Root Profiles

Every weekday, when we all walk out the door, I tell my kids where we’re going. They go to school, and their daddy Mark and I go to work, and that (plus all the requisite hugs and kisses) is our chant as we head out the door.

One day when my oldest was about 2 years old, I brought him into the Taproot office for lunch. I thought it would be nice for him to see where I spent the day. We walked into the downstairs office, and he looked around at all the desks and said, “Where’s Daddy?” I laughed and explained that we had two different workplaces, and he looked puzzled. Since Mark and I always said we were both going “to work”, it made sense—of course Teddy thought Daddy would be there!

But “work” isn’t really some monolithic entity. And I’m particularly proud of where I work and what I do and who I do it with. So from that day on I’ve made a point of saying exactly where I’m going when I head out the door each day. Teddy and George are going to Katherine Michiels School. Daddy is going to work. And me? I’m going to Taproot.

I came to Taproot with the foggiest of ideas about the nonprofit sector. I graduated from college in 2009 with a humanities degree, and like many of my peers, I felt lost during the entry-level job search. The publishing jobs promised to me were nonexistent, I didn’t want to go to law school, and public relations didn’t exactly tug at my heartstrings. As a strong writer with a passion for literature and research, I was attracted to a grantwriting role at Taproot that would allow me to think critically and craft pages of text all day long. 

As I began drafting grant proposals and reports for Taproot, I knew that my role fit me well. I was puzzled, however, when our Chicago Executive Director asked me what inspired me about nonprofits. What inspired me about nonprofits? What were nonprofits? I had landed in the sector incidentally—I wasn’t a part of those groups in undergrad that painted houses in Appalachia, organized campus workers for living wages, or demonstrated for women’s reproductive rights on the quad.  Once again, I felt lost.

My manager suggested that I shadow a Taproot Service Grant project—I needed an inside peek at another nonprofit to get my bearings.  I was elated when I learned that Taproot was awarding a pro bono consulting project to an organization I really admired—826CHI. Founded by Dave Eggers (on whom I had written at least three papers in college) and armed with a quirky organizational personality, 826CHI provides creative writing and tutoring services to underprivileged youth in Chicago. By shadowing 826CHI’s pro bono project, I am learning first-hand about nonprofits’ strengths in delivering needed services, the many challenges that organizations face (whether or not they have a celeb founder), and the ways in which pro bono talent can help nonprofits expand social impact.

I may not have painted houses in college, but that didn’t mean nonprofits weren’t relevant to me.  Think about where your passions lie—literature, land conservation, nutrition, dance, workforce development, the list goes on—and chances are, there’s a nonprofit out there that’s making serious headway in them, and you should give them a closer look.

Start Date

May 2007

Education

BA, Williams College

Previous Position

Director of Field Operations, Intrax Cultural Exchange

How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?

After a career in international high-tech marketing, I jumped the corporate ship to nonprofit management about 10 years ago. What drew me to nonprofit work was a desire to make the world a better place in a positive, people-focused environment. I worked initially with youth and cross-cultural exchange –a field I developed a passion for from my bi-cultural background and overseas experiences. People are at the core of what's great (and lousy!) in this world and are fascinating creatures...

Why did you want to become a Root?

I discovered the Taproot Foundation in 2006 while reading Fast Company's "Top 25 Groups That Are Changing the World" article. It was an awesome "ah-ha" moment for me. I had discovered this organization which straddles the corporate and nonprofit sectors and works to better the world through outstanding people, process and results. I stalked the Taproot Foundation job postings until I was hired!

How is Taproot Foundation's culture unique from other places you have worked?

Taproot’s unique, for sure.  I’ve never worked in another place so filled with passion, drive, smarts and direction.  I think this uniqueness stems first from the amazing model:  simple, brilliant and impactful.  All of us here at Taproot – whether staff or volunteer – recognize that we’re working together on something really special and exciting.

How has your role at Taproot Foundation evolved during your tenure here?

I started out managing our Service Grant projects for Bay Area nonprofits; with over 50 projects at a time, the breadth and depth of this experience was awesome!  I now oversee our other Program staff in our Western Cities, as well as a team of pro bono consultant Recruiters.  The combined team’s geared toward doing more projects, doing them better and exploring new ways to achieve great results for the Service Grant Program and beyond, in furthering the pro bono ethic. 

Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2020?

Our flagship Service Grant program will still deliver project-based capacity building to individual nonprofits, but we'll be in more cities on the ground and I could see us working in other locations with a new remote model. Nonprofits will have an even greater Service Grant catalogue of projects to choose from, including new practice areas. The pro bono ethic will be entrenched in all professionals, thanks to the Taproot Foundation and our strategic partners. The majority of Fortune 500 corporations and professional services firms will be doing their own in-house pro bono flavor but inspired by Taproot Foundation's leadership, best practices and tools. Good times for all!

Start Date

November 29, 2004

Education

BA, Yale University

Previous Position

New Sector Alliance, Special Projects Coordinator

How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?

My involvement in the nonprofit sector began through a summer internship while in college at the American Red Cross headquarters. I'd tried to use summer jobs to try out different careers of interest; I knew that I wanted my work to somehow contribute to "making things better" but still needed to explore the details.

The hopes, challenges and tensions surrounding my work there spurred a focus in my academic studies when I returned to school in the fall. My senior thesis research was around the effect educational and professional backgrounds had on nonprofit executives, and specifically whether being predominantly nonprofit or private sector-oriented influenced their effectiveness. After conducting this research I knew that my future career would center around addressing the very challenges leaders in the nonprofit sector faced. In essence I’m working to "make things better" in the nonprofit sector to better our society in general.

Why did you want to become a Root?

I have a personal and professional passion for making the nonprofit sector stronger and better able to improve our world. To me, it was abundantly apparent that Taproot Foundation had taken a truly innovative, yet wonderfully simple approach towards that end -- using the skills, training and tools that are already out there in the private sector and connecting them in an effective, disciplined way to the existing, parallel needs in the nonprofit sector.

How is Taproot Foundation's culture unique from other places you have worked?

Taproot Foundation has been amazingly consistent over the years in finding incredibly intelligent and motivated employees and fostering an environment where, despite differences in roles, professional backgrounds, and geography, everyone’s work is underscored by the same shared passion for the work we do and the possibilities ahead of us. Add to that a sense of humor and 50+ big personalities, and it’s one creative and inspiring place to be.

How has your role at Taproot Foundation evolved during your tenure here?

A lot, to say the least. I began at Taproot when it was still a start-up organization and I had the great experience of being able to shift and grow along with it. From recruiting volunteers to authoring a whitepaper to managing Service Grant projects, my early experience at Taproot cut across nearly every aspect of our organization and gave me a strong understanding of the fundamentals of program management and pro bono service delivery. This expertise provided the foundation for me to found and manage Taproot’s corporate consulting practice, leveraging our knowledge of effective pro bono program design to help build in-house pro bono programs for companies, professional services firms and other organizations.

Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2020?

By 2020 I think pro bono work should be fully integrated as an expected part of what it means to be a professional in your field.  I would like to see the Taproot Foundation as the driver and supporter of the pro bono ethic across the country, whether that’s through delivering services through our Service Grant program in our flagship cities, enabling effective pro bono service delivery through the tools and thought leadership we create and share or the consulting clients for whom we help build and enhance programs, or inspiring the pro bono ethic to take root across sectors and professions at large. I want it to become commonplace to hear professionals outside of the legal profession ask “what was your pro bono project this quarter?”.