Chris has been a partner with Social Impact Partners since 2015, serving previously as Treasurer and Vice Chair before becoming Board Chair. He has led numerous projects focused on workforce development and, since 2019, has been the Lead Partner on SIP’s engagement with Career Resources, Inc., where he also serves on the board. Beyond SIP, Chris has held leadership roles as Board Chair of Achievement First Bridgeport Academy and Board Secretary of ConnectUs, a nonprofit supporting after-school enrichment and job training for youth in Bridgeport. Prior to retiring, he spent 26 years at J.P. Morgan Securities, where he was a Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Ratings Advisory, with additional experience in Acquisition Finance, M&A, and Credit Risk Management.

Chuck is a Special Advisor to Blue Meridian Partners, offering strategic guidance on investor relations, operations, fundraising, and governance. A founding leader, he previously served as Chief Development Officer, Managing Director, and COO, playing a central role in launching Blue Meridian, developing its partnership model, and helping it raise over $2 billion by 2020. Earlier, he was Portfolio Manager at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and co-founded SeaChange Capital Partners to support nonprofits serving low-income youth. Chuck spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs, retiring as Partner and Managing Director. He holds degrees from Harvard College and MIT’s Sloan School of Management and has served on numerous nonprofit and corporate boards.

Bernadette “Bernie” Park has been a partner with Social Impact Partners since 2019 and currently serves as Secretary on the Executive Committee, co-chair of Workforce Development Investments on the Investments and Strategic Planning Committee, and a member of the workforce development system change team supporting state and regional healthcare initiatives. With over 15 years of experience in advocacy, community organizing, and fundraising, she has held leadership roles on multiple nonprofit boards. Bernie previously worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering as a critical care nurse, Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Practitioner, and taught as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Yale, a BS in Nursing from the College of Mount St. Vincent, and advanced degrees from Columbia University. She is a member of the ANA, CNA, and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Peter Denious is President and CEO of AdvanceCT, bringing over two decades of private equity and venture capital experience to the role. Prior to joining AdvanceCT in 2019, he spent 17 years at FLAG Capital Management and its successor, Aberdeen Standard Investments, helping grow the firm’s private equity platform from $1B to over $6.5B in assets. He also worked at J.H. Whitney & Co. Peter holds a B.A. from Trinity College and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, where he serves on the board of the Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital. He is an Ex-Officio member of the Governor’s Workforce Council and has been a Social Impact Partners member since 2018.

Susan is the Lead Partner of Social Impact Partners’ Building One Community (B1C) team and serves on B1C’s board, where she co-chairs Governance and Program Evaluation and advocates for the immigrant community. She also contributed to the Governor’s Workforce Council, focusing on adult education and career pathways in Business Services and IT. Before retiring in 2019, Susan spent over 33 years at JP Morgan in investment banking and wealth management. She holds a degree from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA from UCLA, and has been an active board member and volunteer with cultural, humanitarian, and environmental organizations.

Wes Alexander leads the Workforce Solutions department at Travelers, providing a safe channel for employee feedback and advising on fair and equitable workplace practices. Previously, he served as Second Vice President of Employee Relations at Travelers and held roles at Liberty Mutual, including AVP & Director of Employee Relations and In-House Employment Law Counsel. He lives in West Hartford, CT, with his wife and two sons, and enjoys golf, sports, and music in his free time.

Isabel Almeida is President and CEO of United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut, where she has served since 2011, leading strategic initiatives that support vulnerable households through innovation and partnerships. Her prior roles include leadership positions at Carrier Corporation, United Way of New York City, and United Technologies, with her career beginning in the U.S. House of Representatives. Isabel serves on the boards of Newtown Savings Bank, Social Impact Partners, and the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, and has long been active in civic and community organizations. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Trinity College and studied nonprofit management at Baruch College. She lives in Danbury with her husband and two children.

Steve Cowherd is a seasoned health care attorney at Pullman & Comley, a corporate partner of SIP since 2019, where he chairs the firm’s Health Care practice and advises health care providers and organizations on regulatory, transactional, compliance, reimbursement, licensure, HIPAA, and administrative law matters. A Partner at Pullman & Comley for ten years, Steve brings more than two decades of legal experience and a strong record of community engagement. ​Steve has led the firm’s engagement with SIP and was a member of SIP’s Horizons Bridgeport project team which supported the creation of a regional organization of three Horizons National programs: Greens Farms, Sacred Heart University and Notre Dame. He later served on the Horizons Bridgeport Board. An experienced nonprofit and community board member, Steve serves on the Boards of Hands On Hartford, a social service nonprofit, and the Connecticut Health Lawyers Association, where he is Vice President.

Jim is a growth-focused leader with a 40-year career as a global CEO, board chair, and advisor, who transitioned to philanthropy and social impact in 2020. He joined Social Impact Partners that year and now leads the team supporting Open Doors in Norwalk, CT, in its mission to end homelessness. He also served as a grant reader for CareerConneCT and sits on the board of Five Frogs, while advising and funding MISSION GREEN, a global forest conservation initiative. Previously, Jim co-founded and led two consulting firms, served on multiple boards, and held executive roles in five private equity-backed companies. He began his career in marketing at top CPG firms and rose to president in the market research and insights sector. Jim holds a BA from Williams College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Maggie is Executive Vice President and General Manager for Job Seeker at Indeed, leading product, engineering, design, and operations teams to help people get jobs. She previously served as General Manager of Enterprise, supporting major employers. Before joining Indeed in 2016, she led Sales Strategy & Operations at Google and worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Maggie holds a BA in Economics from Harvard and an MBA with distinction from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Mary Jaensch has been a Social Impact Partners member since 2020, contributing to workforce development and early childhood education initiatives and helping shape SIP’s strategic priorities. With a background in brand strategy and entrepreneurship, she spent over a decade at Richardson-Vicks and Procter & Gamble before co-founding two consulting firms and later serving as CEO of a venture-backed company. She now also coaches professional women through career transitions. Outside of work, Mary enjoys gardening and time with her family.

