Our Team

Aboubacar brings over a decade of expertise in finance, audit, and accounting, with experience across the US, Africa, MENA, Asia and Haiti. He has a strong background in managing international donor-funded projects, having held positions such as the Director of Finance and Operations, Deputy Director of Field Accounting, and Senior Finance and Operations Manager. Aboubacar is fluent in French, and can also speak Fula, Bambara, and Haitian Creole. Prior to joining Global Greengrants Fund, Aboubacar was the Regional Finance and Operations Manager for a European organization in Bamako, overseeing its Sahel portfolio. He has also held key management roles at Chemonics International and Johns Hopkins University. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Outside of work, Aboubacar enjoys playing soccer with friends and taking his nieces and nephews to the movies.

Alydia brings over a decade of experience in operations, human resources, and executive support, working across global organizations at the intersection of commerce, leadership, and impact. Her career has spanned roles supporting C-suite executives, building internal systems, and fostering organizational resilience. She has also led her own wellness business and collaborated with grassroots partners in Uganda, India, and Thailand on microfinance and community development initiatives. At Global Greengrants Fund, Alydia combines operational excellence with a deep commitment to equity and sustainability. Her family loves off-the-grid camping in their teardrop trailer and rooftop tent—an adventurous spirit she brings to her work every day.

Prior to joining Greengrants in 2022, Shena worked with a range of nonprofits and social movements around the world, most recently as an organizational effectiveness consultant for feminist and LGBTQI groups and at the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC). She holds an MA in International Development from the University of Pittsburgh. Shena is passionate about her dog and approaches to philanthropy and international development that challenge the economic, social and political status quo.

Jenna Daucunas is a development professional with over a decade of experience advancing environmental and social justice through philanthropy. She holds a BA in International Development from the University of Oregon and joined Global Greengrants Fund in 2015 where she’s supported the organization’s mission through strategic donor engagement and a deep commitment to equity in resourcing grassroots movements. With a background in international studies, and experience working in Spain, Jenna brings a global perspective and a belief in the power of community-led solutions. She has volunteered with, and served on the boards of, several youth-centered nonprofits, both internationally and in her community. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she and her family spend time exploring the outdoors and believes that fostering a deeper connection to nature is essential to inspiring care, responsibility, and collective action for the planet. As a mother, Jenna is passionate about raising the next generation to be responsible stewards of the earth.

B is a seasoned global philanthropy professional, and queer and trans organizer from South Africa with over two decades of experience in working with movements for social change. They have led Global Greengrants Fund's communications initiatives, building strategic narratives, advocacy, and partnerships to advance environmental justice agendas. Their role includes leadership on the CLIMA Fund, developing strategies to influence large climate funders. B's expertise extends to leading strategies for increasing financial investment in climate and gender justice, developing philanthropic fieldbuilding, narrative strategy, and media engagement. Prior to Global Greengrants, B spent seven years as the Director of Communications at Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, where they led the team to unprecedented growth across all communication platforms. As a core member of the executive leadership team, they were responsible for higher-level organizational strategic leadership, establishing long-term organizational goals and priorities, developing key performance metrics and tracking methodologies, and leading people and teams. With a Masters degree from Bard College and a B.A. from the University of Cape Town, B brings a unique blend of academic knowledge and practical experience to their work. Their approach is rooted in a queer, feminist lens and a collaborative leadership style, aiming to create a world where the rights of people and the planet are not just protected, but become the blueprint for collective vitality. B's work has been featured in various prominent media outlets, and they continue to build strategic partnerships and develop impactful content to shift narratives and transform lives.

Chinesom is a former Director of Investments at Africa Integras, an asset management firm headquartered in New York City that invests early-risk capital for the development of educational real estate. Prior to Africa Integras, Chinesom was Managing Director at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, where he managed over $900 million in capital reserved for private equity funds that hold investments in companies across four continents and over 30 countries. Previously, Chinesom worked in the fixed income industry - specifically asset and mortgage backed assets. Additionally, he was an Executive Member of the Washington Latin Public Charter School Board where he served as President and previously served as the Treasurer and Head of the Finance Committee. He maintains an honorary role on the Board. Chinesom graduated from The Colorado College with a B.A. in Economics and was a four year football varsity letter. He also holds an MBA from The Darden School of Business.

Khara is a Belizean Citizen. Her academic background includes a BEng in Chemical and Energy Engineering and an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning. She has over seven years of experience managing climate change projects especially focused on sustainable energy transition within the Caribbean private and public sectors. She is passionate about climate issues and occasionally volunteers as a grant researcher and writer for small businesses and small non-government organizations. In her free time enjoys painting oil and watercolor pieces inspired by vibrant Caribbean life.

