Archives

Nate Young, Social Media Manager at the Elevate Prize Foundation. Previously, he served as the Digital Strategy Manager at social impact agency Propper Daley in Los Angeles, where he devised marketing strategies and executed social media, web, and email campaigns for an array of non-profit, individual celebrity philanthropists, and corporate impact clients. His interest and journey with cause marketing and ultimately social impact started at Interscope Records, where he managed the record label’s social media and began creating digital content and partnerships for its artists from diverse backgrounds. 

Nate has a deep passion for helping to creative direct and produce impactful and meaningful social good content, structuring lasting organizational partnerships, and working with a creative team that can speak to a wide range of audiences and catalyze behavior and culture change. 

Nate holds a BA in Latin American Studies and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis, and is fluent in Spanish. 

Nate resides in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, and enjoys engaging in the arts and fashion, hiking, traveling internationally, trying new and unique food, and spending time with his family, friends, and partner.

Sofia Julien, Marketing Coordinator at the Elevate Prize Foundation, leverages her expertise in strategic communication, content creation, and project management to amplify the Foundation’s mission of making good famous. Her commitment to generating social impact is evident in her work. Previously, she served as a Marketing Communications Consultant for Liga F, Spain’s professional women’s football league, where she designed and executed a two-year marketing strategy that elevated brand positioning and deepened community engagement.

As a proud AmeriCorps alumna, Sofia brought her skills to Embrace Families as Community Engagement Manager. In this role, she led a volunteer program, forged partnerships with local businesses, and organized fundraising initiatives that engaged over 500 volunteers and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her work directly supported foster care services and preventative programs, transforming the lives of children and families across Central Florida.

Sofia holds a Master’s in Strategic Marketing & Communication from IE Business School and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Central Florida. Fluent in English and Spanish and currently learning Portuguese, she is passionate about lifelong learning and immersing herself in diverse cultures to expand her perspective and inspire fresh ideas.

When she’s not working, Sofia loves exploring new hiking trails, recreating Instagram recipes in the kitchen, or training for her next race. Her global outlook, dedication to community impact, and commitment to personal and professional growth drive her to build meaningful connections and create lasting change.

Ashley Jacobs, Creative & Communications Strategist, has 20 years of experience developing break-through and effective social impact marketing and communications programs in the private and public sectors. Prior to joining the Elevate Prize Foundation she served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Los Angeles, leading public engagement projects, including the award-winning LA Original social enterprise, the “Save the Drop” campaign resulting in a 20% water use reduction and the “Louder than Guns” gun safety campaign. Ashley also worked as SVP, Marketing for NYC & Company and NYC Mayor Bloomberg, leading civic marketing and content creation for NYC Tourism, “GreeNYC” climate action and “NYCService” initiatives. She helped attract and manage high profile events (e.g., the NAACP 100th Anniversary, the CMA Awards, the NY/NJ Super Bowl bid) generating substantial economic impact for NYC.

Additionally, Ashley worked for culture shaping companies CAA as a Marketing Agent and media/impact firm Good Inc. (now Upworthy) as Head of Strategy and Partnerships, providing guidance to prominent organizations (e.g., The Gates Foundation, Google, the Entertainment Industry Foundation).

Ashley is passionate about bridging creativity and AND ACTION to help solve today’s most pressing issues. Her projects have earned accolades, including a Cannes Titanium Lion, ThinkLA Idea Campaign of the Year Award, an Effie and others. Ashley graduated with a BA Degree from UCLA in Environmental Studies. She believes in the power of storytelling to drive public engagement and lasting social change, and resides in California with her husband, their daughter and son, and rescue pup Pepper.

Brittany Wong is the Program Coordinator supporting The Elevate Prize Foundation’s Programs Team. She has a background working with nonprofits and supporting mission driven organizations. Before beginning her professional career she studied Environmental Studies and Urban Environmental Science at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry focusing on environmental injustices and human behaviors related to the environment. She participated in research projects related to risk perception of sea level rise and ADK social environmental issues.

Brittany is an Institute of Nonprofit Practice RISE Fellow and has supported past cohorts through coaching and mentorship. She previously worked at Echoing Green supporting the fellowship selection process and is excited to help more social impact leaders through The Elevate Prize Foundation’s mission to Make Good Famous.  Brittany is also a member of the Asian Interest Sorority Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority Incorporated where she led educational cultural events covering topics impacting Asian Americans such as the Model Minority Myth.

