Mayra Alvarez
President | The Children's Partnership
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Mayra E. Alvarez, MHA is President of The Children's Partnership, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to advance child health equity through policy, research, and community engagement. She was nominated by Governor Newsom to serve on the Covered California Board of Directors and by Attorney General Rob Bonta to serve on the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (BHSOAC). She also serves on the First 5 San Diego Commission. Previously, she served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama-Biden administration, including at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of Minority Health, and the Office of Health Reform. She also served as a Legislative Assistant in the US Senate and House of Representatives. A native of California, she graduated from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California at Berkeley.
Danielle Atkinson
Founding Executive Director | Mothering Justice
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Danielle Atkinson is a trailblazer in the fight for economic and social justice, uplifting mothers nationwide. As the Founding Executive Director of Mothering Justice and Mothering Justice Action Fund, she leads efforts to equip mother activists and shape policies that support working families.
A nationally recognized organizer, Atkinson has worked with America Votes, State Voices, and ACORN. Since founding Mothering Justice in 2012, she has trained over 1,000 women, mobilized 500,000+ mothers, and led legislative victories in paid leave, minimum wage increases, and earned sick time. Appointed to the Michigan Women’s Commission and elected to Wayne State University’s Board of Governors, her leadership extends across national boards advocating for policy change.
A Pfeiffer University graduate, Atkinson lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, with her husband and six children. We honor her unwavering commitment to justice and the belief that when mothers lead, communities thrive.
Kate Brennan
Project Director | The Hilltop Empowerment Collective
Kate Brennan serves as Program Director for the Hilltop Empowerment Collective, where she leads efforts to build a coordinated, community-driven network of support for families with young children. In partnership with more than 25 nonprofit organizations, she works to create accessible, relationship-centered pathways that connect families to the resources, supports, and opportunities that are fundamental to family well-being.
With over a decade of experience in Pittsburgh’s nonprofit sector, Kate brings deep expertise in early childhood and family support systems. Her background includes home-based early intervention services and the design and expansion of innovative, text-based parent-to-parent mentoring programs that strengthen social connection and peer support.
Kate’s work is grounded in a commitment to early relational health and the belief that strong, supported families are the foundation of vibrant communities. She is a collaborative and equity-driven leader who partners closely with community-based organizations and frontline staff to design responsive, strengths-based initiatives.
Through her leadership, Kate is helping to ensure that every family in the Hilltop and Southside Communities have a clear, supported pathway to stability, opportunity, and long-term success.
Devon Chaffee
Executive Director | American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire
As the Executive Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire since 2012, Devon Chaffee has overseen the organization’s major growth in membership and its success in protecting and defending civil rights in the Granite State.
Under her leadership, the ACLU of New Hampshire has made historic progress in the state, including repealing the death penalty and adding gender identity to the state’s nondiscrimination law. Devon’s fight for civil liberties in New Hampshire continues to be one focused on deepening relationships with communities impacted by injustice and disparities and fighting to create a more equitable Granite State for all.
Previously, Devon serve as Legislative Counsel in the National ACLU’s Washington D.C. Office and Advocacy Counsel at Human Rights First. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, and received her B.A. from Hampshire College.
Shayna Cook
Director of Early Childhood Policy | Bainum Family Foundation
Shannon Cotsoradis
Director, Policy & Strategy | Buffett Early Childhood Fund
As director of policy and strategy at the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Shannon supports nonprofit organizations, in Nebraska and nationally, which are working to improve the quality and access to care offered both in homes and at childcare centers. The fund focuses its philanthropy on children, birth to five, paying particular attention to infants and toddlers, a population often overlooked in public funding.
Shannon Cotsoradis has extensive experience in the early childhood education sector. Shannon currently serves as the Director of Policy & Strategy at Buffett Early Childhood Fund, a position they have held since January 2023. Prior to this, they held the role of President & CEO at Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative starting in 2016. Shannon also has a strong background in advocacy and leadership, having served as President & CEO of Kansas Action for Children from 2010 to 2016 and as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer from 2001 to 2010.
Shannon Cotsoradis has a strong educational background with degrees in Public Administration, Child Development, and Psychology. Shannon completed their Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from The University of Kansas between 1999 and 2001. Prior to that, they earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College from 1995 to 1999. Their undergraduate studies were focused on Psychology, as they obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Sweet Briar College from 1991 to 1995.
Nick Cutsumpas
Fellow | Economic Security Project
Founder | Farmer Nick LLC
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Nick Cutsumpas, better known as Farmer Nick, is a gardener, landscape designer, plant coach, and environmentalist based in Detroit, Michigan. A self-described “plantrepreneur,” Nick is passionate about all things green and is on a mission to leave the earth greener than he found it by giving people the knowledge and confidence to create their own green spaces in the pursuit of environmental action and social justice.
