VALERIE JARRETT

Chief Executive Officer, the Obama Foundation

The Honorable Valerie Jarrett is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of the Barack Obama Foundation. She is also a Senior Distinguished Fellow at The University of Chicago Law School. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, published in April 2019.

Ms. Jarrett was the Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama from 2009-2017 making her the longest serving senior advisor in history. She oversaw the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls. Ms. Jarrett worked throughout her tenure at the White House to mobilize elected officials, business and community leaders, and diverse groups of advocates. She led the Obama Administration’s efforts to expand and strengthen access to the middle class, and boost American businesses and our economy. She championed the creation of equality and opportunity for all Americans, and economically and politically empowering women in the United States and around the world. She oversaw the Administration’s advocacy for workplace policies that empower working families, including equal pay, raising the minimum wage, paid leave, paid sick days, workplace flexibility, and affordable childcare, and led the campaigns to reform our criminal justice system, end sexual assault, and reduce gun violence.

Ms. Jarrett has also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” Award. Jarrett received her B.A. from Stanford University in1978 and her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School in 1981.

Maria Torres-Springer

First Deputy Mayor of New York City

Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer is charged with spearheading the administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify its economy, advance Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes for New Yorkers over the next decade, preserve and improve the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), bolster small business, connect New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs, and expand access to arts and culture. She previously was Vice President of US Programs at the Ford Foundation where she oversaw the foundation’s domestic grant making and made historic investments to support racial equity, workers’ rights, voting rights, and arts and culture across the country. As commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Maria focused on the production of housing for the city’s most vulnerable communities, while also launching several new programs to protect tenants’ rights. She led the implementation of Housing New York, a five-borough, 12-year plan to create or preserve 300,000 affordable homes; and she steered the financing of approximately 60,000 affordable homes. Earlier, as president and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation, Maria led the implementation of the new citywide ferry service and made major investments in key sectors of the city’s economy. She also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization plans. Prior to that, as commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services, Maria prioritized efforts to raise wages and support women and immigrant-owned businesses and worked to prepare New Yorkers for 21st-century jobs. Maria earned her bachelor’s degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.

Seema R. Hingorani

Founder and Chair of Girls Who Invest, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management

As Founder and Chair of Girls Who Invest and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM), Seema Hingorani is a powerhouse in the investing sphere who is revolutionizing the industry by creating opportunities and increasing representation and diversity. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Hingorani was the Founder and CIO of SevenStep Capital, an opportunistic investment platform focused on seeding women portfolio managers, as well as serving as CIO for the New York City Retirement Systems, which had assets of $160B, and Head of Public Equities & Hedge Funds for the pension funds, which was named Hedge Fund Manager of the Year (Large Public Pension Plans) by Institutional Investor under her leadership. While working at the highest levels in the public and private sector, Hingorani saw few faces like her own, and leveraged her experience and industry connections to solve this ‘pipeline’ problem by founding Girls Who Invest, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and executive leadership in the asset management industry. Since founding the organization in 2015, she has raised over $25M to fund summer programs for over 2,500 diverse college women across the U.S. that offer training, mentorship, and internships with over 100 leading asset management firms in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, creating the next generation of leading investors. Hingorani has worked with several organizations focused on issues concerning women and girls, and has garnered numerous accolades for her groundbreaking work: receiving the insignia of the Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor from France in 2021, listed as one of Barron’s “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance” as well as The Bloomberg’s 50’s “Ones To Watch,” and Traders “Wall Street Women Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2015. In 2024, she was recognized by Forbes on its list of “50 over 50: Investment” for her industry leadership. She served as a member of the National Finance Committee of Secretary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, is an active member of The Economic Club of New York and 100 Women in Finance, and is a prolific speaker on the topic of a more robust inclusion of women in the corporate sector. Seema earned a B.A. in psychology/philosophy from Yale College and an MBA in finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Teresa C. Younger

