Living & Giving: Women Transforming Philanthropy
Week of January 21, 2023
Women are working together to transform philanthropy that aligns with the values and goals for a fair and equitable world. Come hear experiences and exchange ideas with five high impact leaders, all of whom are members of the Women Donors Network (WDN):
Leena Barakat is the President and CEO of WDN.
Quinn Delaney trained as an attorney, is the founder of Akonadi Foundation and the President of WDN’s c4, WDN Action.
Donna Hall has just retired after 20 years as President & CEO of WDN and is formulating her next chapter.
Suzanne Lerner is co-founder and president of Michael Stars clothing company and an activist and connector.
Jessica Ozberker is a social worker, an activist and philanthropist who served as WDN’s Board chair for two years.
Leena Barakat is a Palestinian-American leader, activist, and champion of causes and solutions that advance social, economic and climate justice. For over a decade, Barakat has worked across the grassroots, philanthropic, and private/tech sectors to advance organizational impact at the intersection of systems change and development across the three sectors. She is the new President and CEO of Women Donors Network (WDN) and its 501(c)(4) sister organization, WDN Action, a national network of progressive women donors who pool their capital together to fund the progressive wins of our time.
Quinn Delaney is the founder of Akonadi Foundation, an Oakland-based foundation that supports movement building for racial justice. She is also a founding member of the California Donor Table, which works to build a progressive political infrastructure with strong voices from communities of color to elect progressive candidates in California. Quinn sits on the boards of Akonadi Foundation, Oakland Museum of California, East Bay Community Foundation, Women Donors Network Action and Planned Parenthood Action. She is a member of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and was recently appointed by President Biden to the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Over the years, Quinn has worked deeply in gender justice, criminal justice and power building in communities of color.
Donna Hall served as the President & CEO of the Women Donors Network (WDN) from August 2002 to December 2022. Hall’s career has crisscrossed the public and private sectors as a president & CEO, manager, strategic planner, foundation executive and deputy director of a woman’s think tank. She spent seven years at The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, California, and five years at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City. Issues of particular interest include reproductive rights and health, and access to health services, health promotion, women’s empowerment, the needs of at-risk youth, economic development, racial and gender equity, and communication and public awareness strategies that will help to bring about lasting social change. Hall earned her MBA and BA degrees from Stanford University and her MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. Board service has included The Meridian Institute, Hedgebrook, The White House Project and the Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC). She is a member of the Women’s Forum West and the International Women’s Forum. For fun she loves to knit, travel, write six-word memoirs, and play with her grandchildren.
Suzanne Lerner is co-founder, president, and CEO of contemporary fashion and lifestyle brand Michael Stars and is an entrepreneur, activist, and philanthropist. One of the first socially responsible apparel brands, Michael Stars has always ensured fair wages and was an early innovator in local sourcing and manufacturing. Suzanne works toward fulfilling a vision of an equitable world where everyone has access to build political, social and economic power, regardless of gender or race. She personally funds within the three pillars of voice, access and building transformative power—lifting up the voices of women to ensure equal rights; providing the access to capital, skills and leadership training needed for women and marginalized groups to get ahead; investing in community-led organizing; and building transformative power at the grassroots level. She has increased focus around engaging men and fighting for reproductive justice both in the US and globally. Suzanne serves as a board member for the Fund for Women’s Equality and the Foundation Board of the ACLU of Southern California, and previously served on the board of the Ms. Foundation for Women. She is a member of WDN.
Jessica Ozberker is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has 17 years of experience offering and developing psychotherapy and providing psychoeducation through community events, presentations, and trainings. Jessica sits on the board of Destiny Arts Center, in Oakland, California and in her spare time, writes screenplays. She remains dedicated to addressing the complex needs of vulnerable populations locally, nationally and internationally. She centers her work and her philanthropy on empowering, and involving people to be active partners. Through her work she supports her own personal, professional and philanthropic commitment to social justice. A former board member of Women Donors Network, her funding interests include holistic health of women and families, refugees/immigrants, the arts, and civic involvement with youth.