Nick has worked with more than 150 clients between New York City and Los Angeles and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Food Network, and Business Insider. He has appeared in a TEDx talk, on Netflix’s The Big Flower Fight, and as a host on the Emmy-winning Netflix series Instant Dream Home. He is also the author of Plant Coach: The Beginner’s Guide to Caring for Plants and the Planet and the creator of The Adventures of Farmer Nick and the Plant Kids course. Across his work, Nick uses gardening and plant care to educate about climate change and promote plant-based masculinity.
Christina D'Allesandro
Initiative Lead, Early Childhood and Families | New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
Denise Castillo Dell Isola
Program Director, Early Childhood | Irving Harris Foundation
Denise Castillo Dell Isola (she/her/hers), J.D., is the Program Director for Early Childhood at the Irving Harris Foundation where she leads grantmaking and field leadership in early childhood and advances the Foundation’s early childhood policy and advocacy work in Illinois, and at the multi-state and federal levels. Over the years, she spearheaded the Foundation’s work to advance a public/private partnership for a mental health consultation initiative in Illinois and led the Foundation’s effort to provide investments at the intersection of immigration and early childhood with a focus on infant early childhood mental health and child trauma. More recently, she worked to develop the Foundation’s early childhood strategy to support multi-issue grassroots organizing and movement building efforts to advance racial justice and equity and shift investments to organizations and initiatives led by and for communities most impacted by oppression.
Before joining the Foundation, Denise served as the executive director of El Hogar del Nino, a community-based early care and education center in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. This experience working with families and their young children and the amazing staff that care for them in a community-based organization drives her passion to work on policy, advocacy and systems change. She also worked at United Way of Metro Chicago engaging with nonprofit organizations on a workforce development program. In her first career, she practiced commercial litigation at DLA Piper LLP. Denise is the proud mom of two children (13 and 11 years old), enjoys running with her two dogs, and spends lots of family time at the softball and baseball fields.
Marcia Egbert
Program Director | The George Gund Foundation
Marcia Egbert is the Foundation’s program director for Thriving Families and Social Justice. Prior to joining the Foundation in 1998, she was vice president of the National Urban Policy Institute, a public interest policy analysis and lobbying organization in Columbus, Ohio. She also served as government relations director for the Cuyahoga County Commissioners and worked for the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Marcia is active in a number of local, state and national philanthropic organizations including the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, Economic Opportunity Funders, and the Health Taskforce of Philanthropy Ohio. She currently serves in leadership roles with the Ohio Transformation Fund, PRE4CLE (Cleveland’s plan for high-quality pre-K), First Year Cleveland (infant mortality reduction coalition), Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, and the Governor’s Lead Advisory Committee; she is a trustee of the McGregor Foundation. Egbert is a two-time alumna of The Ohio State University, having received both B.A. and J.D. degrees from that institution.
Michelle Figlar
Executive Director | Birmingham Foundation
Michelle began her career as an early childhood teacher and now serves as executive director of the Birmingham Foundation in Pittsburgh. She previously held senior roles including vice president of learning at The Heinz Endowments and deputy secretary of Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning, where she helped shape statewide policy for publicly funded early childhood programs. Earlier, she led the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children.
She holds leadership positions on several boards, including the Milton Hershey School and Milton Hershey School Trust, Allies for Children, and Fred Rogers Productions, where she is board chair. Michelle is also a post‑doctoral fellow at the Fred Rogers Institute and adjunct faculty at Carlow University.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in child development from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in early childhood/special education from Kent State University, and an Ed.D. in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University.
Alexandra Fitzsimmons
Senior Policy Director | Children's Defense Fund Minnesota
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Alexandra C. Fitzsimmons has spent more than two decades advancing the well-being of children and championing social justice in Minnesota. A familiar and trusted presence at the State Capitol, she is widely recognized as a steadfast advocate for children and families. She currently serves as Senior Policy Director at Children’s Defense Fund – Minnesota (CDF-MN), where she guides and advances the organization’s policy agenda, leads legislative strategy, and translates research and community priorities into actionable policy solutions. In this role, she works closely with policymakers, coalition partners, and communities to advance policies that improve the well-being of children – especially Black, Brown and Indigenous children, and children from other communities of color – and increase the economic security of families. She is in her third tenure with the organization, returning to the place that first shaped her path. When Alexandra received a public interest law fellowship with CDF-MN in 2002, she knew she found her life’s work.
