Advisor Bench
Our Advisor Bench is a group of trusted collaborators who expand our expertise, perspective, and capacity as our work grows. These advisors are experienced practitioners, strategists, and leaders who work alongside our core team when their insights strengthen the work and improve client outcomes.
The Advisor Bench is built on genuine relationships. Many of our advisors have partnered with Fourth Economy in the past as collaborators, subcontractors, or thought partners. Formalizing this bench allows us to engage that expertise more intentionally, bringing the right perspectives into projects at the right moments, grounded in shared values, high standards, and a practical understanding of how change happens in communities, organizations, and markets.
Advisors on the Bench contribute in different ways and often across multiple areas of practice. Some lead or co-lead specific workstreams, while others provide targeted expertise during key moments such as strategy development, engagement, implementation planning, or evaluation. All maintain independent practices and bring experience shaped by place, sector, and lived reality.
Together, the Advisor Bench enables Fourth Economy to deliver work that is rigorous, responsive, and grounded in real-world experience, while remaining focused on the people, places, and systems our strategies are meant to serve.
Brian Tell
Clean Technology, Social Enterprise, and Venture Strategy
Brian Tell is a business consultant and entrepreneur who supports private companies and social sector organizations as they launch, scale, and navigate complex growth challenges. His work sits at the intersection of clean technology, manufacturing, social enterprise, and regional economic development, with a focus on helping organizations move from concept to execution.
Brian is the founder and principal of Brian Tell Consulting (BTC), which he launched in 1995. Since then, he has advised more than 40 private- and social-sector enterprises on business modeling, market research, technology scouting, customer discovery, change management, process mapping, stakeholder facilitation, and operations. His approach combines big-picture strategy with attention to operational detail, supporting clients as they make decisions that affect both financial performance and long-term impact.
In addition to his consulting work, Brian is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of solartonic, an Ann Arbor–based clean technology company that designs, manufactures, and services solar smart pole solutions integrating LED lighting, CCTV, Wi-Fi, and IoT technologies. In this role, Brian leads business development, sales and market channels, finance, contracts, legal and intellectual property, staffing, and supply chain operations. He secured early seed capital through a mix of angel investment, grants, and loans, and led the company beyond its first $1 million revenue year in 2025, with customers across the United States and international markets.
Brian also serves as Vice President of Business Development for Sensible, a Michigan-based startup delivering HVAC optimization services and patented AI-enabled monitoring technologies for large institutional and commercial facilities. His work supports market development for technologies that reduce energy use, operating costs, and carbon emissions while improving building performance.
Earlier in his career, Brian served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, founded and led ShadePlex, LLC., a solar manufacturing startup, and was Director of Business Development for the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. In that role, he grew annual revenues, led sales efforts, and helped secure more than $15 million in federal and philanthropic funding for multi-stakeholder workforce partnerships.
Across these roles, Brian brings firsthand experience across the full enterprise lifecycle. He has taken products to market, holds multiple patents, and understands both the supports and barriers that shape innovation, commercialization, and impact. As an advisor to Fourth Economy, Brian supports projects involving clean energy, advanced manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise, particularly where strategy must translate into execution.
Areas of Expertise
- - Clean technology and energy systems
- Social enterprise and mission-driven business models
- Venture strategy and commercialization
- Manufacturing and supply chain strategy
- Market research and customer discovery
- Regional economic development and innovation ecosystems
Latasha Griffin
Inclusive Sourcing and Supplier Ecosystem Strategy
Latasha Griffin is an award-winning procurement strategist who helps organizations design sourcing systems that align enterprise goals with economic inclusion, regulatory requirements, and long-term community impact. Her work focuses on transforming procurement from a compliance-driven function into a strategic lever for innovation, resilience, and shared value.
Latasha brings experience from some of the world’s largest and most complex organizations, including McKinsey & Company and UPS, along with deep collaboration across global supplier advocacy, economic development, and ESG ecosystems. She has led enterprise-wide supplier diversity and inclusive sourcing programs that integrate ESG priorities, compliance frameworks, and measurable value creation.
