Aisha Nyandoro, Chief Executive Officer

Brandon McCall is Vice President of Structured Finance at the National Equity Fund (NEF), where he originates debt and equity transactions focused on preservation and workforce housing. With nearly 15 years of experience, Brandon previously served as Senior Tax Credit Underwriter at Enterprise Housing Credit Investments, managing affordable housing transactions across several regions. He has also held roles at Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Mercy Housing California, and Citibank, N.A. Brandon holds a Master’s of Public Administration from USC and a B.A. in English from Dickinson College. In addition to lending his expertise to Springboard, Brandon is the Board Chair for Innovative Housing Opportunities and serves on the Real Estate Executives Forum board.

Ira Murray is the associate director of research and development at the Vanderbilt University Initiative for Race Research and Justice, focusing on race, racism, and society. He collaborates with communities to develop tools addressing racial justice. A former nonprofit executive in Jackson, Mississippi, Murray served as CEO of United Way of the Capital Area, Inc. He has worked with several HBCUs and is a third-generation graduate with a bachelor’s from Florida A&M, a master’s from Vanderbilt, and a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Murray is a native of South Carolina.

Elliott Flaggs is a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs’ Jackson, Mississippi, office, advocating for clients in state and municipal government, business development, and public relations. Previously, he served as special assistant attorney general and legislative liaison for Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Elliott holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University and graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is active in the Mississippi Bar Association and several community organizations, including The First Tee of Central Mississippi. Elliott has been recognized for his leadership and community service, including being named one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Most Influential People. He and his daughter, Lianne Marie, reside in Jackson.

Heidi Flynn Barnett possesses over thirty years of expertise in developing internationally acclaimed visual communication design solutions as both a designer and art director. She holds a BFA in Communication Design from The New School’s Parsons School of Design and consistently applies her creative vision and strategic approach to every team she collaborates with. As President of Flynn Design, Heidi serves as a thought partner and visual storyteller, working closely with organizations who share a commitment to social justice and actionable change. Her recent participation in the Terra Foundation for American Art Planning Convening in Paris and Giverny, France demonstrates her engagement in global artistic initiatives. Between 2013 and 2020, she was founding senior partner at Kiyomi, specializing in book design and exhibition graphics. Heidi’s extensive community involvement highlights her dedication to effective leadership and service, underscoring her ongoing efforts to foster positive change through community and collaborative partnerships.

Nakimuli specializes in employment law and commercial litigation, advising clients on workplace compliance, employee handbooks, and legal risk reduction. She conducts internal investigations, advises on terminations, and guides employers through reorganizations. Nakimuli collaborates with clients on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, offering training programs to foster inclusive workplaces and reduce harassment claims. She represents clients in litigation before the EEOC and defends employers in cases involving Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, and more. With experience in industries like manufacturing and education, Nakimuli also advises on COVID-19-related issues. She is licensed in Mississippi and Tennessee and teaches Employment Law at Mississippi College School of Law.

Salin Geevarghese is the President & CEO of SGG Insight, LLC, providing consulting services to public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and founding Director of the Mixed-Income Strategic Alliance. From 2014 to 2017, Salin served as HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of International and Philanthropic Innovation under President Obama, where he led efforts in sustainable urbanization and cross-sector partnerships. He has held leadership roles at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and The Harwood Institute, focusing on community and economic development policy and innovation.

Trené Hawkins is a program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), focused on deploying philanthropic capital strategically and equitably. She helped shape RWJF’s innovation portfolio and advance equity in grantmaking. Currently, she works on ensuring equitable resource distribution for parents, caregivers, and families in the U.S. economy. Trené also contributes to RWJF’s efforts to integrate equity into its organizational culture and practices. She holds degrees from Princeton University, Rutgers, and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelong New Jersey resident, Trené enjoys baking, fashion, basketball, and travel.

John Newsome is the founder of Public Equity Group (2011 to the present), and has been a strategy and management consultant since 2001, including four years (2001-2005) at the Bridgespan Group (consultant and manager/management team member) and affiliations with numerous other firms, including FSG Social Impact Advisors (project senior advisor), LeadWell Partners, and RootCause, among others. 

From 2009-11, John’s consulting work took him in-house at the (renamed) Global Business Coalition on Health, where as Vice President of US Initiatives he led innovative public-private partnerships between multinational companies (e.g., Chevron, L’Oreal, Levi-Strauss, Pfizer, Brinks) and public partners (e.g., the White House, CDC, DC Dept of Health). Likewise, in 2005-06, John’s consulting with the Bridgespan Group led him to the Oakland Public Schools, where he served in the chief of staff role. Prior to consulting, John served on the management team of the Center for Third World Organizing, and as Press Secretary to US Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland).

In 2016, John co-founded Fight for a Better America, a federal super PAC that funds data-driven, grassroots, voter engagement campaigns to flip districts from red to blue. Fight’s 2017-18 investments supported work in 7 US Congressional districts. Progressives and moderates won in each of those races. From 2004 to 2009, John led “…And Castro for All”, an intersectional initiative focused on LGBT equality, and racial & economic justice, best known for winning unprecedented city and state racial bias cases/judgments. Subsequently John co-founded “…And Marriage for All”, which mobilized African-American support for marriage equality in CA (per this interview @ UC Berkeley), during which time he co-developed a planning guide for statewide marriage equality campaigns (with Evan Wolfson).

John holds an MBA, an MA in Modern Thought & Literature (with a focus on colonialism), a Spanish fluency certification and a BA in Spanish Literature (with a focus on colonialism) from Stanford University. John is a 1990 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow and a 2002 Coro Community Fellow.

Carol Wishcamper has thirty years of experience as a leader in the education and nonprofit sectors. She has an organizational development consulting practice focused on capacity building, offering services in strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, conflict management, and communication skills (www.carolwishcamper.com). She lives in Freeport, Maine, with her husband, Joe, a developer of affordable housing. They have two grown sons and two grandchildren.