COMMONGROUP.ORG - Key Persons
Ayan (she/her) is a purpose-driven global business and brand strategist. With expertise in social impact marketing and strategic communications, she drives positive change. Formerly at BCG BrightHouse, Ayan collaborated across industries, embedding purpose-centered strategies for people, profit, and the planet. Holding a B.A. in Psychology and a dual-degree global MBA from Georgia State University and Paris-Sorbonne University, she brings a diverse skill set. In her leisure time, Ayan enjoys culinary delights, yoga, poetry, and herbalism while serving on the board of Prospect New Orleans, a contemporary art triennial.
Bruce (he/him) manages platforms and tools, carries out accounting and financing processes, and provides administrative support to project teams at Common Group. With a background in administration, Bruce is a serial multitasker with a keen ability to identify the problems at hand, and efficiently find their solutions. Driving operational support at Common Group fuels Bruce's passion for helping others. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Kentucky where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Communications. In his spare time, Bruce loves to spend time with his fiancée and kitten, run up and down the basketball court, and enjoy the weather during a long game of golf.
Cristal (she/her) develops and executes strategies for grant challenges, drives Constituent Voice as a process and outcome of grantmaking, and supports organizational values initiatives at Common Group. With backgrounds in user research, strategy development, and project management, she brings a stakeholder-focused grantmaking approach that centers the needs of constituents as a key lever for outsized impact. She's a strong advocate for historically underserved communities, often drawing inspiration from her own experience navigating education systems as a daughter of immigrants. In her free time, Cristal enjoys playing board games with loved ones and going on walks with her goldendoodle, Suki.
Danielle (she/her) is an advisor with a passion for advancing outcomes at the intersection of education, human capital, and workforce. With a BA in Psychology and a MBA focused on social impact, she enjoys creating people-centered strategies for clients that drive sustainable solutions towards educational equity and economic mobility. Prior to her life in education and impact consulting, Danielle built and led corporate talent-focused people strategy programs. She is an advocate for the educational and workforce inclusion of neurodiverse individuals, actively supporting nonprofits in the Chicagoland area with this focus. In her free time, Danielle practices yoga and cooking, and enjoys exploring Chicago's food scene.
Dipika (she/her) leads fund management projects, bridging equity and efficiency in workforce development. As a product of public education and a private sector career, she navigates the dynamic between people and systems, prioritizing learner mobility for improved economic outcomes. With a BA in public policy and French, and an MA in public administration, her global perspective motivates her to drive local solutions that serve diverse communities at scale. After hours, you can find her at a dance class, devouring her Goodreads list, crafting pies, and offering insights on reality TV. Dipika is based in Silver Spring, MD where she shares her home with her husband and 50+ houseplants.
George is the CEO and founder of Common Group, a social impact consulting firm focused on education and economic opportunity. Prior to launching Common Group in 2020, George spent 7 years as a management consultant working to transform talent practices in the private and public sectors, before turning his energies to his true north, creating more equal access to opportunity. After leading the Media Studio at Harvard Innovation Lab, George joined Entangled Solutions, a San Francisco-based strategy and innovation consulting firm, where he led innovation funds and funder collaboratives. George launched Common Group as a platform for shared action and innovation in social investing.
Jaz (she, her) leads Equity-Centered Design and Innovation Strategy projects at Common Group. An industrial designer by trade, she specifically spearheads user research and business design projects for clients both large and small. With an MPH and MBA, she is the founding CEO of Wish for WASH, the Founder of the ESG-rooted freelance firm (the Hybrid Hype) and Co-Founder of the Anchor School in Atlanta. Additionally, she serves as both a design and health educator via organizations like IDEO and Georgia Tech. Ultimately, Jaz works to dismantle barriers for those structurally excluded. Beyond work, she's an avid supporter of the arts, proud dog mom, and enthusiastic travel adventurer.
