Director of Partnerships, GivingTuesday

Kelsey Kramer has boomeranged back to the GivingTuesday team to manage the diverse array of partners that power the work of the Data Commons. She connects data and research partners, movement leaders, and strategic collaborators to build new initiatives and support ongoing research at GivingTuesday. With 10 years of experience at nonprofits and technology companies large and small, Kelsey brings a passion for creating lasting social impact through partnerships, innovation, and the democratization of technology. Outside of work, Kelsey can be found walking – either with her dog, hiking outdoors or exploring a new neighborhood in New York where she’s based.

Founding Partner, Hudson Ferris

Edward Leibman has been a fixture on New York’s nonprofit landscape for decades. He has led highly successful fundraising efforts for The New York Botanical Garden, The Public Theater, The National Institute for Reproductive Health, and Theater Communications Group, among others, raising millions of dollars in the process. Nearly a decade ago, he founded Hudson Ferris Inc., a bottom-line-focused fundraising firm that has since grown to become one of New York City’s premiere boutique development consultancies for nonprofits. In 2018, he co-founded GreaterSpace, a groundbreaking platform that pairs workspace with shared support services to create efficiency, promote financial health, and increase the effectiveness of nonprofits. A creative thinker, his entrepreneurial approach to fundraising often breaks the mold of convention. Ed specializes in major gifts, board development, corporate sponsorship, and campaign strategy.

Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Fund for the City of New York

Rich Leimsider is a nonprofit consultant and Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Fund for the City of New York. As a consultant, he recently guided New York’s largest philanthropy around the asylum-seeker crisis and advised a large workforce development program on government relations. At the Fund, he supports dozens of in-house nonprofit projects related to strategy, fundraising, and more.

Previously, Rich founded the PSLF.nyc Campaign – helping 70,000 New Yorkers access $4.6 billion in student loan relief, and served for five years as Executive Director of Safe Passage Project, a nonprofit organization that provides free lawyers to child refugees in New York who are being deported by the US government. Earlier in his career, Rich grew programs at Echoing Green and the Aspen Institute. His path was shaped as a social worker in Texas and as a New York City Urban Fellow at the Department of Homeless Services.

Rich is a graduate of Williams College, Harvard Business School, and NYC public schools and has most of an MSW from the University of Texas. He is a board member with myAgro, a West African agricultural finance nonprofit working alongside 200,000 farmers. His most recent piece at the Harvard Business Review is “Five Bad Reasons to Start a For-Profit Social Enterprise.” Rich lives in Brooklyn with his wife and children.

Executive Director, Green Guerillas

Sarah McCollum Williams is a founding member of the Humphrey Calder Community Garden in Richmond, Virginia and holder of a Certificate in Permaculture Design from Oregon State University. Since joining Green Guerillas in 2019, she works to foster the organization’s growth in order to serve community gardens and gardeners across New York City. Inventive with scarce resources, she has worked in non-profit administration for the past 15 years, managing teams and operations, forming community partnerships, fundraising and strategic planning.

Senior Cybersecurity Program Manager, Technology and Society, Ford Foundation

Matt Mitchell is a senior cybersecurity program manager, working with the BUILD and Technology and Society teams to develop digital security training, technical assistance offerings, and safety and security measures for the foundation’s grantee partners.

Committed to using his vast digital skills—as hacker, developer, operational security trainer, security researcher, and data journalist—for good, Matt has worked in various capacities at the intersection of technology and social justice. He directed digital safety and privacy for Tactical Technology Collective, a global NGO based in Berlin, and he has trained countless activists, journalists, and NGOs in digital security, safety, and privacy. In line with his personal work, which focuses on marginalized, aggressively monitored, over-policed populations, he founded and leads CryptoHarlem, impromptu workshops teaching basic cryptography tools to the predominantly African American community in Upper Manhattan. He has worked for private security firm GJS Security, helping to protect devices from hackers. He has also worked as a data journalist at the New York Times and as a developer at CNN, Time Inc., NewsOne, and other media outlets.

In 2016, Matt served as a Ford-Mozilla Open Web fellow, embedded at Color Of Change. He was also an Internet Freedom Festival fellow, a New America Cybersecurity Initiative fellow, and an adviser to the Open Technology Fund, Internet Freedom Festival, Human Rights Foundation, Digital Security Exchange (DSX), UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Associate, Digital Resilience and Emerging Tech, The Engine Room

Cathy Richards is interested in the intersection between data, technology and humanity. Prior to joining the Engine Room, Cathy worked at GitLab Inc. and Keystone Accountability as a data analyst. She has led and supported projects on a range of issues, from youth employment focused initiatives to rule of law and international health. In her spare time, she enjoys playing capoeira, hoarding books, and saying hello to all the dogs.

CEO & Co-Founder, The Knowledge House

Jerelyn Rodriguez co-founded The Knowledge House (TKH), a Bronx-based tech-education nonprofit, in 2014. TKH closes the gaps in the education­-to-­employment pipeline by leading digital skills training in coding and design for underserved young people in New York, Los Angeles, Newark, and Atlanta. TKH combines technology training, career support, and a comprehensive network of partners to help disconnected job seekers secure rewarding careers and become financially independent.

Jerelyn’s leadership has been recognized widely including in 2016 as a Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Education. Previously, she coordinated STEM after-school programs at Braven and was the Bronx Field Director for Reshma Saujani’s 2013 campaign for New York City Public Advocate. In 2011, Jerelyn joined Students for Education Reform (SFER) as the National Program Director, organizing and coaching college students in 35 states to advocate for education reform. She is currently on the boards of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition and Creo College Prep. Jerelyn has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.

I am an urban planner, civic technologist, open data junkie, map geek, and small d democracy nerd. I currently work as. Previous projects include Civic Roam, Fearless Cities NYC Summit 2018, IDNYC, CivicDashboards, City Atlas, ioby.org, and VoteScope. I have a Masters degree in Urban Planning with a concentration in GIS and civic technology from Hunter College.

Learn more about our team here.