In her spare time, Brittany enjoys crocheting, going to the gym, sewing, collecting Squishmallows, and opening blind boxes. Her favorite foods are anything colorful and fun. She has lived in New York all her life, she currently lives on Long Island with her siblings and Dog.

Daniel Stein-Sayles is a Senior Program Manager at the Elevate Prize Foundation managing the Get Loud and CNN Heroes program. Daniel brings nearly a decade of experience in the social impact space along with a deep interest in building processes that move resources and effectively support leaders most proximate to their communities. 

Prior to joining Elevate, Daniel has worked at Up2Us Sports, a national sports-based youth development organization and most recently at Echoing Green. At Echoing Green Daniel served as a Manager of Capital where he led the organization’s efforts to identify and select social impact leaders from around the world. While there he managed a robust and equitable selection process that received thousands of applications and engaged hundreds of reviewers per year. He has also helped lead major strategic shifts to the selection process, ensuring that systems were in place to select racial equity leaders from around the world.

Daniel lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and dog. In his spare time you can find him traveling, watching a Mets game or in the park coaching youth flag football. 

Marina Adese, the Director of Marketing & Communications at the Elevate Prize Foundation, brings over a decade of experience dedicated to impact, working across the nonprofit and agency sectors— and always at the intersection of social impact and creativity. 

For almost 10 years, Marina built the campaigns, social media, content and creative strategy teams from the ground up at the International Rescue Committee, where she also won multiple awards, including a Webby, developed a number of high-profile partnerships and traveled with celebrity ambassadors to Jordan, Cote d’Ivoire, Greece, Germany, and more. After that, she spent a year at a social impact agency working for incredible brands such as Spotify, Archewell, DVF and more. 

Marina’s purpose in her professional career couldn’t be more aligned to Elevate’s mission, as her central belief system is that meeting the public where they are—through pop culture—is where real, meaningful change can happen. 

A proud Brazilian born and raised, Marina loves to dance, to be in the Sun, and especially being surrounded by friends and family. She loves living in Miami with her husband, Adam, and their two sons, Lucas and Leo. 

Esther Wang, Management Advisor, brings her experiences as a founder, social entrepreneur, and strategy consultant to support the Elevate Prize winners in growing and strengthening their ventures. 

Previously, Esther co-founded IDinsight, a global non-profit that brings data to decisions in global development, also serving as COO and head of fundraising. Esther also worked at The Bridgespan Group as a Partner and began her career with Bain & Company. Her first foray into social entrepreneurship involved chasing yaks on the Tibetan Plateau. She has lived in Africa for a decade. 

Esther serves on the non-profit Boards of StrongMinds and Govuka, advises philanthropies Imago Dei Fund and The Agency Fund, and serves on the Alumni Council at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership. She is also the Global Mentorship Chair for One League. 

She has been a Presidential Leadership Scholar, Echoing Green Fellow, PopTech Fellow, and at Harvard, a Catherine B. Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship and a George Leadership Fellow. 

Esther loves supporting leaders to dream big and do more than they’d imagined. She’s honored to walk alongside Elevate Prize winners on their impact journeys.

Based in Nairobi with her husband and 3 kids, Esther never says no to a concert or performance. She loves a new adventure or challenge- she’s currently trying to improve her game of padel, keep various pets and houseplants alive, and exploring the beautiful corners of East Africa. 

Jae Webb is the Sr. Events Manager at the Elevate Prize Foundation, where she transforms bold ideas into meaningful, unforgettable experiences. An experiential strategist at heart, Jae thrives at the intersection of production, design, and human connection.

With over a decade of experience, she brings harmony to the moving parts of large-scale convenings, blending precision with creativity to create spaces that feel as intentional as they are impactful. At Elevate, Jae leads global gatherings like the Make Good Famous Summit, weaving strategy, production, and human-centered design to craft experiences that inspire action and amplify impact.

Previously, as Head of Community at Breakout, she curated immersive, place-based experiences across the U.S., centering equity and authentic connection. Before that, Jae built an organization supporting women entrepreneurs and began her career as a visual artist—roots that continue to influence her eye for detail and creativity.

