Nisha Patel is Managing Director of Narrative Change & National Initiatives at Robin Hood, a New York City-based foundation focused on fighting poverty. She has more than two decades of experience leading and implementing initiatives to increase economic opportunities for low-income families.…

Addressing climate change is not going to be achieved by any single constituency. Securing substantive and lasting policy solutions to expanding clean energy requires broader political acceptance and a diverse coalition of stakeholders with different objectives. In this session, hear from a…

Ana Montañez is the former Government Relations Associate at the Council on Foundations. 

Martha is General Counsel at TechSoup Global, an NGO headquartered in San Francisco. In this role, she oversees compliance, legal operations, as well as various due diligence-based programs, including NGOsource. She is deeply engaged in exploring ways in which philanthropic due diligence can be…

Ridgway White became president of the Mott Foundation in 2015, as the Flint water crisis was still unfolding. White led the Foundation’s swift approval of a $4 million grant to help the city reconnect to the Detroit water system and begin the process of bringing clean water back to the…

Jennifer Chavez Rubio is Corporate Community Relations Director at Lockheed Martin where she directs social impact programs and initiatives for 105,000 employees globally. Previously, she was Senior Director of Global Engagement at Medtronic. Before returning to corporate philanthropy, Jennifer…

Robert Lynch is President and CEO of Americans for the Arts. He currently serves on the boards of the Independent Sector, the Arts Extension Institute, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst College of Humanities and Fine Arts Dean’s Council.

Christina Gonzalez is the Council on Foundations' former Legal Director, National Standards, and Staff Counsel. 

Tony Mestres is the former President & CEO of Seattle Foundation.

Tonya Allen is a dynamic philanthropic leader, author, and speaker. As President of the McKnight Foundation, Tonya has helped to transform the nearly 75-year family institution into an innovative changemaking organization—launching the GroundBreak Coalition, championing net zero investments, and…

Jamie Merisotis is a globally recognized leader in philanthropy, education, human work, talent development, and public policy. He has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008. Merisotis is the co-founder and former president of the nonpartisan, Washington, D.C.-based Institute for…

Kathleen McLaughlin is Executive Vice President and Chief of Sustainability Officer for Walmart Inc. and President of the Walmart Foundation. Kathleen is responsible for programs that help Walmart create economic opportunity through jobs and sourcing; enhance the sustainability of food, apparel…

Bryan J. Del Rosario is the former Director, Legal Resources & Senior Counsel at the Council on Foundations.

Javier Alberto Soto serves as president and CEO of The Denver Foundation, a community foundation that deploys philanthropy, civic leadership, and community investment to improve the quality of life in Metro Denver. Since joining the foundation in the fall of 2019, Javier has led the development of…

Nick Deychakiwsky is a program officer working in two Civil Society program areas: Strengthening Civic Space and Enhancing Community Philanthropy. In late 1990, Deychakiwsky moved to Ukraine, where he worked in various roles supporting democratic and economic reform before joining the Mott…

Stephanie Powers was the Senior Advisor for Public Policy & Partnerships managing public-philanthropic partnerships in the Council on Foundations’ Department of Public Policy and Government Relations.