About Us
Nurturing Purpose:
A New Vision for Education
We envision a world in which school is a place for all young people to discover their values and gifts – and develop the skills to apply those gifts as they find a place in a world that recognizes their value and centers their agency. At a time when nearly half of American high school students report despair and disengagement and teachers are feeling stressed and burned out, our work to revitalize education through purpose learning and storytelling is essential.
We recognize that teachers, as the architects of student experience in the classroom, are the critical leverage point for creating learning experiences that enable young people to re-engage and to pursue their self-determined purpose.
We provide teachers with direct and ongoing support and professional development resources created by teachers for teachers. Every teacher who participates in EMA programming is welcomed into our Community of Learners, which provides both ongoing curricular support and a permanent cohort of fellow educators for peer-to-peer conversations and collaborations.
Applying Purpose:
Cultivating Youth Leadership
Today’s young people are struggling to find employment and lacking meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills or gain quality experiences in early career pathways. EMA provides paid professional opportunities for young leaders to make tangible impacts in the world.
With half of our staff under age 25, EMA views youth leadership as essential to organizational success, recognizing young people as co-architects of systemic change, informed by their lived experiences and driven by their extensive skill sets.
EMA’s intergenerational team cultivates a care-based workplace culture rooted in collaboration, mentorship, and mutual accountability. Our young leaders build skills and networks as they provide critical capacity support to our partners while earning a living wage. We practice the kind of shared leadership needed to guide the work toward a more equitable future.
Our Impact
$5M dispersed
to date (since 2001)
100+ coaching hours provided to leadership partnership organizations since 2024
The Purpose Pathway
EMA’s logo illustrates the connecting pathway from nurturing purpose (education) to applying purpose (employment) that defines our commitment to youth agency, learning, and professional development.
Our History & Evolution
EMA began in 2001 as a family foundation designed to drive meaningful change. Though the term “trust-based philanthropy” did not yet exist, EMA founder Connie Adler’s approach followed those core tenets from day one. Connie believed in building long-term relationships with—and shifting power and resources to—the partner organizations EMA funded so they could focus on their mission rather than tending to funders. Over the next 24 years, EMA disbursed more than $5 million to dozens of small NGOs championing equity. Unrestricted grants coupled with trust-based reporting methods became EMA's hallmark.
In 2018, Connie’s son Bill Meyer, a lifelong educator, stepped into the role of Executive Director and understood the tremendous potential that existed at the intersection of education and philanthropy. Under his leadership, EMA’s work expanded to include capacity-building support for our partners, a storytelling platform, and an education-centered strategy to build youth agency and leadership and cultivate a new generation of changemakers. By 2024, EMA had grown from one staff member to a team of 16—at least half of whom were youth leaders under the age of 25.
As a funder, our care-based model of philanthropy was always rooted in the strength of our relationships with partners and our commitment to both listen and respond to their needs. As the political landscape abruptly shifted in 2025, we made the decision to spend down our original endowment as a direct response to what they and the sector as a whole called for: moving the money and resources directly (and immediately) to the grassroots where it was urgently needed. It was the most important thing philanthropy could do in a context of disappearing federal and philanthropic dollars.
But we could see that our work was not done. The powerful network we had built and the programs we had been incubating with our partners formed the bedrock of EMA’s next chapter. Our team’s decades of experience in education and the collaborations it has produced led to the natural evolution from our role as a funder to our current role as an innovative nonprofit dedicated to purpose-driven education and youth leadership.
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Our Team
Erika Cao
Senior Project Manager
Erika comes from a family of refugees and immigrants and is invested in working with Refugee Led Organizations to recenter and humanize displaced individuals. With strong management capabilities and a passion for increasing access to education, Erika brings together our education, rhizōma, and partner relations teams.
Anna Crawford
Communications Manager
Anna is a multidisciplinary graphic designer who loves creating accessible and engaging designs that spark curiosity and promote understanding. With experience in programming, print, and UX research, she approaches each project with thoughtfulness and a drive to make design both meaningful and inclusive.