As Principal Consultant of Sapphire South LLC, Latasha developed a proprietary Inclusive Sourcing Framework that provides organizations with a clear pathway to evolve from foundational supplier diversity efforts to high-performing sourcing ecosystems. Her approach emphasizes competition, innovation, supplier development, and accountability, helping organizations capture economic value while expanding opportunity for small and diverse businesses.
Latasha’s work includes designing global governance models, forecasting and reporting systems, and supplier development partnerships across domestic and international markets. She has supported initiatives ranging from corporate policy design to hands-on supplier engagement and ecosystem building, with a particular focus on logistics, infrastructure, and operational supply chains.
Across her engagements, Latasha is known for combining analytical rigor with a collaborative, partnership-oriented approach. She works closely with clients who want procurement systems that are fair, future-ready, and grounded in community prosperity, helping them align sourcing decisions with broader economic development and ESG objectives.
Areas of Expertise
- - Inclusive sourcing strategy and program design
- Supplier diversity and ESG governance
- Regulatory, CSR, and compliance reporting
- Supplier development and ecosystem building
- Procurement program evaluation and maturity assessment
- Supplier engagement strategy and convenings
Danielle Guadeloupe-Rojas
Strategic Partnerships and National Corporate Engagement
Danielle is a nationally recognized leader in strategic partnerships and workforce equity. Based in Washington, D.C., she specializes in advancing economic mobility and social impact through corporate, philanthropic, and nonprofit collaborations that deliver measurable community outcomes.
With more than 15 years of experience in partnership development, fundraising, and corporate engagement, Danielle brings a unique blend of equity-centered strategy, business acumen, and systems-level insight to her work.
At Opportunity@Work, Danielle served as Senior Director of Strategic Corporate Partnerships, where she led philanthropic and corporate engagement to expand skills-based hiring and workforce opportunities. She cultivated multimillion-dollar partnerships with leading employers such as Marriott, Target, Verizon, Capital One, and Deloitte, while also shaping board engagement, advising executives on equity-focused growth strategies, and representing the organization at national convenings including SHRM National, Workday Rising, and LinkedIn’s Impact Summit.
Her prior leadership roles at Catalyst Inc., Cook Ross, Ascension Worldwide, and other organizations equipped her with deep expertise in corporate social responsibility, inclusive leadership, and large-scale partnership development. As a fractional Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Partnerships & Business Development, Danielle has advised mission-driven organizations on fundraising strategy, corporate development, and infrastructure design, helping secure more than $20M in contracts and investments.
A certified sales professional, Danielle is recognized for designing innovative sales training programs, coaching high-performing teams, and building systems that accelerate growth and sustainability. She has trained and consulted for Google, national consulting firms, nonprofits, and SaaS companies, leveraging data and market research to help organizations translate insights into actionable growth strategies.
A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Danielle has delivered workshops and keynotes on equity, economic inclusion, and social impact strategy for audiences of hundreds, including a 400+ person session at LinkedIn HQ in New York City. She continues to champion workforce models that expand opportunity, unlock talent, and align with broader economic development goals.
Danielle’s work is grounded in a commitment to inclusive economic growth, equity-driven partnership building, and the belief that collaboration and connection are central to creating lasting impact.
Areas of Expertise
- - Workforce equity and economic mobility strategy
- Strategic corporate partnerships and philanthropic engagement
- Fundraising strategy and revenue growth
- Corporate social responsibility and inclusive leadership
- Sales systems design and high-performance coaching
- Public speaking, facilitation, and thought leadership
Adam Fishbein
Inclusive Workforce and Disability Policy
Adam is a nationally recognized expert in disability policy and advocacy. Based in Washington, D.C., he specializes in strategic policy development with a focus on workforce and economic systems that promote access, equity, and empowerment for people with disabilities, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities.
With a career spanning the federal government, philanthropy, and grassroots advocacy, Adam brings a unique blend of policy insight, operational leadership, and community-centered vision to every initiative.