President and CEO, The Ms. Foundation for Women

Teresa C. Younger is an activist, advocate, renowned public speaker, organizational strategist, and a proven leader in the philanthropic and policy sectors. Having spent 30 years on the frontlines of some of the most critical battles for comprehensive equity and the elimination of institutionalized oppression, for just over a decade she has served as the President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women. She is the longest serving CEO of color and second longest serving CEO in Ms.’ over 50 year herstory. Prior to joining the Ms. Foundation for Women, Younger served as the executive director of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and as executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut — the first African American and first woman to hold that position. Younger is a thought leader at the critical intersections of gender and race. Within the philanthropic sector, she has worked on initiatives to shape and change the narrative of women and girls, including Women’s Funding Network, Grantmakers for Girls of Color, Philanthropy New York, Black Girl Freedom Fund and Funders for Reproductive Equity. She was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Philanthropy” and to the “Top 100 Leaders in Philanthropy” by Inside Philanthropy. Additionally, Younger serves on a number of boards including the Ethel Walker School, Equal Justice Works and Hedgebrook. Younger is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters in Humanities from the University of New Haven, and was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. She is also a proud lifetime Girl Scout and Gold Award recipient.

Ana L. Oliveira

President & CEO, The New York Women’s Foundation

Ana L. Oliveira has been a voice and a force for change in improving the lives of those people in the greatest need for more than 30 years. As President and CEO, she leads The New York Women's Foundation mission to create an equitable and just future for women and families. During her tenure with The Foundation, Ana has increased annual grantmaking from $1.7M to more than $114M distributed to over 500 organizations today, impacting millions of women and girls since its creation in 1987. Under Ana's leadership, The Foundation focuses on funding organizations by and for women of color.  Ana has led critical cross-sectoral partnerships to advance women's rights as a former Commissioner of Human Rights for the NYC Commission, and sits on the Independent Commission to Study Criminal Justice Reform in NYC.  She has also served as a member of the New York City HIV Planning Council and the New York City Commission on AIDS, and Ana has chaired the NYC Commission for LGBTQ Runaway Homeless Youth as well as Mayor Bloomberg's Young Men's Initiative. In early 2021, Ana joined the Board of Directors for Point Source Youth, a national nonprofit to end homelessness in 50 cities and towns in 10 years. She currently serves as an Advisory Committee Member to the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy.  Ana has served as a board member for Philanthropy New York and served on and chaired committees for Women’s Funding Network. Ana attained her M.A. in Medical Anthropology and a Ph.D. (hon) from the New School for Social Research. She was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and resides in New York. 

Giselle Burgess

Senior Director, Troop 6000 and Accessibility & Inclusion, Girl Scouts of Greater New York

Giselle Burgess is the Visionary and Senior Director of Troop 6000 and Accessibility and Inclusion. Troop 6000 is a Girl Scout program specially designed to serve girls in the New York City Shelter System. After becoming homeless and living in a shelter with her five children, she saw that there was a great need for a program like this to be offered to girls and women living in the shelter system. Burgess is devoted to bringing the Girl Scouting experience to all young people, regardless of their housing or economic status. She has been recognized for her dedication by her community and her local city councilman and has received a Proclamation from the City of New York for her outstanding service, achievements in her community, and for devoting her life to empowering and uplifting women. In addition to serving as the Troop 6000 Director, Burgess is a full-time mother to four daughters and two sons, all of her daughters are Girl Scouts and remain a part of Troop 6000, even after finding a home of their own. Burgess and her daughters continue to advocate for girls and women living in the shelter system and are determined to break the stigma of homelessness.

Allison Fine

President, Every.org

Allison Fine has been a pioneer in the nonprofit sector, widely recognized for her expertise in harnessing technology for social good. She has founded and led several nonprofit organizations and written dozens of articles and papers. A captivating speaker, Allison inspires audiences to embrace technology as a force for positive change. Currently, Allison is the President of Every.org, a tech-for-good nonprofit that transforms online fundraising into a meaningful and joyful experience. Early in her career, Allison founded Innovation Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving nonprofit outcomes through measurement. Later, she founded and led the Network of Elected Women, an effort to support and connect female elected officials to one another. Allison was the national chair of the board of Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL.) She has also served on the boards of the Women of Reform Judaism board and was a founding board member of Civic Hall, a hub for civic technology in New York City. Allison has written four influential books, including her most recent work co-authored with Beth Kanter, The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World.

