Community Wherewithal

Guilford, VT

Model A FSP since September 2022

Description
A research program dedicated to understanding and illuminating the health and ability of communities to regenerate their stores of human, natural, civic, and economic capital over time and how resident enterprises contribute to or weaken those stores. Overseen by Community Wherewithal, Ltd, the Community Wherewithal project is a collaboration with the Brattleboro Food Coop, Retreat Farm, and the Windham Foundation.

Related Logs

Illustration of Elon Musk with a bitcoin.

Press

February 22, 2022

From Elon Musk and crypto cashouts, more capital flows in than flows out of donor-advised funds

One may have gotten Elon Musk’s $5.7 billion gift of Tesla stock. Others have received hundreds of millions in crypto currency from the…

Image with text: Kataly Fundation joins Pl's donor advised funds.

Press

February 15, 2022

Kataly Foundation Joins Possibility Labs’ Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Pilot with $20M Activation

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Possibility Labs (“PL”), a nonprofit empowering racial justice by democratizing funding…

Press

February 15, 2022

$20 Million Contribution Seeks to Spark Donor-Advised Fund Gifts to Groups Led by People of Color

A start-up donor-advised fund has a message for would-be donors: Don’t let your contribution gather dust. Possibility Labs, which in…

Khalid Kadir

Board Member | he/him

Continuing Lecturer at UC Berkeley

Khalid’s role within the Possibility Labs’ Board of Directors focuses on fostering restorative and regenerative funding opportunities for BIPOC movements and community-driven organizations. He brings 15+ years of teaching, research, and work experience focused on leveraging social justice and environmental sustainability to address the needs of underserved communities. He is currently a Continuing Lecturer at UC Berkeley teaching courses focused on political economy, poverty, and the intersection of engineering and social justice. Khalid holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

I Believe in the Value of

People, Compassion, and Understanding

This belief serves as my guiding light in all endeavors. Recognizing the intrinsic worth of individuals, I strive to cultivate environments that prioritize human connection, empathy, and mutual respect. By intertwining the values of people, compassion, and understanding, I aim to contribute to a world where meaningful relationships flourish, fostering a collective spirit of harmony and support.

Ashley White

Operations Coordinator | she/her

Drawing on her wealth of past professional experiences, Ashley takes great pleasure in the art of supporting companies as they blossom, eagerly contributing to their growth from the ground up. Passionate about becoming an integral part of the journey, she is driven by the excitement of seeing it flourish and advance. Committed to the mission and vision of Possibility Labs, Ashley is excited to utilize her varied experience and knowledge supporting workplaces in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

“The nature of humanity, its essence is to feel another’s pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is a nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness.” – John Connolly

I Believe in the Value of

Radical Change

“In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become a part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed. This means that we are going to have to learn to think in radical terms. I use the term radical in its original meaning—getting down to and understanding the root cause. It means facing a system that does not lend itself to your needs and devising means by which you change that system. That is easier said than done. ” -Ella Baker

Together, we can get it done.

Alona Sistrunk

Operations Manager | she/her

A creative problem solver with an entrepreneurial spirit, Alona brings over a decade of experience amplifying movements for freedom, justice, and economic inclusion for all to her operations manager role. As a member of the Partner Services Team, she builds bridges between our partners and the vital resources and relationships necessary to sustain and broaden their impact.

Prior to joining Possibility Labs, Alona developed a passion for empowering marginalized communities while working to advance civil rights, LGBTQIA protections, justice system reforms, and workers’ rights in a diverse range of digital communications, project management, and fundraising capacities. She has held positions at several legal advocacy organizations, including the National Employment Law Project, the ACLU of Missouri, and the MacArthur Justice Center, as well as several mission-aligned for-profit communications companies.

Alona is a proud graduate of Howard University (B.A. Sociology).

At a time when it feels as if willful ignorance and indifference to human suffering are spreading like wildfire, I am especially proud to partner with diverse leaders courageous enough to challenge the status quo. Together, inspired by the strength and triumphs of our ancestors, we are rooting out exploitative systems, growing our networks, harvesting our collective wisdom, and co-creating a more equitable, just world for generations to come.

I Believe in the Value of

Strength in Numbers

Giving BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ visionaries hidden deep into our communities their power. Communities thrive when we begin to learn from each other and grow in understanding. The first approach to change is building and creating resources that help knock down the barriers that are built in our society. I truly feel empowered witnessing others find their voice and move towards a call to action.

