Mission and Team

Team

• 

  Jessica Salinas,

  Co-President

  Jessica serves as Co-President of NMV. Prior, Jessica led the investment team of NMV for four years, where she was 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 Scaling Program.

  Jessica serves on the Board of Words Uncaged, Plug in South LA, and StreetCode Academy. Jessica received her BA in Communication from Stanford and her MS in Social Entrepreneurship from USC Marshall School of Business.

• 

  Phillip Sanders,

  Co-President

  Phil serves as Co-President of NMV. Previously, Phil was Partner at NMV where he was 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.

• 

  Thomas Showalter,

  Director of Development

  Thomas serves as Director of Development for NMV. Thomas brings extensive experience at the intersection of nonprofit leadership, communications, and policymaking.

  As executive director of the National Youth Employment Coalition, he grew and diversified its member base and revenue streams. In consulting roles, at firms and independently, Thomas has advised advises nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy organizations on strategy, communications, scenario planning, and coalition building. On the professional staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Thomas worked to draft and negotiate legislation related to education, workforce development, and national service.

  Thomas studied religion and political science at Swarthmore College. Based in Silver Spring, MD, Thomas serves as a deacon at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church and as vice president at the cohousing community where he lives.

  Outside of work, Thomas loves to cook, run, hike, and entertain neighbors and friends.

• 

  Abi Leung,

  Investment Manager

  As Investment Manager, Abi is responsible for sourcing investments and co-leading the due diligence process. She also leads our portfolio support program where she creates programming and resources for our portfolio.

  Abi joined from a small tech consulting group, where she managed project teams and helped develop client relationships. She studied public policy, with a focus on nonprofits, social entrepreneurship and philanthropy at the University of Southern California. Most notably during her time at USC, Abi founded Trojan Shelter, a shelter run by USC students for college students experiencing houselessness in the Los Angeles area.

  When not at work, Abi enjoys trying new restaurants in Los Angeles, going to concerts, perfecting matcha drinks and reading.

• 

  Inbar Soffer Sharon,

  Fundraising Manager

  As Fundraising Manager, Inbar is responsible for supporting all aspects of fundraising strategy and operations. She works with everyone on the team to ensure that NMV can achieve its fundraising priorities.

  Prior to joining NMV, Inbar held a variety of roles in fundraising and events, working across health services organizations, the arts, and tech. She holds as MA in Design Systems from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and is passionate about applying design thinking to solve complex problems and tell compelling stories. Outside of work, Inbar enjoys taking excessive photos and video of her wife and twin toddlers.

• 

  Carlos Salinas,

  Investment Manager

  Carlos Salinas is an Investment Manager at New Media Ventures. He 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.

• 

  Josephine Taniguchi,

  Executive Coordinator

  Josephine Taniguchi is Executive Coordinator at New Media Ventures and New Rising Ventures, where she serves as the connective tissue across teams. Her scope spans fundraising, investment operations, board relations, HR, accounting, and strategic partnerships — the kind of breadth that only works when someone brings both operational range and executive-level judgment to the table.

  Before joining NMV, she built that range as a contractor working with founders and executive teams on program development and organizational design, giving her firsthand understanding of what it takes to build something from the ground up.

  
  Outside of NMV, Josephine and her family serve as Resident Fellows at Stanford University's Casa Zapata, the only Latine residential community on campus. There, she partners with student leaders to design programming and co-facilitates a weekly class on identity, politics, and culture — bringing the same belief in community and shared power that drives her work at NMV.

  
  When she's not at work, Josephine can be found hosting dinners for loved ones, coaching her kids' sports team, crafting, and capturing it all through her camera. She's happiest when she's bringing people together and trying something new.