As a Chatbot Experimentation Manager, Rowan builds and maintains Chatbots across digital media platforms in support of our network of partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Rowan worked for six years at a small law office specializing in criminal defense, estate planning, domestic relations, and a number of other areas.

As Operations Manager, Bisrat supports our finance and operations processes and projects.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Bisrat worked as a Policy Aide for the Minneapolis City Council and as an Analyst for the City’s Health Department. He has served in local government at the state, county, and city levels. His passions include dismantling structural inequities among disenfranchised communities and making long-term positive impact.

Bisrat graduated from the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Public Health.

As Manager of the Executive Office, Adna supports the work of Peter Murray and Lea Madry.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Adna provided administrative support to executives in the healthcare and fashion industries.

Adna graduated with a BS in Mass Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations.

As Director of Impact Campaigns, Sarah oversees the development and implementation of issues-based digital campaigns across our ecosystem of partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Sarah was a community organizer and archivist working at the intersection of technology, global/domestic warfare, and punishment-based criminal and bordering systems.

As Project Manager of the Executive Office, Celina supports the work of Peter Murray and Lea Madry.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Celina’s career primarily focused on digital marketing and project management, supporting a variety of digital agencies and organizations. 

Celina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, with a minor in Spanish Language from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as well as an MBA from the same university.

As Development Manager, Brooke manages our fundraising processes and systems.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Brooke gained invaluable experience in the fundraising sector, working with non-profit organizations dedicated to conservation and environmental advocacy. Her career has been marked by a deep commitment to supporting causes she deeply cares about.

With a strong foundation in understanding the intersection of environmental issues and social change, Brooke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, specializing in Policy, Politics, and Justice from Seattle University. She further enhanced her skills with a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington.

As Head of Influencer Engagement and Experimentation, Amber leads influencer experimentation and oversees relationships with our partner influencer networks.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change,  Amber spent over 10 years in the fashion industry, aiming to break barriers of traditional beauty standards. During this time, she discovered her passion for Influencer Marketing while working with Savage X Fenty. Amber crafted partnerships with creators who challenged conventional norms and provided greater representation for marginalized communities. In her leadership roles, she successfully developed Influencer Marketing programs from scratch, with a clear mission of representing disabled, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and plus size communities.

As a Wisconsin native and a first-generation college student, she successfully graduated from the University of Minnesota. She is now happy to be residing in California, where she can be in closer proximity to her Puerto Rican side of the family and foster a stronger connection with her cultural roots.

As Vice President of People, Patty supports and guides the People area, which includes the following: the People Operations Department, the Talent Acquisition function, and the People Strategy and Innovation function.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Patty contributed for seven years to the operations and HR teams at Lesbians Who Tech, an organization devoted to supporting LGBTQ communities in tech and their allies. Most recently she served as the Head of Operations at MobilizeGreen, an organization placing diverse interns in National Parks to do STEM based conservation work, helping them to jumpstart their Green Careers. 

Patty graduated with a B.A. in Communications from George Washington University and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from New York University. 

As Event Manager, Tracey plans and organizes events that build strong relationships and advance programmatic goals across our teams and networks. 

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, I spent nearly 20 years planning events, meetings, and conferences for various nonprofits, as well as managing organizational logistics and operations.

As Director of the Executive Office, Frank leads our Executive Office department.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Frank’s career primarily centered around news, nonprofits, community, and social advocacy work. He studied political science and international relations at Northern Arizona University and has a master’s in social justice and human rights from Arizona State. Frank has received state and national awards for his work in media.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jenny worked in the international education field, working as an advocate for implementing structures and programs for BIPOC and marginalized communities. As an advocate, Jenny worked with the BIPOC youth and marginalized communities advocating for equitable and accessible opportunities in higher education, college access programs, and increasing funds for BIPOC communities. She has experience working in financial aid offices and with stakeholders during her time in the nonprofit and higher education sector.

