Jay Abbe
Jay and his wife, Karen, reside on their ranch and vineyards outside of Healdsburg, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco, where they grow grapes and produce a modest amount of wine. Jay is a retired technology business executive, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Optical Coating Laboratory in the late 1990s and President and Chief Operating Officer of JDS Uniphase, a fiber optics company, until his retirement in 2001. Prior to his operating roles, Jay also served for 18 years as a management consultant and senior partner with McKinsey & Company. Currently, he remains active as a director of several public companies, a trustee of his independent secondary school in Pennsylvania, and several local community organizations in Sonoma County. Having grown up outside of Philadelphia in a very East Coast family, where “the West” meant Ohio, Jay connected strongly to Montana during a summer job in 1961 working on the Minuteman missile complex in the central part of the state. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a graduate degree from Cornell University, and an MBA from Stanford University.
Eric Bindelglass, Secretary
Eric spent thirteen years in marketing and general management positions at the Quaker Oats Company, including Vice President and General Manager of the Quaker Oatmeal Cereal business, before moving to the Bay Area in 1996 to join and run Premier Retail Networks. As PRN’s President and Chief Operating Officer he led, managed, and helped build the startup company into a successful digital media business that operated advertising networks in 5,000 retail stores with 250,000 screens across the country. PRN was acquired by Thomson in 2005, and in 2008 Eric left the company to move to Asia for his wife’s career. Since returning to the Bay Area, he is leveraging his experience and brand/business building skills to help non-profit organizations, with a focus on helping low income children to break the cycle of poverty. Eric is a graduate of Yale University and resides in Mill Valley.
Janelle Marie Charles
Janelle Charles is a Meritus Fund alumna with extensive experience in non-profit social services. As a native of Bayview Hunter’s Point and former pupil of San Francisco Unified School District public schools, Janelle is a proponent of educational, health and social equity.
Janelle received her Bachelor in Arts from Bowdoin College with a dual major in Latin American Studies and Spanish. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s Program in Nursing at the University of California San Francisco and is working toward becoming an Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with an additional focus in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing.
Sandy Donnell, Chair
Sandy Donnell is a long-time community volunteer with a wide range of volunteer and Board experience in the non-profit sector. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Master’s degree in Human Development and a Montessori Teaching Credential. Her past and present Board service includes the Edgewood Center for Children and Families (Board President 1994-96), San Domenico School, Belvedere–Tiburon Child-Care Center, Marin General Hospital Foundation, and the Belvedere Community Foundation (Chairman, Grants Committee). She also served eight years on the Belvedere City Council and was a former mayor. Currently, Sandy is co-chair of the campaign for a permanent Marin County Farmers Market and is active in the Save The Redwoods League. A lifelong resident of the Bay area, Ms. Donnell is married to Justin Faggioli; they are the parents of two adult children. They are also co-owners of a ranch in Sonoma whose operations include cattle grazing and vineyards.
Jonathan Eldridge, Chair, Governance Committee
Jonathan Eldridge is the vice president of Student Services at the College of Marin (COM). He came to COM several years ago with extensive administrative experience in student success initiatives, having held similar positions at Southern Oregon University and Lewis & Clark College. Jonathan received a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in political science from Central Washington University. His master’s degree from Colorado State University was in Student Affairs in Higher Education, a program focused on combining different elements of an institution to ensure students have a successful and integrated college experience.
Jonathan is married to Rima DasGupta, a sociology professor at Santa Rosa Junior College, and has four children. He is an avid cook and wine enthusiast and, while he has historically cheered for the Seattle Mariners, he now roots for Bay Area baseball teams.
JP Conte
Jean-Pierre (J-P) Conte is the Chairman and Managing Director of Genstar Capital, a leading US middle-market private equity firm with investments in healthcare, software, financial services, and industrial technology. Conte is a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Business and Colgate University and has spent over thirty years of his career in private equity. A self-made second-generation American born to Cuban and French immigrants, Conte strongly supports immigration reform and established the Hoover Task Force on Immigration Reform in 2011. His other philanthropic efforts support environmental research, neurological degenerative research, and educational equity. His political commitment is to promote the American values of equity, justice, and freedom for all people.
Alongside his prolific philanthropic efforts serving on a number of charity boards (including California Pacific Medical Center, SEO, Hoover Institution, Pan America Development Fund, and Colgate University). J-P is a director of ConnectiveRx, Signant Health, and Advarra.
