CEO, The Women’s Home

Anna Coffee, JD, brings over 20 years of non‐profit experience, and a passion for empowering families to The Women’s Home, where she has served as the CEO for 7 years. She holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Marquette University and earned her law degree at the University of Houston, specializing in Public Health Law. This professional training has enabled Anna to pursue her passion for building healthy, strong communities.

Active in the local and international health communities, Anna has held board positions on multiple nonprofits most recently as the Chair of the Network for Behavioral Health Providers and the Treasurer for the Center for the Healing of Racism. Anna is an alumna of the Texas Lyceum and a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum. She is also the excessively proud parent of two outstanding young men.

Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union

Stacy Armijo (she/her) is the chief experience officer for Amplify Credit Union, overseeing nearly $3 billion in assets across Central Texas. She leads the marketing, retail, payments, and talent teams, ensuring a seamless experience for members, employees, and the community.

Armijo has experience sitting in four different seats for nonprofit organizations: (1) advisor; (2) board chair; (3) funder; and (4) service provider. She occupied the first role during her 17-year career as a public relations and marketing consultant, advising nonprofit and association clients on PR and crisis communications.

Over the same time, she was Board Chair for the American Red Cross in Central Texas as well as the American Marketing Association nationally, and she held board positions for numerous other Austin-area nonprofits and civic organizations.

From each of those seats, she’s learned something different about effective leadership for nonprofits. That has included beliefs that risk management isn’t a task, it’s a mindset; the truth of an organization’s priorities is not in its strategic plan, it’s in its budget; and nonprofit organizations can play a unique role in not only the lives of those they serve, but also in the lives of those who serve them, like their Board, staff and volunteers.

 Principal Attorney, Martell Media House PLLC

Michèle Martell (she/her), JD, is an entertainment, licensing and intellectual property attorney and entrepreneur who has provided business guidance and legal insight to major brands including the Muppets, the WWE, Sony, Crayola, Hasbro, Samsung, and The Saturday Evening Post. Michèle started her business and legal consultancy, Martell Media House PLLC, in Austin in 2014, where she helps creators, entrepreneurs, artists and visionaries propel, protect and empower their businesses with insightful, practical and well-informed legal guidance. She is the licensing strategist behind the world’s most popular VR multiplayer game, Walkabout Mini Golf, and its licensed IP including Elvis, Wallace & Gromit, Exploding Kittens, Myst, Fraggle Rock and Meow Wolf.

Professionally, Michèle is the Secretary of the Entertainment and Sports Law sections of both the Texas and the Austin Bar Associations; the Co-Chair of the 2024 Racing Attorneys Conference; and founder of the Austin chapter of Women in Toys, Entertainment & Licensing.

Personally, Michèle serves on the Board of RISE, an anti-racist and liberatory early childhood education program, as well as on the Board of the Travis Audubon Society. She was recently the Board President of Austin’s award-winning Forklift Danceworks.

Partner, Holland & Knight

Jonathan Blum, JD, is a nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations attorney in Holland & Knight’s Dallas office. Mr. Blum’s experience includes assisting nonprofit leaders in managing their legal matters on a broad array of issues affecting charities, foundations, trade and professional associations, advocacy groups, educational organizations and other nonprofit organizations. Mr. Blum recognizes the importance of concentrating on the key issues affecting clients and moving quickly to identify practical legal options in order for clients to stay mission-focused and make informed decisions.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Blum worked in the nonprofit practice group for a national Am Law 100 firm in Dallas, where he served as counsel and later as shareholder. He also spent nearly seven years serving as in-house counsel for tax-exempt organizations such as a national breast cancer foundation and a private family foundation. In addition, Mr. Blum served as a transactional attorney for an international law firm headquartered in New York City. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.

Mr. Blum is a frequent speaker on best practices in governance, fundraising, tax compliance and current developments for nonprofit organizations.