At the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Adam provided policy expertise, managed team operations, supported senior leaders, and executed complex stakeholder events. He led technical assistance efforts for the ASPIRE and NEON initiatives, working with more than 20 states to integrate disability employment services into broader health and economic systems.
In the philanthropic sector, Adam worked at Borealis Philanthropy, where he streamlined processes across eight departments and supported multiple funds to make impactful grants to grassroots social justice organizations. He facilitated grants management, created an intranet for organizational resources, and improved administrative systems for two funds supporting more than 100 grantees.
Adam’s nonprofit leadership includes serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance, where he oversaw budget and personnel management and led board development efforts. He has also held roles with the National Center for Learning Disabilities, RespectAbility, the Senate Diversity Initiative, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, contributing to policy research, event planning, and community outreach.
He holds a Master of Public Administration and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Communications, Law, Economics, and Government from American University, along with a Certificate in Disability Advocacy from George Washington University. Adam’s work is grounded in a commitment to equity, strategic systems change, and elevating underrepresented voices through policy, funding, and organizational development.
Areas of Expertise
- - Inclusive workforce and disability policy strategy
- Strategic systems change and policy advocacy
- Philanthropic strategy and grants management
- Nonprofit operations and strategic planning
- Technical assistance and stakeholder engagement
- Program design and cross-sector collaboration
Megan Nestor
Working Family Supports
Megan helps organizations to make connections and find solutions that strengthen communities and improve outcomes for children and families. With a mix of experience in direct service, policy and data analysis, and community engagement, Megan enjoys using data and research in tandem with community voices to connect policy and practice across disciplines.
Megan began her career in youth-serving organizations, spending close to a decade working with nonprofits in New York City to combat systemic inequities facing historically underrepresented students. After receiving her master’s in public policy at the University of Michigan, Megan moved to Pittsburgh and began working at Fourth Economy, with a particular focus on the intersections among economic development, education, and child care. Megan served as the inaugural deputy director of Allegheny County’s Department of Children Initiatives until early 2023.
Areas of Expertise
- - Community Engagement
- Data Analysis and Visualization
- Health Equity
- Project Management
- Public Policy
- Strategic Planning
- Workforce Analysis in Emerging Industries
- Working Family Supports
Elaine Tso
Community Connections and Social Responsibility
Elaine is an attorney and community advocate with deep experience strengthening community connections and advancing social responsibility through health, legal, and civic systems. Her work centers on supporting underserved and immigrant communities and ensuring that people have the information, access, and support they need to participate fully in civic and economic life.
With more than 15 years of experience spanning community development, public health, and legal services, Elaine brings a practical, systems-level understanding of how policy, service delivery, and community trust intersect. She has worked extensively with communities navigating complex systems related to healthcare access, housing stability, employment, and civic participation.
As the leader of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Elaine oversaw federal compliance while also expanding services designed to address social determinants of health. She launched and led a Community and Civic Engagement initiative staffed by trusted community members who supported patients in accessing basic needs such as healthy food, housing, interpretation and translation services, employment assistance, and public benefits. Through this work, she helped build models that centered dignity, cultural awareness, and trust.
Elaine has also played a direct role in civic engagement, working alongside community members to support voter registration and education efforts that emphasized the importance of civic participation and informed decision-making. In parallel, she has provided direct legal services to individuals and families, participated in national impact litigation, and taught community-based classes to help people understand their rights and responsibilities under U.S. law.
Throughout her career, Elaine has built and sustained partnerships with philanthropic organizations, corporations, nonprofit providers, and public agencies. These collaborations have focused on amplifying community voices, aligning services across systems, and ensuring that strategies reflect the lived realities of the people they are intended to serve.
Elaine holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law, where she maintains an active license to practice law. She is also a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®) through the Institute for Diversity Certification.
