A New Vision for Philanthropy
EMA is establishing a new paradigm to transform the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, prioritizing the wellbeing of the staff and leadership within nonprofits and those they serve, creating pathways for emerging youth leaders, cultivating an impact network of organizations with shared purpose, and leveraging storytelling and education to make lasting social change towards equity and belonging.
We see an unprecedented opportunity to break free from limiting scarcity mindsets and to lead with innovative philanthropic approaches that prioritize sustainability, collaboration, and systemic change.
Our Impact
$5M dispersed
to date (since 2001)
100+ coaching hours provided to leadership partnership organizations since 2024
Long story, short.
In 2001, Connie Adler inherited an extraordinary opportunity that she never anticipated. Her father, Eugene M. Adler, had established a family foundation in his name in 1959, but ironically never revealed its existence to his family. In a pivotal conversation with her estate attorney after her mother’s passing, Connie recognized that she could create a new kind of foundation to drive meaningful change. She decided to put half of her inheritance into the fund and changed its name to EMA Foundation to de-center family identity and mark a new direction.
Connie's decision to redistribute her inheritance through EMA Foundation was rooted in her values but also in her own formative experiences working in the nonprofit sector that shaped her understanding of the nonprofit landscape. She knew firsthand how burdensome philanthropic funding processes could be for small organizations. Though the term “trust-based philanthropy” did not yet exist, Connie forged an approach built around the idea of developing relationships with partners and then shifting power and resources so the partners could focus on their mission rather than tending to funders. Over the next 15 years, EMA continued to provide grants to organizations championing equity. Unrestricted grants coupled with trust-based reporting methods became EMA's hallmark.
In 2018, a new chapter began for EMA Foundation as Bill Meyer, a lifelong educator and Connie Adler’s son, stepped into the role of Executive Director. After two years at the helm—as the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation, and racial inequity—Bill’s leadership deepened EMA’s practices from trust-based philanthropy to care-based philanthropy, growing the foundation from one staff to a team of 16, with at least half of the team comprised of youth leaders under the age of 25. By 2024, EMA had evolved into an impact network with ten values-aligned partners dedicated to equity and collective liberation, and its offerings expanded to include organizational capacity-building support, a storytelling platform, and an education strategy to inspire intergenerational changemakers.
.png)
Our Team
Our intergenerational team cultivates a care-based workplace culture rooted in collaboration, mentorship, and mutual accountability. With half of our staff under age 25, EMA views youth leadership as essential to organizational success, recognizing young people as co-architects of systemic change. We practice the kind of shared leadership needed to guide the work—and our partner organizations—into the future.
Erika Cao
Senior Project Manager
Erika comes from a family of refugees and immigrants and is invested in working with Refugee Led Organizations to recenter and humanize displaced individuals. With strong management capabilities and a passion for increasing access to education, Erika brings together our education, rhizōma, and partner relations teams.
Anna Crawford
Communications Manager
Anna is a multidisciplinary graphic designer who loves creating accessible and engaging designs that spark curiosity and promote understanding. With experience in programming, print, and UX research, she approaches each project with thoughtfulness and a drive to make design both meaningful and inclusive.
Devon Davey
Director of Partner and Organizational Thriving
Devon creates conditions for deeper impact through optimizing organizational thriving at EMA and in her consulting work with leaders of color and leadership teams. She is a strategist and coaching partner, bringing extensive experience to EMA partners, helping them thrive.
Kat Evasco
Director of Development and Philanthropic Culture
Kat is a mission-driven nonprofit leader with experience in fundraising, organizational development, and program design with a focus in arts and culture, equity and social justice advocacy. She is a theater artist, filmmaker, cultural strategist that aims to uplift immigrant, LGBTQ, women, and BIPOC communities.
Dave Feiferis
Director of Administration
Dave cultivates spaces where his teammates, authenticity, and integrity can shine. He has a dedicated history of working at the intersection of operations, storytelling, and education. Dave is proud and privileged to have his efforts serve a network of partners doing work to create a better future.
Kyla Goss
Director of Outreach and Engagement
Kyla is an experienced communications strategist with over a decade of experience in narrative building, community engagement, and digital content creation. To EMA, she brings her passion for creating physical and digital spaces for inspiring dialogue.
Rachel Grace
Partner Relationship Manager
Rachel joins EMA as a sociology student who cares deeply about respect, equity and the acknowledgement of all stories. Bringing these values to EMA, she works alongside HTL Coalition, supporting them in their work and bringing their stories to rhizōma.