Jasmin Melancon

Operations Manager | she/her

Jasmin is part of the Partner Services team as the Operations Manager and her primary role is to diligently support our partners. With a background in human resources spanning over five years, she is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diversity is not just recognized, but celebrated. Jasmin’s approach is rooted in the development of fair practices and initiatives that promote a sense of community and belonging. She has a unique blend of work experience in healthcare, education and technology which contributes to her diverse operational knowledge.

Jasmin holds a B.S. in Business from the University of Nevada, Reno.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”- Maya Angelou.
Everyone has a story to tell. Often times our lived experiences shape the work that we want to accomplish, but the barriers make us think this isn’t possible. I believe working with others that share similar experiences creates community and within community is power.

Jeff Malloy

Board Member | he/him

Head of Finance, Oceans 5

As the Board treasurer of Possibility Labs, Jeff works with the Board and staff to ensure smooth finance and accounting operations, ensuring the Board fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities.

Jeff is currently the Head of Finance for Oceans 5, an international funders collaborative dedicated to protecting and preserving the world’s oceans. Prior to joining Oceans 5, Jeff was the Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer of the Heising-Simons Foundation and its related Action Fund, Director of Finance and Administration for the James Irvine Foundation, General Manager of American Conservatory Theater, and a Senior Auditor with Price Waterhouse. He also serves on the Boards of the Foundation Financial Officers Group and National Arts Strategies.

Jeff holds a B.S. in Accounting from Rider University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

I Believe in the Value of

strategic collective action

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

Institutional racism and white supremacy underlie many, if not all, of the social and health crises that exist today, whether it be the racial wealth gap, homelessness, or climate change. I believe that we all have a role to play in dismantling these deeply engrained ideologies and practices. Together, we can make a change by consistently engaging and listening deeply to those who are most impacted, educating ourselves, acknowledging and using our privileges to advocate for change, reflecting on and challenging our biases and assumptions and those of others, and supporting BIPOC organizations that are leading the movement.

Anika Akhter

Manager, Operations & Admin | she/her

Anika works closely with the Operations and Partner Services teams to implement strategic business initiatives. She serves as a thought partner by offering data analysis and perspectives, identifies improvement opportunities and formulates solutions, and provides communication, research, and administrative support.

Anika brings five years of expertise in evidence-based program development, implementation, and evaluation, grant writing, strategic planning, contract management, and project management to this role. A passion for advancing equity for BIPOC through systems change underlies her career trajectory.

Previously, she worked as a Performance Management Analyst, Project Manager, and Manager of Special Projects for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). During this time, she played a key role in the active contract management of a $44 million portfolio of homeless service programs in Los Angeles County. Prior to this role, she worked as a Health Equity Fellow for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), during which she developed recommendations for organizational leadership on how they can improve their research and evaluation approach to issues affecting tribal communities. Anika holds a B.A. in Public Health Policy from UC Irvine and an M.P.H. in Community Health Sciences from UCLA and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

“In my previous roles, I observed firsthand the limitations of the current structure and how it perpetuates economic inequities for BIPOC leaders and organizations. At PL, we strive to center “What if…?” and “Why not?” as our guiding questions day-to-day, in the hopes of disrupting the status quo and breaking away from the unjust, extractive practices that have resulted in economic inequality. I am honored and thrilled to work at an organization that displays an unwavering commitment to creating a just economy for all.”

I Believe in the Value of

inclusion

“Diversity is a fact, equity is a choice, inclusion is an action, and belonging is an outcome.” – Arthur Chan. Every person has the ability to take on the action of inclusion. As community members, it is our responsibility to be inclusive and demand inclusive action. Although systemic change takes time, it is through inclusive action that community members and organizations can move our society to one that everyone can feel like they belong. Being inclusive is not about race, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Inclusivity is about seeing people as people and treating them with the dignity and respect personhood calls for. Being inclusive is being compassionate, having empathy, and respecting a person’s right to simply be themselves.

Jill Smith

Sr. Director of Operations & Admin | she/her

Jill possesses over a decade of distinguished experience in serving historically underrepresented communities through the development of systems and programs. With a robust background in nonprofit program management and operations, she has been at the forefront of launching several initiatives aimed at enhancing data collection and analysis, bolstering grant and donation revenue, expanding volunteer engagement, and refining operational processes. Her professional ethos and personal values are deeply rooted in principles of equity, empowerment, and a steadfast commitment to supporting every member of the community.

