Our Team

Vilas Dhar

President and Trustee

Vilas is an entrepreneur, technologist and human rights advocate with a lifelong commitment to creating more robust social institutions that foster shared opportunity.

Karen Kelley Gill

Vice President of Operations

Karen oversees the Foundation’s internal infrastructure including finance, grants management, compliance, and IT.

Mary Rodriguez

Vice President of People

Mary focuses on making the Foundation an exceptional place to work and fosters a culture that inspires the world’s most passionate talent.

Aidan Berger

Strategy Analyst, Strategic Grants

Aidan supports the Strategic Grants team’s efforts to allocate resources to socially impactful AI and data science solutions in collaboration with Foundation leadership, programmatic teams, and external partners.

Aidan has a Bachelors in Political Science from Franklin & Marshall College. Aidan worked in strategy consulting prior to joining PJMF, providing Go-To-Market, growth, and product strategies to technology, education, healthcare, and financial services companies. Outside of work, Aidan enjoys reading, coaching youth lacrosse, and running.

Yolanda Botti-Lodovico

Policy and Advocacy Lead, Office of the President

As the Policy and Advocacy Lead, Yolanda works with the Office of the President to communicate the Foundation’s strategic positions on AI policy, while advocating for a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

Previously, Yolanda was the Policy Lead for a lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where she worked on the COVID response. Her background is in refugee and human rights advocacy, in the legal, public, and nonprofit sectors. Yolanda holds an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in International Studies and Art History from Boston College. In her free time, Yolanda enjoys martial arts and creative writing.

Dan Bernstein

Data Engineer, Data Practice

Dan focuses on supporting grantees with conceptualizing, developing, and troubleshooting their data engineering solutions, including cloud infrastructure, data pipelines, and data visualization.

Before PJMF, Dan was a Data Engineer at LSC, a U.S. non-profit for funding civil legal aid. He spearheaded the Civil Court Data Initiative, analyzing millions of court records to aid legal outreach. He initiated LSC’s data-sharing with universities and Federal agencies for eviction and debt defense. Dan also advised social justice groups on using data for advocacy in housing, criminal justice, and public health.

Nick Cain

Director of Strategic Grants

Nick leads the Foundation’s strategy team, which works to advance digital, AI, and data-driven solutions to global challenges through a combination of hypothesis-driven grantmaking, partnerships, and ecosystem engagement.

Prior to PJMF, Nick was a Principal at Google.org, where he developed a $30M tech-focused climate change portfolio and led additional grantmaking on education and accessibility. Nick is a board member at Path Home, and he founded Frontline Foods Portland, which raised more than $200K for local restaurants in the early days of COVID-19. Nick earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and an MBA from Berkeley.

Suzanne DiBianca

Trustee

Suzanne is Chief Impact Officer and EVP of Corporate Relations at Salesforce.

Suzanne leads Salesforce’s stakeholder capitalism strategy—including the company’s global corporate relations and sustainability efforts. Through the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, she invests in innovative cloud companies driving positive change across sustainability, education, equality and social sector technology solutions. Suzanne was co-founder and president of the Salesforce Foundation and co-created Pledge 1%.

Rebecca Distler

AI, Data, and Digital Health Strategist

Rebecca leads the Foundation’s work to advance digital health equity in collaboration with Foundation leadership, programmatic teams, and external partners.

Rebecca has spent nearly a decade building partnerships and programs with technology companies, foundations, non-profits, and governments to advance innovation in global health. Most recently, she served as Global Health Programs Lead at ID2020 and Director of Global Health Initiatives at Element, a AI digital identity company. Rebecca holds a MPH from the Yale School of Public Health and a BA from Yale University.

Meaghan English

Director, Office of the President

In conjunction with the Office of the President and Board of Trustees, Meaghan manages the Foundation’s work in developing and delivering on strategic priorities and new partnerships.

Previously, Meaghan managed business in society partnerships and focused on social impact and corporate responsibility at the Boston Consulting Group. She holds a BA in Political Science from Boston College and an MA in Gender & International Development from The George Washington University.

Felicia Harris

Communications and Engagement Specialist

In conjunction with the Office of the President, Felicia leads internal and external strategic communication efforts to foster engagement and build community around PJMF’s purpose, partnerships, and programmatic work.

