Speakers

I help fundraisers connect with aligned donors without burnout through strategy, coaching, and behavior design. As a former fundraiser and creator of the Power Partners Formula™?, I’ve supported 60,000+ nonprofit leaders. I host the What the Fundraising podcast and founded Practivated—a “flight simulator” for fundraising—to help fundraisers rehearse real conversations. My work focuses on alignment, energy, and building sustainable, human-centered fundraising practices.

Sara Espinosa, M.A., joined CFRE International in 2024. With 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, as well as association management, she has worked across nonprofit, association, and private sectors, specializing in digital communications, B2B and B2C marketing, and program development. Espinosa holds an M.A. in Public Relations from Rowan University, a B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Association Management from the American Society of Association Executives. She is a recipient of the Association Forum’s Forty Under 40 award (2022).

Miranda Fagley is the Regional Director of Fundraising Accounts at Encoura + RNL, where she helps higher education and nonprofit partners maximize the impact of their fundraising programs. Prior to joining Encoura and RNL, Miranda spent nearly 10 years working on campus within annual giving teams, building donor pipelines, and managing multichannel engagement strategies. Drawing on her practitioner experience, she partners with institutions to develop strategic approaches that strengthen engagement, improve performance, and drive measurable fundraising results.

As the Chief Marketing Officer at Bloomerang, Ann is responsible for the company's overall thought
leadership, brand, marketing and community outreach programs that work to strengthen relationships with
customers and the broader nonprofit community. Ann brings with her more than 24 years of experience in
business-to-business (B2B) marketing in the technology industry, including time spent working at a
nonprofit organization. Prior to Bloomerang, Ann spent two years as an independent marketing consultant
for high-growth, B2B Software as a service (SaaS) businesses and was named one of the “Top Women
Leaders in SaaS of 2018".

Alice Ferris is the founding partner of GoalBusters Consulting with over 30 years of fundraising experience. She’s led record-breaking campaigns for public media, healthcare, and science organizations, and was the 90th professional to earn the ACFRE. Alice is known for blending practical strategy with engaging storytelling and has trained fundraisers across the U.S., Canada, and Asia. She also serves as faculty for the University of Denver’s Nonprofit Leadership Program.

Josh Fertitta is the Founder of Fertitta Solutions, a consulting firm that helps mission-driven organizations grow their revenue, relationships, and impact. With nearly 20 years in philanthropy, he has led development efforts at the local and national levels and directed public-sector initiatives in Louisiana. A former AmeriCorps VISTA, Josh began his career rebuilding post-Katrina New Orleans. He brings deep experience across education, workforce, and youth services. He earned a bachelors degree from Tulane and completed management training at Catholic University. Josh is a trusted speaker, strategist, and facilitator committed to building sustainable, values-driven fundraising programs.

Jamie Foltz is a veteran nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience designing innovative fundraising strategies. She has successfully led development teams at Ronald McDonald House Charities and other national nonprofits. Jamie currently consults with the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership—helping manage their national event series, Inspiring American Leadership. Jamie recently founded Ten Twigas Philanthropy, a nonprofit consulting firm to help nonprofit boards operate with the agility of startups while guiding executive and development teams to ethically integrate AI for smarter fundraising. Additionally, Jamie publishes The Giraffe Effect, a happy news magazine celebrating good humans and great causes.

Logan Foote has been around the game of golf his whole life, but despite thousands of attempts, he’s
never gotten a hole-in-one. His passion for golf led him to GolfStatus in 2017, where he discovered the
sport’s power for good. As Sales and Education Director, Logan oversees a team working with thousands
of nonprofits to maximize their golf fundraisers. He is a well-known subject matter expert in golf
fundraising, hosting a monthly webinar series. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife and three sons.

Derria L. Ford is a strategic nonprofit leader and change agent dedicated to advancing equity through philanthropy. As a seasoned nonprofit executive, she drives fundraising growth, deepens community engagement, and leads initiatives that break the cycle of poverty. With nearly 20 years of experience, Derria has secured over sixty million in funding, forged transformative partnerships, and built high-impact strategies that strengthen nonprofit success. She holds a Doctorate in Leadership and an MBA, and is deeply committed to ethical leadership, storytelling, innovation, and measurable community impact.

Tanya Frey is an attorney and the Founder and CEO of Terra Firm a Consulting, LLC, a firm specializing in executive search and organizational development for mission-driven nonprofits. She brings over 20 years of experience in law, human resources, operations, and fundraising. Tanya has held senior leadership roles across the nonprofit sector and is recognized for her strategic insight and commitment to equity in hiring. She holds a J.D. and leverages her legal and operational background to help organizations build effective, values-aligned leadership teams that drive sustainable impact.

Amanda Fritz has degrees in Psychology, Public Relations, and a Masters in Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, and is Co-Chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy–Canada. Her 17-year career in the non-profit sector spans education, health, and community. She is passionate about leveraging data and modernizing approaches in major giving, capital campaigns, and volunteer management. In her current role as Director, Major Giving and Campaign Tracking, CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, Amanda works to put in place the strategies and tools needed to secure $500M in new philanthropic investments – the most ambitious campaign ever undertaken by a healthcare institution in Quebec.

Steve Froehlich is Chief Customer Growth Officer at GoFundMe, where he leads customer success, sales, and growth for the company’s nonprofit customers. In this role, he oversees a unified nonprofit sales, success, care and community fundraising organization and works closely with product, technology, marketing, and go-to-market teams. Steve brings more than a decade of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, he served as Chief Revenue & Development Officer at ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he led mass marketing, events, corporate partnerships, major gifts, planned giving, and digital fundraising.

Jeri Pat Gabbert, CFRE, is a dedicated philanthropic leader, educator, and champion for community-based giving. As Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropic Officer at the Porter County Community Foundation, she leads efforts to inspire philanthropy and lasting impact in Northwest Indiana (NWI). Gabbert has more than two decades of higher education advancement leadership experience and is a proud faculty member at The Fund Raising School. Gabbert is a nationally recognized speaker and writer on fundraising and gives back through extensive volunteer leadership, including chair of CASE District V and as a founding member of the NWI Chapter of AFP.

Julia Gackenbach has spent over a decade working locally and globally with nonprofits. This has sharpened her skills to raise funds, care for donors and communicate impact. Her experience tied in with her desire to create community through a mission gives her unique passion to work with all types of organizations. Julia now uses that enthusiasm and expertise to lead communication strategies from DonorPerfect to industry practitioners.

Deborah “Deb” Garcia is the Senior Vice President, Strategy at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she serves as a key architect of the organization’s enterprise-wide vision and long-term strategy. In this role, Deb translates mission-driven ambition into actionable priorities, aligning strategy, performance, and execution across functions to help St. Jude advance cures and means of prevention for catastrophic pediatric diseases on a global scale. Previously, Deb served as Chief Development Officer for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF USA), the world’s leading independent medical relief organization