Elyse is a connector, convener and facilitator who wears many hats at Philanthropy Northwest. Born and raised on the East Coast, Elyse has now been in Seattle for almost a decade and is proud to call the Northwest home. Elyse leads the Annual Conference, Conversations in Philanthropy and is the project manager for our upcoming report on philanthropy in Native communities. She holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Washington, with a focus on place-based philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Prior to working at Philanthropy Northwest, Elyse was a community-based learning and research fellow at the University of Washington - Bothell, where she taught about philanthropy, equity, nonprofit management, power, identity and culture. Elyse has a passion for making philanthropy more responsive, more inclusive, more transparent and more equitable, and enjoys learning about how our diverse membership approaches these values in their specific areas. She loves to cook and bring people together around food, and will likely include snacks during any in-person trainings! When not being a nerd about philanthropy, Elyse can be found hanging out with her adorable pup, cooking for friends, adventuring around the NW, attempting to learn Spanish or dancing.