Skip to main content

UFacilitate

Tarek Maassarani

Tarek Maassarani is a mission-driven attorney, program strategist, university professor, and project director with 20+ years leading federally funded initiatives across justice, equity, and climate resilience. He has litigated human rights cases, managed multi-agency partnerships, developed countless programs, published books and articles, and trained civil society and government agencies. As CEO of Sustainable Construction Solutions, he applies his legal and programmatic expertise to sustainable infrastructure, advancing fireproof, non-toxic, and low-carbon materials and methods aligned with resilience and decarbonization goals. Under his leadership, the company has delivered successful pilot projects and expanded public-private partnerships.  Maassarani began his career providing civil legal services law at the federally-funded Neighborhood Legal Services Program, where he served as a Covington & Burling Westwood Fellow and later as a senior staff attorney. At NLSP’s Nani Helen Burroughs office, he represented underserved residents across housing, employment, public benefits, consumer protection, and discrimination cases, while also managing law student interns and supporting D.C. Bar legal clinics and Spanish-speaking workers’ rights seminars. He then served for over a decade as a consultant and trainer for the U.S. Institute of Peace and director of the Salam Institute, in which capacities he managed five-to-six figure USAID and State Department-funded civic engagement and peacebuilding programs across Africa, Afghanistan, and domestic military bases.  He facilitated training for educators, nonprofits, African peacekeeping forces, U.S. Army units, and foreign service officers, and co-authored curricula on religious peacebuilding, conflict resolution, trauma resilience, and nonviolent action. As co-founder and technical lead of Restorative DC, Maassarani designed and scaled a citywide restorative justice initiative across Washington, D.C., delivering technical assistance to over 40 schools, coordinating a diversion program for the Department of Human Services, and advising the Office of the Attorney General on the creation of a nationally recognized in-house restorative justice unit. He later co-directed Central Virginia Community Justice, where he launched a restorative diversion program in partnership with local prosecutors, expanded referral networks, and formalized regional implementation. More recently, he served as lead trainer for the U.S. State Department–funded #Influencers4Peace initiative, which engaged 150 social media leaders across Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Niger to promote social cohesion and counter violent extremism.

Regina Rabenhorst

regina rabenhorst

Regina Rabenhorst, owner of and consultant for Triple Crown Results, is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) with over twenty years of experience in instructional design, facilitation, change management, coaching, and organizational development. She is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) providing management and leadership, executive, and career coaching for clients.  She has worked both in the US and around the world with numerous international project staff, in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Clients include federal government agencies such as USAID, Department of Education, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Department of Defense, National Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Labor, as well as private and non-profit contractors and implementing partners, including the Walmart Foundation, Chemonics International, RTI, FHI360, Social Impact, AECOM, Urban Institute, and Helen Keller International, among others. Regina holds a Master of Arts in International Training and Education from American University and a Bachelor of Science in Latin American Economic Development from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Regina has a passion for helping individuals and teams leverage their strengths and maximize their potential.

Darla Marburger

darla marburger

Darla Marburger is a seasoned facilitator, mediator, and impact strategist who has guided more than 300 hours of strategic planning, team building, and cross-functional alignment for nonprofits, government agencies, and commercial organizations. As President and Founder of Greater for Good, she helps mission-driven organizations sharpen their strategy, strengthen team cohesion, and work more effectively toward meaningful impact. With 12 years of nonprofit capacity-building, 12 years of analytics consulting, and a decade shaping state and federal education policy, Darla brings a rare blend of systems thinking, data-informed decision-making, and human-centered facilitation. She is a trained mediator and a valued practitioner of the Better Teams™ team building model, helping disjointed teams build trust, clarity, and connection for a work experience that is more productive and fulfilling. A former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, she has led high-stakes initiatives, managed billion-dollar grant programs, and represented organizations through numerous speaking engagements—from Congressional hearings to national associations. Known for her calm presence, analytical insight, and ability to synthesize diverse viewpoints, Darla helps groups quickly feel understood and confidently move toward shared solutions. She is based in Austin, Texas, United States of America.

