Speakers

Matt Garland is Chief Scientist and VP of Product Innovation at Atticus Technology, where he leads applied AI and product strategy for nonprofit development teams. He previously served in senior technical leadership roles at Pindrop, focusing on voice biometrics, fraud detection, and call-center security, and earlier worked in technical leadership at Nexidia. He holds multiple patents in speaker recognition and anti-spoofing. Matt lives in Atlanta with his wife and two daughters. Outside of work, he is a dedicated "volleyball dad" and enjoys bluewater sailing.

Alix Gasser is the new Executive Director at Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, where she started as the Development Director in July 2021. Gasser was the Assistant Director of Admissions for Communications at Southeast Missouri State University and the Director of Membership, Business Development, and Fun at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Gasser has a BSBA in Integrated Marketing Communications and MBA in Entrepreneurship from Southeast Missouri State University. She has experience in fundraising, grant writing, presenting, communications, DEAI, and marketing.

LaDaniel "Danny" Gatling II is an innovative and results-driven leader with over 22 years of experience in development and alumni relations. Most recently, he served as the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. Danny has a proven track record of strategic leadership in fundraising, and has served in roles at Bennett College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elon University School of Law, and North Carolina A&T State University. Gatling earned a B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and a M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University.

Brian is a 25-year non-profit veteran who serves as a Consultant with JGA. During his career, Brian has been a major gifts officer, annual giving leader and researcher. He led actionable research for RNL, working with hundreds of organizations. Brian presents at conferences regularly, and created the Fundraising Voices podcast. A dedicated “giving geek,” (it’s on his license plate), Brian is committed to providing data-driven strategy for nonprofit leaders. Brian has been featured in philanthropy publications like NonProfitPro, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Inside Higher Education.

Dom Giambattista is an Account Executive at EverTrue, partnering with NPOs to strengthen donor engagement and fundraising outcomes. With more than six years of experience working alongside advancement teams, he helps organizations build meaningful, data-informed relationships at scale. Since joining EverTrue, Dom has supported thousands of organizations—from small community foundations to large institutions—across stewardship, donor engagement, and major gift strategy. Dom is also a founding board member of the Pirates Lifting Pirates scholarship program at Seton Hall Prep, supporting students through mentorship, career preparation, and scholarships.

Sarah Glitsch is a strategic leader at Encoura (formerly RNL) with more than 18 years' experience supporting clients and client-facing teams in the fundraising space. Sarah works across multiple teams to help partners meet their goals ensuring continued fundraising success. Sarah holds a BS in Marketing and Public Relations from Abilene Christian University and an MBA in Information Security from Saint Leo University.

Ana Flavia Godoi is a trailblazer in the fundraising realm as the founder of Women in Fundraising, empowering over 500 female fundraisers with her exceptional hands-on leadership. With two decades of invaluable nonprofit experience, her expertise encompasses strategic planning, major gifts, and corporate fundraising. An member of the Brazilian Fundraising Association’s board, Ana’s dedication extends to education; she has transformed the practices of more than 1,500 NGOs by instilling effective donor stewardship habits and advanced negotiation techniques with high-value donors. Ana Flavia’s unwavering commitment is not only to fundraising but to uplifting women and fostering lasting change in the sector.

With a background in building transformative product experiences at companies like Amazon and Glassdoor, Paul brings a unique blend of startup agility and enterprise expertise to Blackbaud’s AI approach. He focuses on creating agentic AI experiences that empower our customers with the personalization and
agility they need to deepen relationships and drive transformative outcomes.

Sharyn Goodson has 30 years of experience in philanthropy, fundraising, and nonprofit management. Since 2016, she has served as Vice President of Philanthropy at Leichtag Foundation, where she manages grantmaking, leads funder partnerships, and provides extensive group and individualized nonprofit training and counseling opportunities. From 2010 to 2016, she was Vice President of Philanthropy at the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, serving as the lead contact for significant family funds and foundations, as well as the Jewish Women’s Foundation. She holds the CFRE credential, is an AFP Certified Facilitator, and a certified BoardSource Nonprofit Board Consultant.

Jeff Grandy, M.Ed., is a fundraising strategist with over 16 years of nonprofit leadership experience. As Vice President of Client Development at Catapult Fundraising, he helps organizations build sustainable major and planned giving programs. He has worked with PBS, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and CASA, specializing in donor pipeline development, staff leadership, and campaign execution. Jeff teaches at UNLV’s Nonprofit Management Certificate program and mentors at Rice University’s Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. A dedicated industry advocate, he is the Immediate Past President of AFP Texas Coastal Bend and a member of the Planned Giving Council of San Antonio.

In early 2012, Lisa Zola Greer and her husband Josh became members, almost overnight, of the 1%, sparking a desire to share their new wealth with impactful charitable causes. After making major gifts with some frustrations, Lisa wanted to look deeper. She found that most fundraising is antiquated, inefficient, unsustainable and ripe for change. Lisa is on a mission to “Save Giving.” Through her books, Philanthropy Revolution, The Essential Fundraiser’s Handbook, teaching, and her blog, Philanthropy 451, Lisa helps nonprofits see a path to long-term success. Lisa is also a Doctoral Candidate at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Keith Greer, CFRE, is an international speaker, fundraising educator, and host of the Let’s Talk Fundraising podcast. With 15+ years of experience, including leadership roles at the UNM Foundation, Hawai‘i Island’s largest hospice, and the ASRT Foundation, he helps nonprofits integrate AI and modern tools to deepen donor relationships. An AFP Chamberlain Scholar and ASAE NextGen Award recipient, Keith delivers webinars, conference sessions, and online training through Let's Talk Fundraising.

Maria is the Founder of Griffin Associated, where she’s on a mission to raise $1 billion for causes and leaders changing the world. A seasoned strategist and fundraiser, she most recently served as Chief Advancement Officer at DREAM, leading a team that raised $20M annually. Previously, as Vice President at CCS Fundraising, she advised institutions like UNICEF, KIPP Foundation, and the Open Society University Network. She began her career in the classroom with Teach For America and has coached over 30 political candidates, including civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson. A Brooklyn-based Vanderbilt alum, Maria believes in building power through philanthropy.

Emily Groccia is the Vice President of Customer Success at Givzey and Director of Version2.ai, where she leads the development of the world’s first fully autonomous AI-driven fundraising platform. Following many years in higher education advancement, Emily transitioned to fundraising technology in 2020 first with Gravyty, and then joining Givzey at its inception. Since late 2024, Version2.ai has partnered with over 50 nonprofit organizations to deploy Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs) which act as trusted members of fundraising teams, and raised more than $3M in their first year since launch.

Shaina Gross leads the Community Relations department for SDG&E, listening to the needs of the community to create and invest in partnerships with local nonprofits. Prior to SDG&E, she served as the President & CEO of Susan G. Komen San Diego, Chief Impact Officer/SVP of United Way of San Diego County and Vice President at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. Her career has focused on the social determinants of health and creating equitable opportunity for individuals and families to thrive. Shaina has a BA in Sociology and a Masters degree in Public Health, both from UNC-Chapel Hill.