Speakers
Donovan brings a wealth of experience in the CDFI sector. For decades she has been driving impact investing strategies to spur economic opportunity and revitalize communities. She served in the White House Office of Social Innovation and as the Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, where she directed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of programs aimed at improving access to capital for disinvested communities across the country. She has held top executive positions at Capital Impact Partners (now Momentus Capital), and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), where she worked to propel these organizations to greater levels of growth and impact.
Donovan’s passion for community development and sustainability began with her service in the U.S. Peace Corps. Today, Donovan is an accomplished leader in the industry and a published writer. She has published many articles on economic and community development, health, climate and impact investing. Donovan has been a keynote speaker and guest lecturer to share her extensive knowledge. She has an undergraduate degree in Economics and an MBA in Finance.
In forming RevJen Group, Brian marries his passion for the nonprofit sector with his background in leadership solutions in formation of his mission to fuel a greater good, one leader at a time.
RevJen Group thinks it’s time that social sector organizations and leaders had the same opportunities, training, and network of support as their for-profit peers. With support from RevJen, nonprofit leaders are developing plans for growth they can maintain, cracking the code on their biggest challenges, and linking arms with peers and allies to keep them going for the long-haul.RevJen Group partners with nonprofits, funders, and key stakeholders to provide revenue capacity-building training and professionally facilitated peer groups to the nonprofit sector to combat three pervasive, interlinked nonprofit sector issues:
· Financial Sustainability. Nonprofit organizations are frequently unable to develop reliable, repeatable revenue that sustains the organization and its mission.
· Development Talent Turnover. Nonprofit sector leaders are turning over in record numbers.
· Leadership Isolation and Burnout. The nonprofit sector is filled with passionate leaders who don’t believe they can invest in themselves, leading to feelings of isolation and burnout.
Brian has 20 years of leadership experience in both for-profit and non-profit industries. He is a speaker and author and has served on for-profit and non-profit boards. He is based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and chasing his dogs around. He holds an Executive MBA, with honors, from Southern Methodist University.
Ms. Román earned two degrees from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio: a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. After graduating from St. Mary’s, Ms. Román taught middle and high school mathematics and science for five years at Holy Cross High School in San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Román was also the mathematics department chair, the robotics team coach, and a de facto college counselor.
She also holds a Master of Public Health degree in Biostatistics from Columbia University in New York. In her time at Columbia, she managed and analyzed the data for several epidemiological studies of epilepsy and pediatric retinoblastomas.
Ms. Román is currently working on her doctorate’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. Through her doctoral dissertation, Ms. Román is studying and analyzing the effect leadership development through community organizing interventions for Latino, immigrant parents have in the development and sustainability of parent/school accountability relationships.
After her time with the Cristo Rey Network, Ms. Román launched her own services as an organizational development consultant, recruiter, leadership coach, and change manager for different small businesses in the construction industry and new non-profits in the Dallas area.
Through Community Does It, Ms. Román is excited to combine all her experiences as a Latina woman, daughter, sister, wife, mom, educator, life coach, statistician, business consultant, and researcher to bring a community together that continues to be forgotten to help them realize and develop the skills and wisdom they already possess to lead the change they want to see in their communities.
Ms. Román is the youngest of her family’s eighteen siblings. She is the happy mother of three boys and a girl. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and playing board games.
Ms. Best believes in the idea of meeting the people where they are to best service their needs. Whether it be hosting community listening sessions on behalf of clients or assembling oversite boards comprised of locals, she is most passionate about equitable and sustainable community development.
Cimajie has experience in city, county, and state government as well as the private sector. Her in-depth work in both micro and macro settings gives her a competitive edge in understanding the complex and nuanced realities of accomplishing truly transformational change across many sectors. Having launched programs for organizations such as the State Fair of Texas and the Texas Women’s Foundation she is s a staunch advocate for collaborations, partnerships and a collective impact approach to producing lasting change in communities.
