Minh Ngo, Executive Director, is a philanthropic leader, social entrepreneur, and human rights activist with more than 20 years of executive leadership experience. She has worked with non-profit and non-governmental organizations, social movements, government agencies, and private sector partners to create sustainable solutions for vulnerable populations locally and globally.

She previously served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and as an advisor to several local and national organizations focused on building equity and advancing social justice.Minh holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University’s School of Law and a B.A. from UC Berkeley. She can be reached at minh@mynewredshoes.org.

Erin La Ninfa, Director of Operations, is a nonprofit leader with over 12 years experience in building equitable communities. She has worked in education, social justice, food justice, workforce development, and small business development to empower communities in flourishing.

She previously served as Development Manager of Annual Giving at SF Goodwill, as Operations & Development Director at Meals on Wheels of Alameda County, a small business owner, and an Oakland Grown Advisory Board Member. Erin holds a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from UPenn, B.A. in Business from ASU, and a TEFL Certification.

She can be reached at erin@mynewredshoes.org.

Sue Sutherland, Director of Advancement, began as a volunteer for My New Red Shoes in January 2010. Before joining the staff of My New Red Shoes, she had been an active volunteer, advocate and fundraiser for public education and served as a Trustee of Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton. Sue has overseen numerous successful fundraising campaigns and events for both large and small community organizations.  Prior to her work in the community, Sue had a successful career in the field of corporate Human Resources and managed her own HR consulting practice. Sue is a graduate of UC Berkeley. Sue can be reached at sue@mynewredshoes.org

Zoe Verni, Community Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator, leads the basic income programs and community engagement opportunities at My New Red Shoes.

Before joining the organization, she was a fellow at the Bay Area immigration nonprofit Tahirih Justice Center. In this prior role, Zoe worked closely with My New Red Shoes in designing and launching Project Empower, a basic income pilot program for some Tahirih clients.

She also brings her paralegal skills, passion for the intersection of social justice and technology, and volunteer experiences in campaigns and education to her My New Red Shoes position.

Zoe graduated from Brown University with a BA in economics and international relations.

She can be reached at zoe@mynewredshoes.org.

Kelly Reck, Board Member, currently serves as the Creative Director for SF Goodwill. With a background in creative and business development, Kelly has leveraged her 10+ years of experience to help elevate the Goodwill brand to help MORE people overcome challenges, build skills, find jobs, and access what they need. 

As a self-proclaimed, “jill of all trades”, what we love about Kelly is her rich and diverse industry background. Before stepping into the non-profit world, Kelly spearheaded strategy and execution at a $3B global investment firm, chiefly for its evidence-based health and wellness companies. Kelly’s true passion is diving into the unknown, working with super smart people on big problems that need even bigger solutions.

Outside what can be found on Kelly’s resume, Kelly is a champion for positive change. From political canvassing to volunteering with her community’s education board, Kelly can’t help but be who she is wherever she goes. As a Member of our Board, Kelly vows to learn from the work and impact that’s already been created, listen to the needs of the population we serve, and bring every ounce of her experience to help elevate our mission.

Sarah Berger Gonzalez, Acting Board Secretary & Board Member, is a Senior Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago where she focuses on building an evidence base and scalable policy solutions to address the social disparities and inequities facing youth at-risk of experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Prior to this position, she was the Program Manager of the Stanford Basic Income Lab where she led activities linking basic income pilots to policy.

Preceding her work with the Stanford Basic Income Lab, Sarah spent more than a decade at the World Bank where she supported the design and evaluation of cash transfer programs to invest in and build human capital; bridged financial and social sectors, uniting stakeholders towards common strategic goals to scale the impact of targeted investments to build assets, financial resiliency, and sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable and marginalized populations; and, collaborated with beneficiaries, thought leaders, governments, and field practitioners to build innovative programs and strategies that respond to the signs of the times.

An early formative professional experience was founding the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN), a social justice advocacy network, and serving as its first Executive Director. She was also a Fulbright Scholar in Osorno, Chile where she researched the effect of the application of the Indigenous Law for the Mapuche.

Sarah obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences at Boston College and her Master of Arts in Public Policy from Georgetown University. Her work and passion for a more equitable and just world are integrally connected and inspired by her academic studies at these institutions.

Catt Olazabal, Treasurer, operates her own successful consulting business, working almost exclusively with non-profit organizations in areas of accounting, human resources, governance, IT, operations, and compliance. She prefers working with start-ups and building new systems and processes or supporting growth and business expansion opportunities. Her experience has led her to work across various non-profit sectors including: social services, advocacy, housing, philanthropy, literacy, the arts, crowd-funding, fiscal sponsorships, job training, and education. Her client composition includes small and mid-sized organizations ranging in budget size from under $25K per year to more than $30M per year, and organizations ranging in employees’ size from under 5 to more than 150.

In addition to her business, Catt is the Chief Financial Officer at Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), a non-profit whose mission is to strengthen Latinx leadership, influence, and equity with a vision for social justice and of shared prosperity across the Americas.  She was the former Finance Director with Prospera Community Development, a non-profit supporting cooperative businesses owned and operated by immigrant Latinas, and had previously been the Operations Manager at LIFETIME: Low-Income Families Empowerment through Education, a non-profit advocating education as a pathway to economic
security, for low-income parents.

Catt also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Dancin’ Power, a nonprofit that provides interactive dance lessons to hospitalized children including those facing chronic and life-threatening
illnesses. Dancin’ Power uses the power of music and adaptive movement to bring joy to hospitalized children and their families.

Minh Ngo, Executive Director, is a philanthropic leader, social entrepreneur, and human rights activist with more than 20 years of executive leadership experience. She has worked with non-profit and non-governmental organizations, social movements, government agencies, and private sector partners to create sustainable solutions for vulnerable populations locally and globally.

