In 2020, many funders pivoted to virtual due diligence to continue bringing on new grant partners amidst a global pandemic. In some ways, this presented an opportunity to remove barriers to entry, placing less emphasis on in-person meetings that can be difficult for proximate leaders to access. While some models of virtual due diligence centered equity, others may have unintentionally created more obstacles. How can we put grassroots actors at the center of virtual due diligence design and processes? As our worlds become more digitally accessible, where are divides widening alongside them? How does the need for proximate leadership within funding institutions play into the efficacy and inclusivity of virtual due diligence?
This session was curated in partnership with African Visionary Fund.
Solomon Kayiwa Mugambe is an Africa Visionary Fellow and Perennial Fellow who believes that every person has innate ability to create the change they want to see and make the world a better place.
As a social worker, Solomon has over 10 years experience working with both local and international agencies having served in high level positions in the field of Skills Development with Educate!, USAID/Feed the Future and as Ugandan Youth Advisor to Washington DC through the US mission in Uganda.
As the Wezesha Impact Co-Founder and Executive Director, a social enterprise enabling youth to engage in productive employment. Solomon also serves on different boards of organizations which has enabled him to build his competence in the areas of leadership and development.
Director, Hilton Humanitarian Prize, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Maggie Miller oversees all aspects of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, from the nomination and evaluation process to the final selection of recipients by an independent international panel of jurors. She also leads the planning and execution of the annual humanitarian symposium and accompanying ceremony honoring the new Prize recipient. Prior to joining the Foundation, Miller spent nearly a decade in public relations managing and executing programs for clients including the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Uncle Ben’s® Rice, Seeds of Change, Mattel, The Broad Foundation, Skirball Cultural Center, the Los Angeles Business Council, First 5 California and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Miller also worked at the Milken Family Foundation, where she led national media campaigns and managed programs for Milken Scholars and the Foundation’s Festival for Youth community service initiative. She received a Public Relations Society of America–Los Angeles Prism Award in the category of one-time media/special event for work on the Noah’s Ark exhibit at Skirball Cultural Center in 2007, and a Crystal Award of Excellence in the category of publicity/television placement for work on behalf of the Milken Family Foundation’s National Notifications in 2004. In 2019, Miller received the 40 Under 40 Award from Empowerment Congress, California Policy & Research Initiative. She graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Lior Ipp has served as the CEO of the Roddenberry Foundation (TRF) since 2014 where he provides leadership and strategic direction for all foundation functions. Prior to TRF, Lior served as the CEO of Breakthrough Collaborative, a San Francisco-based educational non-profit with programs in 24 cities across the U.S. Before joining Breakthrough, Lior was a Global Director for Ashoka’s Youth Venture where he guided program development, institutional partnerships, and regional staff in twelve countries. Prior to Ashoka, Lior co-founded and served as CEO of an educational software company in New York City. Lior has an Ed.M. from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education where he was awarded the prestigious Leadership in Education Award.
Liana works as the Francophone Senior Program Officer based in Kigali, Rwanda. She manages due diligence on potential and current partners in Francophone Africa, and builds SFF’s capacity support programming.
Liana has over five years of international development experience, with a focus on East Africa. She completed her MA in International Community Development at Victoria University in Melbourne, where she was awarded a scholarship by the Australian government. Liana is a Global Health Corps, YALI Regional Program Alumni, and Mandela Washington Fellow. Before joining SFF, she worked as a consultant for IDS and Concern Worldwide in Burundi, where she was born and raised. Liana is focusing her career on research, development policies, and non-profit management. She has extensive experience working with youth and women, and enjoys spending time coaching and mentoring girls, reading, and hanging out with close friends.
Katie is a fundraiser and strategist with over 12 years of experience in nonprofit management and 10 years working in East Africa. While in East Africa, Katie witnessed first-hand the inequities within the philanthropic sector as well as the power of community-led development. As co-CEO of the African Visionary Fund, Katie is laser-focused on driving more resources to high-impact African visionaries.
Prior to her current role, Katie worked with the Segal Family Foundation as the Director of Strategy, spearheading the African Visionary Fellowship. Within the first two years of the Fellowship, she brought in $2.4 million in new funding to Fellows. Across her philanthropic experience, she has managed due diligence on grant portfolios of over $10 million & leveraged $21 million in new funding to grantee partners through extensive donor engagement. Katie has an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and a BA in Peace & Justice Studies from Wellesley College.
