PROPEL PHILANTHROPY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Philanthropy at Synergos
Born into a working-class immigrant family from India, Ajay quickly internalized a sentiment that would dictate both his personal and professional lives for decades: the real privilege in life is the privilege of service. Growing up in a diverse and disparate environment in the outskirts of London, Ajay realized that true fulfillment wasn't found in material things but through community and a spirit of serving others. Ajay's deep spiritual calling led him to become a monk in his late teens, where he spent almost a decade in service, spiritual practice, and deep reflection on how to realize a healthy, equal, and just society. He transitioned out of monastic life to apply his commitment to service and belief in the power of catalyzing change agents to lead a number of mission-driven organizations at the forefront of consciousness and social change. Ajay is committed to challenging the status quo and is deeply driven by the simple, yet impactful concept that uplifting the world is dependent on uplifting human consciousness.
Aude Anquetil works at WINGS, a global network of philanthropy support organizations focused on enabling philanthropy to achieve its highest potential as a catalyst transformative social change. Aude has been involved in strengthening capacity in the philanthropic field since 2008, working with nonprofits, social enterprises, high capacity donors and foundations in Europe, the United States and the Global South.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Programs
- Vice President of Programs & Climate Solutions Director at Confluence Philanthropy
Jason K. Babbie is the Vice President of Programs & Climate Solutions Director at Confluence Philanthropy, where he serves on the Management Team, provides strategic guidance on all programming, and leads the Climate Solutions Collaborative. Prior to Confluence, Jason worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he led strategic program integration and new project development, created metrics to meet strategic goals, and oversaw processes to embed equity into programming. Jason also designed and managed environmental giving strategies for Bloomberg Philanthropies, served as the Membership Services Program Director at the Environmental Grantmakers Association, and directed a variety of successful environmental issue campaigns in New York State. He is currently a member of the Advisory Council of The Ocean Foundation.
Jason holds a MA in Environmental Policy from Brown University and BS in Environmental Studies from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry/Syracuse University.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Chair of the Board, NEID Global
For over 20 years, Karen and Jim Ansara have been making grants to end global poverty (primarily in Haiti) and to build resilient health care facilities in the developing world. In late 2008 Karen launched and continues to serve as Board Chair of the Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global), a network of 180 philanthropists and grantmakers learning how to help fund lasting solutions to global problems. In 2010 Karen cofounded the Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation, now the Haiti Development Institute (HDI). In addition to HDI and NEID Global, Karen serves on the boards of Build Health International, Groundswell International, MCE Social Capital, and the Millennium Campus Network. A member of the Leadership Council for Oxfam America since 2003, Karen is a graduate of Wellesley College (Political Science) and Andover Newton Theological School (MDiv).
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer
- TPW 's Chief Marketing Officer
Maggie Neilson is TPW's Chief Marketing Officer. She joined TPW in December 2021, advising on marketing and communications. Prior to joining TPW, she co-founded and was CEO of Global Philanthropy Group, where she developed and implemented philanthropic strategies for high net worth individuals, celebrities and companies. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington and her Masters in Business Administration from Columbia University.
Peter Brach is a passionate advocate for providing people, organizations, communities, and social impact ecosystems with the capacity support needed to achieve new levels of change. He founded Propel Philanthropy in January, 2022, has served as a trustee and grantee for a private family foundation since 2014, and has managed the Funders 2025 Fund since 2019. He currently offers guidance to some of the 35-plus infrastructure organizations within Propel Philanthropy's network. In particular, Peter provided consultative support to the SDG Philanthropy Platform, and the Worldwide Initiative of Grantmaker Support (WINGS). Peter seeks to find a balance between serving to advance philanthropy (the love of humankind), his spiritual practices, finding time to enrich himself artistically, and enjoying life.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Millennium Campus Network
Sam Vaghar (he/him) is a social entrepreneur committed to helping young people use their voices and power to make a difference. With 15 years of impact co-founding and leading Millennium Campus Network (MCN), Sam has helped launch the Millennium Fellowship: a student movement for the UN Sustainable Development Goals at 200 campuses worldwide. Sam has given talks at over 100 institutions worldwide, including at Harvard University, MIT, the White House, the United Nations, the Vatican, and on speaking tours across four nations for the U.S. Department of State. Sam earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Brandeis University and a Master in Public Administration (MPA) Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. See more at https://mcnpartners.org/sam-vaghar.
Job Titles:
- CEO at Women Moving Millions
As CEO of Women Moving Millions, Sarah is responsible for building strategy and scale for greater impact in gender equality. For over two decades, Sarah has been building, guiding, and leading non-profit organizations in Boston, D.C., and New York dedicated to expanding civil rights, promoting civic education, reforming the criminal justice system, and ending sexual violence. Previously, Sarah served as Managing Director of the Joyful Heart Foundation, where she led the campaign to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits in the U.S. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and holds a Masters in Positive Organizational Development from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Sarah serves on the board of Hive Gender Climate Justice Fund and cochairs the Impact Finance Center's National Women's Impact Investing Landscape Scan Steering Committee.
Job Titles:
- Communications, Partnerships & Membership Manager at Alliance Magazine
At Alliance magazine, I work with philanthropic partners around the world to share insights, best practice and developments from their respective regions, networks, and events. I also collaborate with Alliance magazine members, who are a community of dedicated readers that help shape our editorial outputs, online and in print, so we can keep challenging the field to serve with maximum impact. In addition, I work the Alliance editors to publish content from our flagship quarterly magazine and premium platforms on our digital channels to reach readers worldwide.