throughout her career, Kyle has worked at the intersection of capacity building, adult learning, implementation, and social impact. She is particularly passionate about helping organizations turn big ideas into practical action through collaboration, thoughtful, human-centered design, and continuous learning.
Before joining Taproot Foundation, Kyle held leadership and advisory roles with Family Connects International and Ipas, where she led implementation initiatives, supported quality improvement efforts, and developed learning and training programs for diverse audiences. Her experience spans stakeholder engagement, program design, facilitation, and organizational change.
Kyle holds a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a certificate in Implementation Science from the University of Washington. Based in Durham, North Carolina, she is inspired by the power of service and enjoys helping nonprofits and volunteers work together to create lasting community impact.
Patrina Pettry
Head of Early Career Learning, Wells Fargo
IGNITE: Summit
Patrina Pettry is a seasoned Learning & Development executive with over 25 years of experience leading transformative talent strategies across Fortune 500 companies. As Executive Director of Early Careers Development & Experience at Wells Fargo, responsible for the development strategy and experience of more than 5,000 interns and analysts across the enterprise. She leads programs that combine business expertise, leadership development, and AI-driven learning innovations to prepare the next generation of talent and strengthen the firm's future workforce. A former executive coach and national sales leader, Patrina has a proven track record of driving cultural transformation, advancing DEI initiatives, and building high-performing teams. Her leadership has consistently delivered measurable results in employee engagement, leadership development, and organizational growth. Patrina holds an MBA in Organizational Leadership and is a sought-after speaker on topics including inclusive leadership, talent optimization, and change management. Her passion lies in empowering people and organizations to thrive through strategic learning and human-centered leadership.
Dhanashri Pitale
Executive Director, Tech for Social Good, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Dhanashri Pitale is part of the Tech for Social Good leadership team at JPMorganChase and leads its tech capacity building programs. In this role, she oversees a global portfolio of initiatives that harness the power of people and technology to drive social impact and innovation across communities. She leads the strategy and execution of programs that enable the firm’s tech, data, and product talent to deliver meaningful solutions for socially focused organizations worldwide.
With more than 14 years at JPMorganChase, Dhanashri has built and scaled programs that empower employees to design and implement technology solutions for nonprofits, social enterprises, and community institutions. Her work has helped shape scalable, high-quality delivery models that drive measurable impact and long-term sustainability in the social sector.
Having lived and worked across New York, London, and Mumbai, Dhanashri brings a global perspective to advancing technology-driven solutions that strengthen communities and foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and excellence. She holds an MBA in Information Systems from Mumbai University and is passionate about using technology to drive transformative change in the communities where we live and work
Sarah Richter
Executive Director, Senior Lead Social Impact and Sustainability, Wells Fargo
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Sarah Richter is a senior leader in corporate social impact, specializing in strategic volunteerism and cross-sector partnerships that drive measurable community and business outcomes. At Wells Fargo, Sarah leads enterprise-wide initiatives that align employee development with business goals through skills-based service and nonprofit board programs. With over 20 years of experience in financial services and the nonprofit sector, Sarah is recognized for her ability to navigate complexity, foster innovation, and build authentic partnerships. She holds an economics degree from St. Olaf College and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Fun facts: Sarah is an avid cross-country skier and aspiring mountain biker.
Frederick J. Riley
Executive Director, Weave / Aspen Institute
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Frederick J. Riley is the Executive Director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute. He previously served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati where he provided strategic leadership in financial development, advancing the YMCA mission through annual giving, government and foundation grants, endowment bequests, along with gifts and capital campaigns. He developed a fundraising board, positioned the Y as a dedicated community partner and lead advocacy efforts, program impact and volunteer development.
Before joining the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, he served as the National Director of Urban Development for YMCA of the USA, the Y’s national resource office. There, he served as the principal thought leader and strategist for programs and services impacting over three million teens around the country. He has also served in similar leadership roles for the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, Metro Atlanta YMCA and the National Conference of Black Mayors.
He is passionate about the development of communities and people. He has spent almost two decades ensuring the positive life trajectory for youth with a focus on urban, under-served communities and poverty. Originally from Saginaw, MI, college and professional opportunities allowed for stops in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati. He participants in many professional and civic groups, but his most important role is as favorite son, brother, uncle and godfather.
