2024 Funders Institute Speakers

Last updated: 8/26/2024

	Sarah Armour-Jones Deputy Director Housing Narrative Lab She/Her/Hers Sarah focuses on strategic partnerships, communications and organizational growth in her role. Prior to joining the Lab, Sarah served as Director of Communications and Media Strategy at the Melville Charitable Trust where she developed a new grantmaking strategy, elevated the Trust’s communications and helped launch the Housing Narrative Lab. In all her roles, from philanthropic consultant to Editorial Assistant at the British Film Institute, Sarah has focused on the power of stories to create a more just world for everyone. Sarah lives in Vermont with her family and assorted pets.
	Allison Clark Associate Director, Impact Investments MacArthur Foundation She/Her/Hers Allison has worked in affordable housing, economic development, and commercial real estate for over 25 years. She joined the Foundation in 2006 to oversee investments made through the Foundation’s $150 million Window of Opportunity affordable rental housing preservation initiative. Her work has expanded to include underwriting and monitoring investments made in Chicago. Allison serves as a core member of the Chicago Commitment team, where she leads impact investing efforts to advance both the Vital Communities and Culture, Equity, and the Arts programs. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a member of the Community Lending Group at Fannie Mae, where she underwrote and closed more than $150 million in debt and equity transactions for affordable housing developments throughout the US. She also spent eight years with Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase) as a commercial real estate lender. Before moving to Chicago, she participated in the Urban Fellows Program in New York City, where she worked for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Allison graduated from Harvard-Radcliffe College with a bachelor’s degree in Government and earned a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Real Estate. Allison has served on a variety of public advisory committees, including the Micro Market Recovery Program and the City of Chicago’s most recent Five-Year Housing Plan. She also serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Foundation for Women, where she is a member of the Executive and Program Committees.
	Janeen Comenote Executive Director National Urban Indian Family Coalition Quinault Indian Nation She/Her/Hers Janeen Comenote lives in Seattle, Washington and is an enrolled member of the Quinault Indian Nation. She is Quinault and Oglala on her father’s side and Hesquiaht and Kwakiutl First Nations on her mother’s side. Comenote is the founding Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC). The NUIFC is a national coalition representing 38 urban Indian centers in 26 cities and more than two million Native Americans living away from their traditional land base. The NUIFC remains one of only a few national organizations dedicated to “Making the Invisible Visible” and providing a platform and voice for this underrepresented population in America. Janeen is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, a regional leadership program, is a 1999 alumni of the prestigious American’s for Indian Opportunity Ambassador program and was chosen and highlighted in O (Oprah) magazine for her participation in Women Rule; 80 Women Who Could Change America.  She is a recipient of the Potlatch Fund Fran James Cultural Preservation award and the prestigious Eco Trust Indigenous Leadership award for her work with urban Indians. She has presented urban Indian issues at the White House, United Nations and as a keynote speaker at numerous conferences. Additionally, she has been a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Seattle and is currently a board member for Praxis and sits on the External Diversity and Inclusion Council for Charter Communications. She worked for 16 years at the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation in child welfare, juvenile justice, poverty reduction and as a development officer.
	Mark Donovan Founder and Executive Director Denver Basic Income Project He/Him/His Mark Donovan is a Denver based entrepreneur and philanthropist. He received a B.A. in Economics from Harvard and is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School. In 1992 Mark co-founded Wooden Ships Knits, a Bali based women’s sweater brand. He studies, practices and teaches the principles of Lean (The Toyota Production System). In 2020 he founded the Denver Basic Income Project to advance the use of guaranteed income to invest in people and their ability to thrive when given trust, hope, and a financial foundation. Mark is the father of three boys, an avid skier and outdoorsman who also loves to play the piano and guitar. He is committed to fighting all forms of injustice and protecting our planet for future generations.