She previously served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and as an advisor to several local and national organizations focused on building equity and advancing social justice. Minh holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University’s School of Law and a B.A. from UC Berkeley. She can be reached at minh@mynewredshoes.org.

Eleonora Nazander, Strategic Planning Committee Member, is a statistician and economist committed to using data for economic development and social impact. She has experience in data analytics, market research, behavioral economics and data storytelling. Eleonora believes the key to making the world a better place lies in making decisions based on facts and understanding of consumer psychology. She has studied, worked and volunteered in many parts of the world including developing countries. Eleonora holds a MSc degree in Business Analytics from Aalto University, Finland, and a Bachelor’s degree in Management from St. Petersburg State University of Engineering and Economics, Russia.

Lily Ploski, Board Advisor, is an education advocate and leader in the field of public education for more than 20 years working to expand the education and workforce development pipeline. She has served as a professional expert for federal, state, county, and regional planning committees and has experience working with non-profit agencies and K-12, community colleges, and four-year universities. Working to break down barriers for low income students as well as learning about diversity, inclusion, and equity practices are her passion and lead her decisions to serve the community. She is currently working at University of California, Berkeley Cal Alumni Association. Lily holds an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Diablo Valley College, a B.A. in Women’s Studies from U.C. Berkeley, a M.A. in Student Personnel Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from School of Education, California State University, Fullerton, and M.A. in Health Education from John F. Kennedy University.

Cecilia Hayes, Senior Advisor to the Executive Committee, is an experienced global human resources executive, with expertise in cultivating a rich corporate culture and designing strategy and systems to build and retain exceptional technology and innovation teams. Having served in C-level leadership roles in Silicon Valley, Cecilia presently leads a private consulting group with a specialty in creating conditions for inspiring leadership and a healthy environment for employees. She believes cultural evolution transcends technological progress and has a particular interest and success in helping companies during growth phases, by right sizing the systems to scale with adaptability as a core value.

Her strategic leadership in cultural transformation from within one of the largest multinational companies drives her deep understanding of the values and beliefs that guide Silicon Valley business activities and decision-making, influencing the local community, and beyond.

Stefania Guadalupe Vallejo, Board Advisor, Stefania is an analyst and organizer whose pursuits span the worlds of technology and social impact. In her current role as a Technology and Innovation Analyst at Connection Silicon Valley, she manages a range of projects related to events and partnerships.  Her previous roles include political and risk analysis as well as a stint at the European Commission.  Stefania holds masters degrees from two European Universities and a diploma in project management from UC Berkeley. Stefania is also a Board Director of the United Nations Association East Bay Chapter.

Tiffannee Jones, Board Advisor, Solano County, is a Vallejo resident who thrived in Vallejo public schools. Tiffanee received her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration-Organizational Management and a minor in Education from Morris Brown College in Atlanta Georgia. She holds certifications in Dropout Prevention and Restorative Justice and Social Emotional Learning Certification.Jones began her career as a Correctional Officer then transitioned into Probation Officer and was instrumental in developing a cross agency Juvenile Diversion Program that included County Probation, High Schools and the District Attorney’s Office in Gainesville Georgia. However, for the last 14 years, she has passionately served in the field of education in Northern California.She is currently an Academic Support Provider with the Vallejo City Unified School District and the Co-Director for the Willie B. Adkins Scholars Program formerly known as the Tanner Project. Her primary role has been to develop and implement early intervention programs to assist students who are not benefiting from a regular school program. She focuses on students who have a history of truancy, discipline, mental health/trauma, foster youth and homeless youth.Miss Jones is civically engaged. She is a member of CSEA #199 (California School Employees Association), former appointed Senate District 3 Delegate for Senator Bill Dodd of California, former Executive Board Director of Community Democratic Club, elected member of the Solano County Democratic Central Committee serving as Southern Vice Chair. She is a member of California Democratic Parties African American Caucus, Children’s Caucus, LGBT Caucus, Progressive Caucus, Women’s Caucus, Labor Caucus and Chicano Caucus. She has co-sponsored CDP platform items Resolution 19-05.131: Ending Disenfranchisement in California and the CDP Criminal Justice Plank. She is a member of BWOPA (Black Women Organized for Political Action) Solano Napa Chapter and the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce Executive Board. Tiffanee is a 2019 Emerge California Alumna, Napa Solano Central Labor Council Rising Star Awardee 2020, Solano County Central Democratic Central Committee Awardee for Labor Democrat 2019 and 2018 Legislative Fellow of the Political Training Institute (BAPAC Sacramento).Miss Jones has received many awards and honorable mentions in the West Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Vallejo Times Herald, California Department of Education CSS Program Newsletter, KGO News 7 T.V. for school and community projects. Most recently Tiffanee and other community members created the winning map for the City of Vallejo District Elections. Tiffanee has dedicated time and resources to ensure that students and working families thrive no matter what their circumstances are. Her favorite quote is “Children are the message we send to a future we shall not see”. Her life’s work is to continue to send positive messages through our youth to the future.

Carsten Vollrath, Strategic Planning Committee Senior Member, has over 25 years of industrial and consulting experience. He has studied, lived and worked in several parts of the world and has clients in Europe, US and Asia.

Carsten is at the helm of the SWISS IPG PARTNERS GROUP (IPG), an international thought factory, and top management consultancy with great experience in business transformation. IPG is headquartered in Switzerland and embedded in a global innovative leaders’ network with leading research facilities and recognized, handpicked experts. Beyond economic benefits for clients, Carsten is committed to contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals anchored in the United Nations 2030 Agenda. He holds a master's degree in business administration from University of Cologne, Germany, as well as an Executive MBA from Kellogg-WHU.