Ami Becker Aronson
I feel called to carry my 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆'𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 into the future - giving back and leaving the earth better than we found it.
Although I work in philanthropy, I believe in being 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. That means I am also a catalyst for social change, going beyond just distributing dollars. I help invest in the hearts and minds of the leaders of the Greater Washington, D.C. area.
As a leader, I feel inspired to lead with my heart. I am deeply intuitive and see the world through a different lens. Instead of funding traditional verticals or issues, I see the world as an intricate web. We are all connected, so in order to create systemic change, we need to 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
I get to see the world from both above and below - the 30,000-foot view and the 3,000-foot view. This perspective is critical, in order to learn how best to support our creative leaders. In my work, I use my people skills to experience life at all levels, tapping into the human elements of dignity, compassion, empathy, and humility.
My mission in life is to be a model of "what is possible" in community building and turning ideas into actions, to 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱. I love finding ways to bring thought leaders together! I feel inspired by the leaders I get to meet, who are willing to dream forward, take risks, and do things left of center.
I've discovered that sometimes, the best ideas are incubated in collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds and industries. Nothing brings me more professional joy than seeing 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to complex problems.
Who am I? I am a macro, bold, and visionary personality. I am not afraid to express myself. I have the unique ability to see the world upside down, think outside the box, and integrate new partners into community solutions. I use my boundless imagination to push through traditional barriers of resistance and find unexpected ways to bring people together. Above all, 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
I am a 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲. I care deeply about people, causes, and big ideas. I believe that my unconventional, expansive way of thinking, combined with my compassionate heart, allows me to help others feel valued and supported in deeply authentic ways.
In my personal life, I enjoy running, practicing yoga and pilates, snowshoeing, dancing, reading, traveling for a cause, and volunteering.
Jennifer Grossman
Jennifer Grossman is the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Shalom Tikvah, a nonprofit mental health organization serving Jewish families in the Baltimore and Silver Spring communities. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Master’s degree in Education, Jennifer has devoted her career and personal mission to strengthening families and building compassionate, supportive communities.
Philanthropy has always been a core value for Jennifer. After chairing Jewish Volunteer Connection for four years, she led a family mission to Israel focused on voluntourism—an experience that inspired the founding of Shalom Tikvah. Now in its ninth year, the organization serves over 100 families annually through a unique whole-family model designed and implemented by her partner, Dr. Nicole Glick.
In her role as Founder and COO, Jennifer oversees operations and community engagement. She created The Volunteer Village, a dynamic network of community members who rally around Shalom Tikvah’s most critical families, providing hands-on support and care beyond the therapy room.
Shalom Tikvah delivers intensive, data-driven clinical and wraparound services—including individual, marital, and family therapy; psychoeducational testing; school consultation; IEP guidance; and case management. Services are provided in families’ homes, schools, and in the organization’s Pikesville office. No one is ever turned away based on insurance coverage or ability to pay. Families receive an average of four hours of services per week, creating real, lasting change.
Jennifer is also deeply involved in the broader Jewish community. She is active with AIPAC, serves on the boards of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) and Beth El Congregation, and continues to advocate for causes that reflect her passion for service and justice.
She lives in Baltimore with her husband and their three children.
Michelle Marsh
Michelle Marsh has served as the President of First Class Nevada Inc. since 2018. She has been a member of the board since the company’s inception in 1994, a time when First Class Vending operated exclusively in California.
Before assuming the role of President in Nevada, Michelle worked as an advocate for victims of domestic violence, demonstrating her long-standing commitment to enhancing the communities in which she resides. This dedication to community improvement continues to influence her leadership philosophy at First Class Nevada.
In her role, Michelle is focused on the day-to-day operations of the company. She firmly believes that the foundation of success lies with the employees. By ensuring that staff members are engaged, motivated, and equipped with the necessary tools and resources, she is confident that First Class Nevada can deliver exceptional service to its customers.
At First Class Nevada, we have assembled an outstanding team that is deeply committed to the company's growth and maintaining a strong reputation within the industry. Michelle emphasizes that our success is rooted in pride in teamwork and a respect for the expertise of our team members.
Lindsay Pinchuk
As an Entrepreneur, Marketer, Consultant, Educator, Speaker, Connector, Community Builder, Podcaster, Small Business Advocate and Activist who turned $500 into 7-figures, Lindsay Pinchuk makes marketing simple so that you can build your brand and grow your bottom line without a million followers or a million dollars.