Felicia brings to PJMF more than a decade of experience crafting compelling stories through her previous roles as a journalist, author, and communication professor. Felicia earned her PhD in Mass Communication and MA in Health and Medical Journalism from the University of Georgia, and a BA in Professional Writing from Columbus State University.

Kara Knappe

Executive Assistant, Office of the President

As the Executive Assistant to the President’s Office, Kara provides direct support to the President of the Foundation, and assists with special projects.

Kara comes to PJMF by way of California where she spent much of her youth focused on theater. After years of performing, she moved to NYC where she worked as a personal assistant for an art collector and philanthropist. She has since moved to Nashville, TN where she has worked as a personal assistant as well as in executive assistant roles with the Nashville Health Care Council and SHEPHERD Foundation.

Annie Lamoureux

Controller

Annie oversees PJMF’s accounting matters, including financial reporting, tax compliance, cash management, budgeting, and process improvements. Her role supports our mission of creating an equitable future for all.

Annie, a finance veteran with 20+ years’ experience, has led teams across the spectrum from Tech to Energy. Most recently at Amazon, where she propelled long-term financial growth. Outside of work, Annie enjoys family time and travel. She holds a B.Comm. from HEC Montreal, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Alice Lee

Strategy Analyst, Strategic Grants

Alice supports the Foundation’s efforts to build civil society power and steward a global AI- and data-driven transformation through strategic, values-based grantmaking.

Alice brings to PJMF a passion for stewarding community-driven efforts that tackle social inequities exacerbated by AI/ML systems at their root. Prior to PJMF, Alice spent 8 years growing social businesses in East and Southern Africa and guiding design research efforts to improve farmer-centered value chains. Alice holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in International Rela

Eloy Leibas

Manager, Talent Recruitment

Eloy works to create and continuously evolve the philanthropy’s recruitment strategy, candidate experience, and employer brand initiatives.

Previously, Eloy supported the recruitment function for organizations of various sizes, including start-ups, regional firms, nationwide companies, and global enterprises. He earned his BBA in Marketing / Management from the University of Houston. When not at work, he’s spending time with his wife, Jacqueline, and their dog, Billie. He also is a student at the University of Houston-Downtown for his MBA in HR Management.

Hazem Mahmoud

Director, Data Solutions

Hazem provides direct technical assistance around Data Analytics, Engineering and Operations to Foundation grantees and partner organizations.

Before focusing on nonprofits, Hazem worked with Cloudera Inc.’s leading clients in designing, architecting and deploying the Cloudera platform. Hazem spent over 15 years in systems engineering and DevOps roles, in the banking, advertising, and mobile industries. Hazem has a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an MS Information Systems from Metropolitan State University.

Patrick McGovern

Trustee

A member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Investment Committee, Patrick is a longtime technology executive.

For 25 years, Patrick has been committed to emerging tech solutions. He previously ran SourceForge, was VP of Marketing at Splunk, CMO at Skout, and VP of Marketing at Risk I/O. Patrick also launched WhereApps, and consults for Silicon Valley-based and global tech companies. A Trustee at The People’s Portfolio and The Tech for Global Good Executive Council, Pat holds a BS from the University of San Francisco.

Bob Merriman

Director of Operations

With over 20 years of experience in strategy, operations, and technology, Bob is focused on driving optimization to accelerate PJMF’s mission to create a thriving, sustainable, and equitable future for all.

Bob has over 20 years of experience leading strategy and operations. He previously served as the Global Director of Strategic Planning for Avnet, Inc., and co-founded Force Impact Technologies. As COO of Brio Systems, Bob helped scale the SaaS startup to over $50mm in revenue. Bob loves spending time with his wife and three children, especially on the jiu-jitsu mats. Bob holds a BA and MBA from Arizona State University.

Topaz Mukulu

Strategy Analyst, Strategic Grants

Topaz supports the Foundation’s efforts to identify and resource institutions championing human-centered AI and data-driven transformation rooted in equity and dignity.

