The Nonprofit Mastermind is a dynamic and FREE virtual event spanning two days, exclusively designed for nonprofits. This gathering unites accomplished experts from the nonprofit sector, offering a platform for insightful speeches and engaging workshops. Attendees can expect valuable knowledge, actionable strategies, and collaborative discussions to empower their nonprofit endeavors.
3/4/2024
6-8 pm EST - Virtual Reception and Networking Event
Day One Schedule
9-9:30 am EST – Dr. Heidi – The Future Trends in Nonprofits
9:45-10:45 am EST – Brandy Walker - Orchestrating Strategic Impact with Program-Fundraising Synergy
11-12:30 am EST – Crystal Phillips-Pierce - Event Construction: How to strategically build an event that will elevate your brand and exceed your goals
12:30 – 1:30 am EST – Brown Bag Lunch w/ Lori Prew
1:30 – 2:00 pm EST – Dr. Heidi - Boardroom Brilliance: The Art of Mastering Board Management
2:10 – 3:40 pm EST – Sheryl Green – Bubble Baths Won’t Save You: Protecting Your Mental Health in a Caring
Profession
3:50 – 5:20 pm EST – Dr. Heidi – Ready, Set, Go…Get Granted: A Grant Writing Workshop
5:30 - 6 pm EST - Q&A
Day Two Schedule
9-9:30 am EST – Richard Frank -Adding Earned Revenue to Your Non-Profit Org - Creatively!
9:40-10:10 am EST – Maria Bryan – Developing Dignified Stories with Impact
10:20 – 11:20 am EST – Tara Ostromecky- Marketing and Branding for Nonprofits
11:30-12:30 am EST – Dr. Heidi – From Dollars to Sense: A Nonprofit Financial Management Workshop
12:30 – 1:30 am EST – Brown Bag Lunch w/ Dr. Heidi - Mastering “Ask” Placement for Maximum Donor Engagement
1:30 – 2:30 pm EST – Danita Jo Talbot- How Nonprofits Can Strategically Select Programming for Impact
2:40 – 3:40 pm EST – Dr. Heidi - Humanity at Work: HR Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations
3:50 – 5:20 pm EST – Danielle M. Locke - Sweet Success Awaits: Crafting Your Recipe for Revenue
5:30 - 7 pm EST - Virtual Reception, Q&A, and Networking Event
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Heidi
Dr. Heidi, a seasoned professional in the nonprofit industry with a remarkable 25-year tenure, wears the hats of not only a dedicated educator but also a versatile Business Psychologist, Best-Selling Author, and International Speaker. Her diverse roles and expertise reflect a multifaceted career devoted to advancing the missions of numerous nonprofits.
In her current capacity as a professor in the Masters of Nonprofit program at Northeastern University, Dr. Heidi goes beyond traditional academic boundaries. Drawing on her background in Business Psychology, she brings a unique perspective to the complexities of nonprofit management, integrating psychological principles into effective leadership strategies.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Heidi's influence extends globally as an International Speaker. Her engaging and insightful presentations resonate with audiences worldwide, offering a global perspective on nonprofit best practices and leadership. As a Best-Selling Author, she has contributed valuable insights and knowledge to the field, sharing her expertise in written form to reach an even broader audience.
Her active involvement in board and grant review committees showcases her commitment to practical, hands-on engagement in shaping the trajectory of nonprofits. Her Business Psychology background enriches her approach, bringing a nuanced understanding of organizational dynamics and human behavior to the table.
Excited to share her wealth of experience and international perspective, Dr. Heidi is dedicated to empowering a wider audience. Her roles as an educator, Business Psychologist, Best-Selling Author, and International Speaker converge to offer a comprehensive and unique perspective on nonprofit leadership. Driven by a passion for excellence, she continues to inspire and guide individuals toward making meaningful contributions to the nonprofit sector and beyond.
Brandy Walker
An architect of connections and a catalyst for change, Brandy Walker is a leader and advocate for transformation and community. Brandy spent nearly a decade as a public school teacher before redirecting her entrepreneurial mindset to innovate within the non-profit space. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Urban Education with a specialization in Leadership. Brandy has traversed between developing innovative educational programming, orchestrating fundraising events, and cultivating donor pipelines. For Brandy, it's not just about fundraising; it's about nurturing enduring relationships that underpin sustainable change, each connection a step toward a brighter, more impactful future.
Sheryl Green
Sheryl Green has taken “people-pleasing” to Olympic levels. For decades, she put everyone else’s needs above her own… until she hit a metaphorical brick wall.
After committing to one too many responsibilities, Sheryl discovered the importance of boundaries… okay, she actually discovered that boundaries were even “a thing.” Now,she works with individuals and organizations to establish healthy boundaries to improve relationships, communication, and well-being.
Sheryl has a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology and has worked in Mental Health, Customer Service, Public Relations, Education, and the Non-Profit world.
She is the author of six books, including “Do Good to Do Better: The Small Business Guide to Growing Your Business by Helping Nonprofits,” and her latest, “You Had Me at ‘No’: How Setting Healthy Boundaries Helps You Banish Burnout, Repair Relationships, and Save Your Sanity.”
An avid animal advocate, Sheryl provides a voice for those who cannot speak, donating her time, talent, and money to animal welfare organizations.
When she’s not working, she’s spending time with her husband and their two fur babies, doing yoga, and tending to a small jungle’s worth of houseplants. Learn more at www.SherylGreenSpeaks.com
Richard Frank
As the Business Development Director at the nation’s leading teen arts enterprise, Artists For Humanity, I work with a team of talented, strategic “dot connectors” focused on building outstanding client partnerships that afford our over 350 annual teen artists and designers an opportunity to engage, for pay, in a wide array of commissioned projects.