Alexandra earned her undergraduate degree in English and philosophy from the College of St. Catherine and her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law, where she was recognized for completing the greatest number of public service hours in the school’s history. She began her legal career practicing consumer law, representing low-income Minnesotans, and went on to develop and advocate for social justice policies on behalf of the Minnesota Catholic bishops. Her leadership has also included serving as executive director of A Minnesota Without Poverty. Alongside her policy work, she has provided extensive pro bono representation, supporting victim-survivors in orders for protection, centering children in family law matters, and assisting in immigration cases.
She lives in Stillwater, Minnesota with her husband, Brandon, their three wonder-filled sons, and their two dogs. Outside of her work, Alexandra finds joy in the everyday with her family - playing outside, cheering on her sons, taking bird walks, visiting the library, and making pasta. One of her favorite rituals is solving the daily crossword puzzle, on paper, while listening to her children play music.
Ola Friday
Executive Director | Early Educator Investment Collaborative
Dr. Ola J. Friday is the inaugural Executive Director of The Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative). In her role, Dr. Friday leads The Collaborative’s efforts to help early educators achieve their full potential as professionals and to ensure that all children are prepared for success in school and life. As a child of immigrant educators, Dr. Friday was raised with an appreciation for the power of education to change lives. Initially drawn to the classroom, the urge to impact systemic issues compelled her to pursue work at the early childhood education policy implementation levels. Dr. Friday led the implementation of New York State’s quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) and most recently she led statewide efforts to support the professional development and higher education access of over 65,000 educators in Massachusetts.
Dr. Friday holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School at UC Berkeley, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tufts University, and a Regents diploma from Stuyvesant High School in her hometown of New York City.
Ayanna Gay
Fellow | Economic Security Project
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Ayanna Gay is writer, storyteller, spoken word poet, and digital content creator from North Carolina. Specializing in what she calls “a(rt)dvocacy” [the merging of art and advocacy], Ayanna is dedicated to creating meaningful impact and provoking thoughtful dialogue.
Ayanna’s storytelling encompasses various topics but mainly prioritizes the many facets of womanhood and motherhood, mental and spiritual wellness, and the Black experience.
Crowned the #1 woman slam poet in the world in 2021, Ayanna leverages her passion for storytelling and her gift of words to empower the vulnerable and help amplify the lived experience of the marginalized.
With almost half a million followers across platforms, Ayanna often uses her free-will to occasionally fast from social media or post whatever she wants in order to live a fulfilling, fruitful, and balanced life.
Ayanna’s motto has always been “I don’t wish to be famous, I just want to be heard.”
Phyllis Glink
Executive Director | Irving Harris Foundation
Phyllis Glink (she/her/hers) is the Executive Director of the Irving Harris Foundation. In her over two decades with the Foundation, she has helped to develop and implement its grantmaking and field leadership strategies in the areas of early childhood development and infant and early childhood mental health, reproductive health and justice, Jewish values, and social justice. She works closely with the Foundation’s team and the Foundation’s partners in the non-profit, advocacy, philanthropy, and government communities to leverage shared investments and maximize the impact of Foundation grants in Illinois and across the country. She holds many leadership roles in the public and philanthropic sectors including serving as co-chair of the Governor’s Early Learning Council, chair of the BUILD Advisory Board and Co-chair of the Early Relational Health committee at the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative. She was a commissioner on the Illinois Commission on Equitable Funding for Early Childhood Education and Care, the Advisory Board of the National Center of Excellence in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, and a long serving member of the State’s Childcare Advisory Board. Glink served on the transition teams for Governor Pritzker, Governor Rauner, Mayor Lightfoot and President Barack Obama.
Prior to joining the Irving Harris Foundation, she worked for the Chicago Community Trust focusing on grant making and program development in the areas of education and women and girls’ issues. She started her career in philanthropy at the University of Chicago where she worked for seven years in the Central Development Office as a major gifts officer raising funds for the successful $650 million capital campaign.
Phyliis earned her Master’s in Public Policy from The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and her B.A. from the University of Michigan.
AJ Griffin
CEO | Potts Family Foundation
AJ Griffin, Ed.D., is an accomplished policy leader, nonprofit executive, and former Oklahoma State Senator with a deep commitment to improving the lives of children and families. As CEO of the Potts Family Foundation, she advances initiatives that support early childhood development, family well-being, and equitable economic opportunity across Oklahoma. A lifelong Oklahoman and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, AJ brings a unique blend of public service, education, and advocacy to her work. Her career reflects a passion for building collaborative solutions that strengthen communities, particularly in rural areas and underserved populations throughout the state.
