Jen Risher
Author and founder of #HalfmyDAF

Jennifer Risher is the author of We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth. She believes that staying silent around topics like philanthropy creates problems for both those who have money and for our country as a whole. Money shouldn’t be a taboo subject; silence perpetuates the status quo and keeps us from learning from each other. Jennifer hopes her book becomes a catalyst for conversation. We Need to Talk is Jennifer’s first book.

Jennifer was born in Seattle, Washington, grew up in Oregon, and graduated from Connecticut College. She joined Microsoft in 1991 where she worked as a recruiter and then as a product manager. She and her husband, David, have two daughters and live in San Francisco, where David is CEO of Worldreader, a nonprofit he cofounded with a mission to create a world where everyone is a reader. In May 2020, Jennifer and David launched #HalfMyDAF to inspire more charitable giving.

Diane Schrader
Founder & CEO of thirdACT and San Francisco DAF Salon host

Diane is the founder and CEO of thirdACT, the first blockchain company to be a Public Benefit Corporation. Diane studied figurative painting at San Jose State University, taught herself to code and began her career in the computer games industry. Early in her career, Diane was responsible for developing a global user base for new 3D animation/visualization technologies. Her work took her to over 50 countries. The experience taught her to leverage the strengths of local cultures towards overall growth and greater good. Mid career, Diane leapt into finance, developing an algorithmic trading platform for index futures. Prior to founding thirdACT, Diane was drawn towards sustainability. She became an investor/advisor to startups, particularly those with a strong mission. She still works with a number of entrepreneurs,  regularly taking office hours and speaking at numerous events.

About thirdACT: thirdACT is a real estate finance and technology company. We develop real estate portfolios for institutional investors who want access to the US small commercial market. Through thirdACT,  investors fund energy efficiency, clean energy and other sustainability property improvements. Investors benefit from multiple sale cycles and appreciation without the burdens of property ownership (taxes, insurance, management costs, etc)…   For the same cost of owning a single large commercial property, investors develop a diverse portfolio of micro real estate holdings that provide 30 years of long term cash flow.

Investment contracts are native digital assets, utilizing the latest advances in blockchain digital ledgers and smart contracts to automate transactions. Blockchain enables long term security, perpetuity and transparency, all without management or performance fees to dilute investor returns. A secular change is moving investors towards digital marketplaces. thirdACT’s offerings reflect this trend. Without compromising returns, investments enable the broader adoption of clean energy technologies. Now, that’s an investment everyone can feel good about.

thirdACT is women-founded and led. We have always believed financial companies should be a force for good. We recognize this responsibility and are proud to be a Public Benefit Corporation.

Tonia Wellons
President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation

Tonia Wellons is the President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the largest public foundation in the Greater Washington region. The Community Foundation's mission is to Build Thriving Communities by galvanizing philanthropy and investing locally to maximize community impact. Our vision is for a more equitable, just, and thriving Greater Washington for all, and especially for those who have been systematically marginalized in our region. Leading an organization with a staff of 30, $335 million in assets under management, and $60 million in annual grants, Tonia oversees the day-to-day business of the organization, serves as chief development officer, and works with the Board of Trustees and staff to determine the strategic priorities of The Community Foundation. Tonia has successfully launched and led programmatic and development efforts for several key initiatives at The Community Foundation, including the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, VoicesDMV, the Resilience Fund, and the Partnership to End Homelessness. She also has purview over all grantmaking, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining The Community Foundation in July 2016, she served as a political appointee for the Obama Administration as head of global partnerships at the Peace Corps. Tonia was responsible for leading the agency's relationships with other federal agencies, the private sector, international NGOs, and donors. Most notably, Tonia led bold cause-marketing partnerships at the Peace Corps for Let Girls Learn (an initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama). Tonia previously served as fund manager of a multi-donor initiative focused on financial access and inclusion at the World Bank Group. She also spent a significant part of her career working on USAID-funded capacity development initiatives during the immediate post-apartheid era in South Africa and the broader sub-Sahara region. In 2010, Tonia founded the Prince George's County Social Innovation Fund (PGCSIF) in an effort to 'shift the narrative' and build social capital in the County. The Innovation Fund's flagship initiative, Forty Under 40 Prince George's, recognizes top talent in the County, and connects them to political, social, and economic opportunity all the while sharing the important story of amazing people - under the age of 40 - who live and work in Prince George's. Tonia is a 23-year resident of Prince George's County and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has a master's degree in Public Administration and International Development Policy from the University of Delaware, and a bachelor's in Political Science from North Carolina A&T State University.

Rena Greifinger
Managing Director at Maverick Collective

Rena Greifinger is an award-winning social entrepreneur, philanthropy leader, and advocate for women and girls. She currently leads Experiential Philanthropy at Population Services International (PSI) and is Managing Director of the Maverick Collective by PSI, a community of women philanthropists making catalytic investments in health and reproductive rights to elevate women and girls everywhere. Maverick Collective was founded by Melinda Gates, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway and PSI to mobilize more resources for gender equality while igniting well-resourced women to change the way philanthropy is done, starting with their own transformation. In 2018, Rena founded Maverick Next, an immersive two-year fellowship for emerging women leaders to actively participate in philanthropy and become informed advocates, bold leaders and strategic investors in social impact. As PSI’s Global Youth & Girls Advisor for five years, she led the organization’s work in design-thinking and private sector approaches to adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Rena also founded Next Step’s One Love Project, an award-winning program that builds leadership, life-skills and mentoring support for young people living with HIV in the U.S. She sits on the boards of Next Step and Mamamtoto Village, a community based maternal health organization serving Black women in Washington D.C. She is a recipient of the Harvard School of Public Health’s Albert Schweitzer Award, Sara’s Wish Foundation’s Global Humanitarian Award and was named one of Apolitical’s Top 100 Influencers in Gender Policy in 2021. Rena holds a Master’s of Science from the Harvard School of Public Health.