Leah Williams, CEO of digitalundivided.

Leah Williams is the CEO of digitalundivided. Leah joins digitalundivided as it shifts into high gear to disrupt the funding pipelines and institutional investment by connecting digitalundivided’s pipeline of Latina and Black women entrepreneurs of ready-to-scale aggressive growth companies. This pipeline has companies ready for angel investing, local investors, and impact investors, along with early-stage, pre-seed, and seed-ready investments. Leah is leading digitalundivided in its next chapter of expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem to become where Latina and Black women entrepreneurs thrive, and investors maximize social impact and financial returns. She continues digitalundivided’s rich history dedicated to research and serving its founder community while seeking to deepen the educational, leadership, and business services provided to founders.

Leah is an experienced C-level executive. Before digitalundivided, Leah served over 20 years in the C-Suite. She has held titles of CEO, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Executive Director, Co-Founder, General Counsel, and Western Regional Director. Her executive experience spans companies of all sizes, from $200+ million to startups, new ventures, and quasi-governmental organizations.

Leah is a connector of people, initiatives, and organizations. Her career blazes a path in business leadership, entrepreneurship, law, nonprofit excellence, policy, public affairs, strategic communications, and innovative partnerships. Leah’s executive and community leadership spans industries, including the arts, business, education, entrepreneurship, government, law, media, healthcare, public health, and public service. Her curriculum vitae boasts advising judges on California and federal courts, LawMedia Group, Public Health Institute, and WestEd, amongst others. Her dedication to lifting up all communities is highlighted in her leadership as co-founder of the Black Alumni Association of Stanford Law School, her service as a member of Access and Fairness Council of California State Bar Association, and as Commissioner on WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission; along with her volunteerism as a board member of many nonprofits, including, World Arts West, Friends of the Children (San Francisco Chapter), Presidio Hill School, and St. Paul’s Episcopal School.

Leah is a nationally sought-after thought leader and author. She has been a panelist on the “Business Roundtable on Student Debt” at the White House and the “America’s College Promise Roundtable” with Second Lady of the United States Jill Biden. Leah has shared expertise on a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurship to economic growth through racial inclusion, to philanthropy, to education, to business and executive leadership. Her publications have graced SFGate.com, The Recorder, Benefit Magazine, and CityFlight Magazine. Ms. Williams previously hosted and produced Benefit Radio on KKGN Green 960 AM, where she interviewed community, civic, and business leaders on philanthropic community impact.

Leah holds a law degree from Stanford Law School and a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Culture from U.C. Irvine. Additionally, Leah has a certificate in Management Development for Entrepreneurs from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She has clerked for the Honorable Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court, Northern District of California, and externed for the Honorable Benjamin Aranda, California trial court.

Leah is most proud of being the mother of two daughters and of the family with her husband that includes her bonus/stepson, two Labradoodles, and close-knit family members from Canada to California, to the East Coast, to many states in between.

Allana Rocha, the CEO's Office, digitalundivided

Allana Rocha is in the CEO's Office of digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem.

Reporting directly to the CEO, Allana is responsible for supporting other departments’ initiatives as needed - including, but not limited to all HR and cross-departmental activities. She supports the CEO in setting the overall strategy of the company and in day-to-day HR and operations, with a level of critical and data analysis. Allana also operates at a tactical, strategic and operational level, handling the oversight of projects that do not neatly fit within the organizational chart or that fall between departments, and or leadership areas of responsibility. Aside from this, she also supports the Accounts department as well as the Board of Directors, while managing highly sensitive information.

Working with this wide range of initiatives and tasks on the day-to-day, Allana brings her unique perspective developed throughout her career prior to digitalundivided. She has worked and succeeded in projects that come from Real State Market research to co-coordinator Psychologist to developmental groups, passing through blogging, SEO and agriculture-related entrepreneurship. Allana is proud of the fact that she has achieved success and delivered an exceptional job in a variety of industries, and for being able to wear so many different hats at the same time - which is key for her current role at digitalundivided.

Aside from being an advocate for digitalundivided’s mission to use innovation to create system change by catalyzing economic growth for Black and Latino communities through women entrepreneurs, she also personally advocates for feminism, LGBTQIAP+ rights, environment, and social equality.

Allana is a registered Psychologist, with an emphasis on Organizational Psychology, and proudly graduated from one of the best universities in Latin America: UFBA (Federal University of Bahia). She also had the opportunity to study abroad as a scholarship holder at Deakin University Australia.

Bobby Bryant, Director of Partnership Activation at digitalundivided

Bobby Bryant is the Director of Partnership Activation of digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem. 