Lindsay grew her first company to reach 3MM people and turned a profit in year one. Less than a decade later, she led her company through its acquisition to a large agency holding company.
Following her exit two years ago, Lindsay now uses her nearly 25 years of experience to help you take your brand to the next level with easy to execute, cost effective and proven strategies.
One to never shy away from speaking out on what’s important, she’s always used her social media platforms to speak out about social issues: for marginalized groups, women’s rights, vaccinations, voting, and gun reform following a mass shooting in her community. Since October 7, 2023, Lindsay has spoken up for Israel and the Jewish Community, combatting antisemitism and keeping her community informed. While many warned her that she may lose business or followers, she trusted her intuition and continued to speak from the heart. As a result her platform has more than doubled and her business enquiries are up over 500%---thus proving that it’s never wrong to do what’s right.
Lindsay’s lent her expertise to 300+ television segments, given interviews on 75+ podcasts and has been featured or contributed to stories in Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Parents.com, Babycenter.com, “The Doctors,” “Access Live,” The Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Magazine and many more as both as a parenting/lifestyle expert, AND as an entrepreneur/small business expert.
In addition to working with businesses, both large and small, to build their brand and grow their bottom line, you can also find her behind the mic of her Top 2% twice weekly podcast for female founders, Dear FoundHer...
Lindsay grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and now lives on Chicago’s North Shore with her husband, two daughters and mini Bernadoodle, Ollie.
Rachel Schindler
Rachel Schindler is a New Jersey native and co-founder of Punchbowl News, a nonpartisan media outlet focused on Washington's political power dynamics. She led product strategy and audience development, building newsletters, podcasts, and community events for readers spanning Capitol Hill insiders to political enthusiasts. Before founding Punchbowl News in 2021, Schindler worked at Facebook (now Meta) in global strategy and news partnerships, following roles at POLITICO and Capital One. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis.
Beyond journalism, Schindler demonstrates a strong commitment to public service through volunteer work with vulnerable populations. For over a decade, she has been involved with Experience Camps, providing support for children who have lost a parent or caregiver. She has also volunteered with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and is on the board of Of Home, Family and Future (OHFF), a NYC non-profit which supports foster youth and domestic violence survivors. Schindler currently resides on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her husband.
Lisa Schneider
Event Chair
Lisa Schneider is the founder of Pearl & Rose, a growing national community that curates in-person events and resources for women in midlife who are embracing their next chapter with purpose, curiosity, and joy. After more than 15 years as a graphic designer creating brand experiences for luxury events, Lisa shifted her focus to what she calls her most meaningful project yet: rebranding midlife.
A passionate connector and creative strategist, Lisa brings a fresh and empowering lens to aging, helping women find community, conversation, and inspiration through meaningful experiences, engaging content, and trusted partnerships.
Lisa lives just outside of Washington, D.C., with her husband of 32 years, Brett. With two grown sons living in Los Angeles, she’s fully embraced her empty nest and is loving the freedom, fun, and fulfillment that midlife can bring.
Gilly Segal
Gilly Segal is the General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of Guided By Good, Inc, and a New York Times bestselling author.
By day, Gilly oversees the legal, compliance, HR, and administrative functions across a group of advertising agencies, where she advises on intellectual property, talent partnerships and people matters, as well as the evolving challenges of the media and advertising landscape.
By nights and weekends, she writes award-winning novels. Her debut, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight (co-authored with Kimberly Jones), was a New York Times and Indie bestseller and an NAACP Image Award nominee. Their follow-up novel, Why We Fly, was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries, recognized by the American Library Association. In 2023, Gilly joined the Marvel universe with Captain Marvel: Shadow Code, a thriller exploring power, ethics in innovation, and complicated family ties. Her books have been selected for Barnes & Noble and Target book clubs and named Books All Young Georgians Should Read. She's been featured on NPR, Entertainment Weekly, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, among other publications.
In 2024, Gilly received the California Young Reader Medal for Meritorious Contribution to Literature for Young People, an honor awarded by student vote, and was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle Corporate Counsel Awards, as a Diversity Champion.
She is passionate about building inclusive creative communities, mentoring emerging talent, and exploring the intersection of storytelling, law, and leadership.