Cimajie served on the Dallas County Child Welfare board and currently serves on the boards of the Moorland Family YMCA at Oak Cliff, Healthy Future of Texas, and the Community Engagement Committee for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. She is a SVP Dana Juett Resident Alum, a former Communities Foundation of Texas, Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Fellow as well as an Obama Foundation Community Leader Alumni.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Africana Studies from Louisiana State University as well as a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Oxford.
Previously, Donovan has held positions at various organizations in the social sector, ranging from K-12 education to community development to environmental justice.
Based in Dallas, Texas, Donovan is a graduate of Yale University (MBA and Master of Environmental Management) and Stanford University (BA in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity). He's also a proud advisory board member at the Yale Center for Business & Environment. Outside of work, Donovan enjoys writing, exercising, and being with his people.
Born and educated in Mexico City, Dr. Garcia earned her Doctorate in Odontology from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in 1984. She later immigrated to the United States, where she had to recertify her Degree at Baylor College of Dentistry, earning her second Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) in 1990. She is a small business owner, having run her own private practice since 1998. Dr. Garcia also served as an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Dentistry. She is married and has two sons.
Dr. Garcia has always dedicated herself to community service and began her service in public office in 2001 when she was elected to the Dallas City Council to represent the residents of District 1. While serving on the Dallas City Council, Dr. Garcia was instrumental in steering a number of important public projects to completion, including securing critical funds for the Latino Cultural Center and spearheading the development of a new Animal Shelter and the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Additionally, she worked with the Environmental Committee to institute LEED standards for City of Dallas buildings. When she was chosen unanimously by her colleagues to serve as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor Pro Tem, she was the first Latina to serve in those positions.
Dr. Garcia was elected to serve as Dallas County Commissioner by the citizens of District 4 in November 2010, becoming the first Latina ever to serve on the Dallas County Commissioners Court. During her first term in office, Dr. Garcia focused on making Dallas County government more transparent, saving millions in tax dollars by fixing the Dallas County’s bail bond system, pushed for the completion of the long-delayed Hunter-Ferrell Road project in Irving and Grand Prairie, building and extending trails in District 4, championing initiatives like the District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Unit, and educating constituents about Dallas County services. During her second term in office, Dr. Garcia was instrumental in updating the Dallas County purchasing rules and ethics policies, the expansion of the MWBE certification, Dallas County adopting “ban the box” in its hiring policies, starting the “Homes for Hounds” program in the jail, completing the $20 million improved MacArthur Blvd project, and leading the renovation of the Records Building Complex. She also created the Facilities Management Committee to address issues with Dallas County’s aging buildings and dangerously high level of deferred maintenance. Through long-range planning and prudent investment in facilities, Dallas County’s deferred maintenance has been reduced from $100 million when she took office to $28 million today.
Now in her third term as Dallas County Commissioner for District 4, Dr. Garcia has completed the $5.7 million Northaven Trail project, the $15.35 million Cockrell Hill Road, opened the Oak Cliff Government Center, broke ground for the Oak Cliff Gateway a mixed used affordable housing project and is looking forward to completing the $27.2 million Medical District Dr. project and $200 million Dallas County Records Building Complex Renovation Project and many other projects she currently has underway.
Dr. Garcia is the Chair of the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board(CJAB), DWI Task Force, New Life Opportunities and the Dallas County Facilities Management Committee. She is Vice-Chair of the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA). She is also a board member of the Public Employee Benefits Cooperative (PEBC), Benefits Review Committee, and the Continuous Improvement Steering Committee. She formally served the Dallas County Civil Service Commission and was an alternate for the Regional Transportation Committee (RTC). In her role as Dallas County Commissioner, Dr. Garcia also appoints community members to various Dallas County Boards, including the Parkland Board of Managers, the Dallas County Trail and Preserve Program Board, the Citizen Election Advisory Committee, the Dallas County Historical Foundation, as well as several other boards and commissions.