Areas of Expertise
- - Community advocacy and civic engagement
- Community-based legal assistance
- Health equity and social determinants of health
- Culturally aware and language-accessible services
- Cross-sector partnerships and community trust-building
Dr. Mark Chupp
Community Engagement, Conflict Transformation, and Collective Wellbeing
Dr. Mark Chupp is a nationally respected community change leader, facilitator, and applied researcher who helps communities and organizations navigate deep divisions through inclusive engagement, conflict transformation, and relationship-centered practice. His work focuses on creating the conditions for trust, shared understanding, and durable collaboration, particularly in communities facing long-standing tension, trauma, or systemic inequities.
With more than 30 years of experience spanning community organizing, violence prevention, civic engagement, and applied social research, Mark brings a rare blend of academic rigor and real-world practice. He specializes in designing and leading engagement processes where difficult conversations can happen with dignity and where communities can move from fragmentation toward shared priorities and collective action.
Mark is an Associate Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and Founding Director of the Community Innovation Network. Across his career, he has worked alongside cities, neighborhoods, nonprofits, foundations, and public institutions to address complex challenges including gun violence, community safety, neighborhood revitalization, and social justice. His work consistently integrates participatory research, trauma-informed practice, and community wisdom to produce actionable outcomes rather than abstract plans.
In addition to his academic leadership, Mark has served in senior practitioner roles, including Executive Director of a violence intervention nonprofit, Director of the East Cleveland Partnership, and Program Manager for large-scale civic engagement initiatives. He has led and supported projects funded by organizations such as the Cleveland Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank, and multiple public agencies.
As an advisor to Fourth Economy, Mark supports projects that require skilled facilitation, conflict-aware engagement design, and strategies for rebuilding trust across difference. He brings particular strength in helping teams and communities move through disagreement toward alignment, without oversimplifying complexity or avoiding hard truths.
Areas of Expertise
- - Inclusive community engagement and facilitation
- Conflict transformation and relationship repair
- Trauma-informed and participatory research approaches
- Civic engagement and democratic participation
- Violence prevention and community safety strategies
- Network building and collective wellbeing
Melissa Jennings
Monitoring and Evaluation
Melissa Jennings is a monitoring and evaluation consultant who helps mission-driven organizations, local governments, and nonprofits bring clarity, accountability, and learning to complex initiatives. Her work focuses on designing practical evaluation frameworks that support decision-making, implementation, and long-term impact, rather than evaluation as a compliance exercise.
With more than 15 years of experience across evaluation, performance management, and organizational change, Melissa brings a steady, systems-oriented approach to measuring progress. She combines quantitative and qualitative methods with human-centered facilitation, helping teams define success, build shared understanding, and use data to adapt as conditions evolve. She is particularly skilled at moderating sensitive conversations in both English and Spanish, creating space for honest reflection and alignment among diverse stakeholders.
Melissa’s background in public health shapes her work in community development and economic mobility. She has supported initiatives responding to shifts in policy, technology, and social determinants of health, including housing stability, nutrition, and economic well-being. Her experience includes co-leading international research and evaluation efforts that demonstrated how access to resources and participation in civic and economic life contribute to improved outcomes for families and communities.
A core part of Melissa’s practice is helping organizations design and use theories of change as living tools that guide implementation. She has facilitated hundreds of hours of strategic planning and continuous improvement workshops, supporting teams in co-designing programs, aligning around priorities, and establishing clear pathways from strategy to action.
Prior to her consulting work, Melissa spent nearly a decade at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As Senior Strategy and Performance Advisor, she led strategic planning, evaluation, and performance management for a $200 million center. In this role, she reworked program design and evaluation protocols, increasing the adoption of effective key performance indicators from 5 percent to 60 percent within one year. Her experience working with senior leadership informs her ability to design evaluation systems that are both rigorous and usable.
As an advisor to Fourth Economy, Melissa supports projects that require thoughtful evaluation design, clear performance frameworks, and a strong connection between strategy, implementation, and learning.