David Grace
Director of Educational Programs
Dave is an accomplished educator with almost 22 years of experience and a keen eye for helping students learn how to succeed. Having seen what works for students, he comes to EMA with a vision for revolutionizing education through storytelling and connecting to lived experiences.
Cedrick Gustave
Director of Communications and Design
Cedrick is an experienced graphic designer passionate about media studies and cross-cultural communication. With a background in social media and brand design, he brings his creativity to EMA as he showcases our mission and global impact.
Bill Meyer
Executive Director
Bill is a seasoned educator with over 28 years of experience working with young people and 5 years in the nonprofit sector. From his experience, he brings an emphasis on shifting power and resources to stakeholders to his role as our executive director.
Joanne Parsont
Director of Strategy
Joanne is a film and media education specialist with nearly three decades of experience harnessing the power of storytelling for impact and education. She brings her passion for amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities to shape the future of rhizōma, and her deep belief in the power of youth leadership to facilitate the evolution of EMA.
Olivia Reibel
Development Associate
Olivia is a passionate Art History student with experience working in galleries and curating exhibits. With exposure to generating and maintaining support, she ably supports EMA in maintaining our relationships with donors and partners.
Tracy Tran
Partner Relationship Manager
Tracy is a driven public health student who seeks to ameliorate barriers to healthcare access and basic needs, having dealt with these issues as a part of marginalized groups. In their work with EMA, they work primarily with Children of the Forest, merging their passion for public health with the needs of our partners.
Wallace and Gromit
Co-Directors of the Unconditional Affection Department
Wallace and Gromit join our team as integral parts of our organization’s support structure. Although they got off to a rough start in life, they’re now living the dream in Alaska and enjoying watching EMA deliver on its mission.
EMA Network Advisors
In keeping with our care-based approach, and as an alternative to the power imbalances that can often stem from traditional Board governance, we have assembled a diverse, intergenerational group of advisors to help guide and build our network and ensure the integrity and thriving of EMA and its partner organizations.
Aaron Fulk
Aaron is a values-based educator who serves as Director of College Counseling at the University School of Nashville. He has over 15 years experience as a school leader, non-profit board member, and former university admissions officer, and "gets stoked" when thinking about upward social mobility, educational equity, empathy-based organizational behavior, and how to create integrated approaches to problems. He is a retired college athlete, film nerd, poet, amateur cook, and lover of all things outdoors.
Robin Gascon
Robin has dedicated over 30 years to helping others. Her introduction to EMA partner Children of the Forest was transformative—she was deeply inspired by their unwavering support for stateless children and single mothers. Now, as an EMA Network Advisor, she’s thrilled to be part of a trust-based approach to philanthropy that expands access to education and opportunity. When not working to uplift communities, Robin finds her balance in or on the water, where she feels most at peace.
Bill Kinder
Bill is a filmmaker and writer based in Paris. He founded the Editorial & Post Production department at Pixar and is co-author of Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation. He began his career producing documentary, news, and sports; editing commercials; and creating experimental films. He helped lead the Post Production operation at the birthplace of electronic cinema, American Zoetrope in San Francisco. Today, he leads creative talent in various studio consulting and producing assignments.
Dustin Liu
Dustin is a Taiwanese-American and proud New Yorker, where he is the Senior Associate Director of the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing (IPF). He leads the strategic direction of the organization, encouraging connections between research and practice, managing strategic partnerships, and overseeing the design and implementation of the Initiative’s programming. Most recently, Dustin was a Lecturer at Stanford University and was the Associate Director of the Stanford Life Design Lab. Outside of NYU, he is a guide and facilitator in learning communities where he designs learning experiences and curriculum.
Abigail Sarmac
A first-generation Filipino-American based in Portland, Oregon, Abby has lived in the Philippines, Senegal, Italy, Ecuador and the US over the past 25 years, working with organizations like the United Nations, the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Lemelson Foundation, and IMPAQTO (a social enterprise accelerator in Ecuador) with a focus on grantmaking, non-profit and for-profit social ventures, global community organizing, and impact networks. She is also a former professional cellist and Junior Olympic gymnast.
Jalen Walker
Jalen is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied Chinese and Environmental Policy. Originally from Boston, he is now based in New York City where he works at Ernst & Young in the Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) consulting practice. Jalen is passionate about environmental justice, cultural exchange, and the Boston Celtics. He served as EMA’s first Director of Operations, from December 2023 to June 2025.
Chandler J. Woods
Chandler is a program manager, policy advisor, and operations specialist with extensive experience leading complex international development, trade, and economic growth initiatives. He began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and has since served in key roles across the federal government. His expertise spans policymaking, financial planning, regulatory compliance, cross-sector collaboration, and stakeholder engagement at both national and international levels.