Jenny is a proud first-generation college graduate with her BA in Urban Studies from Worcester State University and an MA graduate from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

As a Chatfuel Fellow, Alison is participating in our chatbot-building fellowship program.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Alison held various roles within the tech sector focused on environmental justice and data accessibility. Some notable projects include mapping pollinator corridors in Minneapolis and leading a site feasibility analysis for the City of Phoenix’s Cool Corridors program with NASA. 

Alison earned her bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and is presently pursuing a master’s degree at Georgia Tech.

As Talent Acquisition Manager, Mari manages the full life cycle of recruiting and hiring across Accelerate Change.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Mari held several non-profit roles striving to create educational equity for students from under-resourced communities. She graduated from Carleton College and is a proud Posse Alum.

As Director of Finance, Rafa leads our Finance Department, which houses our finance and accounting functions.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Rafa worked for the Conservation Colorado family of organizations where his days were spent solving financial headaches for good and modernizing accounting technology for people. Bringing systems thinking and an intersectional lens to radical changemaking is second nature to Rafa as a sociology graduate from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. His mission is to humanize financial life for the world.

As Talent Associate, Bia supports the full life cycle of recruiting and hiring across Accelerate Change.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Bia was an Organizational Development and Recruiting Trainee at HM.Clause. Bia graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology.

As a Chatfuel Fellow, Mila is participating in our chatbot-building fellowship program.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Mila held various roles in tech support and customer service.

As a Talent Innovation Manager, Kristina manages innovation initiatives and special projects within the Talent Department.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Kristina acquired 10 years of experience in operations and executive assistance. Among her professional accomplishments, she assisted a start-up wellness spa by developing their operations through the creation of protocols and defining the customer experience so that they could remain consistent as they expand. She enjoys using her creative outlook to find solutions to make daily processes more simple, while maintaining their efficiency. Kristina deeply cares about all people feeling a sense of belonging, which has drawn her to transition from working in hospitality to social justice.

As the Head of Technology, Lucien leads our Technology Department.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Lucien was an IT Consultant and helped develop and execute companies’ business strategies and integrate new and advanced technologies. Lucien was also the Director of IT for an international cannabis startup.

As Vice President of Digital Strategy, Kim leads our Content Studio team and catalyzes content experimentation across our networks.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Kim spent two decades in digital media, including 11 years at Nickelodeon, where she focused on digital programming and social media. Kim also has a deep start-up background, having developed digital content in the earliest stages of companies like Upworthy, WebLab, and About.com.

Kim made the transition from corporate to nonprofit work in 2017, after the state of racial justice in the U.S. ignited her desire for more purpose-driven work. She spent 2 years as a digital strategy consultant for nonprofits just prior to coming to Accelerate Change. 

As Vice President of Finance and Operations, Luis supports and guides the Departments that fall under the Finance and Operations area: Network Operations, Finance, and Operations.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Luis was (and still is) obsessed with innovative ways to create strategies and systems that are absurdly useful and effective. He honed his craft in various nonprofit organizations across Houston working with hunger relief and food deserts, homeless youths, and closing the digital divide, among others. Most recently, Luis served as Executive Director, Gulf Coast Region for Compudopt.

 As a Mexican immigrant, first-generation college student, and Texas A&M University graduate,  Luis works to change the world, one person at a time, while trying to plan for his first ultramarathon in England.

As Vice President of Media Investments & Acquisitions, Darrell oversees our investments in and acquisitions of cultural media properties, accounts, and networks.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Darrell was co-founder and CEO of PushBlack, the largest non-profit media platform for Black Americans. Earlier in his career, he ran racial equity trainings and served as a fellow with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

As a Chatfuel Fellow, Mike is participating in our chatbot-building fellowship program.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Mike studied UX design at Prime Digital Academy with a focus on inclusive and human-centered design thinking. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication from the University of Minnesota.

