Leadership
Our Leadership team has extensive experience in technology, innovation, social activism, and entrepreneurship.
The key element that ties our team together is a common belief that a combination of technology, political change, and climate change have brought about a time period unparalleled in human history, where those who care to change the outcome have an opportunity to re-write the rules.
Randy Haykin
Founder & Chief Purpose Officer
Randy is a well-known Silicon Valley angel, serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He established and ran an early-stage venture fund (www.outlookventures.com) in 1997. Forming his career at Apple Computer in the late 90’s, Randy later became the founding Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Yahoo; he has mentored 70 + startups since. He is also a Professor at UC Berkeley and U. Cambridge, teaching courses on New Venture Finance and Innovation/Creativity. Randy holds a BA in Organizational Management from Brown University, and MBA from Harvard.
Contact Randy at randy@gratitude-network.org
Laura Traxler
Board of Directors
LauraTraxler (Director, Gratitude: Childhood Initiative) developed a long career at Bank of America, where her last role was Senior Vice President and Managing Director, in the Global Corporate and Investment Banking group. Laura was also a Marketing/Operations lead at Insight Resource Group, a marketing services organization. Laura also has a long history serving many for-profit and non-profit boards, including Teach for America, Education Foundation of Orinda, and Miramonte High School (where she is currently VP Fundraising). Soon to be an empty-nester, Laura is enjoying her work in the non-profit world and seeing the difference she can make.
Email: laurat@gratitude-network.org
Will Wyman
Director of Philanthropy
Will is a graduate of Pomona College and has raised millions in support of worthy causes and educational institutions. He has two decades of experience managing NPO development offices and advancement programs, overseeing fundraising efforts for annual, capital, and endowment campaigns, assisting with strategic plans, board recruitment and governance strategies, and securing planned gifts to increase endowments for a variety of cultural, educational, and environmental organizations.
Will worked closely with Peter Hero, former CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, while at the Fogarty Institute for Innovation, and partnered with Peter on a number of NPO consulting projects in 2015-16 as Senior Advisor of The Hero Group. With a passion for the arts, education, and the environment, Will’s expertise also includes over five years project management, fundraising, GIS mapping, and grant writing with regional land trusts and a dozen years of successful fundraising program management experience for independent schools in California and Oregon. He has also served on three WASC/CAIS Accreditation Committees.
Email: will@gratitude-network.org
Ann Singer
Director, Programs & Events
Ann has nearly 20 years experience working in the nonprofit sector. Her early professional career includes ten years in the private sector, spent in some of the largest commercial banks in the world, working on complicated credit transactions. She began working with non-profits nearly twenty years ago, and comes to The Gratitude Network with solid experience in fund development, event planning and non-profit development, as well as previous Executive Director experience with organizations in significant transition periods.
Ann founded and built a successful non-profit consulting business, annSwers, which assisted a broad variety of arts organizations in individual donor development, major donor cultivation, strategic planning, special event production, organizational branding, and more. annSwers clients included many well-regarded arts and education organizations in the Bay Area.
For many years, Ann has volunteered her time in community efforts to improve the lives of those without their own voice. She served on the Board of SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation) and was a past Board Member of The Harvey Milk Institute.
She currently lives in San Francisco with her 14-year old daughter Alexandra Thanh Ha, adopted from Vietnam as an infant, and is currently a freshman at Lowell High School in San Francisco.
Email: ann@gratitude-network.org
Steve Kirch
Director of Leadership and Training
Board of Directors
Steve Kirch spent more than 30 years as a manager and leader in high-tech (at IBM and Intel) and has now decided that it is time to give back. He brings his passion for personal and organizational development and his skill as an instructor and facilitator to the Gratitude Network. It all started nearly 20 years ago when he was introduced to and then became certified to teach the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (c). While holding management and leadership positions in nearly all aspects of Silicon hardware products: design, product and process development, manufacturing, test and quality, he always focused on developing his people and organizations to achieve their highest and best. He also has a passion for music – singing with two award-winning Bay Area barbershop choruses and the reigning Far Western District Senior Championship Barbershop Quartet – Spellbound. He has appeared on stage in local theater company productions and when not busy with music, you can find him on his bicycle or on the golf course. He has been married to Donna for more than 35 years and has two wonderfully intelligent and talented daughters who are making their own way in the world.
Meri McCoy-Thompson
Director of Partnerships
Meri has spent more than 25 years building partnerships and managing social enterprises and nonprofits in Africa, Asia, and North America, working with organizations such as Human Needs Project, Project Concern International, Catholic Relief Services, and Strategic Links-India. Meri’s degrees are from Stanford University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Meri is passionate about improving people’s lives, through access to education, improved health, better economic opportunities, more resilient families, and strong communities.
Contact Meri at meri@gratitude-network.org
Laura Faucett Schafer
Director of Auctions
Laura has had a successful career as an entrepreneur, marketing and sales executive in technology, advertising, finance, and consumer package goods. She was president and co-founder of eMergingMedia, a company that developed and marketed websites for leading brands including Samsung, L’eggs Pantyhose, and NeXT Software. She was also vice president of interactive marketing services for iXL. iXL was a marketing agency that developed brand, creative, and demand generation strategies for enterprises including Virgin Atlantic, Stamps.com, and Budget Rent-A-Car. Laura has spent over 20 years volunteering for the Junior League of San Francisco, where she has held various roles including vice president and strategic planning chair. Laura has a BA in Communications from the University of Virginia, and is currently the proud mother of 6-year old twin boys.
Arwen Thiel
Director of Social Impact
Arwen has over 10 years experience working in the nonprofit sector, specializing in education, programming and grantmaking. She served as Assistant Director of Enrichment Programs for The Harker School – a nonprofit, independent pre-K to 12th grade college preparatory school. Prior to joining the Gratitude Network, Arwen was Senior Program Manager for World of Children – a nonprofit organization providing funding and support to programs serving children globally. Arwen also volunteers with the Red Cross and a local domestic violence shelter. She lives in Livermore with her husband Todd and their many pets.
Contact Arwen at arwen@gratitude-network.org
Briana Harney Smith
Gratitude Awards
Briana has over 8 years of experience in business development, mostly in the healthcare industry, and has worked for national corporations as well as start-up stage companies. She has a passion for delivering innovative solutions to solve difficult business and institutional problems. Briana is also a student at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in their Evening MBA program. Briana holds a BS in Sociology & Legal Studies and will complete her MBA in May 2015.
Contact Briana at briana@gratitudefund.org