Board & Staff

Board

Diana Barrett founded The Fledgling Fund in 2005 after a long career at Harvard University, where she taught in both the Harvard Business School and the School of Public Health. At Harvard Business School, she was a member of the Social Enterprise core group where she taught Business Leadership in the Social Sector as well as in various executive programs. Her areas of interest at Harvard included the use of public private partnerships for global poverty reduction and specifically, in addressing the social and personal burden of disease such as HIV/AIDS. She received both her Masters in Business Administration and her Doctorate in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. The Fledgling Fund provides an opportunity to further those interests by focusing on innovative approaches to complex social issues including the use of media to ignite social change. In addition to leading The Fledgling Fund, Diana serves on the Boards of Summer Search, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the Convent of the Sacred Heart and the International Center for Photography. She is also on the board of Advisors of the Acumen Fund.

Bob Vila is one of the most well respected television personalities and experts on home improvement. He is Diana Barrett's husband and a member of The Fledgling Fund's Board. He has a long-standing interest in the needs of underserved populations, beginning with his Peace Corps experience in Panama and continuing with a dedication to Habitat for Humanity. He also supports the educational needs of Cuban youth, primarily in Miami, Florida. Bob, whose family is Cuban, sits on the Board of the Hemingway Preservation Foundation an organization dedicated to preserving Hemingway's' home, papers and legacy in Cuba. He also has served on the boards of College Summit, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, The Plymouth Plantation.

Christopher Vila began his career as a Project Manager for Urban American, a privately held Real Estate development and management firm in New Jersey. In 2004 he co-founded Vila Brands, a holding company specializing in brand management and product development. He has been a member of the Board since 2005 and has a strong interest in affordable housing and sustainable community development. He graduated from Tufts University in 1999.

Jessica Wolfe has been an entrepreneur, clinical researcher and executive in healthcare, health sciences and public health for over 25 years. Jessica began as a clinical and research neuropsychologist at the Boston VA Healthcare System studying memory, depression and dementia. She then developed and managed multidisciplinary research and treatment programs in post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual assault, Gulf War illness, and women's primary healthcare. While working at the VA and affiliated medical schools (Boston University and Harvard), her work generated national attention and resulted in significant year on year revenue growth, including the award of numerous competitive grants. In 2007, she founded BluePond LLC, a company that targets innovations at the intersection of health, design and technology. Jessica earned her Doctorate in psychology from Columbia University and a Master's in health care management from Harvard University School of Public Health. In addition to serving on The Fledgling Fund's board, She serves on the Board of Trustees of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, is a Director of NF (Neurofibromatosis) Northeast, Inc. and is a Member of the Corporation of the Germaine Lawrence School, a leading residential and educational program for girls and young women with significant adjustment needs.

Robert P. Connor has an extensive background in family office management, investment supervision, tax and estate planning. He is the Executive Director of the Hess Group, LLC, a single family office in New York City. Prior to joining the Hess Group, he was the Director of Financial Counseling and Client Services at Rockefeller & Co., responsible for all client service operations, including trust and fiduciary functions, accounting and tax services, estate planning, and financial counseling. He was also a Senior Vice President in the Family Wealth Management Group at U.S. Trust, and managed the Philanthropic Advisory Services department. At J&W Seligman & Co., he was a Senior Vice President in the private wealth management group and was a General Partner of William A.M. Burden & Co., a single family office and investment management firm in New York City. Bob began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. He received his B.S. degree magna cum laude from Boston College, holds an M.S. degree in Taxation from Pace University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Staff

Sheila Leddy is vice president of strategic initiatives at The Fledgling Fund. She has worked with The Fledgling Fund since its inception and has played a key role in developing its overall strategy in close collaboration with the Fund's president and board. She plays a leadership role in both its Community Funding and Creative Media Initiatives, developing grant guidelines, reviewing and developing projects and assessing their potential to advance The Fledgling Fund's mission. Prior to The Fledging Fund, she was a senior associate with The Crimson Group, Inc., where she provided project management and research assistance as well as participated in the development of curricula for The Crimson Group's customized management education programs for physician leaders and senior managers of large healthcare organizations. She also was a research assistant at Harvard Business School where she developed curriculum materials that examined the corporate role in the social sector. Sheila received her MBA from Boston University Graduate School of Management with a concentration in Health Care and received her BA from the University of Notre Dame.

Emily Verellen is the Senior Program Officer at The Fledgling Fund.  She joined the Fledgling Fund in 2008.  Emily provides strategic communications and expanded outreach support for both the Community Funding and Creative Media Initiatives.  Emily is the co-founder of The Binti Pamoja Center, a women's rights and reproductive health center in Nairobi, Kenya.  In 2006, she received a grant from The Fledgling Fund to publish a book about The Binti Pamoja Center, "LightBox", which features photographs, stories and autobiographies from the teenage members of the Center. All of the funds earned through the sales of LightBox support The Binti Pamoja Center Scholarship Fund.  Emily graduated from American University with a BA in International Development, Anthropology and Communications and from the London School of Economics with an MA in International Development and Population Studies.