In addition to her service to constituents, Dr. Garcia bears a myriad of other public service responsibilities. She currently sits on the Safer Dallas Better Dallas Board and is an Advisory Board member of Methodist Dallas Medical Center, HOPES Advisory Council and the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology at Prairie View A&M University. She formerly served on the Boy Scouts of America Circle Ten Council, Dallas Convention Visitors Bureau, Dallas Zoological Society, and the Salvation Army boards and New Friends New Life Advisory Board.
She is also a current and/or past member of the Oak Cliff Lions Club, Grand Prairie Rotary Club, Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce, Greater Grand Prairie Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Greater Irving/Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, Greater Southwest Black Chamber of Commerce, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Henry Holmes Breakfast Group, Irving Heritage Society, Irving Women’s Network, Irving Hispanic Forum, League of Women Voters of Dallas, Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, Irving Texas Democratic Women, Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Summit, Hispanic 100, Dallas Assembly, Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Oak Cliff, West Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and St. Cecilia’s Catholic Women.
Ellen is a seasoned Entrepreneur, Executive Producer, Impact Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours herself to date. She is the Chairperson Emeritus of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Board and an avid supporter of conservation, land regeneration and biodiversity. She runs her own NGO dedicated to the mitigation of air pollution. Her experience in factual programming and feature documentaries is extensive in both production and distribution.
Ellen has been presented with numerous awards, including Wildscreen’s Christopher Parsons Outstanding Achievement Award 2018 and the CogX Global Goals Impact Award 2022. She has three children and a great passion for the outdoors. Ellen's board experience is extensive including almost 13 years on the Jackson Hole Film Festival board, 5 years on the Wildscreen board and various advisory functions.
Elizabeth is dedicated to driving economic development in South Dallas/Fair Park while maintaining the rich history, culture, and pride of the community. Prior to joining CitySquare, Elizabeth’s love for social entrepreneurship was anchored during her time at Paul Quinn College, where she served as the Director of Service Learning and led the effort to transform the college’s unused football field into a nationally recognized organic farm to combat food inequities and access.
Elizabeth currently serves on the Majestic Theater Centennial Planning Committee, is an active member the DFW Spelman Alumni group, and is a member of the inaugural Black Women in Nonprofit Leadership cohort hosted by Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT). Elizabeth was named one of 2020 Dallas Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. A native of Dallas with rich ties to the Southern Dallas community, Elizabeth completed undergraduate studies at Spelman College in Atlanta in economics and earned her MBA at the SMU Cox School of Business with a concentration in strategy and entrepreneurship.
Eric serves on the board and investment committee of the New York Foundation, as well as the investment committees of the UUCEF and Invest Appalachia; he also serves on the finance committee for the North Star Fund, New York City's social justice community foundation. He teaches "Capital for Good: Finance, Investment and Social Justice" at the City University of New York to graduate students and remains active in local progressive politics. A former Fulbright ETA, Eric earned his MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and his MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU. He calls Brooklyn home.
Esther has also served as the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at RSF Social Finance working with social enterprises; and as a senior consultant at ShoreBank Advisory Services, providing strategic and capital planning advice for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). And in a previous life, Esther lived in Nukus, Uzbekistan, teaching English and conducting program evaluation work for the United Nations. Esther received her MPP from University of Chicago, and BA in Social Welfare from the University of California Berkeley.
In 2021, Jessica joined the Greenwood Project to secure a FinTech internship. In 2022, she accepted a Trading Associate internship offer with PEAK6’s Capital Management. Through rigorous training with the Greenwood Project to enhance her skills and has completed the Bloomberg Market Concepts certification. She plans on sitting for the Securities Industries Essentials Exam this summer.
After graduation, she plans on entering FinTech as a trading associate. She plans on mentoring individuals and helping organizations that focus on introducing a wide variety of individuals into FinTech in the future.