Dr. Griffin holds degrees from Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Baylor University. She was the recipient of numerous awards for her work as a legislator, including the Kate Barnard Child Advocate of the Year award. The Journal Record recently named her as one of the 50 most influential Oklahomans.
Amilcar Guzman
Program Officer | Pritzker Children's Initiative
Amilcar Guzman, Ph.D. is a Program Officer at the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. In this role, he is responsible for supporting national and state partners as they seek to implement effective Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) systems that will improve the lives of those who are the furthest away from opportunity. Prior to his time at the Pritzker Family Foundation, Amilcar served in a variety of education policy and research roles in the Washington D.C. area. Amilcar has been recognized by his alma mater, Lycoming College, as a recipient of the Taunia Oechslin Young Alumnus Award, by Prospanica as a 40 under 40 leader in Washington, DC and by the Association of Hispanics in Higher Education with the Outstanding Dissertation of the year award. Amilcar holds both a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology from Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. Through his dissertation, Amilcar launched the National Latinx/a/o Alumni Engagement Survey–a first of its kind survey instrument designed to examine the ways in which Latino college graduates engage civically.
Sarah Hinger
Deputy Director, Racial Justice Program | American Civil Liberties Union
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Sarah Hinger is the Deputy Director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program, where her work focuses on education and youth justice. Her recent work includes representing plaintiffs in Kenny v. Wilson, challenging a vague South Carolina law making it a crime to disturb a school. This law is applied far more frequently to Black students, and was invoked in the arrest of a student and plaintiff in the case, when she spoke out in protest while witnessing a classmate violently ripped from her desk by a school police officer. Prior to joining the ACLU, Sarah was a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section, where she received the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. At the Civil Rights Division, she litigated issues of desegregation, discriminatory school discipline, classroom equity, discrimination against English language learners and immigrant and refugee students, and Title IX. Sarah previously served as a Karpatkin Fellow with the ACLU Racial Justice Program and a fellow and staff attorney with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. She completed her J.D. at Columbia Law School, her M.Phil. at the University of Cambridge, and her B.A. at the University of Virginia.
Taylor Jo Isenberg
Executive Director | Economic Security Project
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Taylor Jo Isenberg has spent the last thirteen years building organizations and advocating for ideas that strengthen our multiracial democracy and create a political economy that works for the many, not just the few.
She is currently the Executive Director of Economic Security Project, an advocacy organization focused on building economic power for all Americans. The playbook – which we call ideas advocacy – is designed to take transformative ideas that are on the margins and bring them into the mainstream of the public debate by provoking the existing conventional wisdom to shift what’s considered possible, legitimizing the ideas by supporting cutting edge research and elevating champions, and winning concrete policy victories for communities.
Previous to her role as Executive Director, Taylor Jo Isenberg served as the organization’s Managing Director. As a part of the founding team, she spearheaded the organization’s groundbreaking collaboration with the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), the nation’s first mayor-led guaranteed income pilot, and oversaw the organization’s strategy for turning guaranteed income from an idea into concrete policies – work that’s put over a trillion dollars into the pockets of Americans. She also designed and launched the Anti-Monopoly Fund, which moved over $11 million to a growing set of academics, organizers, and policy thinkers tackling concentrated corporate power and its harms to our economy and democracy.
Taylor Jo has also served as Senior Advisor and Vice President at the Roosevelt Institute, a think tank advancing progressive policies that bring the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt into the 21st century. Under her leadership, the Roosevelt Network received the 2015 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, recognizing the Institute’s critical efforts to organize an emerging generation committed to reimagining the rules. She’s served on the Advisory Board of SEED, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and Scalawag Magazine and has appeared in The New York Times, Vox, and Inside Philanthropy, among others. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow, Taylor Jo now resides between Brooklyn, NY and Bennington, VT.
Laura Johns
Senior Advisor | Birmingham Foundation
David Jordan
President and CEO | United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
David is a proven leader with over 25 years of achievement in improving access to health care in Kansas and nationally. David has served as the president and CEO of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Health Fund) since 2018, leading the statewide health foundation’s grantmaking, external relations, and policy and advocacy efforts.
Before joining the Health Fund, David served as the executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, a coalition of over 100 organizations working to improve health and access to health care in Kansas. David oversaw the Alliance’s operations and the effort to expand and improve KanCare, Kansas’ Medicaid program. David joined the Alliance after spending nearly seven years at Community Catalyst, a leading national consumer health advocacy organization. David also oversaw the MassACT! Coalition spearheading the ballot campaign that led to Massachusetts’ landmark 2006 universal health care law.
