Our Leadership

Amy F. Dinofrio, Director of People & Culture at Borealis Philanthropy, brings over two decades of expertise in human resources, organizational development, and talent strategy. Her leadership is characterized by fostering trustful relationships and guiding transformation at every level.

As Vice President of HR and CHRO at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Amy spearheaded the most significant compensation and job evaluation initiative in over 20 years. Amy ensured the establishment of robust support mechanisms that empower staff members. In her role as Vice President at United Way Worldwide, Amy revitalized the People Strategies, and Talent & Board Engagement department.

Amy holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a BS from King’s College. She is credentialed with the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from HRCI, as well as the Senior Certified Professional (SCP) and California Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR-CA) certifications from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Dr. Kholi Murchison leads Borealis Philanthropy’s strategic communications and philanthropic advocacy in close collaboration with Vice President of Advancement to amplify the work of Borealis’ programatic areas. Prior to joining Borealis, Kholi was responsible for revising and restructuring talent acquisition, brand positioning, and communications architecture as VP of Social Impact & Strategy at Whole30, and developing and launching multiple editorial teams and products Managing Editor at Callisto Media.

Kholi’s work is driven by an earnest, curious, and limitless hope in a radically equitable future.

Ray Meadows is an operations and organizational design expert shaped by his lived experience navigating systemic barriers and by formative years working alongside communities most affected by them. These experiences guide his approach to building systems rooted in care that make grantmaking more transparent, accessible, and aligned with the realities partners face on the ground. He focuses on strengthening internal operations so that they reflect the values and needs of those closest to the work. At the center of his practice is a commitment to ensuring that philanthropy remains responsive and accountable to the communities it exists to serve.

Shana Jones is the Director of Finance at Borealis Philanthropy, where she brings more than 25 years of experience and a deep passion for supporting social justice movements through thoughtful, values-driven financial leadership. She oversees financial operations, leads budget planning, and collaborates with leaders across the organization to ensure financial decisions strengthen Borealis’s mission and future.

Recognized for her ability to distill complex financial data into meaningful insights, Shana champions transparency, sustainability, and equity-centered financial practices.  She believes that finance, when grounded in equity and transparency, can be a powerful force for impact. She is committed to fostering financial clarity and a collaborative approach that empowers teams and leaders to do their most transformative work.

Senior Advisor and Director – Impact Driven Philanthropy, Raikes Foundation

Stephanie Fuerstner Gillis is Senior Advisor and Director of the Raikes Foundation’s impact-driven philanthropy initiative, where she leads a portfolio of work focused on resourcing movements by supporting donors to give in ways that center equity, effectiveness, and systems change. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2017, Stephanie served as a managing director at Arabella Advisors, where she led its practice supporting family and individual donors.

Stephanie served for 11 years as the COO and Senior Consultant at Blueprint Research + Design, Inc., supporting philanthropy clients on strategy and evaluation and worked for over 10 years in the nonprofit sector, including in positions with the Youth Leadership Institute (a Bay Area youth development organization), the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, and the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies. She has served on the boards of a number of organizations, including Giving Compass, College Kids, and Food Runners, and has held various school leadership positions. 

When she is not at work, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family; since her sons have flown, she currently spends more time traveling, and going on adventures with her husband and dog, Maisie.

Founder and Executive Director, Disabled Journalists Association

Cara Reedy is the Founder and Executive Director of Disabled Journalists Association. She spent ten years of her career at CNN producing documentaries as well as writing for various verticals including Eatocracy and CNN Business. In 2019, she produced Dwarfism and Me for The Guardian, which was an exploration of the treatment of Dwarfs in American society. She has spent the last four years studying disability and its coverage in the media. As part of her work, she trains newsrooms to tell more robust and investigative stories about disability. In addition to her work in the journalism industry, she also works in narrative change in the film and tv industry and is a member of the TV Academy Diversity Committee. Her latest short documentary about the life of Brad Lomax, Black Panther and Disability Rights activist is featured on PBS.com.

Manager of Resource Strategy, Movement for Black Lives

charles is a Chicago based multi-disciplinary artist, activist and Black liberationist. He is currently the Deputy Director of Fund Strategy for the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL). Charles has worked in communities across the United States and globally with poor, working class, disabled, young, LGBT, currently/formerly active drug users and formerly homeless folks. He has worked in all realms of the social justice arena doing everything from direct service provision, lobbying, development, communications and direct action. charles uses that background to inform both his artistic and movement work with a particular lens on Black, Queer, Feminist perspectives that naturally create space for growth rooted in true freedom.