Laura is a Mexican feminist who has advocated for human rights, social justice, and civil society throughout her career. Before joining Global Greengrants, Laura served for seven years as the Executive Director of Fondo Semillas, a Mexican nonprofit organization that finances grassroots organizations to achieve gender equality. Laura has vast experience in grassroots philanthropy, human rights, and movements for social justice, and she has co-created networks to promote community philanthropy in the Global South. She holds a Master's Degree in International Peace and Security, from King’s College, London. She currently serves on the boards of Oxfam International, Co-Impact, and as a member of the Climate Advisory Group of Climate Lead.

Adriana is a Guatemalan feminist anthropologist and activist committed to social justice and women’s rights. With over seven years of experience in project management, qualitative research, grantmaking, and community development, she has worked alongside grassroots and civil society organizations on diverse issues, including women and youth empowerment, agroecology, wildlife conservation, menstrual dignity, and corruption prevention. Her professional background also includes experience in government and academia, and before entering Global Greengrants Fund, she worked 4 years at the Inter-American Foundation supporting a portfolio of over 40 community projects in Guatemala. As co-director of Guatemala Menstruante, she has led advocacy and training on menstrual dignity in Guatemala and Central America. Adriana is deeply committed to the power of civil society and global cooperation in advancing equality, justice, and sustainability, ensuring that everyone can live with dignity and autonomy. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Population, Public Policy, and Monitoring and Evaluation for Development. She also teaches Anthropology and Culture at Del Valle University. In her free time, she enjoys pottery and spending time with her two dogs and cat.

Inspired by the power of collaboration and partnerships, Jenny has over 8 years of experience leading grant writing and reporting for nonprofits, building meaningful relationships which drive transformative, positive change. Working at the intersection of environmental conservation and economic and social development, her areas of focus have included coffee, climate resilience, youth leadership and gender equality, and the strengthening of biodiverse landscapes towards a more sustainable and equitable future. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and a bachelor’s degree in Italian and European Studies from Cornell University. A coffee enthusiast, Jenny enjoys hiking and spending time with her cats.

Kim Kaletsky (they/them) is a communications professional with over a decade of experience supporting non-profits and small businesses. Prior to their role at Global Greengrants Fund, they spent several years doing communications with Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, where they shifted resources to LGBTQI movements in the U.S. and around the world. Kim is also a writer whose work has been published in the New York Times, HuffPost, and more. They live in New York City with their very chatty cat.

With over 10 years of accounting experience in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, Sahana keeps our books in order and funds flowing to the grassroots. Prior to joining the Global Greengrants Fund staff, she provided accounting training to more than 100 non-governmental organizations in Nepal, where she was born and raised. Sahana has a M.A. in Business Administration from Tribhuban University.

With a professional career spanning partnerships, philanthropic consulting, and research, Maya brings deep experience in building strong relationships with donors and advocating for an intersectional feminist approach in global philanthropy. Most recently, she worked at the UN World Food Programme's Innovation Accelerator in Munich, where she managed a portfolio of key public and private donors focused on food security and humanitarian aid. She is committed to using her professional experiences, privileges, and knowledge to shift access and resources towards values-aligned work, including grassroots-led environmental justice efforts. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time in nature.

Pontso comes to Global Greengrants Fund from African Women’s Development Fund, where she served as Director of Programmes. Her career also includes roles with ActionAid, Comic Relief, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Additionally, she has been recognized as one of the BBC 100 Women and is actively involved in various leadership and advisory roles within the development and social justice sectors; she is a member of Steering Committees for The Red Umbrella Fund and The Girl Generation. Pontso is currently Chair of the Programmes Committee and Board member of EMpower – The Emerging Markets Foundation Count – and Chair of the International Development Committee of the Baring Foundation. She is also a member of the Equality Fund Global Advisory Panel and the Human Rights Funders Network Global Racial Justice Advisory Network.

A native of Ecuador, Mateo has spent his professional career as an activist, researcher, and consultant, having written and edited several books and articles about Indigenous struggles in his country. He previously worked at Acción Ecológica, an environmental NGO and historical Global Greengrants Fund grantee and ally, and Land is Life. Mateo has also worked in the public sector to broaden access to quality higher education for excluded sectors of the population and to promote political transparency and participation rights. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy, a master’s degree in Social Sciences, and is currently finishing his doctoral dissertation on the problem of nature, technic, and culture in Modernity. He is passionate about observing the night sky with his telescope, cooking meals for his family, and caring for his little baby girl.

At Global Greengrants, Greg is Director of Operations, overseeing grantmaking processes and ensuring efficient operations across the organization. He previously spent three years in Mongolia as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where he taught English. Greg has a M.A. in International and Intercultural Communication from the University of Denver and a B.A.'s in History and Music from the University of Colorado.