	Antonia Fasanelli Executive Director National Homelessness Law Center She/Her/Hers Antonia Fasanelli became the Executive Director of the National Homelessness Law Center in April 2021. Previously, she was Executive Director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project, Inc. (HPRP), a Maryland-based civil legal aid organization committed to changing the systems that contribute to poverty and homelessness. During her thirteen-year tenure at HPRP, she incubated innovative civil legal aid projects providing legal assistance to all persons experiencing homelessness, including youth and veterans—as well as systemic initiatives to decriminalize homelessness and advance policies to end homelessness, all by lifting the voices of persons most affected by homelessness. Prior to joining HPRP, Ms. Fasanelli was an attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. She led the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI), the Legal Clinic’s project on affordable housing preservation and expansion. As part of her work with AHI, Ms. Fasanelli advised, represented, or consulted on the representation of tenants or tenant associations at risk of displacement from over 3,000 units of affordable housing. From 2011-2014, Ms. Fasanelli was Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Homelessness & Poverty, of which she had been a Commissioner since July 2009. She is currently co-Chair of the Economic Justice Committee of the ABA Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice and was previously Chair of the Legal Services Committee for the ABA Commission on Veterans Legal Services. From November 2010 to June 2014, she was a member of the Maryland Court of Appeals Standing Committee on Pro Bono and in 2014, was appointed a member of the Journey Home Board, which oversaw Baltimore City’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness. In 2013, Ms. Fasanelli was chosen as a Leading Woman by The Daily Record and in 2011, Ms. Fasanelli was a recipient of the Leadership in Law Award from The Daily Record. In 2016, Ms. Fasanelli received the Benjamin L. Cardin Distinguished Service Award from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation. Ms. Fasanelli received her J.D. magna cum laude from the Washington College of Law, American University in 2001 and her B.A. cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University in 1996. From 2001 to 2002, Ms. Fasanelli was a law clerk to The Honorable Barefoot Sanders of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Prior to law school, Ms. Fasanelli was an Americorps*VISTA Outreach Coordinator at the Law Center.
	Aliya Gaskins Senior Program Officer Melville Charitable Trust She/Her/Hers Alyia Gaskins joined the Trust as Senior Program Officer in November 2020. Alyia’s work primarily focuses on housing affordability and housing stability as key components of preventing and ending homelessness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). A public health strategist and urban planner, Alyia has over 10 years of experience developing and executing large-scale initiatives and partnerships. Previously, Alyia served as Assistant Director for Networks and Programs – Health at the Center for Community Investment (CCI). In that role she led Accelerating Investments for Healthy Communities, which helps hospitals and health systems invest in affordable housing. Prior to CCI, Alyia was a Senior Associate at the National League of Cities where she helped hundreds of municipalities pass over 3,000 policies to promote health equity through First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties initiative. As a Policy and Program Associate at D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of the Food Research and Action Center, Alyia partnered with municipal leaders to implement the D.C. Healthy Schools Act and the D.C. Healthy Tots Act – comprehensive legislation to improve the health and wellness of children. She also founded CitiesRX, a consulting firm focused on advancing innovative models of cross-sector partnerships. Alyia is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and has earned a master’s degree in public health from University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in urban planning from Georgetown University. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from the University of Chicago. Recognized for her leadership, Alyia was honored as one of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 honorees. When not working, you’ll find her adventuring through Alexandria with her husband, Greg, son, Ezekiel, and beagle, Riley, or volunteering.
	Dr. Tiffany Manuel President and CEO TheCaseMade She/Her/Hers Tiffany (DrT) Manuel (she/her) is founder and CEO of TheCaseMade. She has worked with thousands of passionate social changemakers, innovators and adaptive leaders around the United States who are building better, stronger communities that are diverse, equitable and inclusive. She is the author of Case Made! 10 Powerful Leadership Principles that Win Hearts, Change Minds, and Grow Impact as well as many reports, journal articles and scholarly papers. DrT grew up in Detroit, Michigan during one of the most turbulent times in the city’s history. It was because of the challenges of that experience that she champions better policy, programs, investments and services that can transform our cities and communities for the better. It is also the reason that DrT has worked to expand opportunity, equity and inclusion through 25+ years of professional and volunteer experience spanning the private and non-profit sectors, government and academia. Trained as a social scientist in quantitative and qualitative methods, she is passionate about translating the insights harvested from her research and practice to improve our ability to build public will around the critical issues that matter most. She holds doctorate and master’s degrees in public policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a master’s degree in political science from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. DrT has serves on numerous nonprofit and social-impact boards, such as Shelterforce Magazine, KaBoom!, Rebuilding Together, and the Redress Movement. She is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, an African American public service sorority.
	Ann Oliva Chief Executive Officer National Alliance to End Homelessness She/Her/Hers Ann Oliva is CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education, advocacy, and capacity building organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the United States. A career veteran of homelessness and housing policy, she is recognized as one of the foremost experts on homelessness in the nation. In her role, Ms. Oliva works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with officials and advocates at the state and local levels. As part of that role, she also collaborates closely with Alliance partners to educate the public on the real nature of homelessness and its solutions, and to advance known best practices within the homeless services sector. Ms. Oliva previously served as Vice President for Housing Policy for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Her distinguished career is also marked by a decade of federal service at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During her 10-year tenure at HUD, Ms. Oliva successfully designed and implemented a variety of initiatives and programs, including homelessness prevention, supportive housing, and rapid re-housing programs, as well as a demonstration to end youth homelessness. In 2015, Ms. Oliva was named one of the 50 Most Influential Leaders in the department’s first 50 years, and was honored with the True Colors Fund’s True Leader Award. She was a finalist for a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (Sammie) in management excellence in 2011, and was part of an inter-agency team that won a Sammie for the team’s work on reducing Veteran homelessness in 2012.
