Monica Martinez was born in Chula Vista California and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. She attended school in Tijuana up to Highschool and continued her education in San Diego, California. She worked in retail during her college years and started a career in Banking at age 20. During her fourteen-year banking career, Monica was exposed to the community and the impact that corporations have on furthering the mission of different nonprofit organizations. This matched Monica’s values, and her experience in living in a border town made her seek a change in careers to apply the skills learned throughout her career to further the mission of the Chicano Federation as the Director of Operations. Currently, Monica is attending Cal State San Marcos to obtain a Sociology degree. In her free time Monica enjoys time with her family, friends and fiancé planning her upcoming wedding.

monica@ncphilanthropy.org

Donna Freher-Lyons is a business professional focused on helping businesses grow.  She has experience in various industries, both nonprofit and corporate, and has excelled in business development, sales, marketing, and administrative support.  She has organized large multi-day conferences for 300 to 1500 attendees, coordinated a live year-long personal development seminar, managed an 850-member scientific association, and given presentations at national conferences on bar coding and laser technology.  She has also taught yoga and meditative drawing.

Donna writes about creativity, purpose, personal development, productivity, and personal knowledge management.  She enjoys art, yoga, and Qigong.  A lifelong learner, she is deeply interested in urban and environmental planning, sustainable transportation, green spaces, social equity, and AI.

She is currently pursuing certification in Futures Thinking through the Institute for the Future, expanding her knowledge about what’s happening in our world and highlighting the opportunities and challenges one can prepare for.

donna@ncphilanthropy.org