Certified in Healing-Centered Engagement, a BMe Vanguard Fellow, and a mentor for equity and innovation, Jae is devoted to designing spaces that feel intentional, inclusive, and alive. Spaces that don’t just hold people—but move them. From global stages to intimate retreats, her work is rooted in one truth: transformation happens when we gather with purpose, and the impact should ripple far beyond the moment.

Danielle Wolfe, Senior Manager. Digital Marketing, has nearly a decade of impact and nonprofit experience. She has been with The Elevate Prize Foundation nearly 5 years and loves being able to share the stories of the Elevate Prize winners and the work they are doing to Make Good Famous. Prior to her time at Elevate, she spent several years working within community engagement at United Way Miami. Danielle is a proud AmeriCorps Vista, Climate Reality and Global Shapers Alumni.

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Project Management from Arizona State University. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time outside, gardening and birdwatching. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and their two cats. 

Vivienne Vicera is a first-generation Filipina American and Miami native committed to advancing more equitable systems.

With experience spanning philanthropy, education, and community development, Vivienne brings a systems-oriented approach to her work. She is known for bringing order to complexity – transforming scattered workflows and disconnected processes into more cohesive structures that help people better understand their work and integrate data in ways that meaningfully support their goals.

At the Elevate Prize Foundation, Vivienne leads data and systems strategy, building the organization’s infrastructure to support clearer measurement and more effective decision-making in service of mission-driven impact.

Prior to Elevate, Vivienne played a key role in launching Miami-Dade College’s innovation hub, The Idea Center, creating pathways for students and community members to access 21st-century skills programming. She later served as a Program Officer at United Way of Miami-Dade, where she managed a grant portfolio focused on school-age education.

She also worked at Miami-Dade County’s Office of Community Advocacy in partnership with the Asian American Advisory Board, helping bring greater visibility to South Florida’s Asian American communities by developing resources that responded to community needs and experiences and coordinating cultural festivals and gatherings.

Vivienne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies from Brown University. She is passionate about building systems that empower people and using storytelling as data. Outside the office, you can find her in the sun, at home cooking or writing, or at a concert dancing her heart out.

Alex is the Senior Program Manager at the Elevate Prize Foundation. Originally from Miami Alex has dedicated nearly ten years to social change and philanthropy, significantly impacting local communities. At The Miami Foundation, he was integral in managing donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and leading initiatives such as the LGBTQ Community Fund and the Community Grants Program. His efforts were pivotal in the creation of the Racial Equity Fund, seeding the South Florida Racial Justice Roundtable.

A strategic advisor, Alex has influenced several nonprofits, driving growth and transformation. His work includes leading focus groups for the Office of New Americans and representing the Maven Leadership Collective, an organization dedicated to enhancing QTPOC social impact leadership. Additionally, his insights have improved program efficiency in various organizations.

In his tenure at The Miami Foundation, Alex stood out during critical times, co-leading a national racial listening tour and administrating substantial COVID relief funds, showcasing a commitment to innovation and justice.

Before his philanthropic journey, Alex managed crucial projects with AmeriCorps, emphasizing home repairs for the financially disadvantaged and supporting workers’ rights. He holds significant volunteer management experience and has been recognized for his contributions to improving living conditions and advocating for labor rights. Alex was also part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, helping form and lead the local response through Occupy Miami and Occupy FIU. 

Alex remains committed to community activism, lending his time and expertise to grassroots organizations working at the frontlines. In his free time, you can find him going to the park, enjoying movies, or the occasional full moon drum circle. 

Lissy DeSantis, Senior Manager, Impact Initiatives, joined the Elevate Prize Foundation in early 2024, bringing over 15 years of experience in social impact events and programming. 

Most recently, Lissy spent nine years with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), serving as the CEO of CGI from 2019 – 2020. Lissy worked on all aspects of the social impact platform during her tenure at CGI. Most notably, she led the design and implementation of a new CGI program addressing disaster response and resilience in the Caribbean following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. In just two short years the Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery launched over 100 new projects promoting response, resilience, and recovery efforts in the Caribbean.  

Lissy is motivated by the opportunity to take great ideas and help shepherd them into life, and is thrilled to bring her skills and experience to The Elevate Prize Foundation as it inspires audiences across the globe to Make Good Famous.

Based in Brooklyn, Lissy loves exploring new corners of the city, taking the subway to the beach, coaching little league, and tracking down the best ice cream trucks in Brooklyn.