Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Lori O'Keefe
Lori O'Keefe, Triangle Community Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: My entire career has been in the nonprofit sector; I came to the Foundation nearly 17 years ago because I could see the power of connecting those with resources to the nonprofits doing the…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Mari Kuraishi
Mari Kuraishi, Jessie Ball duPont Foundation
Q: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
A: After decades of working on the edges of philanthropy by making loans to sovereign governments and building up a crowdfunding platform, I had become intrigued by the idea that philanthropy extended…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Anne Vela-Wagner
Anne Vela-Wagner, Mars Wrigley Foundation
Q: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
A: The constant challenge to improve the state of our world and the lives of others is humbling, inspiring, complex and an ongoing education. It suits me well because I’m not happy if I’m not learning and…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Jen Rainin
Jen Rainin, Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: My father was an incredibly powerful force in my life. He was curious and creative. He was a great listener, which allowed him to build a medical device company that responded to the needs of…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Lindy Eichenbaum Lent
Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, President and CEO of the Rose Community Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: An insatiable urge to leave this world slightly better than I found it…and a series of career pivots that were unknowingly preparing me for philanthropy. Driven…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Teresa Miller
Teresa Miller, President and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: After years of working for state and federal governments, philanthropy was appealing because of the opportunity to take a long-term view of addressing problems. While…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Karem Perez
Karem Perez, Motorola Solutions Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: I’ve always sought roles where I knew the work I was doing was making a difference, so it was a perfect fit to lead the Motorola Solutions Foundation. The opportunity to partner with so many…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Nick Aldridge
Nick Aldridge, CEO of the PayPal Giving Fund
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: The people involved - I was lucky enough to start my career in a UK organization supporting nonprofits and enjoyed meeting leaders working to tackle important and often intractable social…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Eva Giglio
Eva Giglio, CME Group Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: Having worked for years in Chicago Public Schools for years prior to this role, I worked closely with philanthropists who helped support many key initiatives for the district. I was excited about the…
Member Week 2021: Foundation Leader Q&A with Peter Dunn
Peter Dunn, Central New York Community Foundation
Question: What drew you to the field of philanthropy?
Answer: I landed in philanthropy by accident. In my late 20's, as a young and disgruntled litigator, I helped to handle a civil case involving embezzlement by a private foundation trustee.…