	Elizabeth Olsson Program Officer, Criminal Justice Grantmaking Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation She/Her/Hers Elizabeth is a Program Officer with the Criminal Justice Grantmaking team at Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, supporting its work focused on ending mass incarceration, increasing opportunities for those impacted by the criminal legal system and promoting the health and safety of all communities. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has worked with diverse groups of stakeholders to improve opportunities and outcomes for Black and brown communities. Before joining Schusterman, she led the National Education Association’s outreach efforts to Black-led organizations and provided funding and other capacity-building support to partners to advance racial justice in education, including efforts to end the criminalization of students of color. Prior to this, Elizabeth developed and implemented the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s education advocacy strategy focused on ending the school-to-prison pipeline. This included building the capacity of grassroots advocates to leverage federal law to advance school discipline reform at the state and local levels. Elizabeth has also advocated for equitable educational opportunity for English Language Learners and promoted policies to improve access to high-quality, school-community partnerships for students of color. She was also a middle school English teacher in Brooklyn, NY. Elizabeth holds a Master of Public Administration from New York University, a Master of Science in Teaching from PACE University, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.
	Nikki Pieratos Executive Director Tiwahe Foundation Bois Forte Band of Chippewa (Anishinaabe, Ojibwe)  She/Her/Hers Nikki is a previous board member and donor of Tiwahe Foundation. She is devoted to cultivating leadership in the Native community that emulates our cultural values and teachings. She is motivated to see present and future generations living with agency and confidence in who they are as Indigenous people, as well as in their relationships with other communities of color and greater society. Nikki’s background is in community development finance, most recently providing financing and capacity building for large-scale regenerative development projects across Indian Country. Her past experience includes establishing and running a federal credit union for the Bois Forte community, research and engagement on capital access at the Center for Indian Country Development at the Minneapolis Fed, and new models for lending and investing in Indian Country at NDN Collective. She is a recognized thought leader, speaker, and writer on changing systems within philanthropy and impact investing to align and support racial, social, economic, and climate justice. Nikki believes in Indigenous excellence and is passionate about proliferating our knowledge and practices, because the world needs what we have to offer. Philanthropy and the non-profit sectors desperately need our teachings on generosity and reciprocity. Our economic and educational systems need our holistic and futuristic worldview.
	Brittany Schulman Senior Vice President of Programs Native Americans in Philanthropy Waccamaw Siouan She/Her/Hers Brittany Schulman is an enrolled citizen of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe and grew up in rural North Carolina. As a traditional storyteller, Brittany’s perspective is grounded in her experience growing up with her mother, siblings and grandparents on their family farm and her Waccamaw Siouan community. Brittany is a lifelong learner and educator and integrates her Indigenous values into everyday life.  She is a results-driven educator, public speaker with a track record of maximizing efforts through relationships. As an advocate, Brittany has served in many leadership roles to ensure that Native Americans and Indigenous values are not only included but also at the forefront of every conversation. Recognized for providing practical, sustainable solutions to business challenges with exceptional communication skills and project management with a passion for Indigenous peoples, Brittany is currently the Vice President of Indigenous Leadership & Education Programs, where she continues her work as an organizer and educator. Brittany is married to a wonderfully supportive husband, Joseph (Leech Lake Ojibwe) and they have two children.
	Dana White Advocacy Director Miriam's Kitchen They/Them/Theirs With a background of empowering young people as they navigate housing and healthcare systems, Dana serves as the Advocacy Director at Miriam's Kitchen. Previously, in their role as a Program Officer in technical assistance a True Colors United, Dana worked with communities across 13 states to plan and design for equity, as well as to ensure the meaningful involvement and leadership of young people with lived experience of homelessness in resolving the crisis. They were also among the 2019 cohort of the Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy, at the University of Pennsylvania. Dana identifies as Black, Puerto Rican, and non-binary. They live in Washington, D.C.
	Mel Willie Director of Native Partnerships and Strategy NeighborWorks America Navajo Nation He/him/his Mel Willie leads NeighborWorks America's Native work to expand its investment in tribal communities. He is a national leader in Indian Country with more than 23 years of experience in nonprofit management, government, political, public and intergovernmental affairs and has represented tribal interests at the local, tribal, state and national level. He is a member of the Navajo Nation, born and raised on the reservation in northeast Arizona.  Before joining NeighborWorks, he served as principal of Chee Consulting, working with a range of clients to advance and strengthen tribal communities. Having served as past executive director of the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) and as special advisor to one of the nation's largest public housing authorities, he is intimately familiar with providing affordable housing through highly regulated federal programs.