About Us: Board of Directors
Rafael Alfonzo
Attorney and Entrepreneur
Rafael Alfonzo is an attorney/entrepreneur with more than 15 years experience investing in start-up ventures. Rafael has served on several non-profit boards, including The Earthshot Foundation, D.C. Wheels Productions (Dance Place), and the Miami Light Project. Rafael previously practiced law at an AmLaw 100 law firm, specializing in business litigation, corporate governance, and regulatory enforcement and is admitted to practice in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, and New York. Rafael was also a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marines. He served in various billets, including as a military prosecutor, as general counsel to a deployed combat unit, and as a human rights attorney in Southeast Asia and South America.
Rafael received his JD from George Washington University Law School and his BA from the University of Michigan.
Mike Kerlin
Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Co.
Mike Kerlin is an Engagement Manager with McKinsey’s social sector office and infrastructure practice, based in Washington, DC. His client work has included water and toll road infrastructure strategies, small business finance strategies, and economic development diagnostics and policy implementation. Prior to McKinsey, Mike worked as a consultant with the Rwanda Microfinance Forum and founded two small business incubator programs with Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation. He was also a co-founder of the Global Microentrepreneurship Awards, a multi-country collaboration between the UN Capital Development Fund, Citigroup, and a consortium of business schools.
Mike holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a BA from Princeton.
Pratichi Shah
Chief Talent Officer, Independent Sector
Pratichi Shah is a senior HR executive with more than fifteen years experience in all aspects of talent management, HR strategy and programs. Pratichi is currently the Chief Talent Officer (CTO) for Independent Sector (IS), a nonprofit coalition of 600 member organizations that leads, strengthens, and mobilizes the charitable community. As the CTO, Pratichi is responsible for all human capital and human resources programs and processes for the organization. Prior to joining IS, she was the Global Director of the Employer of Choice (EOC) function for Watson Wyatt Worldwide (WW), a 7,500 employee global Human Resources consulting firm. In her Global EOC role, Pratichi was responsible for the firm’s Communications, Employee Relations and Diversity areas and led talent management initiatives that positioned the organization as an “Employer of Choice.” During her ten years with WW, Pratichi led the Training, Performance and Organizational Development functions, established and directed the Employee Relations and Communications areas and worked extensively on Watson Wyatt’s Diversity initiative. Prior to Watson Wyatt, Pratichi was part of the Staff and Organizational Development function of GeorgeWashingtonUniversity and Hospital, where her specialty areas included management skills and leadership development.
Pratichi is also a Board member of the DC-area Indus Women Leaders. She is a certified executive coach and holds an MBA in Human Resources from American University and a BA in the Psychology of Management from Eckerd College.
James Weinberg
Founder and CEO, Commongood Careers
Recognizing the need for nonprofits and jobseekers to receive more direct support in connecting with each other, James Weinberg founded Commongood Careers, a national nonprofit search firm dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs with their hiring needs at every organizational level, providing resources for socially driven jobseekers, and addressing talent-related issues throughout the sector. Previously, James served as National Development Director at BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), where over three years he helped the organization to grow from a $4 million to a $15 million budget and expand service levels from 1,500 to 6,000 children nationally. Prior to this, James served as the Executive Director of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, where he worked to ensure that children who are homeless have equal access to the same educational opportunities and experiences as their peers.
James has a master’s degree in Management & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, is an alumnus of the Coro Fellows Graduate Program in Public Affairs, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tufts University. James serves as an advisor and board member to several organizations, including service as the Vice Chair of the Nonprofit Workforce Coalition.