David is recognized for his expertise in health care, early childhood and civic engagement issues and is often called upon to serve on committees and task forces, including the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, the Governor’s Early Childhood Transition Task Force, Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance, Kansas Complete Count Committee, and the Office of Early Childhood Transition Advisory Group.
David holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Emerson College. He lives in Lawerence, Kansas, with his wife Suzanne and their two school-aged children.
Sherri Killins Stewart
President/CEO | Leaders Making It Possible, Inc
Sherri Killins Stewart, Ed.D is the President/CEO of Leaders Making it Possible, Inc. Dr. Stewart works directly with state leaders to advance early childhood systems efforts in health, early learning, child safety and permanence, and family support, e.g., economic security, housing, and employment. She leads work to define and create intentional practices to tailor actions in early childhood systems, policies, programs, and leadership to prevent and reduce marginalization and increase opportunity. Her equity work includes co-leading the Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN), a network of early childhood system leaders that aims to advance efforts to increase opportunity and remove barriers in policies, practices, and programs. Dr. Killins Stewart has worked at multiple levels in various states and communities to create tailored actions to benefit young children, their families, and communities.
Dr. Killins Stewart has worked as an advocate for children and families in various ways for more than 35 years, both as a direct care provider and in leadership roles on issues relating to children, families, and communities. Dr. Killins Stewart is the former Director of System Alignment and Integration and Co Director of State Services, Commissioner of Early Education and Care for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Vice President of Human Development and Operations at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and CEO of Empower New Haven. She was a mayoral candidate in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. Killins Stewart has served on various boards, including the New Haven Housing Authority, New Haven Regional Workforce Board, and Connecticut Trails Girl Scouts. She was appointed and formerly served on the Regional Advisory Committee under the U.S. Department of Education and the M.A. Commission on Postpartum Depression. She formerly served as a member and co-chair of the New Haven Early Childhood Council. She currently serves on the Boston Children’s Museum Board of Advisors. She is presently the Vice Chair of NHCHild. Several organizations have recognized Dr. Killins Stewart; examples include the Massachusetts Reading Association Legislative Award for her leadership in promoting early childhood literacy and the Horizons for Homeless Children Public Leadership Award. She recently received the West Haven Black Coalition Community Service Award.
Dr. Killins Stewart holds a nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Administrative Science from Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Sarasota. She resides with her husband in New Haven, Connecticut, and Guyton, Georgia. She is the mother of three adult daughters. Read More.
LaDon Love
Executive Director | SPACEs in Action
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LaDon Love is the Executive Director of SPACEs In Action/SIA. SIA is a membership based community organization that focuses in the District of Columbia in wards 7 and 8, as well as, Maryland in Montgomery County. In 2019, SIA was a lead organization in the campaign that secured $15.8 million in the DC budget for childcare and health services for DC families raising children from birth to three.
LaDon has over two decades of experience in community, leadership and organizational development. She uses grassroots organizing to engage in local, state and national campaigns to affect public policy. She works with local leaders to identify issues and develop solutions to improve the lives of low and moderate income families and their community. She is also a published photographer who uses her photography skills to document the work and tell the story of those directly impacted.
Once a year she is the lead trainer for Empowered Women International's Entrepreneurs Training for Success program. Through the course of the 18 session program, she guides women business owners in the process of developing their business plan and pitch.
Additionally, she is the Vice-Chair of the Algebra Project Board of Directors and a founding member of Community Voices Heard. In her 20 years of experience, she has worked with the Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of New York State, the Northwest Bronx Community Clergy Coalition, Citizen Action of New York, the Center for Community Change, the Center for Progressive Leadership, and Community Learning Partnership. She received the Shirley Chisholm Leadership and Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year awards.
Michelle Martin
Field Coordinator | The Ford Family Foundation
Michelle Martin makes the east-west run between Douglas County, Oregon, and the coast weekly, spending time with community builders at every stop. As field coordinator serving Coos, Curry and Douglas counties, she is listening for opportunities for the Foundation to be a partner and connector. “I can see leaders in every community, those stepping up and sticking with it to get the job done,” she says.
Michelle has participated in extensive leadership training through the Foundation, graduating from the Ford Institute Leadership Program and serving on the Community Ambassador Team. A former business owner, she holds a degree in economics and business management and enjoys supporting the Foundation’s Community Economic Development team in their grantmaking.
With her “boots-on-the-ground” approach, Michelle can be found with her sleeves rolled up, participating in a community project or quietly encouraging emerging leaders to dip their toes into community building.