Jennifer (she/her) is a workforce development and social impact leader with 15+ years of experience building and scaling global talent and philanthropy programs and partnerships focused on pathways to economic prosperity for individuals from under-served communities. She excels in balancing strategy and implementation, with keen attention to maximizing both business outcomes and community impact. An expert cross-sector relationship builder and people leader, Jennifer fosters diverse team and partner collaboration to launch and scale award-winning programs.
In her role as Program Director, Kelly Anguiano leads workforce development and social impact projects, with a focus on improving learner outcomes and implementing systemic changes. With 15 years of expertise in higher education, Kelly has been at the forefront of national initiatives, leading in areas such as developmental education reform, online learning, and workforce development. Kelly's educational journey as a first-generation student forms the foundation of her approach, where she prioritizes justice and equity principles and integrates universal design for learning into her practice. She holds an M.A. in Adult Education and a B.A. in Child and Family Studies. Outside of her professional pursuits, you'll frequently find Kelly engrossed in books, cycling, swimming, or making art.
Kim (she/her) supports the team by promoting operational efficiency in HR, accounting, and legal functions. Kim gained experience in administration and logistics while working with international aid organizations in Cambodia, Rwanda, Congo, and Myanmar, on both emergency relief and long-term development projects, and brings this experience to bear in her work at Common Group. Part of what drives her work is a desire to support programs that recognize inequity in resources and look towards community collaboration for change. To balance her work with life, Kim travels, identifies flowers, and will never get tired of being a tourist in the beautiful city of San Francisco.
Lauren (she/her) leads Common Group's learning culture strategy and organization design efforts. With a background spanning startups to the Fortune 500, San Francisco to Berlin, Germany, Lauren partners with employers to foster equitable and human-centric workplaces. As a first-generation student, Lauren is passionate about breaking down opaque systems that stymie advancement and building up equity-centered approaches. A former Fulbright fellow, Lauren holds degrees in writing and organization development from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of San Francisco. She spends her free time running, Brazilian partner dancing, and indulging in pizza. She's based in Washington, DC.
Lisa (she/her) is an independent business and organizational designer, user experience designer, and writer. With 15 years of education-to-employment expertise, she earned her Master of Design from California College of the Arts, her Master of Business Administration from UC Berkeley, and her bachelor's degrees in finance and journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. Lisa's professional experience includes financial administration at The University of Texas System, strategy at the University of California Office of the President, grantmaking at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, human-centered design at IDEO, and direct client work for various dynamic organizations.
Lisa (she/her) drives transformative change as a dynamic leader of grant challenges, communication, and community activation initiatives. Lisa brings over a decade of experience in K-12 leadership and hyper-growth start-ups, working to advance educational equity and economic mobility across public and private sectors. Holding a Master's in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, Lisa brings an assets-based approach to her work as an educator, well-being expert, and social impact strategist. She is based in Denver, CO, and rejuvenates through invigorating Peloton workouts, friendly tennis competitions, and captivating books.
Megan (she/her) manages community initiatives and supports grant challenges at Common Group. With over a decade of comprehensive experience in K-12 and adult education at the classroom, school, and district level, Megan has served as a Spanish teacher, instructional coach, program coordinator, and dual language consultant. Megan continues to be an advocate of bilingual education for language learners, and promotes inclusive education experiences for students of all ages through her work with Common Group. Megan lives in the Washington D.C. area, and in her free time can be found cooking (and eating) delicious food, making music, and planning her next adventure.
Michelle (she/her) delivers strategy, research, design, and data analysis for grant programs and economic mobility initiatives. Michelle's background spans finance, technology and startups, educational technology, nonprofit management, and management consulting. She advocates for the agency of learners to achieve economic mobility and personal fulfillment. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and is actively involved in its alumni association. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, film photography, board games, singing, and listening to live music.
Morgan (she/her) leads analysis of grantee metrics and drives innovative organizational processes at Common Group. Through her role in the Catalyze Challenge, she advocates for career-connected learning and transforming the perception of education and economic mobility. Leveraging her own lived experiences, Morgan's passion lies in empowering others from diverse backgrounds, which fueled her extensive involvement with nonprofits, volunteer initiatives, and an unwavering commitment to disability advocacy. Outside of work, she builds on her college varsity-level field hockey career by coaching local young players.