Laura Rog
Chief Service Officer, The City of New York
IGNITE: Summit
Laura Rog serves as the chief service officer at NYC Service, where she has driven volunteer strategy, including emergency response efforts, civic engagement research, community-based resource development, and youth focused initiatives for over a decade. She first started serving in this role in April 2021. Laura leads a strong team who implement a broad portfolio of volunteer and service programs to deepen civic engagement and unite New Yorkers in service across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Laura began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the New York State Department of Education. She has worked on youth development and service learning within schools in both New York State and New York City, Tanzania, and Japan, and also worked in the youth service division of Points of Light. Laura is a New York State native and long-time New Yorker with a Bachelor of Arts in English from SUNY Geneseo, and a Master of Science in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester. She is also a proud community college graduate. Laura currently serves on the Step Up Eastern Region board, Points of Light National Volunteer Strategy Advisory Council, and with FundaveNYC as an Ambassador.
Potoula Stavropoulos
Senior Director, Social Impact, Regeneron
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Potoula Stavropoulos is the Senior Director, Social Impact at Regeneron, where she has spent over a decade leading the company's societal investment strategy—galvanizing philanthropy, partnerships, and employee volunteerism to create both social impact and business value. Under her leadership, Regeneron has been named to the Civic 50, honoring America's most community-minded companies, for ten consecutive years.
Potoula also leads Regeneron's STEM education outreach, which supports a pipeline of future innovators through the company's flagship programs—the Regeneron Science Talent Search and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, two of the most prestigious pre-college science and mathematics competitions in the world, produced by the Society for Science.
She joined Regeneron in 2012 as its inaugural community relations manager, building the company's corporate philanthropy and community engagement strategy from the ground up. Before Regeneron, Potoula spent most of her career in the nonprofit sector, advancing social progress in health and economic development through various corporate relations roles.
A vocal advocate for STEM education and corporate community involvement, Potoula has served on the boards of Yonkers Partners in Education, YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, and the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Board. She is a frequent speaker on the role of business in society.
Her contributions have been widely recognized: Potoula was named a 2013 Rising Star/40 Under 40 and honored as Volunteer New York's Leadership Westchester Alumna of the Year in 2014. She graduated summa cum laude from Mercy College with a BS in Organizational Management.
Ryan Stowers
Senior Vice President, Stand Together
IGNITE: Summit
Ryan Stowers is senior vice president at Stand Together, a philanthropic community that partners with more than 700 business leaders and philanthropists to solve the country's biggest challenges. In his role, he leads the strategic partnerships team in building relationships and networks that advance Stand Together’s priority issues, including economic mobility, civic renewal, and education. His team also facilitates the Human Potential Network — a peer-driven community of employers, talent providers, and workforce innovators accelerating a human-centered future of work.
Since joining the Stand Together community more than 20 years ago, Ryan has led investments and partnerships alongside hundreds of the country’s most innovative businesses, universities, and other philanthropies.
In addition, Ryan serves as the executive director of the Charles Koch Foundation and on the boards of the Bill of Rights Institute, the Institute for Humane Studies, Disagree Better, New Pluralists, the National Talent Collaborative, and GSV’s Workforce Insights Board. He is also a member of the national advisory board of the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Shea Waldron
Senior Director, Taproot
IGNITE: Summit
Bio coming soon
Cat Ward
CEO, Taproot Foundation
IGNITE: Summit
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Cat Ward is the Chief Executive Officer of Taproot, where she is leading the charge to redefine and scale the pro bono movement. Under her leadership, Taproot is advancing a next-generation pro bono marketplace—integrating artificial intelligence, skills-first approaches, and cross-sector collaboration to equip nonprofits with the capacity they need at a moment of historic demand. Her career has spanned leadership roles across sectors at organizations like Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the City of New York.
A nationally recognized voice on the future of work, service, and nonprofit capacity building, Cat writes a regular column for Forbes on leadership and purpose in fast-changing times, and her perspectives have been featured in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company. She speaks frequently on how pro bono and skilled service build critical professional skills, strengthen workforce resilience, and help nonprofits adopt emerging technologies to drive social impact.