On joining the 10,000 Degrees board, J-P said: “Educational equity is the foundation of American exceptionalism. I’m delighted to be joining the board of an organization so committed to offering opportunity to the best and brightest of US talent.”
Deborah Goldman, Chair, Napa Advisory Board
Deborah Freed Goldman was born and raised in Marin County, graduating from Redwood High School as Salutatorian. After receiving her BA in Political Economy from UC Berkeley, she achieved her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Raising three children in Mill Valley, she served as PTA President at Old Mill and MVMS, served 6 years on the Tam High Foundation Board including Chair and currently continues to serve in her 16th year on the Kiddo! Mill Valley Schools Foundation as Endowment Co-Chair, serving previously as Chair. She’s served 6 years on the Bridge The Gap Marin City College Prep Advisory Board, including the Marin Promise Success Network and the Marin City Math Collaborative working groups. She mentors first generation students in middle school, high school and college via 10,000 Degrees, Bridge The Gap and English Language Development. She also serves on the Napa Valley Community Foundation Fruit of the Vine Scholarship Committee helping assess and provide scholarships to first generation students in Napa County. She owns and operates Oro Puro Vineyards winery, olive oil and honey business in the Napa Valley with sales in fine restaurants and wine shops in California, New York and Florida. She enjoys hiking the trails of Mt. Tamalpais and Atlas Peak in any weather.
Will Hayes, Co-Chair, Contra Costa Advisory Board
Will Hayes is the CEO of Lucidworks, the leader in AI-powered search. Hayes has over 20 years of experience in Silicon Valley leading product, marketing, and business development initiatives. Prior to Lucidworks, Hayes was head of technical business development for Splunk. He also created and led the company’s global partner program. Earlier in his career, Hayes served as a software engineer at Genentech, where he built solutions that supported the sales and drug development teams. For the past three years, Hayes has served as a member of YPO, a global leadership community of chief executives dedicated to improving lives, businesses, and the world. He has also been a partner to 10,000 Degrees, an organization that provides financial, emotional, and educational resources to Bay Area kids. Will enlists his corporate team to help raise funds to support 10,000 Degrees students to and through college, as he is committed to building an educated and diverse workforce. He currently lives with his family in San Francisco, California, where Lucidworks is headquartered.
Guy Lampard, Vice-Chair
Guy Lampard is Aperio Group’s Chief Client Development Officer and Partner. Earlier in his career, he was a Partner at Montgomery Securities and was Senior Managing Director at Banc of America Securities—where he worked for 15 years. During his career at Montgomery and Banc of America, he held various positions: Director of the International Department, Deputy Head of Institutional Sales, and Director of Marketing, including membership on the Equity Management and Commitment Committees. Guy is a former board member of the India IT Mutual Fund Board based in Mauritius and was also Chairman of its Audit Committee.
He has been a Trustee of the California Historical Society and Chair of its Foundation Board. Guy is a former member of Conservation International’s Chairman’s Council as well as Board Member of the Angel Island Foundation. He is the past Chairman of Heyday Institute, a publishing company based in Berkeley, California, and is on the Advisory Board of ImpactAssets, a nonprofit financial services company. Guy is the co-author of the book Giving From Your Heart, A Guide to Volunteering. He received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley. Guy is an avid golfer with a particular interest in playing remote, undiscovered courses in Scotland.
Sheila Larsen, Assistant Secretary
Sheila Larsen joins the 10,000 Degrees Board from the Meritus Board of Directors. She has extensive management experience in the non-profit, education and corporate sectors. She currently serves on the boards of Breakthrough Collaborative, and ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) National Foundation. She has been President of the Boards of ARCS Northern California, Children’s Theatre Association of San Francisco, and San Francisco School Volunteers. Other volunteer commitments include the Foundation of City College of San Francisco, The San Francisco Education Fund, and The Gladstone Institutes President’s Council. Sheila also worked on the development staff of the San Francisco Symphony and for Levi Strauss in merchandise and operations management. She earned her BA from Stanford University and also holds an MSJ from Northwestern as well as an MBA from The Wharton School of Business.
Denise Lucy
Dr. Denise M. Lucy is an expert in leadership and organizational change. She is a Professor of Business and Organizational Studies, Founder and Executive Director of the Dominican University of California’s Institute of Leadership Studies. She has 29 years of experience in higher education as an educator and executive; first at the University of San Francisco and currently at Dominican since 1993. Some of her former professional roles include Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean, Associate Dean, Director of Marketing and Corporate Development.