Kelly Martinson
Communications Director | Kids Count on Us / ISAIAH
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Kelly Martinson is the Communications Director for Kids Count on Us (KCOU), an initiative of ISAIAH. KCOS is a coalition of over 600 community-based childcare programs across the state of Minnesota and 10,000 childcare providers, childcare teachers, parents, and caregivers. Kelly loves telling stories, and especially loves working with providers, teachers, and parents to empower them to tell their childcare stories to build the power we need to win a fully funded universal childcare system in Minnesota.
Lenka Mendoza
Founder | Dreamer's Mother In Action
Lenka Mendoza Larco, born in Lima, Peru, is a community leader and immigrant rights advocate in the United States, with over a decade of experience in grassroots organizing, public policy advocacy, and strengthening civic engagement. She is the mother of three children and, alongside her husband, has built a leadership approach grounded in equity, dignity, and expanding access to opportunities for historically marginalized communities.
In 2012, she founded Dreamers Mothers in Action (DMIA), an organization established to support Dreamers and their families while advancing just immigration reform. Under her leadership, DMIA has evolved into a recognized organization known for its comprehensive approach, combining community education, leadership development, and advocacy strategies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Lenka has led and contributed to initiatives that have resulted in meaningful public policy changes in Virginia. Among the most notable achievements are the passage of driver privilege card legislation, the state’s first Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, and expanded access to in-state tuition and financial aid for students. Her work focuses on building sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life for families and strengthen equity within public systems.
A central component of her leadership is strengthening civic engagement. Lenka has developed and implemented community-based strategies to promote access to voting, civic education, and the protection of voting rights, contributing to the empowerment of underrepresented communities in democratic processes.
At the national level, she has participated in high-impact advocacy campaigns focused on protecting rights, including an 18-day hunger strike in front of the White House in 2014 and mobilization efforts in defense of the DACA program before the U.S. Supreme Court. Her work has helped elevate the voices and priorities of immigrant communities in decision-making spaces.
Currently, she leads community response initiatives in Virginia that include know-your-rights education, community support systems, and preparedness strategies in the context of increased immigration enforcement. These efforts aim to strengthen community resilience and ensure access to critical information and resources.
Lenka Mendoza Larco believes in building a more just and inclusive society where all people can live with dignity, equal rights, and equal opportunities, regardless of their origin, language, or immigration status.
Ami Nagle
President | Nagle & Associates
Ami Nagle is President of Nagle & Associates, a national consulting firm focusing on three areas: consultation and support to innovative charitable foundations, public policy analysis and field research for non-profits and government agencies, and evaluation of community programs.
She is also Co-Director of Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF), and Coordinator for the Tax Equity Funders Network and Children Youth and Family Funders Roundtable.
Throughout her career, Ms. Nagle has conducted strategic planning and initiative development authored numerous research and policy reports, implemented surveys, conducted focus groups, designed public information campaigns, and gathered data for a variety of private- and public-sector sponsored studies of human service, economic security, civic engagement, and education issues. Before founding Nagle & Associates, Ms. Nagle headed several major research and public education projects for Voices for Illinois Children and the Illinois Facilities Fund. She holds a master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago (1994), where she was trained in research relating to family and child welfare, urban poverty, and nonprofit administration. She completed her undergraduate studies at Emory University (1990).
Sarah Pray
Executive Director | Better Taxes for a Better America
Sarah Pray, the Executive Director of the Better Taxes funder tables, is an advocate, leader, and strategist dedicated to economic justice. Sarah’s career has focused on advocacy in the Washington D.C. policymaker community on a diverse range of issues, including corporate accountability, democracy, human rights, rule of law, and corruption.
Sarah’s most recent role was the Managing Director of Policy for Americans for Financial Reform. Prior to joining AFR, Sarah was the Director of Advocacy for the Open Society Foundation’s Economic Justice Program. She also held other roles at OSF, including Program Officer focused on trade and natural resource governance and the Senior Policy Analyst for Africa.
Since 2010, Sarah has been a lecturer at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs teaching graduate skills courses on advocacy.
Sarah’s other previous positions include leading the Publish What You Pay United States coalition, shepherding the successful effort to pass Dodd-Frank Section 1504. Sarah started her career in Washington, D.C. promoting corporate responsibility and government accountability around the extraction of oil in Chad at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights.
Sarah is the Chair of the Board of Directors of EG Justice, a human rights organization focusing on Equatorial Guinea, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Global Financial Integrity, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, and the Fund for Constitutional Government. She received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.
Sarah Robinson
Program Partner, Movement and Coalition Building | Couch Family Foundation
Sarah is a life-long resident of the Granite State and has been deeply committed to the advancement of social justice in the state, particularly through the Concord chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, which she helped establish in 2015.