Topaz spent 6+ years in the global development and policy space, leading social impact initiatives in digital inclusion and last-mile service access. She has worked as a program manager and strategist for public sector, non-profit, and multilateral organizations in the U.S., the Netherlands, and across sub-Saharan Africa. Topaz received her MS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and holds a BA in Econom

Alisa Orlowsky

Program Manager, Data Practice

Alisa drives relationship management, knowledge capture and peer learning engagement for new and existing Data Practice grant program offerings.

She collaborates with teams across the Foundation, including grants management, operations, and communications, to manage the selection of Data Practice grant and implementation partners and the amplification of their work. Alisa graduated from Santa Clara University with a Philosophy degree and a minor in Chemistry. She also completed a certificate in Values in Science and Technology.

Valmik Patel

Data Scientist, Data Solutions

Valmik focuses on supporting the Data Solutions team by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to create technology products that make a positive impact.

Valmik has a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay and a masters in Data Science from Columbia University. He worked in data science and machine learning engineering roles in the fintech, advertising, and privacy tech industries before joining PJMF. Valmik enjoys watching soccer, gaming, hiking, and reading in his spare time.

Michelle Pomerantz

Board Liaison, Office of the President

Michelle supports the Board of Trustees to help the Foundation achieve its strategic goals. Michelle advises on Board specific philanthropic initiatives and facilitates external Board engagement.

Michelle has over a decade of experience assisting global clients across the public, private, and social sectors with achieving their impact goals. Most recently, Michelle was the Head of Philanthropy at giveback, a social enterprise that helped donors manage their giving portfolios. Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from NYU and a BBA in Management Information Systems from Villanova University.

Nikki Reyes-Khelif

People and Culture Manager

Nikki supports the Foundation’s people and culture pillars, from recruitment to learning and engagement. She helps cultivate people-centered programs at PJMF that foster a culture of curiosity, compassion, and innovation.

Nikki brings over 8 years of people operations experience from education, emerging tech, animal health, and nonprofit industries. She is passionate about recruiting for mission-driven organizations and cultivating employee engagement programs that empower individuals to reach their full potential. She attended UC Berkeley as an undergrad and holds a Human Resources Management Certificate from Sonoma State University.

Vanessa Studnick

Technical Product Manager

Vanessa supports the Data Solutions team partnering with engineers, data scientists, partners and local communities to drive the vision and execution of AI-based product development and deployment for the social good.

Vanessa is a strategic technology leader who blends business acumen with technical expertise. With 10+ years’ technical experience in cloud computing, product management, data governance, technology integrations and program management at Fortune 500 corporations as well as start-up organizations. Vanessa identifies problematic issues and challenges, creating simple solutions to complex business problems.

Chelsey Walden-Schreiner

Data Scientist, Data Practice

Chelsey provides data science support to Data Practice partners, including assistance with project scoping, advanced data analysis, and modeling. She also specializes in geospatial data science and ecology.

Chelsey is a geospatial enthusiast passionate about the ability of place and technology to bring data, disciplines, and people together to address socio-environmental challenges. In past industry and academic roles, she’s collaborated with cross-sector partners to co-create models and data tools for environmental initiatives. She has a PhD and MS in geospatial data science and natural resources, and a BA in journalism.

Monica Williams

Operations Manager

Monica supports operations, systems management, and technology solutions for the Foundation.

Monica graduated from Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in history and communications. She spent eight years managing Trademark Tours, a tourism start-up in Cambridge, MA. During COVID-19, Monica joined Neighborhood Villages to advocate for early education and policy reform and facilitate the reopening of Boston childcare centers. In her spare time, she listens to podcasts and teaches cardio dance and cardio boxing.

Patrick J. McGovern Foundation

Our Team

Aidan Berger

Yolanda Botti-Lodovico

Dan Bernstein

Nick Cain

Suzanne DiBianca

Rebecca Distler

Meaghan English

Felicia Harris

Kara Knappe

Annie Lamoureux

Alice Lee

Eloy Leibas

Hazem Mahmoud

Patrick McGovern

Bob Merriman

Topaz Mukulu

Alisa Orlowsky

Valmik Patel

Michelle Pomerantz

Nikki Reyes-Khelif

Vanessa Studnick

Chelsey Walden-Schreiner

Monica Williams

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