As a professional manager and professor, she teaches and consults in leadership and team development, strategic planning, and organizational change, negotiation and conflict management. Her research interests include leadership and teams, small business enterprise, micro-finance poverty reduction, community leadership, civic engagement and corporate social responsibility.
Kim Mazzuca, President and Chief Executive Officer
Kim Mazzuca has served as the President & CEO of 10,000 Degrees since 1999. A Bay Area native and first generation college graduate, Kim has dedicated her life to social justice. She brings more than two decades of executive nonprofit management and philanthropic leadership in the areas of youth development, human services, workforce development, and education. Prior to joining 10,000 Degrees, Kim served as the Associate Executive Director of Jewish Vocational Service and as Director of Rehabilitation and Special Assistant to the Founder and Director for RCH, Inc. She holds her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Francisco State University, is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Program for Nonprofit Leaders, where she was named a fellow in 2001, and is currently seeking her doctoral degree in Organization and Leadership at the University of San Francisco.
In 2014, Kim was named a Nonprofit Leader of the Year by North Bay Business Journal and in 2015, she was named Legislative Woman of the Year for California’s 10th District. Kim has served on numerous community boards, including the National College Access Network Board of Directors, where she completed a three-year term as board president. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Prison University Project at San Quentin.
Mike Mauzé
Mike Mauzé co-founded VMG Partners in 2005 and currently focuses on all aspects of the Fund’s investment strategy. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at SFJazz and served on the board at SF-Marin Food Bank. Mike received his A.B. in Economics from Davidson College and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
Monica Mehra
Monica Mehra is a vice president and securitized products portfolio manager for the disciplined alpha team at Loomis, Sayles & Company, where she is responsible for security selection and trading for CMBS and ABS. She joined Loomis Sayles in 2011. Monica began her investment career in 2004 at Morgan Stanley in ABS trading and syndicate, and later worked at Nomura Securities as the lead ABS trader. She earned a BS in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from Columbia University.
Mark Mokelke, Chair, Marin Advisory Board
Mark is a Senior Vice President and Senior Client Manager at Bank of America. A graduate of the University of San Francisco in International Business and Finance, Mark has been with Bank of America Merrill Lynch since 2000, working in various industry groups, primarily focusing on large corporate industrial and real estate companies.
In his current role, Mark is responsible for leading, directing and coordinating key team members in analysis and execution of the effective delivery of their products and services to clients and prospects. Mark is well-versed in a broad range of banking products and services and holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses. He lives in San Rafael with his wife, Katey, and children, Max and Camille.
Leila Mongan
A graduate of Stanford University, and New York University School of Law, Leila Mongan is a Councilmember on the Corte Madera Town Council. She formerly served as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, focusing on matters such as litigation, appeals, and advising city commissions and departments. She was a judicial clerk to several federal judges, including serving as a clerk to a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, and she practiced at international law firms Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Hogan Lovells LLP. Mongan has experienced, first-hand, the power of educational attainment to change one’s life, and she looks forward to bringing her unique perspective and experience to the 10,000 Degrees Board of Directors.
Toby Mumford
Toby is on the Advisory Board at Community Gatepath, the largest non-profit serving people with disabilities in San Mateo and Santa Clara County. He provides strategic research, analysis, project management, and advisory services to senior management, as well as strategic policy and planning advice, information and support. He is also a board member at the Northern California Planned Giving Council. Toby is a former board member at Velo SF and retired Senior Vice President of Franklin Templeton Investments. Prior to Franklin, Toby spent 15 years in domestic and international commercial banking with First Interstate Bank and Barclay’s Bank. He also spent five years in Asia with First Interstate Bank, where he was responsible for international project lending and correspondence banking. He is a graduate of Golden Gate University and Menlo College. Toby is a member of 10,000 Degrees’ Major Gifts, Advancement, and Anniversary Gala Committees.
Lizbeth Najera Semeniuk, Chair, DEI Committee
Lizbeth is currently a manager in the international tax services group of PwC’s San Francisco office. She joined the 10,000 Degrees Board in 2020. As co-lead for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) Committee for 10,000 Degrees, Lizbeth helps direct and foster a culture of inclusive leadership and culture of belonging at 10,000 Degrees. In her role, Lizbeth has assisted in the development of our DEI strategy, which has included working with staff, other board members and a third party service provider in the execution of a comprehensive cultural survey report for 10,000 Degrees.