Areas of Expertise
- - Monitoring and evaluation design
- Theory of change development
- Key performance indicator frameworks
- Implementation planning and continuous improvement
- Human-centered facilitation and consensus-building
Dr. Shauna Knox
Decolonial Education, Public Interest Technology, and AI Ethics
Dr. Shauna Knox is a scholar, strategist, and public interest technologist whose work focuses on the ethical design and deployment of education and technology systems affecting marginalized communities, particularly Black children and families. Her practice centers on ensuring that innovation, especially in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, expands opportunity rather than reproducing existing inequities.
As founder and CEO of The Emancipation Group, an innovation studio that combines research and development with digital product creation, Shauna leads work that advances authorship and ownership for Black children and families in the innovation economy. This includes the development of The Emancipation Game, a web-based learning platform that teaches higher-order mathematics through global Black history. Through this work, she brings a grounded perspective on how digital learning tools, AI, and educational technologies shape cognition, learning, and identity during early development.
Shauna also serves as Executive Entrepreneur in Residence for Public Interest Technology at Project Evident, where she works at the intersection of technology design, evidence generation, and social equity. In this role, she advises organizations on how to integrate emerging technologies responsibly while maintaining accountability to communities and outcomes. Her work as a philanthropic advisor similarly supports civic and social sector organizations navigating AI-driven transformation with an emphasis on governance, ethics, and public benefit.
Previously, Shauna served as Senior Vice President at the National Black Child Development Institute, where she led national efforts on equity in artificial intelligence within the social sector. She convened and guided cross-sector coalitions, including partnerships with the NAACP and the Schott Foundation for Public Education, to develop ethical frameworks for the use of generative and predictive AI in programs serving Black children and families. She continues to contribute to national and international conversations on evidence and technology, including participation in the Next Generation Evidence Roundtable and leadership within the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent.
Shauna’s scholarly work in curriculum studies and decolonial education includes two books published by Routledge, one of which received the AERA Division B Honorable Mention for Outstanding Book of the Year in 2022. Her research informs her ability to assess whether education and workforce programs challenge or reinforce power structures. Earlier in her career, Shauna spent a decade at the U.S. Department of Education, where she managed federal education policy portfolios focused on the effective use of technology, emphasizing teacher training, learning design, and digital literacy rather than technology acquisition alone.
As an advisor to Fourth Economy, Dr. Knox supports projects at the intersection of education, workforce development, technology, and equity, particularly where ethical AI deployment, systems change, and long-term public benefit are central considerations.
Areas of Expertise
- - Ethical AI and public interest technology
- Decolonial approaches to education and curriculum
- Education and workforce systems change
- Federal education policy and implementation
- Technology governance and digital learning strategy
- Philanthropic advising in the civic sector
Ambrose Reed
Graphic Design, Motion Graphics, and Visual Storytelling
Ambrose is a Designer and Artist specializing in graphic design, motion graphics, and visual storytelling. He collaborates with organizations and brands to create visuals that spark emotion, communicate meaning, and enhance audience engagement.
Ambrose has developed design and animation work for clients such as the NYU Bernstein Institute, the UN Environment Programme, and Aikido Technologies. His projects have ranged from brand identity and website design to large-scale event animations and social campaigns, blending creativity with technical precision. Earlier in his career, Ambrose served as Creative Design Services Lead at the Cambridge Innovation Center, where he established a global design system, launched multi-market campaigns, and produced the organization’s annual Global Impact Report.
He began his career in media production, directing live news broadcasts and producing original programming with Truman Media Network TV. These early experiences shaped his ability to combine narrative and design to reach audiences effectively.
Ambrose holds a BA in Art from Truman State University, where he was awarded Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Art.
Areas of Expertise
- - Graphic Design and Brand Development
- Motion Graphics and Animation
- Visual Storytelling and Illustration
- Cross-Functional Creative Collaboration
Thomas Brendler
Philanthropy, Institutional Strategy, and Community Investment
Thomas Brendler is a nonprofit leader and senior advisor with deep experience helping foundations, nonprofits, and academic institutions navigate growth, transition, and complex systems change. His work centers on strengthening organizational capacity, advancing equity-informed philanthropy, and supporting place-based strategies that align policy, investment, and community priorities.