In addition to his business interests, Jimmy is also passionate about education, urban planning, and civic engagement. He was recently named to the inaugural board to the Economic Development Corporation for the City of Dallas. He has served or held Board seats on the National Board of AVANCE (an early childhood nonprofit), SMU Simmons School of Education, Parkland Foundation, Oak Lawn Committee and the HBS Club of Dallas. Additionally, Jimmy has completed nonprofit consulting and pro-bono assignments with Jumpstart, KIPP, Goodwill, Senior Source and ScholarShot. Jimmy also helped launch Friends of PL PREP where he currently serves as Board Chair. Friends of PL Prep is a foundation that raises funds for PL PREP, a Dallas ISD Choice school in Oak Lawn.
Jimmy has been selected for several prestigious leadership and award programs including the Hunt Scholarship, George Family Foundation Scholarship, Leadership Dallas, Mayor’s Star Council, Leadership ISD, DBJ 40 Under 40 and the Dallas Assembly.
Jimmy enjoys traveling, spending time with his wife and 3 kids, taking his Akita/German Shepherd on neighborhood walks and up-keeping his aquarium and red‐eared slider turtle.
Before entering philanthropy, Kim worked at MetLife as the youngest Regional Administrator in charge of the administrative operations of 17 sales offices in the western half of Texas. Following her tenure at MetLife she worked briefly in the Telecom industry building-out the administrative operations, reporting tools and systems, and marketing efforts for a national sales organization.
Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance & Marketing from Texas Tech University. She is an avid runner having successfully completed both half and full marathons. She raised two young adults and is now enjoying spending much of her time with her two grand-daughters (Lynnlee Joyce 3.5 and Flora Ruth 1.5).
Having sat on multiple boards and commissions both locally and nationally, Michelle is committed to serving her community wherever she is needed. Much of her work and passion is fueled by the belief that access to high-quality education, health care, justice, economic equity and housing are basic civil rights in our American society. Michelle has had the distinct honor of working with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans: a cross-agency effort aimed at identifying evidence-based practices to improve student achievement.
In 2016, Michelle was the honored by Texas State Senator Royce West as a recipient of the Outstanding Texan award for Senatorial District 23. Michelle is the immediate past President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League Young Professionals where she was awarded the prestigious title of President of the Year by the National Urban League. That same year, Michelle was awarded with the YP honors award: a highly selective honor bestowed to only 10 professionals nationally under the age of 40 by the National Urban League Young Professionals. In 2018, she was named one of the top 15 Innovators Reshaping Texas by Texas Monthly magazine.
Michelle has an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University where, in 2020, she was appointed to the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board.
In 2019, Bracane Company received the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award to increase opportunities for collaboration of research partners and medical interests globally.
Founded in 2002, Bracane Company is a global, full-service provider of research consulting services to small to mid-size life science companies, government, and insurance entities. We specialize in project rescue, quality audits, and program evaluations.
Prisma worked at The Concilio, a Dallas nonprofit, as a Program Director. She also previously worked as a Fundraising Consultant with Changing Our World, Inc. based in New York, NY.
She received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Science-Business with a minor in Latino Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Most recently, she completed a Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Prisma is a board member for Refugee Services of Texas, Community Does It, and other community organizations. She loves traveling and spending time outdoors with her dogs. She resides in Pleasant Grove (Dallas, TX), where she was born and raised.
Romy’s company One Stop Wellness was 1 of the North American startups who received funding through Amazon Alexa’s 1st Black Founders Cohort to create voice skills for wellness. In addition to his tech ventures, Romy is also a fitness trainer and nutritionist who’s coached clients all over the world since before virtual training was a thing! He is a speaker and thought leader on how organizations can inspire well-being. And as the only millennial expert who’s actually a millennial, he published The Ultimate Guide to Engaging Millennials as a toolkit for managers to better engage millennials to attract and retain top talent while navigating through a virtual and multigenerational workplace.
Ruben has advanced the belief that all human beings must participate in the ownership and active sustainability of earth systems. He believes that money is a resource that must flow freely to enable humans to solve our most difficult challenges and live in harmony with earth and one another.
