Pronouns : she / her / hers
Letese has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. As the VP of Personnel at Elevate, Letese is responsible for leading the Personnel Department and managing organizational development projects that enhance Elevate’s talent and culture management. She has a strong desire to strengthen the Elevate culture by focusing on inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Before joining Elevate, Letese was an HR Manager at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, where she managed employee relations for 8500 employees.
Letese has served as a board member of the NAAAHR (National Association of African Americans in HR) and NAHSE (National Association of Health Services Executives). Letese is an active member of the Southwestern PA United Way Women’s Leadership Council. Letese is a Tuskegee University graduate, where she received s BS in Business Administration. She also earned a Master of Business Administration from Trinity University and is SPHR and SHRM – SCP certified.
You can find Letese binging-watching movies, listening to audiobooks, taking a dance class, or being silly with her kids when she is not working.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
Amy comes to Elevate with diverse experience in education and the private sector. In these roles, Amy has worked on collaborative teams to achieve various types of goals including, reaching financial milestones and exceeding learning objectives. Amy is passionate about advocating for those with unheard voices, including individuals with disabilities and those negatively affected by the criminal justice system.
Amy holds a master’s degree in Grant Writing, Management, and Evaluation from Concordia University Chicago. Additionally, she has a master’s degree in Education from the University of South Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Troy University. Amy volunteers with animal rescue shelters to secure funding to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia rates.
During Amy’s off hours, you can find her tending to her cat sanctuary, currently numbered at 21 furry felines. She also enjoys exploring bookstores with her daughter and diving into comic
book movies with her partner.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
Nicole has several years of grant writing experience for human services and nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about health, mental health, environment protection, and sustainability, and social services. Prior to working within the nonprofit sector, Nicole worked for films/television/documentaries as a coordinator and producer for more than eight years in Colorado and Los Angeles.
Nicole earned her BA in Communications from Elon University with a minor in Psychology. She has volunteered on multiple organic farms in Maui, Kauai, Massachusetts, and Habitat for Humanity in Cambodia.
Aside from grant writing, Nicole enjoys working on her creative writing projects, traveling, cooking, organic gardening, hiking, biking, and spending lots of quality time with her Old English Sheepdog, Rupert.
Pronouns: he/him
Marko brings a passion for public health and international development issues to Elevate. Before joining the Elevate team, he worked with major nonprofit clients for Pathways to Growth, a Florida-based grant writing company.
His projects centered around critical public health issues, and his efforts helped his clients raise money to support critical research for high-profile scientists at major universities and labs across the country.
Marko’s previous work also includes experience in food security, which he gained during his time at the Food Research & Action Center. Marko has honed his skills in donor research, grant writing, relationship building, and grant stewardship throughout his career.
Marko holds an MA in International Affairs and BA in Political Science from The George Washington University. Outside of the world of proposals and prospects, he enjoys playing basketball with his friends, watching old movies with his wife, and playing with his two sons.
Pronouns: She/Her
Kate brings a natural inquisitiveness to Elevate and is passionate about learning new things about grant-makers and grant-seekers to develop successful narrative proposals. Before joining Elevate, Kate worked as Lead Grant Writer with Brockport Research Institute, where she managed grant portfolios for nonprofit clients and developed narratives to state and federal agencies for higher education institutions. Her nonprofit grant work focuses on human services and special population support. Before that, she worked as a professional writer in B2B and B2C markets, developing product descriptions and catalogs, print and web marketing collateral, and external communications. Kate also spent over ten years serving as a college professor instructing introductory and advanced composition, integrated humanities, world literature, African/ African American Studies, and Women’s Studies.
Kate earned a Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University in 2013, where her work focused on contemporary literature, postcolonial theory, and women’s studies. She holds an MA and BA in English from the University at Buffalo. Kate also volunteers with a nonprofit organization in Buffalo, NY, supporting grant writing and management activities.
Kate is a lifelong Trekkie and enjoys cooking (and eating), reading, and hanging out with her cat, Pepe.
Edgar has a lifelong passion for community outreach and political activism. Before joining the Elevate team, Edgar spent a year working as a writer and political telefundraiser. He joined the Elevate team to work with nonprofit organizations trying to give back to their communities.
Edgar continues to volunteer in voter outreach and believes in taking an active role in upholding democracy. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baylor University, where he also received the Charles G. Smith Award for Academic Excellence and Noble Character. Edgar intends to continue his education with Law School in the future.
Beyond supporting our grant writing teams, Edgar enjoys reading comic books, drinking iced coffee, and listening to a thought-provoking podcast.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
As an experienced project coordinator, Claire brings a passion for increasing educational equity to the Elevate team and its clients. In her former role with Americorps, she managed a maker-focused education program and associated grants for an Oakland, California school.
She has also contributed her skills to various education nonprofits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, most recently, serving as a teaching artist at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, where she designed and implemented a middle school-making course.
A Bay Area native, Claire holds a BA in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where she graduated with honors. Outside of work, Claire enjoys hanging by one of Pittsburgh’s many rivers, cooking meals with friends and taking her dog Rollo out on the town.
Pronouns : He, Him, His
Ben has a decade of experience in development, fundraising, nonprofit project management, and a lifelong passion for international development. Prior to Elevate, Ben worked with Canine Partners for Life (CPL), a small nonprofit that provides service dogs for people with disabilities. Before working at CPL, he worked in a rural area in South Sudan, developing and subsequently managing a large donor portfolio for two schools and a clinic.
Ben has a Masters in Public Administration with a focus on International Development from the University of York (UK), a BS in Biology from Eastern University, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. He volunteers with several nonprofit organizations, and has served on nonprofit boards, working to improve their impact and fiscal sustainability, furthering his personal belief that people can do good in the world when they use their strengths and work together.
Although a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Ben has spent much of his life overseas. He enjoys volunteering, reading, cooking, spending time with loved ones, traveling, and trying to keep up with his high-energy border collie, Buna.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
Patrice comes to Elevate with a decade of marketing and communications experience. She has worked within the trade association, nonprofit, and small business sectors, and her experience ranges from leading brand strategies to managing nonprofit partnerships with organizations like Make-A-WishⓇ. Patrice has dedicated her career to connecting small businesses and nonprofit-based organizations with their target audiences through a mix of corporate strategies and grassroots marketing. She has a passion for collaborative strategy development and brand awareness campaigns and thrives when identifying emerging market opportunities and producing high-class content.
Patrice obtained her undergraduate degree in Business Management from Bowie State University and has continued graduate-level coursework at the University of Virginia. Outside of work, Patrice enjoys spending time with her husband and children, traveling, and live music.
Andrew has worked in development and fundraising for the past six years. Most recently, he was the Development Associate for Help Hope Live, a national nonprofit focused on healthcare and affordability. As the organization’s first grant writer, Andrew helped the nonprofit create a sustainable fundraising apparatus while navigating the financial challenges of COVID-19. Prior to his work in nonprofits, Andrew worked on political campaigns across the country, including one of the first campaigns to legalize marriage equality at the ballot box.
Andrew graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Government and Politics, a BA in History, and a Certificate in LGBT Studies. Outside of work, he volunteers with the Radnor Historical Society digitizing yearbooks, newspapers, and other primary source documents.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys reading presidential biographies, watching reruns of 30 Rock and Gilmore Girls, and planning his next dream vacation.
