Role: Chief Executive Director, Senior Consultant

Education: B.A. In Psychology from Binghamton University

Sectors: nonprofit, corporate, social enterprise

Specialties: program management, fundraising, community building, capacity building, donor engagement

Professional Experience: Prior to founding Parkes Philanthropy, Brandon recently served as a Senior Consultant for Bridge Philanthropic Consulting, LLC, the nations largest African-American fundraising firm in which he supported a wide variety of nonprofit clients including the Apollo Theater, National Collation of Black Civic Participation, and Global Community Charter School. Prior, he was the Nonprofit Engagement Manager at CariClub, an AI tech company that connects young professionals to leadership roles on nonprofit boards. Through this role, he supported over 350 organizations such as Teach for America, UNICEF, Make a Wish, and Museum of Modern Arts in capacity building initiatives. Previously, he worked in development for an international humanitarian nonprofit, Right To Play, helping to secure over a million dollars in funding annually. He has formerly worked in a corporate philanthropic capacity for companies such as Morgan Stanley and Toyota.

Affiliations: Brandon serves as an Emerging Leaders Committee Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and a Leadership Council Member and Social Venture Mentor for The Resolution Project. He is an alum of Nexus Global, Out Leadership, Startingbloc and the Young Black and Giving Back Institute. He is also a Next Gen Leader of the NAACP. Awards and Recognitions: Brandon was named one of CauseArtists’s “20 Inspiring African Americans Impacting the World Through Social Impact & Social Innovation,” one of Startup Boost’s NYC 33 under 33, and has been featured in several publications such as Nonprofit Technology News, Blacks in Technology, Blavity and WhyWeGive.

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Role: Consultant

Education: Masters of Arts in International Studies with a focus on Rural Development and dual Bachelors degrees in Economics and International Studies (Africa) from North Carolina State University

Sectors: Nonprofit, Corporate 

Specialties: community development, individual giving, international development

Professional Experience: In addition to her work as an independent consultant, Kristine is the Executive Director of Leadership Triangle, a place-based leadership development nonprofit in NC. Previously, Kristine was the CEO of StartingBloc, a community-based nonprofit supporting 3200+ entrepreneur activists, organizational leaders, and organizers in amplifying their impact. Through StartingBloc, she worked with corporations like Facebook, Red Bull, and the American Heart Association.

Affiliations: Kristine is a mentor for the NC State University Social Innovation Fellows program and Taskforce Member for the annual Innovate Raleigh Summit.

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Role: COO, Senior Consultant

Education: B.A. in Global Studies from LIU Global

Sectors: Nonprofit, Startups, Advocacy Organizations

Specialties: Partnership Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Communications

Professional Experience: Caitlin is an impact strategist with nearly a decade of experience working with companies, nonprofits, and campaigns to design and launch successful programs that advance equity and increase opportunity.

Caitlin also advises mission-driven businesses and nonprofits on strategic communications, partnerships, and digital advocacy, and has worked with organizations including the Forum for Youth Investment, Opportunity Youth United, Community Solutions, and AWID. 

Professional Achievements: Caitlin led digital communications on the successful campaign to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

Affiliations: Caitlin is the Vice President of the LIU Global Alumni Association Board of Directors.

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Role: Consultant

Education: B.A. in Public Health and Business Administration from the University of South Carolina

Sectors: nonprofit, corporate social responsibility, healthcare, international and community development

Professional Experience: Sareen most recently worked at the hospitality company Selina establishing their social impact initiatives in the US and creating their pilot sustainability program. She has additional experience in event planning, culture-building, and corporate volunteerism.

Affiliations: Delta Sigma Pi, Be Social Change

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Role: Consultant

Education: M.S.Ed. in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Classics from Harvard University

Sectors: Nonprofit

Specialties: International education, fundraising, international development

Professional Experience: Athena serves as Senior Program Officer for Fulbright South and Central Asia at the Institute of International Education, where she manages and negotiates a $20 million budget for Fulbright Foreign Student exchange programs with Department of State and Fulbright Commissions. Previously, she founded the BEST Foundation, a civic education nonprofit in Bulgaria now serving 1,000+ high school students.

Athena has crowdfunded $40,000 over 3 years for high school students to attend international competitions and has co-written a successful grant proposal for $25,000 USD from the US Department of State. She raised $100,000 USD in individual and government sourced funding and built fundraising infrastructure for a Bulgarian nonprofit.

Affiliations: Athena serves as the Vice President at the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance. She has been named as a Fulbright Fellow, Coca-Cola Scholar, and a Gates Millennium Scholar.