Chief Fiduciary Officer and Managing Director, Investment Management & Trust, Fifth Third Bank

Mary Ellen Reilly is a dynamic leader with extensive experience in strategic program development, change management, risk management, and fiduciary governance. She currently serves as Chief Fiduciary Officer and Managing Director, Investment Management & Trust at Fifth Third Bank, overseeing $70 billion in assets under management. In this role, she directs thought leadership, trading, investment portfolio management, client servicing, and fiduciary administration for over 12,000 clients and 350 employees. 

Previously, she held leadership roles at M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust, including Director of Compliance Risk Management and Chief Compliance Officer, responsible for compliance activities covering approximately $100 billion in assets. 

​​She holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from The Canisius College of Buffalo, New York, and serves on several boards, including ArtWorks Cincinnati and the Ohio Valley Foundation.

Director, California Transcends

Ebony Ava Harper, born in Maryland to Jamaican parents, is a Black trans woman and dedicated activist. Her career includes impactful roles at Project Angel Food, Children of the Night, and the Gender Health Center, focusing on intersectional justice for marginalized communities. After her work at The California Endowment, she founded and became the Director of California TRANScends, promoting transgender health and wellness statewide. Harper’s achievements include the 2019 Stonewall Four Freedoms Award, hosting the State Capitol Tree Lighting ceremony, and serving as the Grand Marshal of Sacramento’s Pride Parade. Featured in media outlets and a contributor to Forbes, she also serves on the boards of the Transgender Law Center, California Museum, and Borealis. Additionally, she is the co-chair of the Lieutenant Governor of California’s Trans Advisory Council.

Vice President of Public Affairs, The California Wellness Foundation

Alex M. Johnson is the interim vice president of programs and public affairs at The California Wellness Foundation, a role he assumed in June 2025. Alex returned to Cal Wellness in January 2024 after serving as vice president at Bryson Gillette, a strategic communications and public affairs firm where he led efforts to support clients working to create change across multiple sectors, including education, government, philanthropy, and nonprofits. Before his time at Bryson Gillette, Alex previously held senior grantmaking positions at Cal Wellness for nearly five years.

In his role as vice president of public affairs, Alex oversees the department’s government relations, community engagement and strategic communications. Before joining Cal Wellness in June 2018, he was managing director for Californians for Safety and Justice in Los Angeles. While at CSJ, Alex led efforts calling for an end to over-incarceration and a renewed focus on safety priorities rooted in prevention and health. Prior to his role at CSJ, he was executive director of Children’s Defense Fund-California, where he led statewide advocacy, policy, program and organizing efforts to ensure access to quality affordable health coverage and care for children and low-income families, reform the juvenile justice system, promote educational equity, end child poverty, and improve outcomes for children of color. Alex previously led education, youth development, and public safety efforts for a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He began his career in New York City advocating for domestic violence victims as an assistant district attorney in Bronx County and previously clerked at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

Alex serves on the boards of Southern California Grantmakers, Urban Peace Institute, Trust for Public Land, and the UCLA Luskin School Board of Advisors. He previously served on the Los Angeles County Board of Education and Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. A graduate of Morehouse College and American University, Washington College of Law, Alex’s writings have appeared in Huffington Post, The Guardian, Los Angeles Daily News, San Jose Mercury News, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, California Health Report, and Sacramento Bee.

Principal, IAM Associates

Inca Mohamed is an internationally recognized facilitator with many years of experience managing and working with nonprofit organizations addressing youth development, sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice, gender equity, and, racial equity. Inca has helped hundreds of organizations create effective and powerful management teams and strategies for change. Her approach to consulting is rooted in her experience as a Caribbean immigrant from a multi-ethnic family, “I had to develop border crossing” skills to survive & thrive, and I know the power of cross-cultural learning. My experience taught me to listen deeply, honor what is distinct about each environment, and, when appropriate, translate experiences from one place to another”. Inca’s racial equity work is informed by the understanding that an organization’s willingness & commitment to consistently and systematically address issues of equity, diversity & inclusion are fundamental to its health and capacity for sustained impact.