As People and Culture Manager, Chelsea oversees performance management processes, guides staff on professional development, and works with staff and managers to ensure that we have a workplace where our team can thrive.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Chelsea worked as the People and Culture Associate at The Trevor Project, where she designed and executed inclusive strategies, internal culture communications, and spearheaded DEI initiatives. In addition, Chelsea worked numerous years within Talent Acquisition for The Trevor Project and TEKsystems, where she was responsible for managing full-cycle sourcing, hiring, and onboarding a diverse set of the world’s top talent. Chelsea is a New York native and a college graduate with a BBA from Bryant University.

As Talent Project Manager, Haley manages talent-related projects with partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Haley supported startup organizations in building and maintaining their HR departments. Her focus on HR as an agent for equity and positive workplace change led to her consulting with Accelerate Change until she joined the team full-time.

As a Content Experimentation Associate, Micah supports the Content Department with testing content for digital and social media platforms.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Micah was a UX Researcher / Experience Designer, designing technology to be more inclusive and human-centered. On the side, Micah was also a Creative Healing Coach for children of immigrants, advocating for mental health through healing arts.

As Director of Equity Programs and People Projects, Jay leads our intersectional anti-racism work.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jay was the Executive Director of a non-profit called Pizza Klatch, focusing on providing community resources and support groups for LGBTQ+ youth in Thurston County. They have received an Ivy League certificate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice in Non-profit leadership.

As Director of Network Operations, Taura leads the Network Operations Department, which houses the operational infrastructure we use to collaborate with and support our networks of partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Taura enjoyed a long career working in nonprofit organizations providing leadership for mission-related programs and overall operations.  Taura recently started providing consulting services to small and medium nonprofit organizations focused on humanitarian initiatives to help streamline operational systems and make service delivery more efficient.

As Vice President of Product and Technology, Jenn supports and guides the Departments that fall under the Product and Technology area: Growth, Tech, Program Operations, and Civic Engagement.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jenn was a technology leader at several mission-driven organizations supporting a range of causes from free school supplies for underprivileged children to research and education for people affected by kidney disease. Most recently, Jenn was providing strategic governance technology consulting to nonprofit executives.

As Director of Program Operations, Jaya leads our tech and chatbot team and advises on tech-enabled experimentation across our networks.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jaya provided marketing and advertising services to small businesses across the Southeast. She has a degree in English: Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. During their time at university, they launched a social justice program that connected university students with community activists to deepen the relationships between the campus and the city of Chattanooga.

As a Network Operations Associate, Jasmin supports a variety of projects and initiatives across Accelerate Change.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jasmin was a Digital Advertising Specialist at Accelerate Change in 2020 for the voter’s registration campaign. She continued her work in digital marketing at other organizations, which led her back to AC.

As Director of Operations, Mohammad leads our Operations Department.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Mohammad managed engineering, finance, HR, and operations for numerous organizations.

As Director of Content Experimentation, Maria manages content experimentation with the Central Team and in collaboration with our network.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Maria was an entrepreneur and owner of an Austin-based vintage clothing store, Passport Vintage. Since 2016 Maria has volunteered and worked with nonprofits that focus on civic engagement and Latino-focused issues. She has worked as a digital media consultant for Jolt Texas and a Texas Federal Senatorial campaign. Maria is a Texas A&M University-Commerce alumn.

As Content Studio Managing Producer, Jill manages content experimentation and Content Studio production with the Central Team and in collaboration with our network.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jill worked in a number of creative fields: the entertainment industry, advertising, and marketing. As both a project manager and a creator, she’s worked on a wide number of platforms from TikTok, to podcasting, to Facebook messenger. Ultimately, she loves that her career with Accelerate Change allows her to explore the intersection between liberatory politics, culture, and media. And, as Content Studio Managing Producer, Jill has the honor of working with some of the most talented creatives in producing podcasts, social media, and so much more.

As a Content Production Manager, Richie runs content experiments and contributes his video production and scriptwriting skills to our Content Studio.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Richie had roles in marketing and events with Truth, a non-profit aiming to end Big Tobacco and teen smoking. Richie also worked freelance on various short film and episodic film sets in the D.C. area as a producer, production assistant, and camera grip. After college, Richie worked at credit unions in the mortgage lending field, before transitioning to his current role with Accelerate Change.