Lizbeth has previously volunteered at various non-profits in Los Angeles and in the Bay Area. Her experience included serving as a law clerk for the Community Economic Development Unit of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Low Income Taxpayer’s Clinic of Santa Clara Law School. Lizbeth was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico and earned her BS in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University and JD from Santa Clara School of Law.
Peg Pike, Treasurer
Peg is Chief Operating Officer and a Principal at Brouwer and Janachowski, a Marin-based Registered Investment Advisor. In this role, Peg is responsible for implementing the company’s vision, strategic plan, and business goals, directing all operational, talent management, systems and infrastructure activities for the firm. Peg also heads up the firm’s Women’s Guild, a specialty practice dedicated to empowering women through the sharing of financial information and ‘street smarts’ necessary to take control of their financial lives.
Peg graduated with a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.S. cum laude in Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire.
Susan Preston, Assistant Treasurer
Susan Preston is the President of Professional Program Insurance Brokerage in Novato. She is an innovator in crafting insurance programs for emerging industries, and has designed coverage programs for businesses as diverse as medispas, laser centers, tattoo shops and medical marijuana centers. Susan has also worked with government bodies to develop regulations for tattooing, body piercing, permanent cosmetics and laser services, as well as co-founding the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals, an organization that set international standards for the industry. Preston’s knowledge of emerging industries has brought her company, Professional Program Insurance Brokerage, to the forefront of niche market insurance.
Susan also serves on the board of Village Hopecore, an organization that provides micro-loans, potable water and maternal health care to a village on the slopes of Mount Kenya in Africa. She was recently appointed to the board of the Luther Burbank Center, an eminent organization that brings talent and educational programs to the San Francisco Area’s North Bay.
Dr. Albert “Bert” Richards
Albert Richards is the CEO and co-Founder of Alambic Investment Management, LP – a systematic investment manager based in San Francisco. Prior to becoming a founding partner of Alambic, Bert was Managing Director and Head of European Equity Research (1994-2000) for Citigroup (previously Salomon Brothers), European Internet and Global Technology strategist (2000-2003) and Small and Mid-Cap strategist (2003-2006). From 1986 to 1994 Mr. Richards worked in equity research for Credit Suisse First Boston in New York and London.
Mr. Richards received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1981, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1983, a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1986, and an M.B.A. from the Sloan School of Management (MIT), also in 1986. He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1990.
Madeleine Sinclair
Madeleine Sinclair has more than a decade of experience in the investment management industry, spanning functions of account management, distribution strategy, and business development. She specializes in the design of client acquisition and retention strategies, sales planning, and strategic marketing programs. As a key member of the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock (iShares), she has lead teams of tenured sales professionals and has contributed to the growth of a multi-billion dollar Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) client base. In her current role, she partners with the Head of BlackRock’s US iShares Wealth Advisory Group to set its strategic direction and define key priorities to enhance competitiveness and market share growth. Education: MBA, New York University and BA, DePauw University
Bhupinder “Sonu” Singh Chandi, Chair, Sonoma Advisory Board
Born in India, Sonu came to America when he was just a teenager, and today he is the Owner and CEO of The Chandi Hospitality Group which he runs with his family.
In 2007, Sonu along with brothers purchased his first Mountain Mike’s Pizza franchise in Rohnert Park. It wasn’t long before its success led to development of 14 more Mountain Mike’s throughout the North Bay in the last 10 years. Along with successfully running his ever-expanding franchises, Sonu currently holds the position of president for the Mountain Mike’s North Bay Franchise Management which plays developer role for the whole North Bay. Under Sonu’s vision, the Chandi Hospitality Group continues its rapid expansion.
As well as running a fast-growing business, Sonu also devotes much of his time and energy in strengthening the Santa Rosa community. He is on the Governance Committee of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber and Green Music Center. In addition, he has been a board member of the Santa Rosa Downtown Association, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, United Way of North Bay, the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and 10,000 Degrees. Thanks to his dedication, he has been honored with the North Bay Business Journal’s Corporate Philanthropy Award, the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber named him Hospitality Small Business of the Year in 2017, the North Bay Business Journal named him one of its Forty Under 40 (2015). Sonu has also been recognized for the Keegan Leadership Award as First Next Gen, Community Impact Award by Santa Rosa Memorial Foundation and Keegan family. Additionally, American Dream Award 2017 by Congressman Mike Thompson and invited to attend State of the Union for 2022 on behalf of Sonoma County Business.