Bobby Bryant is an accomplished sales and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience cultivating revenue generating multi-platform partnerships. As the Head of Partnerships and Events at digitalundivided, Bobby manages the development and growth of the strategic partnership pipeline between corporate and ecosystem partners. Utilizing our suite of programs and innovative research, she drives monetary and strategic value for digitalundivided and its community of founders.

A certified event planner and founder of Taylor Made Event Planning and Consulting, she also oversees digitalundivided’s Events team which manages the development and execution of all events and special projects.

Bobby’s proven success in generating revenue stems from her direct experience as a Senior Account Executive at ABC Television, NBCUniversal and Telemundo where she managed broadcast, digital and out-of-home corporate partnerships. With national sales experience in major markets such as New York, L.A., Chicago and Dallas, she has negotiated and managed multi-million dollar partnership deals for premiere events including The Olympics, Super Bowl, The Academy Awards, NBA Finals, and the World Cup.

Utilizing her relationships across key industry categories such as retail, automotive, financial, telecom and healthcare, Bobby also maximized revenue opportunities through the ideation and execution of event activations and integrated marketing campaigns. Serving as the lead on all creative and logistical components of these campaigns and events, she was the catalyst behind several Black History, Hispanic Heritage and Pride Month campaigns; driving social impact and awareness.

Serving as the lead on all creative and logistical components of these campaigns and events, she was the catalyst behind several Black History, Hispanic Heritage and Pride Month campaigns; driving social impact and awareness.

Bobby’s passion to be a change-agent for her community is deeply rooted in her long standing commitment to empower women of color. Through mentorship, volunteerism, activism and advocacy she has devoted herself to causes that seek to alleviate and revolutionize the challenges that plague black and brown communities.

Bobby holds a B.S. in Marketing from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated and the Arlington Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Mónica Valenzuela, Director of Programs, digitalundivided

Mónica Valenzuela is the Director of Programs of digitalundivided,a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem. 

In this role, Mónica leads one of the organization's most vital initiatives dedicated to advancing its mission. She oversees and manages a portfolio of programs tailored to Latina and Black women founders at various stages of their business journeys, providing comprehensive support, empowerment, and solutions to address their unique needs and challenges.

With over 20 years of multifunctional experience in economic and business development, she has a proven track record of efficiently managing teams and is skilled in startup operations, cultivating strategic partnerships, program management and marketing strategies. She has worked with U.S. and European Public Economic Development Authorities, incubators, and business accelerators, gaining in-depth knowledge of entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, and investment ecosystems.

Mónica's passion for entrepreneurship drives her to support founders in bringing their ideas to life and contribute to economic growth, particularly in vulnerable communities. Monica has volunteered her time and expertise as a mentor and coach for numerous early-stage founders. Furthermore, she has supported the entrepreneurship program of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ and served as an Executive Leadership Board Member for the Morris County Business Women Networking Involving Charity & Education organization.

Mónica holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and administration from the University of Barcelona, along with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Additionally, she has obtained specialized education in Business Growth Strategies at IESE Business School, Strategic Marketing Management at NYU, and holds a Certificate in Coaching Skills for Leaders from Purpose & Performance Group.

Shanthi Maire Blanchard, Associate Director of Thought Leadership and Philanthropy, digitalundivided

Shanthi Marie Blanchard is the Associate Director of Thought Leadership and Philanthropy at digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem. 

As the Associate Director of Thought Leadership and Philanthropy at digitalundivided, Shanthi is supporting the elevatation of the organization towards its next chapter. Her focus is on developing digitalundivided’s new and current initiatives, building and strengthening ecosystem relationships, supporting the board, and serving as an organizational connector. Importantly, she is leading the development of the Capital Access Network, digitalundivided’s pipeline between investment-ready startups and investors. 

13 years ago, leveraging her learnings from the London School of Economics Gender Institute, Shanthi anticipated that the most educated generation of women would pursue entrepreneurship as a resolve to the social and systemic barriers they faced in the worker economy. She responded by launching Spinsters, which envisioned a women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Here she built essential networks, marketing support, leadership development, and funding resources, aiding 75+ startups and small businesses worldwide, launching them into prestigious accelerators like a16z, and securing over $1 million in nondilutive funding.

Shanthi has collaborated with major startup ecosystem partners, including The United Nations Girl Up, the City of New York, IBM, AWS, Google, and numerous Fortune 100 & 500 companies. Her work has earned her 14 advertising and marketing awards, and her short films on gender, race, and climate have been showcased at over 20+ film festivals.

In addition to her role at digitalundivided, Shanthi is a partner and Head of Innovation and Development for Asian Boss Ladies, an organization positioning the next generation of Asian American leaders for executive roles. She previously served as the Board Chair for the nonprofit arm of one of Inc.'s 50 fastest-growing ed-tech companies and was the Managing Editor of the award-winning digital publication Her Agenda. Her writing has appeared in The London School of Economics Engenderings, Mic.com, and the National Organization for Women.