Danette Wilkins Marte

danette wilkins marte

Danette Wilkins Marte (they/them, elle, elu) is an expansive strategist, intuitive facilitator, and liberatory changemaker with over 20 years of experience providing strategic, technical, programmatic, and operational support to diverse organizations and groups and implementing research, programming, and training across the globe (primarily Central America, North America, South America, and Southern Africa). Prior to consulting, Danette worked with U.S. government agencies (U.S Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Peace Corps), consulting firms (Cultural Practice, Tetra Tech), international non-governmental organizations (Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs), and academic institutions (Emory University, Johns Hopkins University) addressing a wide range of health and development areas including agriculture and economic growth, democracy and governance, education, environment and natural resources, and health (e.g., animal disease preparedness and response, gender-based violence, mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive health). They also have demonstrated experience in gender mainstreaming and integration (e.g., men’s and boys’ engagement, women’s and girls’ empowerment), social and behavior change (e.g., entertainment education, gender transformative approaches, provider behavior change), and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (e.g., gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, gender and sexuality diversity, and LGBTQI+ inclusion). Danette holds a bachelor of arts degree in Hispanic Studies and Government from the College of William and Mary, a graduate diploma in Gender and Development from the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Ecuador, and a master of public health degree in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from Emory University. Outside of formal schooling and training, they pursue informal learning through popular education and self-directed learning. As an Afrodiasporic child of immigrants and working-class people, Danette’s approach to facilitation values the wisdom of lived experience and centers humility, curiosity, empathy, authenticity, and respect.

Nkiruka Stella Okonkwo

nkiruka okonkwo

Nkiruka Stella Okonkwo is a seasoned development consultant, facilitator, and nonprofit leader with nearly two decades of experience across gender equity, policy development, and youth and women empowerment. She is the founder of Fresh & Young Brains Development Initiative and managing consultant at Alexijan Consults, where she leads strategic planning, policy reviews, and capacity-building initiatives for government agencies and civil society organizations. Recognized for her expertise in facilitation and stakeholder engagement, Nkiruka has moderated high-level dialogues for institutions such as the United Nations, the African Union, and various national policy platforms. Her facilitation work spans critical themes such as climate change, gender equality, SDGs, and governance—guiding multi-stakeholder conversations with clarity and inclusivity. She holds advanced qualifications in social work, law, development policy, and leadership, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Humanitarian and Development Studies. Nkiruka brings deep contextual knowledge of African development systems, a strong cross-cultural sensibility, and a proven ability to foster alignment in complex policy environments.

Eduardo Quijada Adame

edaurdo adame headshot

Eduardo Quijada Adame has always had an entrepreneurial spirit that drives him to take action and catalyze change. This passion leads him to dedicate himself to systemic transformation processes—not by designing solutions himself, but by creating the structures and conditions for individuals and organizations to understand their influence within systems, recognize their relationship with systemic dynamics and their environment, and navigate complexity with greater clarity and agency. Over time, he has discovered a deep connection with agricultural projects and food systems. Growing up in Valle de Bravo, he was surrounded by a community committed to regeneration, sustainability, ecofeminism, and the intricate relationships between humans and nature. These experiences have shaped his professional journey and fueled his commitment to creating meaningful impact. This dedication has led him to contribute to projects such as:

Darian Rodriguez Heyman

darian rodriguez heyman

A nonprofit strategist, philanthropic advisor, and keynote speaker with 20+ years of tactical experience, Darian has supported transformational initiatives across the sector. He launched Craigslist Foundation’s acclaimed Nonprofit Boot Camp as their ED, helped the UN develop the SDGs around climate and gender, co-founded 2XGlobal to funnel billions to women-led businesses, and helped direct over $200M to Black-led nonprofits. As a thought leader, he has keynoted globally and authored the bestselling Nonprofit Management 101 and Nonprofit Fundraising 101, establishing himself as a trusted voice for mission-driven leaders worldwide. Through his consultancy Helping People Help, Darian provides executive coaching and consulting specializing in AI implementation, fundraising, board development, and strategic planning for mission-led organizations. More recently, Darian authored his newest bestselling book, AI for Nonprofits (Wiley, 2025), featuring insights from 57 sector leaders and actionable strategies for using AI to advance fundraising, marketing, program delivery, and operations. As founder of AI4NP.org—a fiscally sponsored initiative by NTEN—he’s building a digital Learning Hub for AI for good resources and launching a national Learning Lab series to build sector capacity around responsible AI adoption.