Ruben obtained his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University School Of Applied Science and Engineering. Ruben's senior thesis focused on the impact of industrial activity in the levels of Carbon Dioxide on earth. This work was performed at the Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona which at the time was part of The Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Ruben worked for many years in the Natural Resources and Utilities practice at Accenture. During his tenure at Accenture, Ruben managed multimillion dollar technology implementation projects for very large and multinational clients in North America, Mexico and Europe. After Accenture, Ruben joined a team of software developers, artists, cooperative workers in a social enterprise dedicated to the development of sophisticated, beautifully designed custom technology platforms for nonprofits, foundations, municipalities and workers cooperatives in the United States.
Ruben joined and became the youngest chairman of the board of the Greater San Jose Hispanic Chamber of Commerce whose mission was to promote social impact investment from the United States to the Global South. During his tenure with the Chamber, Ruben led and organized investment and trade missions throughout North and South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia (India and Indonesia). Ruben developed very strong and deep relationships with government officials, ultra-high net worth individuals, Senior Executives of companies looking to develop sustainable communities across the planet.
For more than 10 years, Ruben has been making angel and venture capital investments into technology startups founded by social impact and transformational entrepreneurs from the Americas. For over 4 years, Ruben and his founding partners at Devlabs Ventures successfully raised and deployed Devlabs Fund I, one of the best performing early-stage Impact Venture Capital Fund in the world with a current TVPI > 7.
In 2019, Ruben became the founding partner of Full Spectrum Capital Partners whose mission is to mobilize $1 Trillion USD to early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystems with high social, environmental and economic returns. Currently, Ruben is the President of the Board of the Emerging Startup Ecosystems Endowment Fund (ESEEF) whose global mission is to democratize the building of healthy entrepreneurial startup ecosystems for solving the world's pressing problems by those who experience them no matter their socio-economic background.
Sam has led the commercial strategy and business development of the network and production studio since launch, and in just the last year has spearheaded partnerships with the New York Times, UN Foundation, Natura &Co, Jack Wolfskin, Rolex, Nikon Europe, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and many more. Prior to roles at WaterBear, Sam was the GM of The European Nature Trust (TENT), produced content and campaigns at Nice and Serious - an ethical creative agency - and trained with the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol.
He is also the Founder of social enterprise DrawFor - which raised tens of thousands for a range of charities during the COVID-19 pandemic - and a Trustee of the Barnes Film Festival and the Hartswood Trust. Sam is also on the Advisory Board of the Aegean Film Festival and is deeply committed to developing the next generation of storytellers, and championing new and sustainable content production models.
His love languages are strategy, storytelling, and social impact. As Head of Strategy for evolvedMD, Mr. Minor is at the forefront of healthcare innovation with a scope of work that includes strategy, corporate development, growth, branding, culture, and coaching. Prior to evolvedMD, he worked with some of the Nation’s most prominent and curious CEOs and entrepreneurs advising on philanthropy, policy, and everything social good as Regional Director of Alder (formerly Gen Next) [PHX + DAL + SFO] and strengthened social enterprises as Director at venture philanthropy firm, Social Venture Partners.
A Phoenix native, Mr. Minor continued his education in the Midwest and is an alumnus of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana where he studied English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. He is also a member of Class IV of the American Express Leadership Academy through the Arizona State University Lodestar Center. If you want to profile him: he’s an ENTJ (Myers Briggs), a Maverick (Predictive Index), and trimodal Blue/Green/Red (Emergenetics).
Where does he shine? In high-touch stakeholder engagement, capital raising, public relations, and strategic planning. With his background, Mr. Minor serves on the board of directors for a diverse set of social impact organizations, as a venture mentor for socially conscious companies nationwide, and as a facilitator for businesses who want organizational clarity. Committed to strengthening brands doing good in the world, Mr. Minor speaks nationally and publishes often on strategy, marketing, leadership, capacity building, social entrepreneurship, and engaging high-profile leaders in the dialogue of today. For his impact on business and community, he was honored among the Phoenix Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” class of 2022.