As Network Operations Manager, Christine manages operational support with our partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Christine founded and led a digital-native nonprofit organization and related online support community for 8 years, which serves families striving to feed their babies human milk, managing a team of volunteers, and spearheading several training and scholarship programs.

As President, Peter co-leads Accelerate Change with our Chief of Staff, Lea Madry. In their shared leadership model, Peter leads our network of media partners and Lea leads our digital media lab.

Peter has spent over 20 years at the intersection of entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and progressive impact. He created one of the first digital fundraising platforms, led a progressive training institute, was part of the founding team of CrowdTangle, a leading social media monitoring platform, was a Tides Foundation Fellow researching large-scale citizen organizations, ran a community-based construction company, and was previously selected for Fast Company Magazine’s “Fast 50,” which honors 50 leaders from around the world who are reshaping their sectors.

As Executive Director, Lea co-leads Accelerate Change with our President, Peter Murray. In their shared leadership model, Lea leads our digital media lab and partners with Peter in his leadership of our network of media partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Lea held leadership roles overseeing the business, people, fundraising, and strategy functions at nonprofits focused on food systems, education access, power building, and anti-racism. Most recently, Lea served as Chief of Staff at the Trevor Project. Earlier in her career, Lea was a transactional attorney at a large national law firm before leaving the legal profession to pursue her commitment to social impact.

An Ohio native, Lea is a proud first-generation college graduate with a BA from the Ohio State University and JD from the University of Chicago Law School.

As Director of People Operations, Vanessa leads our people operations department and manages our values work.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Vanessa worked in the educational non-profit sector in various direct services roles, supporting Black and brown students from marginalized and underserved communities.

As Partner Integration Manager, Habibah manages operational support with our partners.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Habibah worked as the Quality and Innovations Manager for Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM), a non-profit whose mission is to partner with local communities in Houston Texas to build stable families, a dynamic workforce, and vibrant communities. 

Habibah graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and worked in the Oil and Gas industry in a number of different roles before transitioning to the nonprofit field in 2021 for more purpose-driven work.

As Development Manager, Ceci manages our fundraising processes and systems.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Cecilia worked as an advocate for immigrant & worker rights in communities across Texas. 

Cecilia is a proud first-generation college student who earned her BA from St. Edward’s University and a Master’s degree from Tarleton State University.

As Director of Growth, Jarrel leads our growth experimentation team and advises on growth-oriented experimentation across our networks.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Jarrel held leadership roles at progressive nonprofits overseeing areas such as marketing, paid media, and fundraising. Additionally, from 2018 – 2021, Jarrel served as a Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Riverside California.

As a Development Associate, Mel supports finance and operations processes and assists staff with their operations questions.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Mel worked in various roles as an operations associate, eCommerce manager, and bookkeeper. Outside of work, Mel is an active volunteer in their community, helping run fundraisers and organize diversity and inclusion training for majority-white organizations.

Though their role at Accelerate Change is primarily focused on operations and finance, Mel has found working with and for BIPOC folks within a culture that fosters growth (not only for its partners, but also for its people) to be a continuously fruitful, transformative experience.

As a Finance and Operations Manager, Candace manages our finance and operations processes and supports corporate governance.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Candace was Director of Operations and Finance at Faith in Texas, a nonpartisan, multi-racial, multi-faith grassroots movement focused on achieving economic, racial, and social justice for everyone. Before Faith in Texas, Candace served as a Program Coordinator for Foundation For C.H.O.I.C.E., which assists low-income high school students with college preparatory activities.

Candace graduated with a BA in Communication, with an emphasis in Mass Communications, and an MA in Nonprofit Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

As Talent Manager, Sterling oversees and manages the full life cycle of recruiting and hiring across Accelerate Change.

Prior to joining Accelerate Change, Sterling worked in project management for nonprofits, real estate acquisitions, business operations, and the legal field. Sterling earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.