With more than 15 years of experience in philanthropic advising and nonprofit leadership, Thomas brings a board- and executive-level perspective to organizational strategy, program design, and institutional change. Through his consulting work at Bernuth & Williamson, he has advised dozens of large nonprofits, foundations, partnerships, and professional associations during periods of growth and transition. His work has included strategic planning, organizational assessments, revenue model redesign, and the development of new programs across sectors including sustainability, global health, academia, and philanthropy.
Thomas recently concluded a five-year role as Senior Program Officer at the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, where he oversaw approximately $12 million in annual grantmaking and led the development of new strategic initiatives. During this time, he increased grantmaking to organizations led by and serving communities of color and helped revamp the Foundation’s organizational capacity-building program. He championed initiatives engaging historically marginalized communities, including Newport’s Center for Black History, safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ seniors, programs supporting multilingual learners and their families, and new clinics expanding BIPOC residents’ access to behavioral health services.
In this role, Thomas worked extensively with state agencies, legislators, municipalities, and nonprofit coalitions to advance collaborative projects and policy initiatives. Climate resilience and adaptation were a central focus of his work, including initiatives related to inter-municipal collaboration, active transportation, watershed protection and restoration, coastal resilience, and equity-informed planning and zoning. He also served as a liaison to the Boston Federal Reserve’s Working Cities Challenge and led efforts to strengthen BIPOC-owned businesses.
Earlier in his career, Thomas held leadership roles in nonprofit organizations focused on social justice, community development, and sustainability. His work has spanned topics such as green-collar jobs and rural microenterprise, securing the first professional accreditation for an HBCU forestry program, and co-facilitating a global coalition of farmers, community leaders, and Indigenous groups that helped shape United Nations negotiations on sustainable development. Among his proudest achievements is designing and securing multi-million-dollar federal funding for a national network of community-based research centers.
Thomas has been a guest lecturer at Brown University and Bryant University. He is the author of two books and has written for Providence Business News, McSweeney’s, Open Letters Monthly, and Grist. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a Master’s in Forestry from Yale University. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his family.
Areas of Expertise
- - Philanthropic strategy and institutional grantmaking
- Organizational capacity building and nonprofit governance
- Equity-informed community investment
- Climate resilience and place-based collaboration
- Cross-sector partnerships and systems change
- Policy-aligned program design and implementation
Yvonne Santos
Art Direction, Branding, and Bilingual Creative Leadership
Yvonne Santos is an accomplished Art Director and the founder of Three Heads Marketing Group, a boutique branding agency based in Miami. With extensive experience leading creative initiatives from inception through execution, she has managed high-impact projects for multi-million-dollar Fortune 500 brands, delivering strategic, design driven solutions that align with business goals.
Her expertise spans brand identity, website design, digital experiences, social media design and management, collateral creation, in store and environmental branding, and promotional assets. As a creative project manager, Yvonne excels at overseeing multiple concurrent projects consistently delivering work on scope, on budget, and to exacting standards.
At the core of Yvonne’s work is brand strategy and visual identity development. She builds brands from the ground up defining tone, typography, visual language, and storytelling frameworks that ensure consistency across every touchpoint. Her expertise spans brand identity systems, collateral design, in-store and environmental branding, promotional assets, and client facing experiences, all executed with precision and intention.
Extending these brand systems into both digital and physical environments, Yvonne directs the translation of brand identity across websites, social platforms, large-scale events, experiential environments, and custom installations. Each execution is conceived as a natural extension of the brand ensuring seamless alignment between digital presence, physical experience, and brand narrative.
As a dynamic leader and collaborator, Yvonne is recognized for her meticulous attention to detail, high level of accuracy, and ability to perform creatively under pressure. She leads by example, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.
Areas of Expertise
- - Brand Development & Strategy
- Visual Identity & Typography
- Website Design & Digital Brand Experiences
- Social Media Design & Brand Management
- Art Direction & Creative Leadership
- Experiential Brand Activations & Installations