Dr. Nancy O'Reilly

The Women Connect4Good Board

Dr. Nancy O'Reilly

Nancy D. O’Reilly

Board Chair
Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly is an international philanthropist and trailblazer for women’s empowerment, who believes women will hasten their progress to equality by defining themselves and others as leaders.

About Dr. Nancy

Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly is an international philanthropist and trailblazer for women’s empowerment, who believes women will hasten their progress to equality by defining themselves and others as leaders. A successful author, educator, and podcast host, she founded Women Connect4Good, Inc., a 501(c)3 foundation, to help support other organizations that work to advance women and girls. She also serves on the boards of several social-profit groups, including Take The Lead, Inc. She invites everyone to join her in reaching out to support women in the pursuit of leadership, equality, safety, and success.

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Jennifer Faust

Jennifer Faust

Co-Treasurer
Women’s leadership and girls’ rights advocate and policy expert Jennifer Faust (she/elle/ella) is a management consultant and former CEO and ED of multiple public affairs and youth serving agencies.

About Jennifer

Women’s leadership and girls’ rights advocate and policy expert Jennifer Faust (she/elle/ella) is a management consultant and former CEO and ED of multiple public affairs and youth serving agencies. Leading pivotal transition or transformations as it relates to strategic direction, Jen has 30 years in nonprofit management and government service in the U.S. and globally. Most recently Jen led Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara through a period of renewal, and under her tenure as CEO, the organization transformed itself from one primarily focused on meeting direct needs of girls and teens to a more complex and influential organization; combining services to support the next generation of powerful girls and women together with a strong leadership voice advocating for necessary change in social sector feminist leadership. Beginning June 2023, Jen has been appointed to the role of Community Economic Resilience Fund Advisor serving the L.A. County Economic Development Corp. in its efforts to equitably grow the regional economy using a five-pillar approach. The work aims to reach some of the most systemically marginalized families in Southern California and across the Central Coast to lift them up economically. Jen also has significant experience in international social justice and policy efforts, working to secure economic and voting rights for women in Kosovo, among other countries. She also served in the U.S. Peace Corps where she organized broad-based economic empowerment movements for women’s groups in Haiti.

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Ale Ortega-Botello

Co-Treasurer
A native of Santa Barbara, Ale has been in the banking field for the past thirty-six years and owns her own business as mobile notary.

About Ale

A native of Santa Barbara, Ale has been in the banking field for the past thirty-six years and owns her own business as mobile notary. In her role of banker, Ale has held sales and management positions with focus on the business acumen in the local banking community. She has worked for various banking institutions in Santa Barbara in an executive capacity and currently works as Vice President, Relationship Manager at Community West Bank. Giving back to the community is extremely important to Ale and she actively participates in Santa Barbara and Goleta, serving on numerous Boards and actively volunteering with organizations such as Unity Shoppe Inc., Alpha Resource Center, National Association of Women Business Owners-SB, Women Connect 4Good, American Heart Association, Tree’s for Troops and supporting many non-profit events in the city of Santa Barbara and Goleta. Ale holds a degree in Business Foundations and recently completed a three-year masters-level extension program for senior officers in the banking industry with Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

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Cathy Evans

Secretary
Cathy joined the Women Connect4Good (then WomenSpeak.com) team in 2009 as a writer-producer.

About Cathy

Cathy joined the Women Connect4Good (then WomenSpeak.com) team in 2009 as a writer-producer. From those early days coordinating the podcasts with smart, amazing women and the contributing authors for Leading Women, she has been and continues to be awed by the passion of talented thought leaders and honored to help them make an impact for positive change. After nearly 50 years of writing about practically everything, Women Connect4Good’s mission remains the most worthy and fulfilling work she has ever experienced. If finding a cause bigger than yourself makes your life worth living, Cathy has found hers in serving Women Connect4Good.

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Gloria Feldt

Board Member
Gloria Feldt is an acclaimed expert on women, power, and leadership with frontline leadership experience, a bestselling author, and in-demand keynote speaker.

About Gloria

Gloria Feldt is an acclaimed expert on women, power, and leadership with frontline leadership experience, a bestselling author, and in-demand keynote speaker. She is cofounder and president of Take The Lead, whose mission reflects her life’s passion: to prepare, develop, inspire, and propel women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025 by providing breakthrough training, mentoring and coaching role modeling, and thought leadership. She is the bestselling author of five books, and teaches “Women, Power, and Leadership” at Arizona State University. She is formerly president and CEO of the world’s largest reproductive health and advocacy organization, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 

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Ed Martin

Board Member
Ed Martin, Cofounder and Managing Partner at the 5th Element, has served in key board roles of organizations focused on championing women and girls, from Athena International to The Canales Project.

About Ed

Ed Martin, Cofounder and Managing Partner at the 5th Element, has served in key board roles of organizations focused on championing women and girls, from Athena International to The Canales Project, as well as lifting top women leaders in history as Executive Director of the Florence Nightingale 200th anniversary celebration and transmedia campaign. In addition, he was elected to the board of the Peace Research Endowment focused on academic and policy research and implementation to mitigate global conflict and is Senior Advisor to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Ed is also Chair Emeritus to Association of National Advertisers Research and Measurement Council. He has held key positions in top Fortune 500 organizations including The Kellogg Company helping to lead new products innovation, Coca-Cola, Citigroup, Ford Motor Company, and the Hershey Company. He has served as Executive in Residence at Georgetown University, and has been an advisor to the Millennium Project and to the Ambassador from Uganda to the US. Ed was also an Advisor to the State Department and USAID on the Global Diaspora Initiative and on the Executive Board of the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute.