Gilly earned her undergraduate degree from Hebrew University and her law degree from Emory University School of Law. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her three children. When she’s not revising contracts or chapters, she’s cheering from the stands as a proud hockey and mock trial mom.
Rebecca Soffer
Rebecca Soffer is cofounder of Modern Loss, a publication, community, and movement offering creative, meaningful and resonant content and connection addressing the long arc of grief. She is also the author of the bestselling The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience (Running Press, 2022), which was Gayle King’s favorite book of the year, and of Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome (Harper Wave, 2018), which The Strategist named a best book on loss for a younger generation.
Rebecca also writes the bestselling Modern Loss newsletter, which is one of Substack's top Health & Wellness publications and provides intimate interviews with notable figures on their experiences with loss, including actors Cynthia Nixon, Jessica Williams, and Rachel Bloom; poet Saeed Jones; comedians Jena Friedman and Alyssa Limperis; transgender rights activist Raquel Willis; stylist Stacy London; and many more.
She also hosted the “Light After Loss” Facebook series for 1800Flowers.com over the last four years and has partnered with several organizations developing tailored projects that promote their mission, including a six-month campaign with the Seleni Institute that raised awareness around perinatal mental health support. Rebecca is an expert contributor for Help Texts and wrote and was commissioned by The Parmenter Foundation to develop and host the online “UGrieve” training series, soon to be available to undergraduate and graduate students worldwide. She is a sought-after global speaker on loss, resilience, and building compassionate communities in every realm of life and frequently contributes pieces across various media.
Rebecca is a Peabody Award-winning former producer for The Colbert Report and an alumna of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Natalie West
A native of Syracuse, New York, Natalie West earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Public Relations and Business from the University of Maryland, College Park, and studied at Tel Aviv University. She began a career in advertising and settled in the Bethesda area, where she raised her family and became active in the Jewish community.
Natalie’s passion for senior care began with childhood visits to her great-grandmother at the Jewish Home of Syracuse. That early experience has led to a 28-year leadership journey with the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington (HHGW), now part of Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC). She recently completed terms as CESLC Board Chair(2023-2025), Chair Elect(2021-2023), and has led initiatives including Guardian Campaign, Community Engagement, the Aunt Minnie Luncheon, Starlight Ball, and ongoing community programming. In 2012, she received the prestigious Aunt Minnie Goldsmith Award.
She now serves as Immediate Past Chair of CESLC and Board Chair of SmithLife Homecare. Beyond CESLC, Natalie has been involved with the Greater Washington Jewish Federation(GWJF) and Momentum leading a Federation/Momentum mission as a madricha, serving GWJF women’s philanthropy and co-chairing Momentum’s national leadership conference. She serves on the GWJF Inaugural Community Leadership Council and has fundraised for CESLC, GWJF, Momentum, LevX, and Norwood School.
She is married to Eric West, they have three children - Noa, Phoebe, and Eli. She enjoys hosting Shabbat, skiing, gardening, travel and the arts.
Melissa Widen
Melissa is a banker, commercial litigator, serial entrepreneur, senior executive, board member and lifelong advocate for women and girls. She co-founded First Women’s Bank in 2021, the only bank in the country with a strategic focus on the women’s economy. The Bank’s mission is to close the gender lending gap, empower women economically and elevate the women’s economy. Prior to launching First Women’s Bank, Melissa practiced law at Jenner & Block and Arthur Andersen LLP. She was also a founder and Managing Partner of Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP, a trial and litigation boutique law firm based in Chicago.
Melissa is deeply involved in impact, advocacy and community focused organizations. She is a longtime board member and former board Chair of Personal PAC, a leading Illinois political action committee focused on advancing reproductive rights in Illinois. She is also a founding board member of Project 50, a federal PAC formed to support reproductive rights in states across the country. For many years, she represented minors in Chicago as a volunteer attorney with the ACLU’s Judicial Bypass Coordination Project. Currently, Melissa serves on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Chicago and is a partner in Social Venture Partners. She is on the Advisory Boards of Hypatia Capital Management and Next View Global Water Technology Fund, L.P. Melissa is also a Trustee of the Jewish Women’s Foundation and a member of the Chicago Club and the Economic Club of Chicago.
Melissa is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Maryland School of Law. Originally from Columbia, Maryland, she now lives with her husband in Lincoln Park. They have six adult children.