When he’s not busy changing the world, self-care to him looks like working out, stirring the pot on social media, being an amateur author, and spending time with the people who make him smile.
Stephanie serves in a variety of other roles: State of Colorado Employee Ownership Commission; Visiting Scholar at the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School in New York City; Virginia Tech Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability Associate; Aspen Institute Environment Forum Scholar; Boone & Crockett Fellow; Denver Foundation Impact Investing Committee Member; Environmental Leadership Senior Fellow; Property and Environment Research Center Fellow; Ford Foundation Community Forestry Fellow; Boone and Crockett Professional Member; LegacyWorks Group Board Member; International Women’s Forum - Women’s Forum of Colorado Member and Trustee Emeritus; Realize Impact Board and Investment Committee Member; RSF Social Finance Integrated Capital Institute Advisor; Full Spectrum Capital Partners Principal; and Net Impact’s Innovator in Residence.
She received her Ph.D. from the Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program at the University of Montana, and has a B.S. in Biology & Wildlife Management from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and a M.S. in Ecology from Utah State University.
At LACI, he established both the LACI Impact Fund I (LIF I) and the LACI Debt Fund to allow cleantech companies to grow with diverse capital. These funds utilize an equity impact lens to encourage invested companies to have environmental, economic, and social impact - particularly on increasing the number of underrepresented voices in the cleantech industry. In addition, Eldridge created programs such as LACI Investor Talks (LIT), the LACI Investor in Residence program, and the Player to CEO Athlete-Investor Impact Summit Series with JP Morgan Chase. He has been named one of the 53 Investors to Watch in 2021 by Pitchbook & 101 Black Titans in Tech while nurturing and building a team of investment activists.
Prior to LACI, Eldridge was the Director for the Incubator at the University of California in Riverside, California. During his tenure as Director, his team brought a $10M venture fund (Highlander Fund) to the Inland Empire - the first for the region. Because of Eldridge’s focus on blending entertainment, policy, and entrepreneurship, the region was named the #4 city in the United States for Diverse Entrepreneurs via Entrepreneur Magazine.
Eldridge began his career as a banker and economist with Wells Fargo Bank, UBS Investment Bank, and TRW Investments. He has also been a Founder, Board Member, and Investor in companies such as ILTG Media, Boswell Official Apparel, Voter, Xtopoly, Rookielook, iListen, KYC Hospitality, KIGT, Majira Project, CleanTek Capital and ConCreates.
He also serves on the Climate Finance Advisory Team of the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP), the Executive Board of the Homeboy Industries Ventures Fund, and The Majira Project - a Boston Consulting Group Venture Studio.
He has been profiled in publications such as Impact Alpha, Los Angeles Business Journal, Pitchbook, Forbes, GreenBiz, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more regarding his tireless efforts on achieving alpha while also advancing equity.
Eldridge has a BA degree in poetry & literature from Texas A&M University-Commerce, an MBA degree in International Business from Pepperdine University, and studied geopolitical economics at Claremont Graduate University as a PhD. He also studied abroad at The Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Santiago, Chile, The Universidad Do Porto in Porto, Portugal, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in Hong Kong, China.
Mr. Eldridge is an avid audiobook bibliophile and a lover of music of all genres.
Taj thrives building community around the shared questions that matter most in our lives: How can we build the relationships and express the love needed to transform our world? How do we leverage conflict and challenge into the insight and energy needed to drive deeper connectivity, cooperation and creativity? How do we support leaders and communities to see the ecosystem and the whole, and design and act in ways that bend the long arc of history towards justice and ecological balance? Taj thrives connecting community stewards and capital stewards to bring financial value into alignment with sacred values in ways that build community wealth.
Taj helped to found and lead the Movement Strategy Center (MSC), which has grown into a $50M thriving social change community institution and network committed to creating a world that works for all. Taj works in service of the Transitions Community and the networks it weaves, which are advancing solutions to the question of how we transition from a world of domination, violence and extraction to a world of resilience, regeneration and interdependence.