Akilah Watkins
CEO, Independent Sector
IGNITE: Summit
Dr. Akilah Watkins is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the national membership and advocacy organization for nonprofits and philanthropies. With over 25 years as a national thought leader, community organizer, and nonprofit executive, Dr. Watkins’ expertise spans leadership development, nonprofit advocacy, and community development.
At the age of 14, Dr. Watkins led efforts to convert a vacant lot and abandoned home into a community center in Roosevelt, New York. Since then, she has served as an executive leader for nonprofits and community development initiatives with NeighborWorks America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Prior to Independent Sector, Dr. Watkins was the president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping state and local governments turn vacant properties into vibrant places.
Dr. Watkins holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and an MA in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She currently serves on advisory boards with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University and the Maryland Chapter of CISV International. She is a 2025 Nonprofit Times Power & Influence Top 50 honoree.
Marnie Webb
CEO, TechSoup
IGNITE: Summit
Marnie Webb is CEO of TechSoup, a global nonprofit that helps civil society organizations access and use technology to advance their missions. She believes a resilient, connected, and pluralistic civil society is one of our greatest assets for addressing today's challenges and creating a better future.
Throughout her career, Marnie has focused on getting resources, technology, and support into the hands of community-led organizations. Her approach is grounded in extreme listening and co-creation: deeply understanding community needs and building solutions alongside the people they serve. As the founding CEO of Caravan Studios, she helped pioneer technology-for-good initiatives, including the award-winning Safe Shelter Collaborative, which gets domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault survivors to safety quickly.
Marnie also serves on the board of Chapter 510, a youth writing and publishing center in Oakland, California
Amy Whittaker
Claude for Nonprofits, Anthropic
IGNITE: Summit
Amy Whittaker works on Claude for Nonprofits at Anthropic, partnering with mission-driven organizations to put AI to work responsibly for the communities they serve. Over a 20-year career inside nonprofits and consulting to them, she built Slalom's Nonprofit and Philanthropy practice from scratch into a cross-market capability spanning the US, Canada, and Australia, earning AWS Nonprofit Partner of the Year and presenting at Dreamforce. Amy holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco, where she also taught social entrepreneurship. She lives in San Francisco, serves on multiple nonprofit boards, and is an impact investor with Silicon Valley Venture Fund.
Nzingha Williams
Lead Talent and Performance Management Consultant, Wells Fargo
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Dr. Nzingha Williams is a seasoned education and workforce leader with more than a decade of experience advancing inclusion, opportunity, and talent development across higher education and corporate sectors. She currently serves as an Emerging Talent Program Manager at Wells Fargo, where she partners across the organization to strengthen talent pipelines and prepare the next generation for workforce success. Previously, Dr. Williams held senior leadership roles at Central Piedmont Community College, including Director of Career and Technical Education, overseeing the Perkins grant and leading college and career initiatives across K–12 partnerships. Her scholarship was nationally recognized in 2022 with the ACTER Outstanding Dissertation Award. Dr. Williams holds an EdD in Adult and Community College Leadership, an MBA, and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminology.
Esayas Wureta
Head of Inclusion & Belonging and Community Impact, CSAA Insurance Group
IGNITE: Corporate Action Forum
Esayas Wureta is Head of Inclusion & Belonging and Community Impact at CSAA Insurance Group, where he leads strategies focused on inclusion, belonging, philanthropy, and community impact. His work brings together employee engagement, organizational development, and social impact to create meaningful opportunities for employees and communities.
With more than two decades of experience, Esayas has built his career at the intersection of inclusion, social impact, learning and development, and organizational change. Prior to joining CSAA Insurance Group, he served at the Peace Corps, where he led work in intercultural competence, diversity, and inclusion and developed learning experiences supporting staff and leaders across the agency’s global operations.
Esayas is also an ICF-certified coach and brings a coaching and systems-oriented perspective to his work, helping individuals and organizations translate their values into meaningful action.
Mary Zhu
Chief Executive Officer, Develop for Good
IGNITE: Summit
Mary Zhu graduated from Stanford University with both her Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) and Master's degree in Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction). She is dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for families leaning on social sector support through education. Mary has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 list honoree, a TEDxStanford speaker, and an invited guest at The White House Summit on STEMM Equity & Excellence. Currently, she is working on beating her personal record of holding a 15.5-minute plank.
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