At Possibility Labs, Jill is instrumental in managing the day-to-day operations, administration, partner service operations, and human resources. She holds an M.B.A. from National University and a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from California State University, Northridge.

“At some point, someone decided that this hyper-capitalist society is how our society should operate, despite its harm to the masses. Although it should be a choice to disconnect from a culture that values commerce over community, doing so would mean embracing a level of disenfranchisement that most people are not comfortable with. Before people can make the choice to disengage with dignity, we must create a society that allows community members to live a life that aligns with their own values without sacrificing basic needs and freedoms. We can do this in a variety of ways, including separating the acquirement of basic needs from capitalist ventures. People should not be able to capitalize on another person’s need to survive.”

I Believe in the Value of

creating community-driven economic power

Help build a platform to confront capitalist financing mechanisms and operational systems that are driving worker exploitation and planetary destruction and help community-driven, BIPOC-led initiatives to operate with the scale and agility of white-led enterprises, without capitalistic values.

Raymond Pettit

Director of Partnerships | he/him

Raymond leads Possibility Labs’ partnership work, including business development, philanthropic relationships, strategic communications, and field building efforts. He has 15 years of experience in the social justice sector leading work around fundraising, partnership strategies, philanthropic advising, project development, and research.

Previously, Raymond worked as Fund Officer at Movement Strategy Center, Director of Development for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and as a consultant for the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team. Raymond holds a B.A. in Anthropology from CUNY Hunter College and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the CUNY Graduate Center. As an economic anthropologist, his research examines how infrastructure shapes the possibilities for economic development and our relationships with the environment.

“I’m looking forward to building systems and collaborations with philanthropic partners, embedding democracy in decision making, and developing equitable resourcing strategies that push back on exclusionary development practices. To move philanthropy to deploy its full charitable portfolios towards a platform where Black/Brown folks build power and economic might, rather than accepting old limitations of grant making models.”

I Believe in the Value of

Community-controlled capital

That uplifts traditional knowledge, disrupts extractive practices, and creates a regenerative and just economy that meets the needs of communities and the planet.

Kelley Buhles

Senior Advisor | she/her

Kelley supports Possibility Labs as a Senior Advisor for the DAF program design, focusing on creating a transparent, values-aligned program that offers integrated capital deployment. Kelley brings 15+ years of expertise working with integrated capital, DAFs, philanthropy, and participatory grantmaking. Previously, she worked for RSF, where she implemented trust-based practices and community-led decision making, ran the DAF program and supported organizational culture. She is a 2020-2021Fellow for the Just Economy Institute and a founding member of the Participatory Grantmaking Community.

Kelley holds a B.A. in Anthropology from San Diego State University – California State University.

“I aim for our infrastructure to be in alignment with the values of our clients, so that movement leaders and organizations have a smooth path towards building a new economy that is joyful and liberating.”

I Believe in the Value of

community

Communities support us. See us. Hold us accountable. And contain our collective wisdom. In developing our communities we add richness to the commons. And in working in solidarity with our communities we enable sustainable and long-lasting progress.

As the African proverb goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Lucas Turner-Owens

Senior Advisor | he/him

Lucas Turner-Owens is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the President and the founder of The Sankofa Group (TSG), a consulting practice that he manages with several independent contractors, which counts among its clients a host of integrated capital funds: the fintech unicorn Stripe and the coalition of lenders and investors known as SPARCC. Lucas brings to TSG skills in fund management, impact investing, and strategic advisory work having worked as a consultant at Next Street and The Bridgespan Group prior to founding TSG. Most recently, Lucas was a Principal at the venture capital firm TMV where he led four of the firm’s investments in categories ranging from fintech to supply chain and sustainability. Prior to founding TSG, Lucas managed The Ujima Fund, an integrated capital fund based in Boston, where he helped to launch and raise the fund, as well as underwrite its initial investments.

Lucas received his BA from Wesleyan University and his MBA along with a Certificate of Sustainable Business from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

“I am proud to support the gap-filling and ecosystem enriching work that PL provides to the impact investing, activist, and economic development world.”

I Believe in the Value of

agile, robust systems

Agility is critical to be responsive to the needs of communities. And so is having strong, accessible, transparent systems that operate with integrity so that we can move towards a more equitable form of capitalism.