Previously, Sarah was an advocate working in public education policy, first with Reaching Higher NH, then Granite State Progress, where she built a strong coalition of advocates and helped communities organize to support their public schools and participate in the legislative process.
Sarah is an alumnus of the 2021 cohort of Leadership NH, a participant in the Endowment for Health’s Race and Equity series focusing on both Government and Education, and many other volunteer efforts within her community including serving on the Concord School Board.
Tawna Sanchez
Director of Family Services | Native American Youth and Family Center
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Tawna Sanchez was honored 2006 as a Buffett Award finalist for her steadfast commitment to help Native women and children lead lives free of violence and abuse. She has also worked on peace and social justice issues on an international level. Sanchez is currently the Family Services Director at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA Family Center) coordinating services in domestic violence, rape prevention education, foster care services for youth and their families, early childhood programs, anti-poverty and services to Native American elders. Sanchez has facilitated and led training workshops in culturally appropriate services, domestic violence, child welfare issues, drug and alcohol prevention, diversity and internalized racism issues.
As the Family Services Director of NAYA Family Center, Sanchez has worked tirelessly to both provide and improve services to Native women who have experienced domestic violence, developing programs to serve Native American Elders, Early Childhood classrooms and home visiting programs, and most importantly programs that serve the disproportionate numbers of Native American children in the child welfare system.
Sanchez served on the Oregon Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Advisory Committee and the Family Services Review Commission, a Governor appointed commission that oversees and advises the Department of Human Services statewide.
As a volunteer, Sanchez’s focus on peace and justice issues reflects both her commitment to traditional values and contributing to the world through service. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Peace Development Fund, the International Indian Treaty Council, the Naah Illahee Fund, and currently the Chair of the Board of Red Lodge Transitional Services, a nonprofit organization devoted to reducing the number of Native American women returning to prison. Sanchez took five NAYA Family Center youth to St. Petersburg, Russia in 2004 for the International Non-Violence and Conflict Resolution Conference.
Sanchez attended the University of California at Berkeley Extension Program and received a Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Studies. She also has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Merritt College in Oakland, California, and a Bachelor of Art degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Psychology and Communications from Marylhurst University and a Masters of Social Work from Portland State University.
In 2016 Tawna Sanchez was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives representing House District 43, which is North and Northeast Portland. Sanchez currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and the Legislative Audits Committee.
Amanda Schillinger
Director | Pumpkin Patch Child Care / Kids Count On Us
Amanda Schillinger is the Director of Pumpkin Patch Childcare and Learning Center in Burnsville, MN and a leader with Kids Count on Us. She advocates for equitable access to high quality childcare through her work with legislators and educating people about the value of childcare in the lives of children, families, and communities.
Sara Slaughter
Executive Director | W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation
In 2015, Sara Slaughter (she/her) was named Executive Director of the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation where she oversees investments designed to build equitable systems in K-12 education, early childhood education and youth development in five major urban areas.Prior to joining the Stone Foundation, she served for ten years at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation as the Director of the Education Program, and during her tenure, the Council on Foundations awarded the Education Program the 2008 Paul Ylvisaker Award for Public Policy Engagement.
Ms. Slaughter’s focus on supporting equitable systems is also informed by her experience in the fields of law and government. She clerked for a federal district court judge following her graduation from law school and then served as a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. From 2004 until 2007, Ms. Slaughter also served as a policy advisor to former Indiana Governor, Evan Bayh.
Ms. Slaughter is a member of the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, and served as its chair for almost four years, guiding the organization through a two-year strategic planning process that resulted in hiring its first Executive Director. She has served in leadership roles in a variety of early childhood and education organizations, and currently is a member of the Education Funders Strategy Group, the Illinois Early Learning Council, and the Metropolitan Family Services Head Start Oversight Board.
Ms. Slaughter holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Maurer School of Law — Bloomington. She resides in Chicago and is the proud mom of two graduates of Chicago Public Schools. When she isn’t thinking about equitable systems, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her two Labrador Retrievers, and riding horses.
Kathy Stohr
Senior Program Officer | Pritzker Children's Initiative
Kathy has worked in the early childhood policy and advocacy arena for more than 25 years at the grassroots and state levels, in the public and private sectors, as an advocate and as an implementer. She is currently a Program Officer at the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI), a project of the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, based in Chicago. PCI’s investment strategy is aimed at ensuring that every child is thriving and flourishing at age three and their families have access to the resources and support they need to help their children thrive. In the role since 2017, Kathy has primary responsibility for the Initiative’s community strategy and investments in the areas of prenatal to three impact measurement and scaling innovative models for early childhood system building.