Coming from a lengthy and wide-ranging sales background in the licensed sports apparel industry, I have been fortunate to spend the last 14 years introducing the creative talents of often under estimated youth to a myriad of businesses/organizations. Artists For Humanity’s “client-partners” not only receive stellar art and design solutions, but achieve many of their CSR goals via their experience with AFH.
Creating meaningful client engagement with AFH’s inspired, talented teens and adult mentoring staff fuels my passion for paving new pathways for innovative business-youth collaboration. And as an additional plus, the teens are cool and funny, sometimes challenging, but almost always appreciative of the opportunities to have their voice and vision seen and heard.
I also manage our award winning event venue sales, love jazz, and when I take aninfrequent break, can be found wandering around cities looking at murals and finding the best pizza slices.
Maria Bryan
Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Maria has over fifteen years in marketing communications in the public sector. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, and is professionally certified in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, and Somatic Embodiment & Regulation.
Maria has been featured on The Nonprofit Show, Community Boost Nonprofit Marketing Summit, Network for Good, Candid, We Are For Good, Bloomerang, and the Storytelling Lab.
She’s fiercely committed to equipping nonprofits with the quality training, tools, resources, and 1:1 support needed to thrive as change agents. Because making the world a better place doesn't have to be so hard.
Tara Ostromecky
As a young entrepreneur with a passion for helping businesses grow and reach the right audiences, Tara Ostromecky has built marketing systems through her company, Makin' It Marketing, for service based clients focused on brand growth and reputation that have been a huge success. Tara started Makin' It Marketing while she was still in college as she saw a need for a marketing company that provides a customizable, data driven approach for business.
Tara holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Nichols College where she studied marketing and entrepreneurship. She started the business when she was a freshman in college, and turned it into her full time job several months after graduation. Her company was recently awarded as the "Best New Business" by the Worcester Business Journal.
As she started to see growth and success in the business - she developed the company's core values even further and started finding ways to give back to her community and nonprofits. She started taking on impactful projects for nonprofits like the United Way and even spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the American Heart Association. Tara looks forward to sharing her knowledge and resources with nonprofit leaders!
Danielle Locke
Hey! I’m Danielle Locke. I help nonprofit directors raise more money so they can do more and stress less.
As a consultant I love sharing the benefit of my hard-earned lessons over 20+ years as a professional fundraiser. As a fundraising coach, I get to be a connector, a knowledge resource, sounding board and sometimes just a safe space to vent. My specialties include fundraising/campaign strategy, donor cultivation, nonprofit management, and board engagement/development.
I founded Locke Step Partners in 2018 because I was frustrated by the endless cycle of grants and events. I knew I could help nonprofit directors raise more revenue, especially from individual donors already in their list!
I am an expert in nonprofit fundraising because I have raised millions of dollars in organizations of all shapes, sizes and missions. I have a few credentials too. These include a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from the American College of Financial Services, a Master of Public Administration, a certificate in Nonprofit Management, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. (The Pysch degree comes in handy these days.)
I’m a Midwest girl, having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio. My husband Bill, and our 8-year-old son, Ethan, spend time traversing the country as well as our local community, local parks, festivals, and coffee shops. I am an 80’s girl who loves to bake, travel, learn, and celebrating with family and friends.
I believe every nonprofit leader has the potential to create a sustainable future for their organization. I am focused on giving nonprofits the step-by-step instruction, tools, and support to actually implement the permanent changes that lead to their thriving future.
Crystal Phillips-Pierce
Crystal Phillips-Pierce is an award-winning, multi-event producer and marketing strategist. With over 20 years experience in the marketing and event production industry, Crystal has leveraged her marketing skills while designing distinctive productions from conferences to golf events and galas to outdoor festivals for her corporate and nonprofit clients. She graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and earned her Master of Business Administration in Marketing from DePaul University in Chicago.
Crystal began her career in corporate America with Coopers and Lybrand during the summer of their merger when they became PriceWaterhouseCoopers. She simultaneously embarked upon producing custom private celebrations and establishing her own client base. From there she worked at the for profit official publication of the National Urban League as a Marketing and Event Manager coordinating national, state and regional events for the Young Professionals segment of the historic organization. Several years later, she pivoted to the nonprofit sector working as the Director ofMarketing and Events at a boarding school founded by Abraham Lincoln’s son. There, she discovered her love of fundraisers and continued to produce private events for her own business. While working as a nonprofit executive she won multiple awards, including a 2011 Telly Award and has raised millions of dollars for organizations over the course of her career. In 2014, Crystal decided to focus full time on her own marketing and experiential event company by officially launching CP Event Design and Production.
In 2017, Crystal co-founded the Marcus J. Bradshaw Foundation (MJBF), a 501c3 in honor of her cousin who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 27. MJBF awards college scholarships to graduating seniors in underserved communities. These first generation college students have attended schools from Stanford and Northwestern Universities to MIT. MJBF has raised over $400,000, so far, with a goal of helping students graduate debt free. The organization is 100% run by volunteers, so funds raised can go directly to the Bradshaw Scholars.
Danita Jo Talbot
Leader. Philanthropist. Communicator.
Passionate about using her expertise for good, Danita Jo Talbot harnesses her broad industry experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors to accelerate growth.
The partnership of nonprofit organizations, their staff, boards & volunteers, and their funders is at the intersection of her superhero powers. Creating marketing alignment with organizational development is at the core of every successful partnership she cultivates. Believing in their shared mission is something that drives Danita Jo to deliver the best results – bringing big know-how to even the smallest of organizations.
Whether propelling a small business through the next growth spurt, helping a non-profit spread the word or building corporate philanthropy, she strategically connects efforts together into sustainable and repeatable systems. Ones that will grow your donors, your supporters, your revenue, your constituents, and your community.