Jackie Khor

Senior Advisor | she/her

As Senior Advisor, Jackie works with Possibility Labs’ CEO, team, and partners on operations and strategic finance as well as on designing impact-first capital programs and initiatives that move capital and opportunities into historically under-invested communities. Jackie also utilizes 30+ years of her experience in impact investing, philanthropy, and investment banking to contribute towards PL’s evolution into an impactful, agile platform for funding, structuring, and outcomes-tracking for the growing community-driven, integrated capital ecosystem.

Before joining PL, Jackie was most recently a Vice President of Impact Investing at Social Finance. Prior to that, she was Vice President for Programs for College Futures Foundation, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Imprint Capital Advisors, Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation, and Vice President in the public finance investment banking department of Lehman Brothers. She also serves as an Investment Advisor to the California Wellness Foundation’s Investment Committee and Strategy Consultant to the MacArthur Foundation.

Jackie holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a Master’s in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management.

“I envision in the not too distant future, “Empowered in partnership with Possibility Labs” as one of a number of agile, robust platforms for historically underinvested communities to deploy integrated capital to catalyze equitable wealth creation and opportunities.”

I Believe in the Value of

community

None of us are seeds cast into the wind. We were lovingly planted in the rich fertile soil of family, friends, and culture. We cannot forget where we come from and act as if we have done it all on our own. We acknowledge the collective and ancestral contributions to our success and act accordingly by paying those efforts forward to our chosen tribe.

Anna N’Jie-Konte

Social Investment Consultant | she/her

Anna N’Jie-Konte, MBA, CFP® is a proud Puerto Rican, Gambian-American entrepreneur who is committed to shifting the inequitable wealth distribution in our society. Anna spent eight years working in wealth management advising ultra-high net worth families and institutions how to grow and secure their wealth for longevity and impact. She currently serves as a financial advisor and investment consultant to individuals and institutions who wish to build wealth in an intentional and values-aligned fashion.

Anna is among a small, but impactful group of BIPOC CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certificants who are trained to give comprehensive, holistic financial advice. She has won Investment News’ “Top 100 Influential Financial Advisors” twice and has been featured in well-known publications such as Bloomberg, CNBC, VICE News, The New York Times, Telemundo, Financial Planning, RIA Intel, Think Advisor, and Next Advisor. She currently is Partner and President for GRID 202 Partners.

“More than anything, my desire is to see a reimagined paradigm where BIPOC people are fully free to step into the national promise of self-determination. I believe that economic power, liberation, financial literacy, and group economics will play a crucial part in this pursuit. I am honored to play a small part in this movement for change.”

I Believe in the Value of

collaboration

We face vast challenges as mission-driven individuals and organizations committed to affecting positive societal change on a massive scale. It is vital that we work collaboratively with those with shared values and objectives whenever possible.

Keith Beverly

Social Investment Consultant | he/him

Keith Beverly is the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer for GRID 202 Partners, an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm. GRID focuses on achieving attractive financial returns in a manner fully aligned with the personal or organizational mission of its clients.

Keith brings over 15 years of investment management and financial planning experience to the firm. His responsibilities include building customized investment portfolios to implementing sophisticated financial planning strategies – primarily for medical professionals, attorneys, and professional athletes. Keith is passionate about financial education, particularly in underestimated communities. He has delivered numerous seminars and workshops to groups ranging from elementary school students to retirees.

Keith graduated from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business with University and College Honors and obtained his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Business School where he was a Dean’s Fellow. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner designations, the most respected credentials for investment management and financial planning, respectively.

“Narrowing and ultimately closing the racial wealth gap requires a multi-disciplinary approach with a host of actors: organizers and activists, elected officials, impact investors and their advisors, ecosystem builders and the philanthropic community. I’ve grown more hopeful recently that these constituents recognize the urgency of the problem and will increasingly act boldly and swiftly in directing resources where they are most needed.”

I Believe in the Value of

Collaborative Storytelling

… to help people find meaningful narratives and forge emotional connections to those with different lived experiences. Humans are born storytellers, it’s how we make sense of the world. Some of the earliest examples of human stories date back to cave networks over 30,000 years old. I think storytelling has the power to help humans see our infinite connectedness.

Shel Senai

Public Relations Consultant | they/them

Shel Senai is the founder and principal of flypaper PR, a full-service public relations consultancy. Formed in 2014, flypaper PR offers strategic communications counsel and fresh, highly-creative PR guidance and campaign execution for clients that innovate against the status quo and aim to enact resonating change.

