Kara Sparling (pronouns: she/her) is Wacif’s Program Coordinator. Kara is a program, events, and grants management professional with a background in international development, patron services, and technical theater. Before joining Wacif she worked as a Grants Officer on the Latin America and Caribbean portfolio at the National Endowment for Democracy, supporting civil society organizations in Central…
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Program Director, Capitol Region Women’s Business Center Kimberly comes to WACIF with an extensive and diverse background in Business Development and Marketing. She specializes in Hospitality and Tourism Sales, most recently in the corporate, sporting, and association event incentive market. A significant portion of her time is spent providing both volunteer and consultancy services to…
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Senior Program & Project Lead “Leslie Akua Tetteh (pronouns: they/she) is Wacif’s Program Coordinator. Leslie is a passionate program specialist with a history of working within the higher education and nonprofit sector. Before joining Wacif’s team, Leslie worked as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) Program Specialist for a healthcare nonprofit where they coordinated employee…
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Events and Training Coordinator Dina is a passionate event and advertising creative with over 18 years of experience. She was worked and produced events all over the spectrum. From exhibitions, concerts, corporate meetings, weddings and more. Having worked overseas at the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, the American Embassy and Mirum Media Agency, she possess…
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Program Director, Office Of Women’s Initiatives Marisela Rodela is the Program Director for the Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center (EWOC) at the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif). Marisela is a passionate and experienced community and program specialist with a demonstrated history of working in public health, the food & beverage industry, and…
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Small Business Relationship Manager, Northern Virginia Eric works as a Small Business Relationship Manager at Wacif. He is primarily focused on businesses in Northern Virginia. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals and committed to helping build strong, diverse communities everywhere. He has experience at large and small companies in a variety of…
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Associate Creative Director, Anacostia Arts Center A Howard University Film Degree, progressive political insight, and desire to assist non-profits, mixed with a little black girl magic give you Jess! You can find Jess at the Anacostia Arts Center working with the HIVE 2.0’s co-working space, helping set up the next art exhibit, or developing creative…
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Supporter Engagement and Stewardship VISTA Daniella Ukpabi is the CNHED Stewardship & Engagement VISTA at the Washington Area Community Investment Fund. In this unique role committed to local community development and engagement, she designs and implements systems to create and maintain supporter engagement efficiently and sustainably. During her service year, she plans on strengthening the…
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Program Director, Education and Advisory Services Rasul provides coaching and capacity-building technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Rasul has more than 15 years’ experience in business development, marketing, digital strategy, design thinking, and business storytelling. For nearly a decade, Rasul ran his own Washington, DC-based marketing and strategy consultancy where he facilitated growth…
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