Colonel Julia Coxen

Department Head, Department of Systems Engineering at the US Military Academy at West Point

Colonel Julia Oh Coxen earned her PhD in Operations Research from the University of Michigan and two masters degrees from Columbia University from their department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Julia is a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Systems Engineering and minored in Music. Julia was also among the top 50 finalists out of 18,000+ applicants for the NASA astronaut selection in 2017. Julia is a senior-rated jumpmaster that commanded three times at the company level and also commanded a battalion in the US Special Operations Command. She was commissioned in the Signal Corps and started her career in Korea. She continued to serve in various leadership and staff positions from being a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division to leading troops as a signal officer to deploying multiple times overseas in support of the Global War on Terror. She also taught in the Department of Systems Engineering at West Point from 2007-2010. She served the following years with the U.S. Special Operations Command from 2010-2018 near Washington D.C. working extensively with interagency partners and the intelligence community. She commanded two different Troops, served as an Executive Officer, and also deployed in key roles for a brigade sized task force overseas. She spent the final two years of her tour in Virginia as a Battalion Commander simultaneously launching the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Data Initiative. Her PhD research was an interdisciplinary effort that took a risk analysis and data-driven approach to combatting sex trafficking. This expanded her research interests in data science, anomaly detection, machine learning, and operations research for vulnerable populations. She continues to teach and be part of the governance of the military academy while conducting meaningful research.

MARTI SPERANZA WONG

Founder & Executive Director, Amplify Her Foundation

Marti is deeply devoted to women’s empowerment. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Amplify Her Foundation and Amplify Her. Both organizations share the mission of supporting women from underserved communities to become transformative changemakers. Amplify Her Foundation partners with community-led organizations that build the economic and social power of women and girls through leadership programs, educational opportunities, career training and development. Amplify Her addresses women’s underrepresentation in elected offices by advising candidates, recruiting committed campaign volunteers and registering new voters. Prior to Amplify Her, Marti served as Director of Women Entrepreneurs (WE) NYC, a New York City initiative launching and managing innovative programs on access to capital and mentorship. Marti’s first role in NYC government was Director of Strategic Initiatives for New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs. Marti was elected as Democratic State Committeewoman for the 74th Assembly District, was appointed to Manhattan's Community Board 5 and has served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity NYC and the RTW Foundation. In 2022, Marti was recognized by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson with a Proclamation for her work in the Community and in 2023 Marti was honored by City & State as one of 'The Responsible 100: New Yorkers serving the common good.' Marti studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and earned her Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University.

DIANA FRANCO

Vice President, Women.NYC at the New York City Economic Development Corporation

Diana Franco is Vice President of Women.NYC at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Diana is a long-standing advocate for women's economic empowerment. A serial entrepreneur by nature, she started her career on the founding team of three successful startups: Latinred, CycleLogic, and Kactoos. Diana also is the founder of Grenout, an agency focused on helping foreign entrepreneurs launch their products and services in the U.S., and co-founder of CoreWoman, a foundation aiming to empower women professionally and economically. Diana served as the Executive Director of Women Entrepreneurs (WE NYC) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The City of New York has publicly recognized Ms. Franco's work with two awards, in 2019 for Excellence in Public Service and 2020 for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.  Like many New Yorkers, Diana is an immigrant, originally from Medellín, Colombia.

Noorain Khan

Senior Advisor to the President, Ford Foundation

Noorain Khan is Senior Advisor to the President at the Ford Foundation, where she leads cross-foundation strategic initiatives. She previously oversaw the foundation’s global discretionary grantmaking and served as a key partner on the foundation’s historic $1B social bond offering in 2020 that drove major investments in organizations to combat the crises of COVID-19 and systemic racism. Noorain also launched and led Ford’s work in disability rights, growing it into the largest private funder of disability in the world. She is the subject of a Harvard Law School case study on public sector leadership. She previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor on the National Economic Council at the White House, as Chief of Staff at Teach For All, and as an attorney at Wachtell Lipton. In 2023, Noorain was elected Girl Scouts of the USA’s 27th National Board President, making her the chief volunteer of the largest girl-led organization in the world. Noorain has received the George Parkin Service Award for outstanding contributions to the Rhodes Trust and was honored by Rice University’s Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality with its Distinguished Alumna Award.  She is a graduate of Yale Law School (JD, PD Soros Fellowship), Oxford University (MPhil, Rhodes Scholarship), and Rice University (BA).