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Adam Torres

Adam Torres

Board Member
Adam Torres is Host of the Mission Matters Podcast, a best-selling author, global speaker and media executive who advises leaders and organizations on building brands.

About Adam

Adam Torres is Host of the Mission Matters series of shows, ranked in the top 2.5% out of 3,475,915 podcasts globally." As Co-Founder of Mission Matters, a media, branding and book publishing agency, Adam is dedicated to amplifying the voices of entrepreneurs, entertainers, executives and experts. An international speaker and author of multiple best-selling books on business and investing, his advice is featured regularly in major media outlets such as Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, Fox Business, and CBS.

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Haley Lickstein

Haley Lickstein

Board Member
Haley Lickstein is a political strategist, speaker, and content creator recognized for her expertise in democracy, women’s rights activism, digital advocacy, and reproductive justice.

About Haley

Haley is the creator and host of a first-of-its-kind short-form series where, in just one year, she has conducted one-on-one interviews with more than 80 sitting members of the U.S. Congress. The show gives young audiences unprecedented access to the people shaping their futures. Haley has also hosted cultural and political trailblazers, from Gloria Steinem to Jen Psaki to Stacey Abrams, spotlighting stories of leadership and activism that help young people see themselves in the work of shaping democracy. She has spoken at Cannes Lions, VidCon, UPS’s Annual Impact Summit, Trending Up, Voters of Tomorrow’s Annual Summit, the Feminist Majority Foundation Annual Conference, and the Center for American Progress headquarters. Her work has been featured across major media outlets – MSNBC, CNN, CBS News, ABC News, the Associated Press – and she was named EMILY’s List E-Lister of the Year in 2024. She has collaborated with leading national organizations—including Planned Parenthood, the Democratic National Committee, EMILY’s List, Hulu, Reproductive Freedom for All, Run For Something – and her unique blend of storytelling, strategy, and activism continues to make her one of the most trusted and compelling voices shaping conversations around democracy, equity, and women’s rights today.

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Maggie O’Neill

Maggie O’Neill

Board Member
Maggie O’Neill is a creative visionary, artist, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience shaping the cultural and design landscape of Washington, D.C.

About Maggie

Maggie co-founded SWATCHROOM in 2013, leading the creation of immersive environments for over 80 restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and commercial spaces. Maggie's signature pop-impressionist artwork is collected across the U.S. and internationally, and she collaborates with brands, cultural institutions, and communities to create impactful public art, murals, and immersive experiences. Maggie's portfolio includes major projects such as the renovation of the historic Willard Hotel, international collaborations in Morocco, and a wide range of commercial and hospitality spaces. She has been recognized with the 2024 Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts and serves as a Commissioner for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, Modern Luxury, ABC, and NBC. Maggie’s latest endeavor as an activist and founder of the Vote For Your Daughter campaign, the arts nonprofit Our Daughter’s Futures Fund, and the FOREVER FEARLESS exhibition reflects her commitment to civic engagement and social change, inspiring action and raising awareness to educate American voters on critical issues that directly impact women and girls.

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Zakiya Thomas

Zakiya Thomas

Board Member
Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and ERA Coalition Forward, is a dedicated advocate for justice and equality.

About Zakiya

Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and ERA Coalition Forward, is a dedicated advocate for justice and equality. With a rich background in political strategy and nonprofit management, she leads a coalition of over 300 organizations representing 80 million people. Her work spans gender, racial, and reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and more, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these issues to foster collaboration.

An Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law, Zakiya teaches aspiring leaders how to run for political office and serves on several nonprofit boards, championing causes from reproductive rights to financial empowerment. Daily, Zakiya and her team strive to build support for the Equal Rights Amendment in Congress and across the nation.

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Frédérique Irwin

Frédérique Irwin

Board Member
Frédérique Irwin is the President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, where she leads the charge to reshape how women’s stories are told — and remembered.

About Frédérique

Frédérique Irwin is the President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, where she leads the charge to reshape how women’s stories are told — and remembered. With over 25 years of experience in strategic leadership, entrepreneurship, and impact-driven work, she has dedicated her career to driving systemic change for women.

Before joining the Museum, Frédérique served as Managing Director of Impact Strategy at the Sorenson Impact Center, partnering with national organizations to advance equity in higher education and entrepreneurship. She was also the founder and CEO of Her Corner, a company that helped thousands of women grow and scale their businesses, earning national recognition for its impact before being acquired in 2021.

Her work has led to honors including her selection as a New Zealand Edmund Hillary Fellow, a global fellowship for visionary changemakers. She has taught entrepreneurship and organizational behavior at American University’s Kogod School of Business and is a sought-after speaker on women’s leadership and equity.

Frédérique holds an MBA from William & Mary and a BA in Russian Studies from Davidson College. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, conversant in Russian, and a proud dual citizen of the United States and the European Union. In 2025, New Zealand granted her and her family permanent residency in recognition of her global impact.

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