Shel brings more than 15 years of comms and PR experience to their work at PL. With an agency background that lends itself well to collaboration, Shel’s goal is to become an extension of the team in order to discover, develop, and deliver the most impactful stories from inside an organization. They hold a B.S. in communications with a minor in English from Boston University and an MFA in creative writing from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. Their award-winning fiction writing has received financial support from the St. Botolph Club Foundation and the Mass Cultural Council.

“Possibility Labs has a rich and vibrant network of community power-builders to draw connected narratives from—innovators who are working to return us to a tradition of collective care, a just society, a just economy, and a sense of connectedness to the natural world. It’s exciting to sit at the nexus of these groups and individuals and get to think strategically about how we will weave and layer their stories to help others envision a better world. And not to simply envision it theoretically, but see exactly how it is possible.”

I Believe in the Value of

Compassion

“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation.” – Bryan Stevenson

When we begin to center compassion- in the way we interact with others, the way we make decisions, the way we live our lives, then we can effectively talk about what it takes to break down the systems that have been built to oppress and work towards equity and justice.

Randall Huerta

Operations Manager, Partner Services | she/her

Randall has made it her mission to utilize her professional expertise in support of mission driven work that centers both people and our planet. She is thrilled to serve as part of the Partner Services Team as a primary point of contact for partners, and to work in collaboration to further work being done to advance economic, social, and environmental justice.

Randall brings extensive experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit spaces, serving in operational, finance, and relationship-building capacities with a commitment to marginalized communities. She comes to PL after nearly four years in climate and social justice work, supporting grassroots initiatives across the country. Randall holds a B.S. from Old Dominion University in Speech Language Pathology & Audiology.

“I am honored to engage with the visionaries working towards social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. In order to effect change, it is imperative that we lean on the wisdom and expertise of BIPOC and marginalized community leaders, and I am excited to co-create solutions and help accelerate the projects these leaders are putting forward.”

I Believe in the Value of

drive & ambition

To guide social justice leaders and take care of the back-end services that inhibit their work, so these leaders can focus on fundraising as a nonprofit.

Daniel Zhou

Operations Research Analyst | he/him

Daniel supports Possibility Labs as an Operations Research Analyst, helping with business intelligence, system integration, process automation, operations research and planning, sourcing vendors for the Possibility Labs’ portal, and helping drive the platform’s back-end services. He brings 6+ years of expertise working as a data analyst within operations, engineering, finance, process automation, and research experience. Previously, Daniel worked with ABM Industries. He supported strategic and operational planning for the corporate finance teams, developed an automation ecosystem using custom Python scripts and automated new customer creation processes. Daniel also has experience in financial reporting and process engineering. He holds an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University.

“I want us to use data and artificial intelligence to build outreach models that help BIPOC community members, leaders, and nonprofits to find the right target markets, compatible donors, and more efficiently connect the right pieces together.”

Mark Watson

Board Member | he/him

Co-Founder, President, Board & Investment Committee Member of Potlikker Capital

Mark Watson is the President of Potlikker Capital, a nonprofit charitable loan fund and integrated capital fund supporting BIPOC farmers at the intersection of racial and climate justice. Having started his career as a banker at the First National Bank of Chicago, then JP Morgan, Mark has had a 30-year career managing investment portfolios for foundations, endowments, and institutional pension funds. Mark was formerly the Managing Director and now serves as a Senior Investment Strategist of the Fair Food Fund. He founded Keel Asset Management LLC, a financial advisory firm providing socially responsible financial planning and investment advisory services to nonprofits, corporations, and the public on pension plans. Mark is an investment committee member of the Boston Impact Initiative Fund; an advisory board member of MIT/Health Innovation Systems Inc.; Director of Transition of The Institute of Educational Leadership; board president of Sustainable Cape, Inc.; and a former board member of the Social Venture Network. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois Champaign -Urbana, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Booth School, University of Chicago.

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Rosemary E. Fei

Board Member | she/her

Principal at Adler & Colvin

Rosemary’s role within Possibility Labs’ Board leverages her expertise in nonprofits and board operations, governance, and law. She brings 30+ years of legal, teaching, advising, and leadership experience around nonprofits and social justice. Rosemary is currently a Principal at Adler & Colvin, a law firm focused on nonprofit and tax-exempt organization representation, and served until recently on its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She holds a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and a BS in economics, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Khalid Kadir

Board Member | he/him