President | Bryan Neider, CEO, Abilitypath

Bryan Neider, CEO, joined AbilityPath (formerly Gatepath) after serving on the Board of Directors for nearly 15 years.  As a Board Member, Bryan served as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair and became a strong advocate for AbilityPath’s Employment Services. Prior to joining AbilityPath, Bryan was a Senior Vice President within Electronic Arts’ (EA) Global Publishing and Marketing organization.  Bryan spent over 25 years with EA and oversaw initiatives aimed at improving operating efficiency, product quality, business innovation and overall business performance.  During his tenure at EA he served in a number of different roles, including managing EA’s global business development efforts, managing EA Partners, corporate finance, CFO and COO for EA.com, CFO of Worldwide Studios, COO for EA’s global development organization and most recently as head of EA’s Global Operations team.

Vice President | Irma Zoepf, Founder, theZbridge

Irma is a strategic and collaborative bilingual leader committed to diversity and inclusion in both the workplace and the community. She is results-oriented and has proven success in developing an engaged culture in organizations and leading human resources. Irma reinvents, develops, and implements systems and processes that align with an organization’s goals, its people, and its values to ultimately achieve better results, greater productivity, and a more engaged workforce.

Irma’s blend of experience from engineering, HR, and Diversity and Inclusion – and having worked in both the Americas and Europe – enables her to bring a unique skill set and perspective to her client work. Her operations experience, including Lean and Six Sigma certifications, informs her organizational development work especially in analytics, process design, and improvement to design and deliver strategies that organically blend systems and people to reach goals in diverse, inclusive, and engaged environments.

Irma has a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from University of Sonora, Mexico, and an MBA focused on Business Strategy from Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain. She is certified as a Diversity Executive (CDE) by the Institute of Diversity Certification. Irma also serves as a board member at Upward Scholars, a foundation that empowers low-income adults to prosper through continuing education.

Secretary | Paitra Houts, Director of Community Engaged Learning - Education, Stanford University

Paitra began her tenure at Stanford University in January of 2014 where she supports faculty and community partners to work together to address societal needs. In her role she works with the Haas Center for Public Service and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education to support Cardinal Service - a bold, university-wide initiative to elevate and expand service as a distinctive feature of a Stanford education. Paitra has been actively involved in education equity for the past decade. Prior to starting her work at Stanford, she served the youth in our community at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, as a School Site Director and more recently as the Director of Partnerships and Volunteer Services. Through these roles she supported volunteers and partners to make an impact on the lives of our local youth, helping build connections and opportunities. Paitra received her Master's in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from Stanford's Graduate School of Education at Stanford in 2008 and her Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Planning Public Policies and Management from the University of Oregon.

Treasurer | Rolland Janairo, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Urban Debate League

Rolland currently leads a team of staff including a Development and Communications Manager, four Head Coaches who work closely with teachers and administrators at school sites, an Administrative and Operations Manager, Marketing/Communications Specialist, Interns, and Volunteers. While attending and after graduating from Brown University, Rolland volunteered and taught at a preschool in Providence, Rhode Island. He later earned his Masters Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During his time in Boston, Rolland was the Associate Director of Teacher Development at Jumpstart for Young Children, as well as the Director of Playmaker Operations at Life is Good Playmakers. Most recently, Rolland served as the Chief Operating Officer at World Savvy.

Margi Power, Co-Founder and Co-President of Leadership Council San Mateo County

Margi is the Co-Founder and Co-President of Leadership Council San Mateo County and has a passion for leadership development, strategic planning, and connecting a diverse group of people. After graduating from Bowdoin College, Margi taught in the charter corps of Teach For America, which sparked a lifelong passion for public education reform. After obtaining a Master’s in Educational Policy from Stanford University, Margi worked in education software development and later served as a nonprofit leader for several local organizations while raising her two daughters. She was elected to the school board in Hillsborough for two terms, serving a total of nine years, and served as the Executive Director of Leadership San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, and Hillsborough for four years. During her tenure, she worked with the Advisory Board, the Curriculum Committee and her colleague, Kaarin Hardy, to raise funds for program expansion, improve the overall curriculum, and increase demand for the program. Margi enjoys the outdoors, travel, and spending time with her family.

Cari pang chen, community builder

Cari is a local community builder and creative problem-solver who has worked with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations throughout the Bay Area. She has served in a variety of leadership roles throughout San Mateo County, including serving as the first Executive Director of Thrive - The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County and most recently as Associate Director of Rebuilding Together Peninsula for nearly 12 years.  She serves on the Koshland Committee for the San Francisco Foundation, volunteers for Samaritan House, serves as President of the Sterling Downs Neighborhood Association in Belmont, and is the Junior Warden for St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Redwood City. Cari lives in Belmont with her husband, two teenagers, and dog. She has a BA in Urban Studies - Community Organizations and MA in Education - Policy Analysis & Evaluation from Stanford University.

