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.
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.
Mark Hecker
Mark Hecker is a social worker and educator with varied and extensive leadership experience. A former DC Social Worker of the Year, Mark’s work has been recognized by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Aspen Institute. As the Founding Executive Director of Reach Incorporated, Mark built and led an innovative and impactful organization that won multiple, national awards and gave hundreds of teens the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in their communities. He holds an A.B. from Duke University, an M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Ed.M from Harvard University.
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.
Tru Pettigrew
Tru Pettigrew is a celebrated author, dynamic speaker, committed community leader, and award-winning marketing executive with over 20 years of experience at some of the nation’s top advertising and marketing agencies. From 2020 to 2024, Tru served with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx of the NBA and WNBA, where he made history as the organization’s first Chief Impact Officer. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Tru played a pivotal role in leading team discussions on race and social justice, and in fostering dialogue between the team, the Minneapolis Police Department, and other civic leaders. Driven by a deep sense of purpose, Tru helps individuals and organizations harness their talents, passions, and platforms to create meaningful change. His work centers on four key areas of impact: social, cultural, community, and economic — all aimed at uplifting others and advancing equity. Tru is also the author of We Can All Be Bridge Builders, a practical guide for leaders seeking to bridge divides and foster inclusive, authentic relationships and cultures. Above all, Tru finds his greatest joy and pride in his family. He lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife of 23 years, Tameka, and their 13-year-old son, Austin, who they lovingly refer to as their young prince.
Victor Udoewa
Victor Udoewa is a Principal Service Designer in the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology at the CDC and a Senior Fellow at the International Computer Science Institute. Before that, he was the Chief Technology Officer, Chief Experience Officer, and Service Design Lead of the NASA Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR) Programs. Before NASA, he was Director of Strategy at 18F, a civic consultancy for and inside the federal government. He started the education business unit, developed a line of educational products and services, directed strategy, managed the digital strategists’ practice, and served as a designer and strategist on partner projects. Previously, as a Global Education Instructional Designer and Training Development Specialist at Google, he designed learning experiences for people in low-to-middle-income countries around the world. The education could range from experiences covering how to develop web applications and how to use the internet to improve teaching and learning, to experiences exploring how to use internet technologies in post-disaster emergency response situations as well as global digital literacy. As a part of that work, he also advised Google in global energy and access work. Prior to Google he served at USAID and DHS as a science & technology policy advisor and development engineer focusing on infrastructure, post-disaster reconstruction, climate neutrality and global health. Building on his time teaching in secondary schools, he sometimes teaches teachers as an educational specialist and adjunct professor of education focusing on science and math education through classes, workshops, and video series. He still conducts and publishes engineering, design, or education research and is a certified health crisis and trauma counselor focusing (HIV/AIDS, miscarriage, etc.). Pre-COVID, he enjoyed singing in his male a cappella group and teaching salsa classes on the weekend. He still enjoys time with his wonderful family and his local choir.
Abraham Tekya
Abraham “Abramz” Tekya is passionate about igniting growth, and fostering creativity, innovation and social change. He is a dedicated workshop facilitator with over 17 years of experience. He has worked in a variety of areas: community building, team building, collaboration, arts & culture, empowerment, innovation, social change, education, personal & professional development, self-awareness and well-being. His mission is to create a supportive and inspiring environment where participants feel safe to take risks, express themselves, explore their creativity and develop new skills. With a background in creative facilitation, wellness through arts, coaching, Hiphop music, breakdance, theatre, visual art, events organizing, concept development, community mobilization, and organizing & facilitating retreats, he brings a unique perspective to his workshops. He has worked with non-profit organizations, local & internationalschools, community centres, juvenile & adult prisons, arts & cultural organizations, universities, rehabilitation centres, consultancy firms, foster homes, refugee centres, government institutions, grassroots community programs, among others. Over the years, he has developed and facilitated breakdance and Hiphop workshops and classes locally and internationally and has judged both local and international competitions. He is known for his work of using breakdance and Hiphop as tools for social change. He believes that growth, innovation, communication, open-mindedness, cohesion, self-awareness, wellness, relationships, diversity and empowerment thrive in a space of creativity, curiosity, exploration, critical thinking, play and gratitude. His workshops give special attention to active participation, safety, collaboration, hands-on activities, self-expression, imagination, reflection, intention, exchange, risk-taking, leadership, deep listening, experiential learning, inclusion, and having fun. He uses group facilitation, experiential learning and the arts because this multi-disciplinary approach enhances the scope and depth of learning as well as catering to different learning styles. Abramz has worked with children, youth and adults of different backgrounds, in various settings. He has worked in Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Swaziland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, USA, Switzerland, Poland, among other countries.
Jake Wild Crea
Jake Wild Crea brings conflict management practices from the peacebuilding field to improve how organizations do good in the world. He is an independent conflict resolution practitioner with local, national, and international experience. Fueled by the belief that conflict is inherent to change, Jake helps organizations and individuals lean into productive conflict and address barriers to impact head-on. In addition to his organizational work, he uses conflict resolution dialogue techniques to bring funder and nonprofit leaders together to build higher-trust partnerships and increase the impact of philanthropic giving. He is currently on faculty at the University of San Diego, teaching conflict management and resolution at the Joan B Kroc School of Peace Studies. Previously, he served as Associate Director with Arabella Advisors, functioning in nonprofit, funder, and intermediary roles. He oversaw Loyola Marymount University’s Study Abroad program in Argentina, worked in youth programming in Chicago, and disability advocacy in Minnesota.
Nischa Pieris
Nischa Pieris is a gender mainstreaming specialist who provides insight into how gender and social inclusion intersects with emerging international development issues including in contexts of fragility and conflict. Bilingual (Spanish and English) with strong communication and written skills and a record of cultivating and managing a diverse network of partners.
Alyssa Smaldino
Alyssa Smaldino (she/her, they/them) is an anti-racism organizer, facilitator, and coach supporting leaders and organizers to build thriving communities grounded in courage and care. They have nearly 15 years of multifaceted, cross-sector experience that enables her to imagine and build toward a more equitable future. In addition to running a coaching and facilitation practice, Alyssa is co-founder of Libertroph Magazine and curator of the Care Culture newsletter, both of which uplift stories and inquiries about how people can organize to disrupt racism. She is also an Undoing Racism trainer with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. Alyssa started their career in the global health field, most notably as Executive Director of GlobeMed, where she organized and trained students and grassroots leaders in the movement for global health equity. She has also worked with community development organizations to design and facilitate anti-racism curricula for public servants. Alyssa is a graduate of the Executive MPA program at NYU-Wagner and holds a degree in Public Health from George Washington University. In their free time you can find them taking long walks along the East River, exploring NYC’s art and culture, or breaking a sweat on the dance floor with her beloved queer community!