Ursula is an internationally recognized leader in gender equity and environmental philanthropy, with more than 15 years of experience working at the intersection of community development, climate activism, and gender justice. As the Director of Gender and Environment at Global Greengrants Fund, she launched the Gender and Environment program and has helped direct more than $25 million in small grants to grassroots, gender-just climate action throughout the Global South. She is also a co-founder of the Funder Learning and Action Co-laboratory for Gender, Environmental, and Climate Justice. A contributing author of several publications on gender and climate philanthropy, and a frequent speaker at international conferences, Ursula works closely with the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action on campaigns to integrate gender justice into government climate finance flows. She is on the Advisory Board for the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains, has served on the Environmental Grantmakers’ Association program committee, has taught as an adjunct professor of gender and intersectionality, and was on the Community Council for the Creative Ideas Fund, promoting disability rights in Colorado.

Nicole's interest in social and environmental justice led her to Global Greengrants Fund from 2018-2020. Knowing that she wants to make a difference in the world, she came back to Global Greengrants Fund to help support the Accounting and Grants team. She holds a BS in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Alanna comes to Global Greengrants Fund with 9+ years of work experience in a variety of non-profit, governmental, and social enterprise environments, both in the US and abroad. She has also worked on several progressive political campaigns in Colorado. She has a B.A. in Sociology and a M.A. in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Chantal is an expert on human rights and civic space protection, over 20 years working and living in Sub Saharan Africa and North, Central and South America. Before joining Global Greengrants Fund, she ran her own consulting practice, helping organizations build and nurture strategic networks and coalitions to strengthen and defend civic space through inclusive, accountable, rights-based systems. She previously led Freedom House’s global emergency fund for civil society activists and organizations under threat, and its Mexico-specific efforts to protect journalists and defend freedom of expression. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, she headed up International Rescue Committee’s grants program, focused on community-based development and assistance to survivors of violence. She holds a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a BA in International Affairs from Lafayette College.

Nuwan has worked for more than 15 years in human resources management, organization development, and organizational change management in the non-profit sector. His work focuses on developing and implementing impactful people and culture strategies that facilitate organizations to truly align culture and people practices to the values and principles they espouse. He has worked with civil society organizations as well as national and international non-governmental organizations in Sri Lanka and in multiple countries across South and South East Asia and globally. Nuwan joins Global Greengrants Fund from AWID, a global, feminist, membership, movement-support organization where he gave leadership to the human resources function for the past five years. Though based in Germany, Nuwan is from the global south, and he is an immigrant, a parent, and a person of color, and is strongly interested in anti-racist activism, racial justice, and immigrant rights. Nuwan holds a Master's degree in International Management and is a Member of the Society for Human Resources Management.

Laura is from Colombia and currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil where she has gained experience in grant writing and project planning to promote conservation and help improve local living conditions. She is a professional in International Relations with an emphasis on International Political Affairs and holds an MBA in Project Management. She is passionate about helping create a more sustainable and equal world and is particularly interested in research, environmental cooperation issues, and sustainable development. Laura enjoys meeting people from different cultures and learning their perspectives, which has been an incentive to learn languages. She participates in a research group on public policies related to food security and environmental advocacy networks.

Isaac has been working in the environmental movement for more than three decades. He began his work with the Costa Rican Ecologist Association (AECO) and later with COECOCEIBA, taking part in various national environmental struggles, always in alliance with other social movements. He became president of the Costa Rican Ecological Federation for five years and represented the Costa Rican environmental movement in various public bodies. With the Biodiversity Coordination Network, he was part of working teams that managed to turn several proposals on biodiversity into public policies. He has collaborated with various organizational processes in Mesoamerica and as a member of Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean has participated in the main struggles for environmental justice in the region. In the last decade and a half, he has been the international coordinator of the Forests and Biodiversity Programme of Friends of the Earth International, from where he has contributed to various organizing processes and struggles at the global level, as well as to the analysis and construction of political positions and strategies. Isaac is from Costa Rica and currently lives in Uruguay.

Alexander Schulz, who goes by Alex, was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He studied International Affairs at the University of Colorado Boulder with a focus on East Asia. Alex's experience working with non-profits includes canvassing for the Human Rights Campaign and advocating for reformed environmental legislation on behalf of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (COPIRG). He began an internship with Global Greengrants Fund in the Fall of 2021 during his senior year and has become dedicated to the organization’s mission ever since. Alex has a Chihuahua named Chancho and 2 tarantulas as well. He appreciates music and art and in his free time, he enjoys embroidering, needle-punching, reading, hiking, and playing video games.

