Our Team

is an advisor and consultant for clients in government, academia, and the private sector. She brings over twenty years of program evaluation, public-private partnership, and leadership experience to the Board.

is a communications executive with leadership experience across three continents in both the commercial and non-profit sectors. He drives strategic business results via brand positioning, internal culture change and reputation management. Hannfried has also held positions in journalism and academia, has published on global issues and appeared as an on-air TV anchor. He met his wife in Washington, D.C. and their two sons are District natives.

is partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he operates at the intersection of politics, policy and global issues with a special focus on clients from Asia and Latin America. He works closely with high-ranking officials of sovereign governments and C-level executives at Fortune 500 companies to craft solid messaging, build brand awareness, and develop targeted, effective networks to advance and protect his clients’ interests. Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Parven held senior positions in the corporate sector at Aetna International and elsewhere. Mr. Parven has been recognized by The Hill as a Top "Hired Gun" lobbyist every year for the past decade and is widely recognized by other publications for his excellence in government relations.

is an independent investor and entrepreneur.

is Strategic Fundraising Advisor at Lever Fund. Elizabeth is an executive leader with fifteen years of experience leading dynamic education, economic development, and human capital organizations. Throughout Elizabeth’s career, she has raised millions in revenue, set the strategic vision, and built critical partnerships for nationally-recognized initiatives. Most recently, Elizabeth served as CEO of Urban Alliance, where she led the strategy to connect high school students to life-changing internships.

Before joining Urban Alliance, Elizabeth led Byte Back, a technology training organization, for six years. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, Byte Back expanded its inclusive tech training to Baltimore, built a national profile, and received funding from TD Bank, the Hearst Foundations, Citi Foundation, and others. Elizabeth is passionate about expanding equity for diverse communities. She serves on the boards of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, The Engine Room, and the Goodwill Excel Center in DC. She’s a proud alumna of Swarthmore College (undergrad) and Princeton University (graduate school).

is External Grantee Evaluator at Lever Fund. He has more than twenty years’ experience working in the charitable sector and currently provides philanthropic advisory and grantmaking support services to clients in the DC region, including Lever Fund. Benton recently left the Greater Washington Community Foundation after 17 years where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Impact where he led its VoicesDMV initiative and managed a set of endowed funds, including the Spring Creek Fund, Joshua Community Fund, Catalyst Fund and LGBTQ+ Fund for Philanthropy. 

Previously, Benton led the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative, a coalition of local and national funders, corporations and private donors who pool their resources to support employment outcomes for low-income Washingtonians. Benton has also served as Senior Program Officer at the Community Foundation, supporting grantmaking and community initiatives including  the Walmart Washington@Work work readiness initiative, The Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants, The Common Ground Fund, and The Collaborative for Education Organizing. Benton is a frequent lecturer on effective grantmaking and stewardship of philanthropic capital at the George Washington University, American University and the Foundation Center. Benton holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, Seattle.

is Strategic Partnerships Lead at Lever Fund. She is a social entrepreneur, facilitator, educator, media contributor, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and C-Suite executives. Shruthi has founded and been affiliated with several nonprofit organizations aimed at empowering women and children. An advocate for women’s rights, Shruthi has provided pro bono legal representation for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) cases. She continues to lend her time and support to women’s leadership groups. A former corporate attorney, Shruthi leverages her legal background in addressing social issues, particularly those relating to health and wellness.

is former Chief Innovation Officer at U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, Chike was the inaugural Head of Economic Mobility Pathways at the Education Design Lab. He has been a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights Policy where he focused on the future of work and racial equity, Venture Partner at Maryland-based New Markets Venture Partners where he focused on workforce technologies, member of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Future of Work Taskforce, Lecturer at Columbia University and guest speaker at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Chike, his wife and their son proudly call Prince George’s County, MD home.

is a founder of a fractional executive advisory firm in Alexandria, Mahdlo. Craig is a Chief Marketing Officer focused on driving growth strategies and digital transformation for both commercial and non-profit sectors. Craig has held senior positions at Allstate, Zurich Insurance, Tessco Technologies and at the American Red Cross. Craig, his wife, and son reside in Alexandria.

(1962-2018) was a cofounder and board member of the Lever Fund. In this November 2017 blog post, Ann Marie wrote, "I have had the opportunity to work throughout my career with people who focus each and every day on creating equality of opportunity for all. It is why I was inspired by a group of like-minded people to help start the Lever Fund." She was Chief Operating Officer of Bully Pulpit Technologies and had previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Obama for America and as Chief of Staff and Director of External Affairs at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. A formidable leader, Ann Marie was the heart of Lever Fund. We carry her spirit with us as we continue to expand opportunity in the region.

