Pronouns: she/her/hers
Mary brings a lifelong passion for service and youth development to Elevate. In her role, she is committed to making DC nonprofits better by leveraging the unique vantage points and perspectives that local nonprofits bring. Before joining Elevate in 2014, she spent seven years working with Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma. While working for the Girl Scouts, she facilitated programs for youth and volunteers, including mentoring for children and their incarcerated mothers, bully prevention, financial literacy, outdoor recreation skills, and youth leadership development.
Mary graduated from the University of Tulsa, earning her BA in Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in English Literature. While at the University of Tulsa, her studies focused on the intersections of history, film, literature, and feminist theory, and enabled her to critically review power structures around gender, race, sexuality, and class throughout American history.
Outside of Elevate, Mary is a self-declared history nerd and enjoys watching her dog play at the dog park and reading fantasy/sci-fi novels.
Noura joined Elevate in 2015 and has 10 years of experience in proposal development and program design in community organizing, policy advocacy, homeless service provision, education, social services, workforce development, and international development. Prior to joining Elevate, Noura worked in grants and communications at Thurgood Marshall Academy, a high-performing public charter high school in historic Anacostia, where she was the lead writer on private and government proposals, annual reports, and print and e-newsletters. Previously, she worked in international development, designing and managing programs in the Middle East and North Africa focusing on women’s empowerment, workforce development, peacebuilding, and advocacy with Education for Employment and the American Islamic Congress.
Noura holds an MA in Global, International, and Comparative History from Georgetown University, and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in History and French from Goucher College. She was the 2008 recipient of the Goucher College Calvin Prize in History, awarded annually to an outstanding history major. She is also a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma, an athletics honor society.
A lifelong swimmer, Noura spends most of her time at the pool when she is away from her computer. She competes with the District of Columbia Aquatics Club, and currently serves as a member of the team’s Board of Directors. She is a vigorous defender of the Oxford Comma and a frequent user of the em dash.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Alayna has been a grant writer and nonprofit consultant for her entire career. She founded Elevate in 2013 to work with a team of grant writers and to make the highest-level development expertise accessible to nonprofit organizations around the country. Since then, she has overseen Elevate’s growth to one of the country’s leading grant writing firms, serving hundreds of nonprofits since its founding, and employing over 80 staff around the country. Today, Alayna sets the organization’s vision and purpose; leads Elevate’s Executive Team; and oversees its core departments. She also works closely with her staff to develop new products and services that will improve the lives of nonprofit leaders.
Alayna graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Philosophy and Public Policy and Honors in Ethics in Society in 2006. In 2015, she became a licensed consultant by the Standards of Excellence in 2015, was named ‘40 under 40’ by Leadership Arlington, and became a member of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization), the global thought leader on entrepreneurship. Alayna is proud that as a women-owned business, Elevate has been named one of the country’s fastest growing businesses by Inc. 5000 every year it has applied. Alayna is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and American Grant Writers Association.
Alayna has two adorable dogs, both pittie rescues: Tucker Q. Buckner and Greyson Rex Buckner, who like to make a vocal appearance during Zoom calls. She is an avid baker, reader, and podcast aficionado. She can most often be found at Wydown Cafe or one of DC’s other local coffee shops.
