Deborah Barge is a leader of philanthropic culture and partnership at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America serving as Chief Development Officer in service to the largest JEDI-focused youth mentoring program in the nation. Over the past 20+ years, Deborah has led teams and partnerships that have generated more than $1 billion to the causes and missions she has served. As a BIPOC female in the industry, Deborah brings an authentic perspective to our work to solve the worlds most complex problems through our mission-based endeavors. She is a #FearlessFundraiser favorite and six-time Raise speaker alum.

As CEO of Civic Champs, Geng leads a team of passionate change leaders to deliver the most intuitive and impactful volunteer management software for nonprofits and their champions. Prior to Civic Champs, Geng co-founded and sold two companies, RentJungle.com (an apartment search engine), and Community Elf (a social media management firm). Geng is also a former McKinsey & Company consultant and is a graduate of Michigan State University and Harvard Business School.

Sabrina, a consultant and coach, excels in empowering mission-driven businesses, associations, and nonprofits, catalyzing revenue growth through impactful relationships. Utilizing the B.U.I.L.D. framework, she specializes in strategic planning, leadership development, board education, and resource optimization, consistently achieving a remarkable 30% revenue increase.

With over 25 years of experience, Sabrina offers dynamic keynote presentations on Transformational Leadership, Effective Communication, and more, delivering actionable strategies for organizational success. As a bestselling author and certified Harvard Business School Nonprofit Management professional, she has a proven track record, including elevating operational revenue from $750K to $2.5M and completing a $12M capital campaign in the third poorest county in the United States. Sabrina’s workshops have benefited countless nonprofit and business professionals, reflecting her commitment to driving positive change and excellence.

Mike Wilkinson is currently the Deputy Director of Events at the Human Rights Campaign where he works with a team of event fundraising professionals to produce 30 signature fundraising dinners nationwide. He previously worked for health-related non-profit organizations including the National Kidney Foundation and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Mike has worked extensively on creating innovations for on-site fundraising, ticket sales and registration, live and silent auctions and on-stage appeals. Mike and his colleagues at HRC have perfected the live appeal as well as overall event design to maximize the attendee experience in a way that drives revenue results. When he’s not traveling the country for events, Mike is a fitness enthusiast that teaches five workout classes per week.

Named as a top thought leader and one to follow by Forbes and LinkedIn for Nonprofits, and one of the 30 Nonprofit IT Influencers to Follow in 2023, Julia Campbell is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to designing social media and storytelling strategies that help nonprofits share their mission across the digital landscape. An international keynote speaker and host of the acclaimed Nonprofit Nation podcast, she’s written two books for nonprofits on social media and storytelling, and her online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking.

Derria L. Ford, MBA. Ed. D, is the Chief Advancement Officer for Martha O’Bryan Center, an anti-poverty community-based organization. She has over 16 years of nonprofit experience. Her expertise spans program expansion, grant administration, executive leadership, and fund development. Derria’s career has been marked by her exceptional ability to lead and motivate teams, her strategic thinking skills, and her ability to build relationships with organizational stakeholders.

Derria’s previous position was at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, where she served as the Deputy Director of Development and Community Engagement. Over the past five years, she has made significant strides in increasing revenue, boosting individual giving, diversifying grants, establishing a signature fundraising event, and simplifying complex legal concepts to benefit vulnerable communities through educational documents, videos, and media. In addition to her professional achievements, Derria holds a Doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University, where she specialized in Leadership and Professional Practice, as well as a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University.

Beyond her impressive professional and academic accomplishments, Derria is a dynamic individual who loves sharing stories about her vibrant eight-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. With her extensive experience and passion for positive change, Derria Ford is a purpose-driven leader that believes deeply in the power of nonprofits.

T. Clay Buck, CFRE, is the Founder & Principal of TCB Fundraising, an individual giving and communications consultancy that focuses on strategy, systems, and storytelling. Clay (the “T” is silent) has been in leadership fundraising roles at nonprofits across the country and has served as a senior consultant at prominent, international fundraising consulting firm. He teaches fundraising and strategic planning at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is the co-host of the #1 ranked fundraising podcast, Fundraising Is Funny. He and his family make their home in Las Vegas, NV, with two poorly trained golden retrievers who are experts in the ask at dinner time.

Mariana is enthusiastic about education and has a rich background in empowering others to make a positive impact. She started her journey in philanthropy more than ten years ago at Puget Sound region nonprofits by leading a board development committee and serving as auction and annual fund chair. Eager to work with a development team that would truly honor donors and find the best ways to align their passions and philanthropic priorities with the school’s strategic plan, in 2019 she joined The Bear Creek School’s Office of Philanthropy and Community Engagement. At Bear Creek, she creates meaningful opportunities for families to connect with and invest in the school’s mission.

Previously, Mariana founded and led a successful strategic marketing consulting company, working with corporations like PepsiCo, Adidas, Bayer, Quaker, and Unilever to drive social responsibility and innovation.

Mariana’s passion for philanthropy and inspiring others has left a lasting impact. She and her family share a deep sense of gratitude and joy, and they believe that giving back is the best way to help transform lives.