Shanthi holds a Master’s in Gender, Policy, and Inequalities from the London School of Economics and dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science from Santa Clara University and in Psychology from Southern Illinois University. She is also a former Division I cross country and track athlete and launched the first National Day of Silence in the Southern Illinois region in 2005.

Nastacia Debrose, Associate Director of Resource Development and Systems Integration at digitalundivided

Nastacia Debrosse is the Resource Development and Systems Integration Lead at digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem.

Under the direction of both the CEO and Head of Partnerships & Events, her primary role is to design, plan, and facilitate the implementation of systems, processes, and best practices org-wide with a cost-effective approach. Nastacia also works collaboratively on solidifying relationships with new and existing partners while providing a high-end experience for everyone. Ultimately, our goal is to create a greater world where all women of color own their work and worth.

Nastacia has extensive experience as a Small Business Consultant and Account Manager for Mid-Market companies from both the tech and entrepreneurship realms. Her strengths lie in the ability to identify opportunities for process improvement and automatization. Nastacia is trained in Design4Delight as an InnovationCatalyst and has facilitated innovative design thinking workshops for program development and implementation initiatives.

Ana Cecília Marques, Programs Operations Manager at digitalundivided

Ana Cecília Marques is the Programs Operations Manager at digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem. 

In her current role, she is responsible for providing support for both Operations and Programs departments. Ana supports these teams with recruitment, development, improvement, support on monitoring, implementing and operationalizing Agile Methodology cross-departmentally, assistance in the organization’s recruiting efforts, and internal support for HR.

Prior to joining digitalundivided’s team, Ana Cecília was the owner of an ice cream shop, and along with that, she worked as a draftsman for several architects. After her graduation in 2016, she opened her own architecture office specializing in residences and interior design. With her diverse work experience, Ana Cecília was always dedicated and open to learning new skills.

Ana Cecília holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture and Urban Design from FASA, and an MBA in Project Management from USP- Esalq. She also participated in the Science Without Borders Program from the Brazilian Government and had a scholarship diploma in Architecture from Deakin University in Australia.

Paulo Mateus Cunha, People & Communications Operations Manager at DigitalUndivided

Paulo Mateus Cunha is the People & Communications Operations Manager at digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem. 

As the Operations & Culture Manager, Paulo is responsible overall for working collaboratively with the digitalundivided team to develop activities/initiatives that support the founders, programs, and to further digitalundivided’s mission, reach and impact. In his role, Paulo is responsible for providing Project Management services, operationalizing Agile Methodology across functions of the Organization, and reinforcing organization-wide best practices. On the Human Resource & People Team, Paulo supports internal communications, performs initial recruiting and selection logistics and operations, and supports the Director of Operations & People in developing culture.

Paulo worked in both public and corporate institutions. At IEDS (Institutional Evaluation & Development Superintendence), Paulo developed skills highly focused on Competency Mapping and Public Service Roles. At Braskem S.A., Paulo developed KPIs, managed the Internship Program nation-wide, and Internal Communications skills with the People & Organization (P&O) - Industrial Education Team, assisting as a cooperative arm to the P&O team in its three different regions in Brazil. As a TEDx Organizer, he was able to lead and develop 5 incredible TEDx Events and curate 40 unique ideas worth sharing, with a total of 3.5MM+ views on YouTube. In that context, he has been featured in local press as iBahia, A Tarde and Correios, among others.

Paulo holds a Bachelor of Psychology in Organizational & People Management from Federal University of Bahia.

Amira Arora, Coordinator at digitalundivided

Amira Arora is a Coordinator at digitalundivided, a leading non-profit dedicated to creating a more equitable startup ecosystem.  

Amira currently assists the Marketing team at the organization with creating long form content to distribute along digitalundivided’s social media platforms and write interesting blogs to educate the public about our unique mission. She is also responsible for overlooking the organization’s Newsletter and PR for various upcoming events. 

In the past, Amira has worked with various successful startups, including Flaus, ProjecReady, Apsy, Kinestry, Playing For Change, and The Arora Company. Some of her achievements include being recognized as the #BUILTBYGIRLS Future Founders National Challenge Finalist and Scholarship Recipient, MIT Society of Women Engineers Grant Recipient, Recipient of Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the US Congress, Disney & ABC Youth Service America Summer of Service Grant Recipient for ImpactCS, Yale Science and Engineering Award NJRSF recipient, and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing New Jersey Winner.

Amira has been featured on Forbes, Influencive Magazine, and MyNation for her accolades. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s in Consciousness & Human Potential from Maharishi International University and is keen on pursuing a career in the Marketing & Advertising Industry!