Juanita T. James is a longtime Stamford, CT community leader and former President & CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, following a 35-year corporate career with senior roles at Pitney Bowes, Time Warner, and Bertelsmann. She currently serves on the boards of Asbury Automotive Group, First County Bank, CSCU, and Lesley University, and is active in several local nonprofits and arts organizations. Her many honors include recognition from Savoy Magazine, the NAACP, and the Girl Scouts of CT. Juanita holds degrees from Princeton and Columbia, as well as multiple honorary doctorates, and continues to champion education, philanthropy, and the arts.

Don Kendall is a social entrepreneur and philanthropist who has focused his nonprofit work on building organizations that that address pressing social challenges. He was the catalyst and driving force behind the creation of Social Impact Partners, formerly Social Venture Partners Connecticut, where he was one of the founding Partners, served as the organization’s first Board Chair (July 2014-22), and continued as a Director through July 2025.​ Throughout his career, Don has used entrepreneurial discipline, business-model thinking, and hands- on mentorship to help founders turn ambitious ideas into lasting organizations. He has started and led four for-profit companies, helped launch three nonprofits in addition to SIP, and invested in and mentored dozens of entrepreneurs. His work reflects a deep belief in the power of talented leaders, strong organizations, and cross-sector collaboration to create meaningful social impact.​ Don’s recent past nonprofit board roles include All Our Kin (Chair) , The Connecticut Mirror, AdvanceCT (Vice Chair), 4-CT (co-founder and Chair), and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Today, Don describes his most important work as “trying to be a good husband, father, son, and community volunteer,” while continuing to support leaders and organizations working toward a more equitable Connecticut.

Vanessa Monique Liles is a community organizer in Bridgeport, CT, working with low-income public housing residents through PT Partners to challenge systemic racism and support grassroots organizing. She consults with nonprofits on diversity, equity, and inclusion and holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Urban Education from Texas A&M University. Her research centers on race, community, and education policy using Participatory Action Research. Vanessa also holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Bridgeport and has experience in youth programming and violence prevention. She serves on local and regional boards and is active in academic and community organizations.

Shannon is Executive Director of ReadyCT, where she leads efforts to connect education, business, and civic sectors to advance equitable student outcomes and align education with workforce needs. With over 20 years in PK–12 and higher education, she previously held leadership roles at the CT RISE Network, the Connecticut State Department of Education, and The New Teacher Project (TNTP). Shannon also worked in admissions and development at Stanford and Yale. She holds an MBA from Yale, an M.A. from Stanford, and a B.A. from Dartmouth, and lives in West Hartford, CT, with her husband and two daughters.

Jessica Sager is the co-founder and CEO of All Our Kin, a nationally recognized nonprofit that supports family child care providers to help children and families thrive. A graduate of Barnard College and Yale Law School, she co-teaches a Yale seminar on child care and policy and serves on the boards of the Low Income Investment Fund and the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Jessica is an Ashoka and Pahara Aspen Fellow and has been featured in major outlets for her thought leadership on child care. She was recently named to the CARE 100 list and received the 2024 Heinz Award for the Economy.

Kathy Taylor, Esq., is the President and CEO of the Connecticut Community Foundation, becoming its fourth leader in the organization’s 101-year history. A former professor and community leader, she has served as Board Chair of the Foundation and as a board director and CRA Committee Chair at Ion Bank. Kathy is a founding member of the Women’s Giving Circle and Waterbury Black Giving Circle, and has worked as an Equity and Inclusion Consultant with nonprofits, schools, and corporations. She holds a B.A. from Hampton University and a J.D. from UConn School of Law, and is licensed to practice in CT and PA. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.

Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez is the Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez moved to Hartford as a multilingual learner at the age of nine and is a product of Hartford Public High School. She has served as an education leader in Greater Hartford for over twenty-five years. Prior to her appointment as Superintendent, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez was Acting Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership within Hartford Public Schools, where she provided culturally courageous leadership to support the comprehensive improvement efforts of a network of schools. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez successfully served as Assistant Principal, Director, and Principal in neighborhood and magnet schools. She also taught social and behavioral science at Capital Community College for seven years, and served students and families at the CT Technical High School System as a School Social Worker. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and a Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut, and she earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Most recently, she was awarded the Equity Warrior Award at the June 2023, When Women Lead Summit. She is currently a Pahara Institute Fellow and was nominated and selected for the inaugural class of the Google & Global Silicon Valley Education Innovation Fellowship. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez was the recipient of the 2022 Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Latino Superintendent of the Year Award. She was also the recipient of the 2019 National Brillante Award for Educational Excellence from Prospanica. She is a fellow of The Broad Academy. Dr. Torres-Rodriguez serves on the Trinity College Board of Trustees, the American Heart Association CT Board of Directors, the Hartford Promise Board, The Children’s Museum Board, co-chairs the Mayor’s Cabinet for Young Children in Hartford, and is a member of the Governor’s Workforce Council. She is a proud resident of Hartford, where she lives with her husband and two sons.