Ainissa's passion for social justice brought her to Global Greengrants Fund. Prior to joining GGF she worked in accounting and management at several non-profits serving people and communities. She has over fifteen years of accounting experience in the non-profit field. Ainissa obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Metro State University, and a master’s degree in Non-Profit Management from Regis University. Having been born and raised in Kazakhstan and having ancestors hailing from China and Mongolia, she still practices their culture and appreciates their roots. Ainissa joins us from Colorado, having moved to America 23 years ago, and she proudly calls it her home now. She is a proud mother of two amazing boys, and loves spending time with her children, family, and friends. Outside of work, Ainissa enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, and being outdoors with her family.

Rita has experience designing, planning, and implementing programs on institutional strengthening, biodiversity, climate change, protected areas, forest management, and economic growth. For the last two years, Rita worked as Global Program Lead for Capacity Development and Inclusion for an Indigenous-led Foundation to empower Indigenous Peoples. She served as Executive Director of Panama´s leading environmental NGO, the National Association for the Conservation of Nature (ANCON). For 10 years, she worked with USAID as Economic Growth and Environmental Program Specialist leading the biodiversity conservation portfolio and was Chief of Party of an institutional strengthening project to improve the management of the Panama Canal Watershed. She worked as Communications Associate of the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. Rita holds a M.Sc. in Natural Resources Management and a B.A. in Journalism and certificates in corporate sustainability and climate change. Rita is based out of Panama City, Panama.

Susan brings over 35 years of nonprofit development experience to Global Greengrants Fund. She has managed a development team of 5 for a leading foundation for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect, as well as Development Coordinator for a domestic violence prevention organization and physician mental health. For over 20 years, Susan has been a fundraising consultant and mentor for smaller nonprofits focused on people with disabilities, land conservation, and human rights. Susan also sits on the board of Earth Gives and Pickleball for Good, and a member of the Community Development Committee for Global Pickleball Federation. She graduated with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and is a proud member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Dorottya Szekely is a feminist and climate advocate who is dedicated to uplifting and promoting grassroots activism. She has spent extensive time researching the role of women’s organizations as key climate actors and she is passionate about the intersection of climate justice and gender equality. Currently, her role at Global Greengrants Fund focuses on grantmaking, compliance, and data analysis. Dorottya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and graduated from the Master of Global Affairs program at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy with a specialization in Human Rights & Global Justice.

With a dynamic career spanning over 15 years, Tariro is a seasoned Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Specialist. Most recently, Tariro was the Director of Partnerships and development at Urgent Action Fund (UAF)-Africa. Her expertise encompasses fundraising and resource mobilization, donor management, the forging of strategic partnerships, and a nuanced understanding of philanthropy. She is particularly passionate about development communications, where her emphasis on storytelling amplifies the voices and narratives of the communities she serves. She has had extensive experience working with environmental justice movements, feminist groups, disability groups, LGBTQI communities, and advocates for economic justice. Her frontline experience as an activist has imbued her with a unique perspective on philanthropy, ensuring that it responds genuinely to movements' needs and that these movements significantly influence philanthropic directions - fostering a deeper introspection into the philanthropic landscape, enriching her approach to her work. Currently, Tariro is channeling her extensive experience and passion for social justice into academia, working towards a Ph.D. in Communication. Her research focuses on the strategic communication tactics employed by social justice movements, aiming to uncover how these movements harness the power of communication to advance their causes. This scholarly pursuit reflects her lifelong commitment to supporting and amplifying the efforts of those striving for a more equitable and just world.

Roxanne studied International & Global Studies at the University of Central Florida and earned a master’s degree in Global Security from Arizona State University. She also spent time at the University of Cape Town, where she focused on South African politics. In Fall 2025, she’ll begin law school with a focus on Pacific-Asian law and human rights. Over the years, she’s interned with nonprofits like Global Hope Network International and Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. With roots in both the Philippines and the U.S., Roxanne now lives in the Northern Mariana Islands. She is especially interested in the concept of power and its role in shaping both family dynamics and in the broader international system.

Carrie is a Canadian feminist and seasoned fundraiser with nearly two decades of experience in women’s rights organizations worldwide. During her 14-year tenure at JASS, where she held integral roles including Director of Development, she contributed to significant revenue growth and agile resourcing mechanisms tailored to the needs of grassroots movements. As Chief Development Officer, Co-Lead for Fòs Feminista, Carrie spearheaded efforts to mobilize critical funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Her social justice journey began in South America, where she coordinated projects aimed at raising awareness about dangerous abortion restrictions and violence against women. Committed to a feminist solidarity approach to philanthropy, Carrie is dedicated to disrupting paternalistic and colonial practices, and shifting power and resources to grassroots movements. She is excited about her role in supporting the trust-based resourcing models championed by Global Greengrants Fund. Carrie holds an M.A. in International Relations, specializing in international human rights, and a BA in Political Science.