Sarah Haacke Byrd

CEO, Women Moving Millions

Sarah Haacke Byrd is a philanthropy and social impact leader, currently serving as the CEO of Women Moving Millions where she has mobilized more than $160 million in new funding to date. With over two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, Sarah has a deep understanding of the complex issues facing women and girls globally and a strong commitment to driving large-scale social change. Sarah has been building, guiding, and leading nonprofit organizations in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York dedicated to strengthening democracy, expanding human rights, and advancing gender equality. Previously, Sarah worked for notable organizations, including the Joyful Heart Foundation, where she led the campaign to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits in the U.S. Sarah has been recognized throughout her career for her ability to build and lead high-performing teams and drive strategic growth in mission-driven organizations. She has been an advisor to various philanthropic initiatives and is known for her ability to mobilize and inspire the public and private sector to make significant investments in social change. Sarah served as a founding board member for Hive Gender Climate Justice Fund. Sarah currently serves on the Board of Directors for DC-based Women’s Foreign Policy Group, is an Ambassador Board Member for NextGen America, an Advisory Board Member at the Diverse Investing Collective, and an Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Maheen Kaleem, Esq

Vice President of Operations and Programs, Grantmakers for Girls of Color

Maheen has dedicated her life to creating a world where girls of color are safe and free. She has almost twenty years of experience supporting youth and families impacted by interpersonal and state violence, and making way for those traditionally marginalized from formal sites of power to lead efforts to advance racial and gender justice. In the various roles she has held, she has always grounded her work in the wisdom of women and girls of color who have survived the carceral system, sexual exploitation, and abuse. Previously, Maheen served as Program Officer at the NoVo Foundation, where she managed the foundation’s work to end commercial sexual exploitation and led the development of The Life Story Grants, a $10 million commitment to support projects that close sex trade on-ramps, and open exit-ramps for survivors. Prior to NoVo, she was a staff attorney at a human rights organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence impacting marginalized girls and young women, where she advocated for the successful passage of numerous laws and policies at the federal, state, and local levels that protect the rights of girls in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Maheen has co-authored several reports, including The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline: A Girls’ Story, and Beyond the Walls: A Look at Girls in D.C.’s Juvenile Justice System. She is an alum of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, the Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellowship, and the National Juvenile Justice Network Youth Justice Leadership Institute, and holds both a bachelor’s degree in International Politics and a law degree from Georgetown University. Maheen is a first generation Pakistani-American who was raised mostly in the Bay Area of California, on the traditional territory of the Ohlone people.

Jacqueline Ackerman

Interim Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

WPI believes that gender matters in philanthropy, and that solving the world’s complex problems requires perspective, leadership and generosity from women and men. Jacqueline’s work centers on moving the institute’s research into action, delivering insights to donors, fundraisers and sector leaders that grow women’s giving and deepen fundraisers’ engagements with female donors. Over the last decade, Jacqueline has led WPI’s research agenda, including serving as primary author on most of WPI’s research reports. Jacqueline joined the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2012 after earning a Master of Public Affairs from the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington. She was raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and resides in Bethesda, MD.

Laura Risimini

Director of Grants, Amplify Her Foundation

Laura Risimini serves as the Director of Grants of the Amplify Her Foundation, where she oversees the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy and cultivates strategic philanthropic partnerships in the New York City area. Prior to joining the Amplify Her Foundation, Laura served as the Managing Director of the Purpose Foundation, a start-up organization acting as a fiscal sponsor for social impact campaigns and organizations. Prior to that role, she was the Foundation Manager of the HLH Family Foundation, formerly The Sister Fund, where she guided the organization through its transition from a women’s fund to a family foundation. Throughout her career, Laura has had the unique opportunity to support organizations in all areas of their lifecycle from start-up to sunset. She specializes in building nonprofit operating and programmatic structures and designing and implementing grant cycles aligned with feminist and trust-based funding principles. In addition to her leadership roles, Laura is the co-author of The Uprising of Women in Philanthropy, a work that explores the transformative impact of the global women’s funding movement. She holds a BA in International Studies and an MA in Political Science from Fordham University and is passionate about working for organizations that support the leadership and advancement of women and girls.