Devon Davey
Abundance Coach
As an abundance coach and chief of staff consultant to social sector leaders, Devon creates conditions for healing and transformation while working towards individual and organizational flourishing. She centers identity, equity, and voice in her coaching work and uses Positive Intelligence as a foundation for her approach. Devon has been coaching leaders at EMA Foundation and across the impact network since 2022 through one-on-one sessions and in peer groups. She is the former Director of Partner & Organizational Thriving at EMA Foundation.
Dave Feiferis
Director of Administration
Dave cultivates spaces where his teammates, authenticity, and integrity can shine. He has a dedicated history of working at the intersection of operations, storytelling, and education. Dave is proud and privileged to have his efforts serve a network of partners doing work to create a better future.
Kyla Goss
Director of Outreach and Engagement
Kyla is an experienced communications strategist with over a decade of experience in narrative building, community engagement, and digital content creation. To EMA, she brings her passion for creating physical and digital spaces for inspiring dialogue.
Rachel Grace
Network Manager
Rachel joins EMA as a sociology student who cares deeply about respect, equity and the acknowledgement of all stories. Bringing these values to EMA, she works alongside HTL Coalition, supporting them in their work and bringing their stories to rhizōma.
David Grace
Director of Educational Programs
Dave is an accomplished educator with almost 22 years of experience and a keen eye for helping students learn how to succeed. Having seen what works for students, he comes to EMA with a vision for revolutionizing education through storytelling and connecting to lived experiences.
Emma Grover
Network Manager
Emma is a public programming and communications professional with several years of experience leading events, fundraising initiatives, and strategic outreach that strengthen community connections. She has coordinated more than 60 community programs celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander identities and fostering intergenerational and cross-cultural connection, while also advancing equity-driven work through impactful communications and creative donor engagement. As Network Manager at the EMA Foundation, Emma brings a people-first, relationship-driven approach to supporting artists, educators, and cultural leaders as they grow and thrive.
Cedrick Gustave
Director of Communications and Design
Cedrick is an experienced graphic designer passionate about media studies and cross-cultural communication. With a background in social media and brand design, he brings his creativity to EMA as he showcases our mission and global impact.
Kylie Jones
Network Manager
Kylie is a public health practitioner with experience in equity-centered community engagement, policy advocacy, and communications-driven storytelling. She has supported political organizing, strategic policy engagement, and messaging across student, nonprofit, and advocacy spaces, bringing a care-based approach to amplifying underrepresented voices and strengthening community resilience through connection, shared power, and collective care.
Bill Meyer
Executive Director
Bill is a seasoned educator with over 28 years of experience working with young people and 5 years in the nonprofit sector. From his experience, he brings an emphasis on shifting power and resources to stakeholders to his role as our executive director.
Chinyere Okonkwo
Network Manager
Chinyere is a policy and community engagement professional with experience supporting mission-driven organizations through research, storytelling, and relationship-centered collaboration. Her work focuses on strengthening networks, turning complex ideas into accessible narratives, and building partnerships that advance collective impact.
Joanne Parsont
Director of Strategy
Joanne is a film and media education specialist with nearly three decades of experience harnessing the power of storytelling for impact and education. She brings her passion for amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities to shape the future of rhizōma, and her deep belief in the power of youth leadership to facilitate the evolution of EMA.
Olivia Reibel
Development Associate
Olivia is a passionate Art History student with experience working in galleries and curating exhibits. With exposure to generating and maintaining support, she ably supports EMA in maintaining our relationships with donors and partners.
Tracy Tran
Network Manager
Tracy is a driven public health student who seeks to ameliorate barriers to healthcare access and basic needs, having dealt with these issues as a part of marginalized groups. In their work with EMA, they work primarily with Children of the Forest, merging their passion for public health with the needs of our partners.
Wallace and Gromit
Co-Directors of the Unconditional Affection Department
Wallace and Gromit join our team as integral parts of our organization’s support structure. Although they got off to a rough start in life, they’re now living the dream in Alaska and enjoying watching EMA deliver on its mission.
