Mission and Team

Team

• 

  Carlissia Graham,

  President

  Carlissia serves as President of New Media Ventures, drawing from over 15 years of experience in politics and social advocacy as well as firsthand experience as a serial entrepreneur. As an investor and strategist working at the intersections of media, tech, and democracy, she is a fierce advocate for impactful innovation that serves the public.

  Her work centers on getting capital to people who are reimagining and building a greater future as evidenced by a thriving democracy, responsible tech ecosystem, and equal capital opportunities for underinvested communities.

  Carlissia previously held multiple senior-level positions in the U.S. government democratizing access to publicly-funded technology, creating pathways to public service for underrepresented communities, and directing billions in capital investments in public-tech infrastructure.

  Alongside her work at New Media Ventures, she sits on several investment committees and actively counsels founders as they navigate the startup journey. She is a native of Memphis, TN, and is deeply invested in pro-democracy efforts in the US South.

• 

  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 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.

• 

  Yasmine Laurent,

  Interim Chief Operating Officer

  Yasmine is the Interim Chief Operating Officer for New Media Ventures, overseeing the development and implementation of the operational infrastructure,  designed to support the organization's mission and growth strategies.

  Yasmine is the founder and principal at YJL Unconquered Group, an integrated organization transformation and Justice, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging consulting firm providing strategic, practical and sustainable business solutions. She is a seasoned organizational development and equity & inclusion practitioner with over 15 years of human development experience in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. Yasmine has grown a robust career leading equity, access and advocacy initiatives and designing and implementing full scale people and culture, program management and organization transformation strategies.

  She holds an MBA from Simmons College, a Masters in Human Services from Springfield College and a dual Bachelors of Arts degree in Multinational Business Operations and International Affairs from Florida State University.

• 

  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.

• 

  Callie Chamberlain,

  Entrepreneur-in-Residence

  Callie is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, coaching and advising start-up founders and activists, and developing strategic programming to advance the investment portfolio as they tackle the biggest challenges facing our democracy.

  A deep believer in communal health and healing, she most recently led the Office of Social Responsibility at a Fortune 5 healthcare company where she embedded equity into business strategy and operations, with a particular focus on maternal health based on her experiences training as a birth doula. An award-winning storyteller, she co-hosted the health care innovation podcast Until It’s Fixed, bringing a lens of equity and justice that moved the show into a top 5 podcast and filmed an award-winning documentary on the Syrian refugee crisis in Greece. As a result of her time on the ground, she developed a microwork application connecting refugees to income opportunities on their cell phones.

  Callie is the founder of New Leaders Council Twin Cities, Minnesota's largest leadership and development program for young people advancing equity in the region, a United Nations Peacebuilding Fellow, and a NYC Gender Equity Commissioner. In addition to being a practicing birth doula, she is a death doula, and a yoga practitioner.

• 

  Darrell Scott,

  Entrepreneur-in-Residence

  Darrell Scott is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at New Media Ventures. As EIR, he is responsible for advising and coaching media start-up founders in NMV’s latest Voices for Democracy investment cohort. He’s helping them navigate the tricky parts of scaling their work, from fundraising and hiring, to staying on top of the latest industry trends and best practices.

  In his day-to-day work, Darrell serves as the VP, Media Investments & Acquisitions at Accelerate Change, a mission media network. He’s also the co-founder and former CEO of PushBlack.

• 

  Abi Leung,

  Investment Associate

  As Investment Associate, Abi is responsible for sourcing investments and leading early stages of the due diligence process. She also works with our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence to create 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, browsing TikTok, perfecting matcha drinks and reading.

• 

  Inbar Soffer Sharon,

  Fundraising Associate

  As Fundraising Associate, 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 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.