Mission and Team

Team

• 

  Carlissia Graham,

  President

  Carlissia serves as President of New Media Ventures, bringing with her a 15-year background in politics, social advocacy, and operations. A former Obama staffer, Carlissia has held senior leadership positions across the federal government, nonprofit and start-up spaces with a focus on helping mission-driven orgs run at full speed.

  A founder in her own right, Carlissia has spearheaded four startups while also shaping the operational governance of some of our nation’s oldest and most impactful institutions - Congress, US Departments of Agriculture and Energy, the White House, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. True to her southern roots, she has a deep love for adventure, agriculture, and racing.

• 

  Jessica Salinas,

  Chief Investment Officer

  Jessica Salinas is Chief Investment Officer at New Media Ventures. As Chief Investment Officer, Jess is responsible for the cultivation of early-stage deal flow and portfolio management, building mission-driven partnerships, and leading the growth and direction of the investment team.
  

  Previously, she was a Partner at an impact fund moving the world towards zero poverty, zero disease and zero pollution. Jessica was also the founding Social Impact Lead at Headspace and the founding Director of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative Education Program.

  Jessica serves on the Board of Words Uncaged, which provides programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in LA, and Plug in South LA. Jessica received her BA in Communication from Stanford and her MS in Social Entrepreneurship from USC Marshall School of Business.
  

• 

  Phillip Sanders,

  Partner

  As Partner, Phil is responsible for expanding our partnerships, our portfolio of funders, and our investment capacity as well as spearheading new initiatives to support early-stage startups working to expand and scale progressive infrastructure.

  Phil served in a variety of roles at Ernst & Young and Rockwood Capital, managing financial duties for clients across technology, real estate, and venture capital. Before joining us, Phil was a Fellow at Kapor Capital and an Investment Accounting Manager at the Kapor Center, where he managed various aspects of investing and financial processes at the fund. Previous to becoming Partner, Phil was an Investment Principal at NMV.

  Phil leverages his experience to advise early stage startups and serves as Board Chair at the Ella Baker Center in Oakland. This work allows Phil to bring together thought leaders, innovators, supporters, and investors to design communities and startups for good. Phil is from Chicago, Illinois and holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Bethune-Cookman University. When not at work , he enjoys his lifelong pursuit of the best cup of cappuccino and refining his cooking and salsa skills.

• 

  Brittany Grimm,

  Director of Development

  Brittany Grimm is Director of Development at New Media Ventures. She is responsible for creating and executing NMV's fundraising strategy, managing funder relationships, and developing new partnerships and opportunities for support.

  Brittany has over 12 years of experience in fundraising, including for party committees, PACs, dozens of elected officials at the federal, statewide, and local levels, and non-profits of all sizes. She lives in Washington, D.C.

• 

  Ev Boyle,

  Investment Principal

  Ev is an Investment Principal at New Media Ventures, where he is responsible for leading investments in organizations building progressive power and supporting the growth and impact of NMV's portfolio organizations.

  Prior to joining NMV, he held a variety of roles in progressive politics, civic tech, and academia. He was the executive director of LA-Tech.org, the associate director of a center on media and democracy at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and the co-founder of Glassbooth, a civic education nonprofit that reached millions of voters.
  
  Ev is passionate about movement politics and local organizing, especially in Los Angeles, and he continues to work with campaigns and leaders to tell their stories and boost their impact. He serves on the board of LA Forward Action, is a partner with Social Justice Partners LA, and was a co-founder of the LA District Attorney Accountability Coalition and a volunteer on campaigns like Reimagine LA and Eunisses Hernandez for LA City Council.

• 

  Rye Ross,

  Director of Communications & Marketing

  Rye Ross is New Media Ventures’ Director of Communications & Marketing. She’s responsible for expanding the profile of the organization and our portfolio companies in order to attract high-quality investments.
  

  Rye also helps bolster our fundraising efforts, expand our partnerships, and grow our influence in both the philanthropic and impact investing fields, particularly in progressive and BIPOC communities. Rye joins NMV from a civic tech nonprofit organization, where she leveraged her communications and marketing expertise to help enable more consistent and widespread voter participation. Previously, she also served as Digital Marketing Manager for the Andrew Goodman Foundation and Sector Communications Coordinator at Charity Navigator. Rye earned her B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, with minors in French and Economics.

  
  

• 

  Mia Orans,

  Operations Manager

  As an Operations Manager, Mia is responsible for supporting both the NMV fundraising and leadership team.

  Mia joins from Mazel Immigration Law, where she was in charge of operations for the firm, including customizing the firm’s database, establishing best practices for data management, and analyzing workflows to increase case preparation efficiency. Previously, she worked in Community Support and Operations for Kiva where she assisted Kiva lenders and provided operations support to her team.

  Mia earned a BA in Economics from Carleton College, where she also played on the Varsity Softball team. Outside of work, she loves to spend time in the ocean, play sports, and try new recipes.

• 

  Carlos Salinas,

  Investment Analyst

  Carlos Salinas is an Investment Analyst at New Media Ventures. He is the principal assistant to the Chief Investment Officer and supports the Investment team with intake and diligence reviews of potential portfolio organizations in the non-profit and for-profit sectors.

  Prior to joining NMV, Carlos assisted the Houston Methodist Hospital’s neurosurgery department and University of Houston’s architecture/engineering departments in research and development of disability innovations. He was the co-founder of University of Houston’s first adaptive athletic wheelchair tennis team and served as President of the Adaptive Athletics organization. He has 10+ years of experience in the Supply Chain & Logistics sector.

  Carlos is an advocate for disabilities rights and is passionate about ideas and actions that move communities forward. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, handcycling, karaoke, wheelchair tennis, traveling, and attending live music shows.

• 

  Abi Leung,

  Investment Associate

  As Investment Associate, Abi is responsible for evaluating start-ups coming through our intake process, performing market research and assisting with portfolio support. She also works cross-functionally to support the fundraising, communications and operations teams.

  Abi joined from RampRate, a consulting firm specialized in blockchain and natural wellness, where she managed project teams and helped develop client relationships. Before RampRate, she studied public policy at the University of Southern California. Most notably during her time in school, Abi founded Trojan Shelter, a shelter run by USC students for college students experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area.

  
  When not at work, Abi enjoys trying new up-and-coming restaurants in Southern California, taking photos, browsing TikTok, and reading.

• 

  Christine McDaniel,

  Executive Assistant

  As an Executive Assistant, Christine is responsible for supporting the NMV team in day to day scheduling and operations.

  Outside of work, Christine loves to spend time with her family, hit the gym, bake and drink coffee. She is also licensed Realtor in the state of Colorado.