Luis Silva-Behrens
Luis is a Fixed Income Trader at Dodge & Cox. Before joining Dodge & Cox, Luis was an Executive Director on J.P. Morgan’s Investment Grade Credit Team in New York City and San Francisco. Luis received his B.A. (magna cum laude) from the University of Washington and his M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Luis resides in San Francisco with his wife Keily and enjoys reading, running, and swimming in his spare time.
Nikhil Sharma
Nikhil Sharma is a Senior Software Engineer with over 12 years of experience in building scalable, highly resilient products leveraging Micro Service Architecture and API-first design. He is passionate about technology and delivering products to make a profound impact on end users. Nikhil has experience in working with cross-functional , geographical teams following agile practices with a focus on test-driven methodology.
Nikhil is completely aligned with 10,ooo Degrees’ mission to help students from low-income backgrounds get to and through college in order to positively impact their communities and the world. Nikhil believes education is the key to creating endless opportunities by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty.
Jennifer Sweeney, Chair, South Bay – Peninsula Advisory Board
Jennifer Sweeney has served as General Counsel for several start-up companies, practiced corporate law for a large law firm, and worked in private equity and investment banking. After spending nearly ten years working in the biotechnology and high tech industries, serving in various legal, finance and investing roles, she has now dedicated herself to working to improve educational opportunities for children, both domestically and internationally. Jennifer serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, which aims to strengthen K-12 Catholic schools through innovative teacher training, leadership development and research. She serves on the Leadership Council for Positive Coaching Alliance, a national non-profit organization that develops better athletics, better people through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. Prior to joining the 10,000 Degrees Board, Jennifer served on the Board of Meritus College Fund. She also served on the Board of Iqra Fund, a non-profit organization educating girls in remote, tribal regions of northeastern Pakistan.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1999 with a degree in finance and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2006. Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three young boys, who dream of one day being students at Notre Dame.
Tam Tiet
Tam Tiet is a family medicine physician for Sutter Health in Sonoma County. Dr. Tiet completed her medical training from UC Davis Family medicine residency network in 2015, graduating cum laude in Biology from the University of San Francisco. She is an alum of Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and 10,000 degrees. Prior to medical school, she worked at BioMarin Pharmaceutical in Novato as a microbiology analyst.
Dr. Tiet’s career thus far has involved teaching and mentoring, initially to middle school students and later to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical students. She has also volunteered in medical mission projects in Vietnam and continues to participate in charitable work in both Vietnam and the Bay Area.
Dr. Tiet is a firm believer in higher education and plans to obtain a Health Care Executive MBA. Dr. Tiet is grateful for her educational opportunities and being able to give back to the community and, is delighted to be part of 10,000 Degrees.
Michael Whitcomb
Michael Whitcomb is a management consultant (retired) at Catalyst Strategies with over 35 years of experience in marketing and general management. At Catalyst he was a leader in their strategic planning practice, helping clients build a coherent, compelling, and sustainable value proposition through effective positioning, brand strategy, and growth planning. Michael’s clients have included mostly technology and financial services companies such as SAP, Cisco, RSA, Wells Fargo, Silicon Valley Bank, Delta Dental, AAA, IHS, Zazzle, and NerdWallet. Previously, he was Managing Director of the Ackerman McQueen Advertising, CMO for Jarden Corporation, and Managing Director of Gatorade in Australia and New Zealand. Michael holds an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia, an MA in History from San Francisco State University, and a BA from Dartmouth College. Michael and his wife, Julie, live in San Francisco and have two grown children.
Mary Wolfe, Chair, San Francisco Advisory Board
Mary Wolfe is the founder and principal consultant at Wolfe + Associates, a boutique firm specializing in measuring client satisfaction for professional services firms. Previously, Mary spent over 15 years in start-up marketing working for a variety of tech and consumer companies on strategic marketing, product marketing and design, and new business development. Mary is an avid community volunteer. She is a chair emeritus and serves on the development committee of Raphael House of San Francisco. She also actively serves on capital campaign committees for the John Carroll School, the University of Virginia, and Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco. Mary graduated from the University of Virginia where she received her B.A. degree in English literature.