(1945-2014) was a cofounder and board member of the Lever Fund. Gary believed that together we could be a force for good in our community. He was CEO of Strategic Planning Advisors, and was the first Managing Partner of Venture Philanthropy Partners in Washington, D.C., where he hired the leadership team and executed an analysis of potential investments. He touched each of us, sharing with us his passion and commitment, and making us think boldly about how we could have the greatest impact. We miss him greatly and we will not forget him as we carry on the fight.

is President of Woodside Park Strategies, a communications and advocacy consultancy that specializes in strategic communications and campaign planning for nonprofits and foundations. Jeannette has held leadership positions at GMMB and the Children’s Defense Fund.

is an entrepreneur who founds, runs, advises, and invests in businesses and nonprofits. Nathaniel's first company, NGP Software, Inc. (now NGP VAN, Inc.) which he started in 1997, dominates the Democratic political technology space. He was chief technology officer for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. He interviews progressive political entrepreneurs and other leaders and thinkers at his Great Battlefield podcast. He currently produces information technology products through Timeplots, LLC and helps other enterprises tell their stories visually through Graphicacy.

is a writer and communicator who helps nonprofit organizations tell their stories. Previously, he served as Lever Fund's Managing Director, bringing his warm, collegial spirit and many innovation best practices to the organization. Mark has held senior communications positions at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C. and the Robin Hood Foundation and MoMA in New York City.

is former Chief Innovation Officer at U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, Chike was the inaugural Head of Economic Mobility Pathways at the Education Design Lab. He has been a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights Policy where he focused on the future of work and racial equity, Venture Partner at Maryland-based New Markets Venture Partners where he focused on workforce technologies, member of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Future of Work Taskforce, Lecturer at Columbia University and guest speaker at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Chike, his wife and their son proudly call Prince George’s County, MD home.

is the CEO and President of PayTech Trust. Headquartered in the Dulles Corridor of Northern Virginia, PayTech Trust is an emerging leader in the financial technology industry. A Blue Diamond-award winning company, PayTech Trust has been providing customized electronic payment processing to over 15,000 businesses across the United States since 1994.

is Executive Director of the NFLPA Professional Athletes Foundation. After 10 seasons in the NFL and prior to joining the NFLPA, Andre served as Head of the Emergency Registration Department at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia.

has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience in the professional services sector, most recently as a National Director of Marketing for Deloitte. Prior to that, Charlotte was the Marketing Director for Powell Goldstein, a law firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Children’s School in Atlanta, Georgia.

is Executive Director of the Scott and Patrice Brickman Family Foundation, and has served on several nonprofit boards both locally and nationally. While her primary passion has been centered on poverty and homelessness, Patrice is also involved with nonprofits focused on education and the arts. She currently serves on the boards of CharityWorks, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, Peer Health Exchange, and Wolf Trap. Previously, Patrice served on the board of the National Center for Children and Families and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

is an accomplished founder, investor, and finance executive. His deep background in financial planning and modeling, business development, fundraising, investment selection and management has been honed over more than 18 years' experience with large firms and start-ups alike. Tim enjoys spending time with his family and working on projects that make a difference.

is a past president of the JCC of Greater Washington and was National Board Chair of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

is Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, of Noxilizer, Inc. Previously, Maura was Senior Director of Marketing at MedImmune. She spent nine years at Eli Lilly in U.S. Diabetes Marketing, Sales Management, Business Development and Global New Product Planning.

is the Senior Advisor for Global Health and Engagement to Georgetown University’s President John J. DeGioia. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s School of Public Policy and a Senior Scholar with its O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Over the course of his professional career, John has played senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation; served as Counsel to U.S. Senator David Pryor; and held senior positions in multiple political campaigns, including President Clinton’s 1992 race.

is the Founder of SineWave Ventures, a new fund focused on connecting Silicon Valley to the public sector. Prior to founding SineWave, Yanev was an investor at New Enterprise Associates in their Washington, D.C. office. Yanev serves on the Technology Advisory Board for NJIT and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, as well as on the boards of NYCVC, a group dedicated to building relationships among the next generation of New York venture capitalists, and Generation Citizen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people to become engaged and effective citizens.