Mission and Team

Team

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  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.

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  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.
  

• 

  Arbour Decker,

  Director of Partnerships

  As Director of Partnerships, Arbour is responsible for leading NMV’s fundraising and partnership efforts, including developing and overseeing fundraising strategies, funder communication, internal systems, and external-facing events.

  Arbour has served in development and relationship building roles for the past 12 years. Prior to joining NMV, Arbour held the position of Director of Strategic Partnerships at Aspire Public Schools, Director of Strategic Partnerships at East Bay College Fund (now Oakland Promise), Director of External Relations at OneJustice, and a variety of other development positions in higher ed and youth development fields.

  Arbour earned a B.A. in Communication from Western Washington University and an M.A. in Communication from San Diego State University. In her free time, Arbour enjoys spending time with friends and loved ones in beautiful Oakland, watching the Warriors win, dinner parties (pre-COVID19), cycling, and some karaoke when the mood strikes.

• 

  Phillip Sanders,

  Investment Principal

  As Investment Principal, Phil is responsible for leading investments in early stage mission-driven startups, managing in-bound deal flow, and supporting the growth of NMV's portfolio companies.

  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. Most recently, 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.

  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.

• 

  Alex Blum,

  Fundraising & Communications Manager

  As Fundraising & Communications Manager, Alex is responsible for coordinating grant proposals and reports, facilitating NMV’s interactions with its network and the public, and supporting the NMV leadership team.

  Alex joined from Grassroots Campaigns, where he fundraised for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Southern Poverty Law Center, and other nonprofits. Previously, he wrote freelance book reviews and worked in Publicity and Online Marketing at Yale University Press.

  Alex earned a BA in English from Yale University and originally hails from San Diego, CA. Outside of work, he loves running, surfing, and reading and writing fiction.

• 

  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.

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  Abi Leung,

  Program Associate

  As Program Associate, Abi is responsible for supporting NMV’s operations and executive 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.

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  Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman,

  Senior Advisor

  Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman is a Senior Advisor at New Media Ventures. Before stepping into her current role, Taren served as NMV President, as a Senior Product Manager at Change.org, and the founder and Executive Director of global consumer watchdog SumOfUs. Taren also spent years in Democratic politics and the climate and labor movements, working for groups like MoveOn.org, the Alliance for Climate Protection, and the AFL-CIO.