Georgia D. Farooq, Executive DirectoR, THRIVE ALLIANCE

Georgia is a passionate nonprofit executive with experience leading bold change throughout all life cycles of an organization. She has served as Executive Director of Thrive Alliance since 2016, where she leads a cross-sector network of nonprofit, public sector, and private sector leaders working together to strengthen the San Mateo County and the broader region. Her previous roles include CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside, Director of Education & Training and Senior Consultant for the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership, and Director of the Center for Nonprofit Management at Stonehill College. She began her career in nonprofits working in development and grantmaking at the Newton Schools Foundation.

Georgia serves as a board member for the Palo Alto Community Fund and as a founding board member for Leadership Council San Mateo County. She is on the Advisory Council for AbilityPath, an advisor for the SF Urban Film Festival, and a graduate of Leadership San Mateo. Georgia is an American Leadership Forum (ALF) Senior Fellow and a graduate of ALF Class XLI.

Back East, Georgia was a founding board member for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, a trustee for the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation, and a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton. Georgia has her M.B.A. from Boston University and a B.A. from Wellesley College. She lives in Redwood City with her husband Armaghan and their son Keyaan.
Contact Georgia Farooq

Ana Miscolta, Director of Community Resilience, THRIVE ALLIANCE

As the leader of the San Mateo County COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster), Ana’s work is driven by a whole-picture perspective of community resilience that converges hazard mitigation and climate adaptation, safe and affordable housing for all, and holistic community health.

A Hazards Geographer by training, she spent several years in the nonprofit sector as a hazards researcher and policy analyst, working directly with hazard-impacted communities. She later worked for Cal OES in their mitigation planning division and has most recently worked for the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability where she managed and supported multiple long-term climate resilience planning efforts.
Contact Ana Miscolta

Yajaira Ortega, Senior Manager, Policy and equity, Thrive ALLIANCE

Yajaira is passionate about bringing innovative social change to her community. In the last couple years she received her bachelor's degree and completed a year in the Coro Fellow Program in Public Affairs, a full-time, graduate-level, experiential leadership program focused on building effective leadership through 6-week consulting projects in government, nonprofit, labor, and business. She is excited about the opportunity of continuing her growth and development with Thrive. Yajaira works on Civic Engagement & Redistricting Initiatives for communities of the Peninsula. Contact Yajaira Ortega

Nicole nash, Programs and Operations Manager, THRIVE ALLIANCE

Nicole Nash is a seasoned nonprofit administrative professional with nearly three decades of experience in operations, finance, events planning, project management, development, and communications. She has worked for a wide variety of mission-driven organizations, including in the areas of education, human services, health insurance, and philanthropy.  Prior to coming to Thrive, Nicole served on the national operations team at Arabella Advisors.  Her previous employers include Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Duke University, and Catholic Charities.  Nicole has also served on and supported several nonprofit boards.

A native of Iowa and with work experience in Washington, DC and Chicago, Nicole recently relocated from the Research Triangle area of North Carolina with her husband, two children, and adorable lemon beagle, and she is eager to contribute to a vibrant, thriving nonprofit sector in the Bay Area!
Contact Nicole Nash

Brenda Ortega, Marketing Associate, Thrive ALLIANCE

Brenda graduated from San José State University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing, where she gained valuable insights into the role of analytics and social media in marketing. She has experience in social media marketing, content creation, and website design. Brenda is passionate about marketing and its potential to help organizations achieve their goals.
Contact Brenda Ortega

Cindy Barker, Community Resilience Specialist, THRIVE ALLIANCE

As a Bay Area native, Cindy is committed to uplifting local nonprofits and enhancing community resilience in San Mateo County. With extensive experience volunteering and consulting nonprofits across various sectors, Cindy has developed skills in fundraising, brand development, and strategic planning. She is excited to contribute to the COAD's goals of fostering a resilient and supportive community. Cindy graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Masters in Nonprofit Administration as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Education. As a Division I student-athlete in rowing, Cindy leverages her team player and can-do mentality at Thrive.  Contact Cindy Barker

Peyton Karp, Intern, THRIVE ALLIANCE

Peyton is an incoming senior at the University of Colorado Boulder majoring in Strategic Communications with a focus in Advertising and minoring in both Sports Media and Business. She is excited to have the opportunity to gain experience in the business and philanthropic worlds this summer while working with Thrive. Contact Peyton Karp

JOhn Harrington, AmeriCorps VISTA, THRIVE ALLIANCE

John graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in History in May 2023 and has since pursued an interest in nonprofit and education work as a Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA. Born and raised in Boston, MA, John recently relocated to the Bay Area to serve with Thrive Alliance and Stanford University’s Haas Center for Public Service. He has honed a lifetime passion for social impact and education, having worked for several years as a swim instructor and classroom aid before pivoting to higher education in his most recent role as an Equitable Recruitment and Operations VISTA with College for Social Innovation in Boston. He believes strongly in the transformative nature of our education systems and its capacity to facilitate meaningful change and enact social justice. He looks forward to immersing himself in the communities of San Mateo County and to support Thrive's mission and efforts. Contact John Harrington