Over two decades of leadership at MSC, Taj had the honor to help launch and support new alliances such as Strong Families and the Climate Justice Alliance. Taj has also played a key role in building new funding collaboratives and strategies to increase investment in grassroots organizing and alliance building. These initiatives include California Fund for Youth Organizing, Move to End Violence Initiative, California Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, and Building Healthy Communities.
Taj has advised communities and foundations in the environmental and climate sectors, working to build and launch collaborations, partnerships and initiatives designed to accelerate transition to a regenerative economy. These efforts include the Climate Justice Alliance, The Building Equity and and for Impact Initiative (BEA4Impact), the Alliance for Climate Resilience, as well as the Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity initiative of the Kresge Foundation. Through MSC's own Pathways To Resilience Initiative and Community Climate Solutions Initiative, Taj and the MSC team support the work of a range of partners who are raising awareness about climate impacts and climate solutions within a diverse cross-section of social movements.
A graduate of Stanford University, Taj was a recipient of a Next Generation Leadership fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation and was named a “Local Hero” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Taj lives with his family as a guest on unceded Ohlone land, known by many as Oakland, California.
He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Southern Methodist University where he has been honored as a Distinguished Alumni. Tom went on to become the founding and managing partner of the Hughes and Luce law firm. He was lead attorney on multibillion mergers and litigation and was selected at various points in his career as one of the best attorneys at local, state, and national levels.
His public service in Texas was distinguished by gubernatorial and legislative appointments to major state positions including Chief Justice of the Supreme Court pro tempore, Sunset Commission, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Texas Commission on Judiciary, Chief of Staff of the Select Committee on Public Education, and the Superconducting Super Collider.
On the national level, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary of Education by President George W. Bush, confirmed by the United States Senate, and appointed to The Library of Congress Board by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Tom went on to found Texas 2036, an organization dedicated to addressing the impact of the state’s growth by an estimated 10 million people when it turns 200 years old. In addition to Texas 2036, Tom has founded and lead numerous other nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving the needs of others. These include the Texas Business and Education Coalition, Just for the Kids, Data Quality Campaign, the National Center for Educational Accountability, the National Math and Science Initiative, and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
His latest venture is serving as CEO of Biotech Initiatives of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, focused on developing the entire life science ecosystem across the state of Texas.
He has authored two books on improving public education and has taught at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Texas at Dallas.
As President and CEO of CapEQTM, which she founded in 2011, she demonstrated how business and community goals can align towards mutual outcomes, helping Fortune 500 clients like the Carlyle Group, Marriott, and others change the way the world does business. In her previous role as Chief Impact Officer of Living Cities, Tynesia was responsible for ensuring $100M of investment produced outcomes that improved the lives of people across the country.
Tynesia has published articles featured in the Washington Post, Forbes and more, and her most recent book is The Social Impact Advantage: Win Customers and Talent By Harnessing Your Business For Good. In her first book, Just Change: How to Collaborate for Lasting Impact, Tynesia shares her experience investing in cities and leaders across the country.
Vanessa is a 2021 Paypal Maggie Lena Walker’s Emerging Leader Awardee and a 2020 Conscious Company Media’s World Changing Woman in Sustainable Business Awardee. She is a 2021 Purpose Fund Building fellow and a 2020 Boston Impact Initiative Fund-Building fellow. She is a founding member of the Zebras Unite Co-op, and an advisor to Angels of Impact Fund. She sits on the boards of Groundworks NM, Delta Institute, Zebras Unite and is an advisor to Decolonizing Wealth, Angels of Impact Fund, GenderSmart’s JEDI Working Group, and Social Venture Circle’s Restorative Investing Taskforce. She is one of 8 co-founders of Native Women Lead, an organization dedicated to growing Native women into positions of leadership and business. Vanessa is Diné (Navajo) citizen and resides on Tiwa Territory (Albuquerque, NM).