(In alphabetical order)

Sarah DeFeo is the Program Director of the Physician Advocacy Fellowship at Columbia University a program which involves doctors in social justice work. Previously, Sarah was the Project Officer at the Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She also worked at the Social Science Research Council on a pre-dissertation fellowship program for graduate students studying in the developing world. Sarah graduated with honors from Vassar College with a degree in American History, and is currently working toward her Master of Public Policy and Administration at Columbia University.

J. Maya Iwata currently is a consultant to nonprofit organizations in the area of capacity building and fundraising. She has worked for more than 12 years in senior and executive management at grassroots leading edge community based organizations in the areas of health, mental health, youth development and social justice. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology from Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences and her masters in social work from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. In addition to her work in VPF, she is also an associate member of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and active in Go Left, an organization whose goal is to leverage popular culture to make progressive politics popular.

LaTeisha Moore is a Project Manager at mcgarrybowen, the largest independent advertising agency in New York. Prior to her foray into the for-profit world, LaTeisha volunteered for several years in development (fundraising), and served on the Board of the Directors for Young Involved Philadelphia and the Community Advisory Board of Metro newspaper. Her experience in these two arenas gives her a unique appreciation of social entrepreneurs who blur the line between for-profit and not-for-profit enterprise. She explores this and related topics in her blog, return on good. LaTeisha has a B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Founder and Chair
Heather Rees currently works full time on establishing NYC Venture Philanthropy Fund. Heather has over seven years of experience designing and implementing development projects and programs, establishing community and campus organizations and working on socio-economic issues worldwide. She has previously worked as a consultant and volunteer with organizations such as the Fair Trade Foundation, Artisans United for the Development of Atitlan (Guatemala) and Business Council for Peace. Heather received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill and a MSc in Gender, Development and Globalization from the London School of Economics.

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