Reimagining
Philanthropy & Building Community
Our Impact
$4.3M dispersed
to date (since 2001)
Over $1 million dedicated to
education and storytelling
Nearly $900k towards organizations improving conditions for forced migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless individuals
95,000 people from 50 countries directly impacted in the last 5 years
Long story, short.
In 1958, Eugene M. Adler established a 501(c)(3) private foundation in his namesake. The foundation contributed to a handful of well-known charities, but otherwise kept a low profile before entering a period of inactivity. Years later, Connie Adler discovered the family fund upon her mother’s passing in 2001. Driven by her background in nonprofit work, she revitalized the foundation with funding from her own inheritance, a new name, and a fresh philosophy.
Under Connie’s leadership, the EMA Foundation adopted a practice now known as trust-based philanthropy. This approach emphasizes relationships with partner organizations, unrestricted funding, and shifting power to stakeholders at the community level. Over the next 18 years, EMA Foundation disbursed over $3M in unrestricted financial support to 40+ nonprofit organizations involved in human rights, arts, education, and environmental conservation.
Connie’s son Bill Meyer took over operations in 2018, bringing with him 30 years of experience working in education and a deep understanding of the foundation’s ethos. When the summer of 2020 raised global conversations about the need for systemic change, Bill reflected on the foundation’s potential. He saw a unique opportunity to bridge education and philanthropy, in an effort to transform both.
Our Team
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 Associate
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.
Nathan Doughty
Partner Relationship Manager
Nathan is a talented cross-country skier and passionate student with interests spanning social justice, science, and poetry writing. Nathan rounds out our Partner Relations cohort, taking charge of our relationship with BYkids and plugging holes with other partners.
Kat Evasco
Donor Relations Manager
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
Communications Director
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.
Julia Minassian
Partner Relationship Manager
Julia is a community action driven individual with experience in projects relating to healthcare access, sustainability, and media representation. Taking her experience in these endeavors, Julia works in our Partner Relations cohort, supporting multiple of our partners in their initiatives of equity and sustainable change.
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
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.