Our Board
Heather Badal
Heather is a New Mexico-based entrepreneur and business development leader whose work spans technology, healthcare, medical aesthetics, and film. She served as Executive Producer on Surviving Sex Trafficking (2022) and Balance: A Perimenopause Journey (2026), documentaries that reflect her commitment to education, awareness, and storytelling as tools for social impact. She is driven by a passion for expanding knowledge, empowering individuals, and strengthening communities.
Aaron Fulk
Aaron is a values-based educator who serves as Director of College Counseling at the University School of Nashville. He has over 15 years experience as a school leader, non-profit board member, and former university admissions officer, and "gets stoked" when thinking about upward social mobility, educational equity, empathy-based organizational behavior, and how to create integrated approaches to problems. He is a retired college athlete, film nerd, poet, amateur cook, and lover of all things outdoors.
Chandler J. Woods
Chandler is a program manager, policy advisor, and operations specialist with extensive experience leading complex international development, trade, and economic growth initiatives. He began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and has since served in key roles across the federal government. His expertise spans policymaking, financial planning, regulatory compliance, cross-sector collaboration, and stakeholder engagement at both national and international levels.
Our Network Advisors
Kat Evasco
Kat Evasco is a mission-driven nonprofit leader with experience in fundraising, organizational development, and program design with a focus in arts and culture, equity and social justice advocacy. She is a theater artist, filmmaker, cultural strategist that aims to uplift immigrant, LGBTQ, women, and BIPOC communities.
Robin Gascon
Robin has dedicated over 30 years to helping others. Her introduction to EMA partner Children of the Forest was transformative—she was deeply inspired by their unwavering support for stateless children and single mothers. Now, as an EMA Network Advisor, she’s thrilled to be part of a trust-based approach to philanthropy that expands access to education and opportunity. When not working to uplift communities, Robin finds her balance in or on the water, where she feels most at peace.
Bill Kinder
Bill is a filmmaker and writer based in Paris. He founded the Editorial & Post Production department at Pixar and is co-author of Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation. He began his career producing documentary, news, and sports; editing commercials; and creating experimental films. He helped lead the Post Production operation at the birthplace of electronic cinema, American Zoetrope in San Francisco. Today, he leads creative talent in various studio consulting and producing assignments.
Rachael LeClear
Rachael is a global nonprofit leader and experiential educator with expertise in dignified humanitarian response and sustainable organizational scaling. Having steered EMA partners Lighthouse Relief and SafePlace International through pivotal periods of growth, she brings a first-hand understanding of the lived realities of organizations on the ground as well as the importance of trust- and care-based philanthropy on their ability to thrive. Her approach is defined by curiosity and empathy, a dedication to inclusive leadership, and a conviction that community is the most powerful resource for lasting global impact.
Dustin Liu
Dustin is a Taiwanese-American and proud New Yorker, where he is the Senior Associate Director of the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing (IPF). He leads the strategic direction of the organization, encouraging connections between research and practice, managing strategic partnerships, and overseeing the design and implementation of the Initiative’s programming. Most recently, Dustin was a Lecturer at Stanford University and was the Associate Director of the Stanford Life Design Lab. Outside of NYU, he is a guide and facilitator in learning communities where he designs learning experiences and curriculum.
Abigail Sarmac
A first-generation Filipino-American based in Portland, Oregon, Abby has lived in the Philippines, Senegal, Italy, Ecuador and the US over the past 25 years, working with organizations like the United Nations, the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Lemelson Foundation, and IMPAQTO (a social enterprise accelerator in Ecuador) with a focus on grantmaking, non-profit and for-profit social ventures, global community organizing, and impact networks. She is also a former professional cellist and Junior Olympic gymnast.
Jalen Walker
Jalen is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied Chinese and Environmental Policy. Originally from Boston, he is now based in New York City where he works at Ernst & Young in the Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) consulting practice. Jalen is passionate about environmental justice, cultural exchange, and the Boston Celtics. He served as EMA’s first Director of Operations, from December 2023 to June 2025.
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