Jim Follett

Jim is a growth activist passionate about “lighting up the possible.” He has done this consistently over his 40-year, for-profit career as a global CEO, Board Director, Board Chair, and Strategic Advisor.
In 2020, he transitioned into the world of philanthropy, social impact, and non-profit to create positive social change and impact with programs that change lives. His current focus areas include workforce development, racial justice, and global forest conservation projects.
In 2020, Jim joined The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW), a global leader in strategic philanthropy education and networking. That same year, he became a partner at Social Venture Partners, Connecticut. SVP aims to close the opportunity gap in Connecticut a mission focus on workforce development, race equity, and early childhood education and care initiatives. He is currently playing the lead SVP partner role supporting Open Doors in Norwalk, CT, and their aim to end homelessness. Separately, Jim is serving as an advisor to Mission Green, a global forest conservation initiative to preserve our planet’s biodiversity. Jim also serves as a Vice Chair of the Alumni Fund at his alma mater, Williams College. Jim is proud to be joining the Board of Five Frogs in Fairfield, CT in 2022. FiveFrogs is
focused on building leadership skills among social impact leaders, especially those from
underrepresented groups.
Before 2020, Jim co-founded and ran two different consulting practices serving CEOs, executive teams, and P/E firms in the market research, data, and insights services markets. During this period, he also served on 2 for-profit boards (one as board chair), 1 non-profit board, and in advisory roles for various companies including one NYC investment bank serving the media, marketing, and technology markets.
Before this, Jim spent 12 years as a portfolio CEO or COO for five private equity or corporate-owned global market research, data, and insights services companies. Jim was proud to have re-engineered each of them which resulted in accelerated growth for all five companies and sales transactions for three of them.
His early career was defined by a series of marketing management positions of increasing
responsibilities at 4 world-class consumer packaged goods companies. He later transitioned to one of the more innovative services providers in the market research, data, and insights services market where he spent 12 years culminating in becoming president the of client services & consulting division.
Jim is a graduate of Williams College with a BA in History and from Columbia University Graduate School of Business with an MBA in Marketing.

Omar Garro

Omar is honored to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Family & Children’s Agency, Inc. in Norwalk, CT. He is an experienced financial leader in the nonprofit arena, with over twenty years of professional experience in the fields of non-profit finance, business administration, and process improvement in the US and South America. Omar is passionate about the power of standardization, process improvement, and key process indicators management in every level of the organization. Previously Omar was the Chief Financial Officer at Liberation Programs, and Yerwood Center, both nonprofit organizations located in Fairfield, CT.

Omar is a native from Lima, Peru. He has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Pontific Catholic University of Peru, and an MBA in Management from Sacred Heart University. He is currently a board member of the Center for Nonprofits at Sacred Heart University, and a former Co-chair and Treasurer of the Hispanic Council Advisory of the Greater Stamford. He is also an alumnus of the 2009 Fairfield County cohort of the Leadership Development Roundtable Program (LDR).

Johnathan Gibson

Johnathan is the Co-Founder & COO of Odyssey Learning Inc. as well as the Co-Owner of Gibson Educational Consulting LLC. Johnathan specializes in creating and strengthening educational opportunities for children in the field of early childhood education up through high school. Prior to his current roles, Johnathan spent over a decade in the nonprofit sector focusing on educational access for students of color where he has helped hundreds of students gain admission into high-performing public and independent schools across the country. Johnathan is passionate about servant leadership and supporting students to achieve their fullest potential both in and out of school. In addition to recently becoming licensed foster parents, Johnathan is happiest spending time with his wife Monisha, his two daughters and the family dog.

Tamara Smith

Tamara is honored to serve as the Executive Director of Teach For America-Delaware. She has dedicated her career to ensuring educational equity for all students and has pursued this mission in various capacities. After graduating from Spelman College, Tamara joined Teach For America as a 2003 Philadelphia corps member. Following her tenure as an educator, Tamara joined the legislative team of former Congressman Robert Andrews, with a focus on economic development initiatives and education and immigration policy.

Previously Tamara was on staff at Teach For America as a Managing Director for both the Connecticut region and National team, with a focus on alumni work. Before returning to staff to lead the Delaware region, she served as the Executive Director of Operations and Co-School Leader of Great Oaks Charter School in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

A New Jersey native, Tamara is passionate about community-focused advocacy. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College and is a member of the board of Five Frogs, Inc.

Mirellise Vazquez

Mirellise Vazquez is a purpose-driven leader, committed to making the world more just and equitable for all children and families. Mirellise has over twenty years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors, focusing on human rights, children’s rights, and education, including policy, advocacy, and philanthropy. Mirellise currently serves as Vice President of Philanthropy & Strategy at The Connecticut Project, a state-wide catalyst and convener, committed to ensuring that all our neighbors can thrive on the path from birth to school to work and prosperous, self-directed lives. Prior to this role, Mirellise served as Executive Director of the Tauck Family Foundation. Mirellise has also held policy and advocacy roles in both New York City and Washington, DC, working for the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Western Hemisphere Region and ChildFund International. Before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Mirellise worked at the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

Mirellise is Board President of Five Frogs and a former Board member and Vice-Chair of Building One Community. Mirellise is also a member of Impact Fairfield County, and an alumnus of the 2011 Leadership Development Roundtable and Hispanics in Philanthropy’s Next Generation Latino Philanthropy Leadership Program. In 2019, Mirellise was named a Leap of Reason Ambassador. She has a Master of Public Policy and International Affairs Degree and a Certificate in Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Franklin & Marshall College. Mirellise is the recipient of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s 2020 Marvin Maurer Award.