Naomi (she/her) supports user research iniatives and spearheads brand development within Common Group. Her lived experience navigating diverse credential programs equips her with unique insights into the challenges faced by adult learners. As a result, Naomi approaches her work with a human-centric mindset developing solutions that make a meaningful difference for disadvantaged groups. With expertise in IT and project management, she attained the Google IT Support Professional certification and contributes to teams as a certified Scrum Master. In her free time, Naomi cherishes moments with her daughter and remains committed to transforming the professional landscape for women of color.
Noette brings more than a decade of administrative leadership and project management experience to the team. She has supported executives at organizations like KIPP, Morgan Stanley, and Stamos Double Partners. Outside the office, Noette volunteers and advocates for impoverished communities within her New York county and beyond. She has studied at Stony Brook University and Penn State World Campus. In her downtime, Noette enjoys reading a good whodunnit and baking cookies.
Peter (he/him) collaborates with partners to build, systematize, and manage overall grant approaches for Common Group. Drawing from experiences with Hillary Clinton for Iowa, CVS Pharmacy, and the NBA, Peter leverages both public and private sector approaches to drive meaningful impact. Holding a BA in Politics from Cornell College and an MBA in International Business and Marketing from Roosevelt University, Peter promotes lasting impact by developing strategies and initiatives that often center folks whose voices have been historically underserved or muted. Beyond work, Peter enjoys basketball, Pilates, board games, and a warm cup of ginger tea by the ocean.
Rachel (she/her) leads and partners with project teams to drive impact at Common Group. In its first two years, she led the Catalyze Challenge integrating her favorite activities: nurturing talent, spearheading visionary communities, and sourcing innovative solutions to address educational access and economic mobility. With over 20 years of experience, Rachel has held leadership roles at Penn Foster, Pearson, The Princeton Review, and Pri-Med. Rachel is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. When not thinking about how to expand economic opportunity, Rachel can be found hiking, skiing, playing tennis and spending time with her family.
Sarah (she/her) fosters a caring culture through a human-centered design approach. With experience in project management, administration, and event coordination, she supports internal business initiatives. Sarah holds a bachelor's degree and a Master of Science in Business, constantly seeking knowledge to improve internal processes. As a young, black, female professional and working mother, she intimately understands the challenges of education and economic inequality that Common Group aims to solve. In her free time, she explores creative pursuits and cherishes moments with her growing daughters.
Sophia (she/her) consults on grant strategy and forges partnerships for expanding economic mobility at Common Group. From informing UN litigation practice in Iraq, researching labor exploitation for Stanford's King Center on Global Development, to reporting for Jordanian non-profit Collateral Repair Project, Sophia leverages her experiences to inform her social impact drive. At Common Group, she utilizes her research, communication, and design background to support clients and teammates. Sophia graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Psychology and a Minor in Human Rights. Outside work, Sophia enjoys surfing, refining her Arabic skills, and creating custom embroidered hoodies.
Tara (she/her) leads equity-centered strategy, user research and prototyping at Common Group. She brings 15+ years of experience amplifying the impact of social causes in nonprofits and start-ups, including increasing adoption of clean energy products via mobile payments in rural India. Her commitment to equity emerged as an activist and educator, shaping her career focused on social justice. Leveraging her MBA from Oxford and background in Economics, Tara employs a data-driven approach to develop strategies for economic and education opportunities for all. Beyond work, Tara teaches people how to play and sing their favorite songs on guitar and goes on food crawls with loved ones.
Tony (he/him) oversees special projects, streamlines strategic initiatives & advises teams at Common Group. With a diverse background serving organizations across five continents-including the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Department of State, & Morgridge Family Foundation-he continues to practice a collaborative approach to leadership.Tony is pursuing a Master's in Social Innovation at the University of Cambridge, where his research on stigma toward LGBTQ+ people draws from his own lived experiences. He empowers proximate voices to drive any problem-solving conversation. Outside the office, find Tony at an art gallery or out of breath while jogging the streets of Washington, DC.