Carmen Franco

Carmen Franco is passionate about co-creating transformative experiences with her clients, helping organizations and leaders explore their potential to increase their impact. Using her varied background and experiences in start-ups, Fortune 500 corporations, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. Carmen is committed to enhancing organizations, your practice, team, and/or company via 1:1 and/or team coaching — be it face-to-face or virtual. Having lived and worked in other countries, like Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, speaking multiple languages, Carmen also has a unique awareness and sensitivity to coach effectively in cross-cultural business environments. Her coaching approach draws on her keen understanding of leadership, organizational culture, business, diversity, equity and inclusion, social justice, teams, and individual change. Carmen embraces diversity and is a champion for psychologically safe, respectful, inclusive workplaces.  In addition to clients across the U.S. She has clients in many countries, including China, Singapore, France, Germany, India, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia.

Jeremy Blanchard

jeremy blanchard

Jeremy Blanchard supports changemakers to find their passions and bring their dreams into reality with ease. He believes working for justice and equity is some of the most challenging work we can be doing right now, and we need support to do it in a way that is sustainable. We all want to see a more life-giving world that moves us beyond the systems of domination that currently shape our lives. Jeremy works with leaders in social movements, community organizations, and nonprofits as well as social entrepreneurs, mission-driven solo entrepreneurs, artists, and all kinds of other do-gooders. Jeremy has been a lifelong climate activist. He got his start in coaching because he saw what a difference it was making for him in his life and social change work. As someone who cared deeply about the world, he found he was exhausting himself trying to contribute to every cause and organization that so deeply needed support (maybe you can relate!). Since then, coaching social change leaders has been his way of supporting our movements. Jeremy has been coaching for 10 years (he started in 2012) and has over 2,400 hours of experience coaching social change leaders, nonprofit directors, activists, community organizers, and social entrepreneurs. Personally: he cares deeply about communal living, has been learning to play piano (90’s rock out sing-alongs!), and he loves rock climbing. In Jeremy’s view, a part of bringing social justice principles into coaching is shining a light on social location and being able to have frank conversations about differences in identity, background, and experiences. To begin that conversation, here’s a bit about him: Jeremy is a white, cis, straight man. His ancestors were from England, Sweden, and Denmark. He is 34 years old. He grew up in a middle-class family and has an undergraduate degree. He is able-bodied and generally neurotypical. Jeremy grew up in a Catholic home and now identifies as spiritual but not religious. He has recently started practicing Buddhism in the Plum Village Tradition. As part of his ongoing journey to wake up to his own social conditioning, Jeremy strives to be a student and practitioner of anti-racism and decolonization. He is currently a part of an active multi-racial community of practice of Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) facilitators and practitioners through Holistic Underground. They are a source of accountability and support for one another around JEDI principles as they engage in the work.

Katy Mamen

katy mamen

Katy Mamen is a creative and collaborative systems change consultant and facilitator helping leaders, organizations and networks find strategic clarity and build collaborative leadership. Recognized as a highly effective and culturally competent facilitator, systems change capacity builder, and nonprofit & philanthropic strategist with a track record of success working with diverse stakeholders to design aligned strategies for an equitable and regenerative future. Katy is principal and founder of Water Bear Collaborative, a consultancy that supports leaders in the climate change, food and agriculture, and water sectors to envision and implement system-informed strategies in service of social justice and ecological health. Katy is particularly skilled at cultivating the wisdom of the whole, whether that’s an organizational team or leaders spanning a field, creating the conditions for all voices be heard and honored while tending to power dynamics, group culture, and results. Her clients in the philanthropic sector have included Water Foundation, the Energy Foundation, UNFI Foundation, Garfield Foundation, and Lumpkin Family Foundation. Katy is a Fellow of the Academy for Systems Change and previously managed multi-stakeholder policy roundtables and led the California Food System Alliance Network as Director of Programs at Ag Innovations. Before turning to process work, Katy studied emergence in complex systems and the role of traditional knowledge in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her MSc in the UK. She also worked with an international think tank researching the impacts of the international mining sector on indigenous communities and supported traditional agrarian communities in Central and South America, Asia, Europe and North America. Katy currently lives in a rural, consensus-based intentional community in northern California, where she honed her group process skills over the past 20 years.

Get monthly facilitation tools, insights & stories.

Join thousands of changemakers making systems change happen with our monthly insights newsletter.