Executive Director, Austin Together

Karen LaShelle is the Executive Director of Austin Together, an organization dedicated to strengthening nonprofits in Central Texas through sustained collaborations that increase capacity and maximize impact. Karen is a respected nonprofit leader and was instrumental in the success of Creative Action where she currently serves a consultant in the development of a new collaborative arts education facility. During her 20-year tenure at Creative Action, the organization grew from a grassroots startup into one of the largest arts education organizations in Texas, reaching more than 20,000 students every year. Karen has received many accolades for her leadership, including the 2022 Learn All the Time Legacy Leader award, being named 2015 Mission Capital Executive Director of the Year, being recognized as a finalist for the 2012 and 2013 Ernst and Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year and receiving the 2011 “Austin Under 40” Award. Since 2016, Karen has been a trustee of the National Guild for Community Arts Education where she has served as the co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee and is the current Board Chair. She holds a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MA in Community Based Arts from New York

Master Trainer, BJR Solutions

With a heart for service and a passion for positive change, BillieJean Ring, MBA, Certified Coach, is on a mission to help nonprofit leaders balance compassion with self-care. As a career readiness coach, leadership trainer, and soft skills expert, she’s spent years empowering others to overcome challenges and thrive in their work. A breast cancer survivor, mindfulness advocate, and someone who has walked the walk, BillieJean brings a refreshing blend of positivity, wisdom, and practical strategies to every event.She knows firsthand the highs and lows of nonprofit work and believes that staying fueled by compassion doesn’t mean running on empty. From managing teams to fostering resilience, BillieJean’s unique approach shows leaders how to be both highly effective and deeply empathetic, without burning out. Whether she’s coaching organizations on stress management or leading workshops on leadership with a purpose, she lights up the room with her energy and relatable insights. When she’s not inspiring others, BillieJean can be found practicing mindfulness, creating innovative ways to promote positive thinking, or cheering on her favorite football team. Get ready for a session that’s as uplifting as it is practical!

CEO, Embracing Equity

Rashi Jawade (she/her), Esq., an Indian-American immigrant who moved to the U.S. as a child, has harnessed the power of education as a tool for social change throughout her career. With a background as an attorney and over a decade of experience in startup nonprofits, Rashi joined Embracing Equity as a participant, where she experienced the transformative impact of antiracist education.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Rashi has been instrumental in leading the organization’s strategic growth and expanding its impact. Prior to Embracing Equity, she was the Vice President of Strategy at Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, working with minority-serving institutions to diversify the teaching workforce. She also held leadership roles at Deans for Impact and Baltimore City Public Schools.

As of January 2025, Rashi will take the helm as CEO of Embracing Equity, continuing her commitment to advancing justice and equity.

President, Colton Strawser Consulting

Dr. Colton Strawser, PhD, is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant and the President of Colton Strawser Consulting—a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations to develop the funding, data, and leadership skills necessary to create change.He has provided consulting and coaching to organizations and leaders at community foundations, United Ways, homeless shelters, senior service agencies, youth programs, arts and culture organizations, and more.
Colton has trained over 1,500 organizations, generated over $25 million in government grants, and supported local and national research efforts to understand social issues and community challenges better. His research has been featured in numerous academic journals and practitioner outlets, including The Foundation Review, Journal of Advancement Analytics, Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, GrantCraft, CFInsights, and Candid.
Established in 2012, Colton Strawser Consulting was created to serve a need in the nonprofit sector to merge practical nonprofit management with rigorous academic research to address social issues. With a special emphasis on empowering organizations to create change®, Colton Strawser Consulting assists clients in the areas of organizational development, fundraising/philanthropy, research/evaluation, and leadership development.

Co-Founder, Emerging Perspectives, LLC

Robin Atwood (she/her), EdD, PMP, is a co-founder of Emerging Perspectives, LLC. She sees change as opportunity. Robin works with teams and organizations to enhance decision-making and planning with a focus on purpose, process and relationships. She is passionate about wellness, both physical and emotional, and merges her background in public health, health promotion, worksite wellness and her expertise in project management to help teams align their purpose and goals. After spending over twenty years at the University of Texas at Austin as a Research Assistant Professor and Program Director working with State and local governments and non-profits, Robin brings extensive experience in program management, strategic planning, and organizational development to her work. Robin also has a strong evaluation background, which she uses to build evaluative capacity to help prompt new insights and guide innovative directions of practice. Robin uses practical skills and techniques to help generate new conversations and ways of working and living. She gathers inspiration and creates space for ‘aha’ moments while out running and walking in Austin, Texas.

Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

Dr. Elizabeth Searing (she/her), PhD, CNP, studies how nonprofit and other social economy organizations become more resilient. This normally involves financial management, but also relies on strategic management, program evaluation, and the local community. She is a firm believer that scholars should be rooted in the needs of the community, and she focuses on finding (and teaching others to find) data-driven answers for social economy organizations around the globe.