Kathy began her career as a child care policy advocate at Day Care Action Council of Illinois during the era of welfare reform, managing a coalition that successfully fought for the transformation of the child care subsidy program. She stepped back from a full-time job for many years while her three daughters were young, but continued to contribute to the field as a consultant, including with the Illinois Migrant Head Start Program, managing the Early Learning Illinois Campaign, and fund development to create the Oak Park Collaboration for Early Childhood. Kathy returned to Illinois Action for Children in 2010 where she led the development of a new practice area in support of local collaboration building and improved state-local connectivity. She went on to serve as Deputy Director of the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development to oversee the state’s implementation of its Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant.
Kathy earned her bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service and Masters in Public Policy at Georgetown University.
Christine Thorsteinson
Senior Director, Community Impact and Policy | Silicon Valley Community Foundation
As Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Senior Director, Community Impact and Policy, Christine Thorsteinson works to ensure that all young children in Silicon Valley have access to the care, education, and resources they need to grow and flourish and that our early care workforce is well-prepared and fairly compensated. Recognizing the critical importance of the first years of a child’s life, and the subsequent impact on future success, Christine strives to support local, state, and federal efforts to dismantle the systemic barriers that stack the deck against our youngest, particularly those in under-resourced communities. Christine joined SVCF in 2016 and her earlier work included efforts to bridge the gaps between preschool and TK – 12 education systems and develop early learning leadership competencies.
Christine graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada with a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and Psychology and a Bachelor’s of Education, with a specialization in secondary English and Mathematics. As a passionate believer in the value of high-quality public education, her previous work experience includes serving as the early learning program consultant for Pacifica School District, executive director of Pacifica School Volunteers and president of the Burlingame Community for Education foundation.
Christine likes to spend her weekends outside enjoying the beauty of California and finds time for family and friends at her cottage in Canada. When she doesn’t have her nose in a book, she can often be found baking in the kitchen or crafting Halloween costumes.
Vivian Tseng
President and CEO | Foundation for Child Development
Vivian Tseng is President and CEO of the Foundation for Child Development, a private foundation that works at the nexus of research, policy, and community to advance social justice for young children. Prior to FCD, Dr. Tseng served as Senior Vice President, Programs, at the William T. Grant Foundation where she led initiatives to advance evidence-informed policy and practice.
She is widely recognized for her leadership role in building an interdisciplinary field of scholarship on research use in policy and practice, expanding research-practice partnerships, and supporting a broader movement to democratize evidence. She regularly speaks to international and domestic audiences on equity-centered and evidence-informed policy and practice. Her research on racial, cultural, and immigration influences on child development have been published in Child Development and the American Psychologist and her research on promoting social change through research and philanthropy have appeared in the American Journal of Community Psychology and Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
Dr. Tseng’s career reflects an abiding commitment to racial equity. She has fostered greater equity in grantmaking, developed funding programs to support researchers of color and nonprofit leaders from racially minoritized and LGBTQ communities, and mentored countless junior colleagues throughout her career.
Dr. Tseng received her Ph.D. from NYU and her B.A. from UCLA and serves on the Boards of Data Quality Campaign, Grantmakers for Education, and Sobrato Early Academic Learning (SEAL). She formerly served on the Boards of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, the Coalition of Asian American Children and Families, the Forum for Youth Investment, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, and the Federation of Associations in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences. She is co-founder of the Impact Funders Forum (formerly Transforming Evidence Funders Network) and the Learning Community on Using Evidence for Change (affectionately called the Nerd Herd).
Rachel Vinciguerra
VP of Programs | Hello Neighbor
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Rachel is the VP of Programs at Hello Neighbor which supports refugees and immigrants in Pittsburgh and across the country on their journey from arrival to belonging. Since joining Hello Neighbor, she helped launch a resilience grant program that has given over half a million dollars in funding to nonprofits across the country. She now oversees a team of almost forty staff working across local and national programs focused on family health services, employment, and education and community empowerment. She has worked with nonprofit and international organizations for the past decade focused on migration, gender equity, social inclusion, board development, and program design and evaluation. She has lived and worked in countries including Haiti, Thailand, and India. And worked with organizations including the United Nations Development Programme, Girls Inc, and The FISA Foundation. She volunteers her time with organizations including Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures series and The Birmingham Foundation. Rachel has a Master of International Development and Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. She was named one of Pittsburgh's 30 Under 30. She is also a writer, children's book author, and cancer survivor. She lives with her husband and their new baby.