Chirlie Felix

Managing Director, FSG

Chirlie Felix is a Managing Director at FSG, a global nonprofit consulting firm that partners with foundations and corporations to create equitable systems of change. At FSG, Chirlie supports corporate and philanthropic clients on educational equity, corporate social responsibility, strategic planning, organizational development, and community engagement. Prior to joining FSG, Chirlie was a Senior Strategic Advisor at Teach For All, and an Education Pioneers Fellow as a consultant for the Newark Legacy Charter School. Chirlie has been an equity advocate since her youth, first as a student board member of the Aspira Association of New York and as a U.S. Fulbright scholar undertaking research on racial equity in education in Brazil. While there she worked for the Steve Biko Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization with the goal of growing educational opportunities for Afro-Brazilian students. Chirlie received her BA in Sociology and International Relations from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her MPA from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.

Maia Molina-Schaefer 

Officer-in-Charge of the Corbin Women’s Leadership Forum & Assistant Professor at U.S. Military Academy at West Point

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Major Molina-Schaefer commissioned as a Marine Corps Intelligence Officer. During her ten years as a Marine, Maia deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a master’s degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. In 2015, Maia transferred to the U.S. Army as a Sub-Saharan Africa Foreign Area Officer (FAO) and was posted at U.S. Africa Command, where she served in the J-5 and as the Deputy Executive Officer to Ambassador Alex Laskaris. Following her assignment at USAFRICOM, Maia served as the Chief, Office of Security Cooperation at U.S. Embassy Niamey, Niger from 2018-2021. In this role, Maia was responsible for a $240M security assistance portfolio with the Nigerien Defense Force and spearheaded the first Women, Peace, and Security program with an African partner. Maia is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of French and the Officer-in-Charge of the Corbin Women’s Leadership Forum at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where she educates and mentors the next generation of leaders. Maia is also passionate about serving her community and was recently appointed as Co-Chair of the Leadership Network for Amplify Her Foundation. Driven by a commitment to gender equity, Maia has written articles, served on panels, and created organizations advocating for the advancement of women, peace, and security in the military and beyond.

Aamina Awan-Khan

Senior Advisor & Chief Partnerships Officer, U.S Department of State

Aamina Awan-Khan is a Senior Advisor and Chief Partnerships Officer at the Global Engagement Center at the U.S. Department of State. With more than 15 years of experience in cross-functional stakeholder partnerships, project development, and management, Aamina has created and led programs in the areas of education, technology, and community engagement. She brings a multi-sectoral perspective, leveraging prior experience working with governments, corporations, academic institutions, and civil partners in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to joining the government, Aamina began her tri-sectoral career at Credit Suisse. She has also held management roles at the Clinton Foundation and the United Nations. A 2022 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a former U.S. Fulbright to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Aamina holds a BA degree in International Relations and Political Science from Fairfield University and a MSc degree in Gender and International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

NA’ILAH AMARU

Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, Women Creating Change

Na’ilah Amaru is a nationally recognized advocacy and policy strategist with an established 20+ year record of social impact in both government and non-profit sectors. She is a fierce advocate for building grassroots governing power among underrepresented populations, women, and BIPoC communities. Na’ilah leads advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels to influence policy decisions that advance racial equity and gender justice. Na’ilah also spearheaded successful electoral and issue campaigns at local, state, and federal levels. Na’ilah’s advocacy impact has earned her multiple national awards, and she was selected to nominate Hillary Clinton for president on behalf of the Democratic Party at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. She is also a regular contributor to the award-winning podcast and blog Brown Girls Guide to Politics. In addition to her civic leadership, Na’ilah is a distinguished U.S. Army veteran andammunition specialist. She was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service during her tour in Iraq and was the first woman and lowest-ranking soldier to win a highly coveted military competition. Na’ilah holds three master’s degrees in Public Administration and Policy Analysis from The University of Texas at San Antonio, in Public Policy and Non-Profit Management from Georgia State University, and in Urban Affairs and Urban Planning from New York City’s Hunter College. She earned undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice from The University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a current PhD student in political science at the CUNY Graduate Center with a research focus on political participation, governing coalitions, and agenda-setting.