Our Team

Hania Abu-Eid is the Director of Communications at Open Road Alliance. Over the last decade she has led successful communication initiatives in the corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. Hania most recently led communications at Ending Pandemics, an organization she helped spin-out from the Skoll Global Threats Fund.

Prior to joining Ending Pandemics, Hania served as the Marketing and Communications Officer at the Skoll Global Threats Fund. In this role, she managed all aspects of the organization’s internal and external marketing and communications strategies as well as its threat-specific initiatives which include climate change, pandemics, nuclear proliferation, and water security.

Prior to joining SGTF, Hania was a Communications Manager at Kiva Microfunds where she conceptualized ongoing marketing, branding, and PR campaigns garnering the highest site traffic in Kiva’s history. Hania also worked at Edelman PR. At Edelman, she created Sprout, a global service providing PR counsel to early stage startups, VCs, and small entrepreneurial ventures. In July 2013, Hania was invited to join the White House Champions of Change program after successfully leading a nationwide campaign as part of the official National Day of Civic Hacking.

Hania holds a B.A. in Communications and Marketing from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In her spare time, she serves as a mentor for organizations promoting the development of social entrepreneurship around the world. Hania also supports a variety of local and global humanitarian causes and believes that economic opportunity is a human right.

Denise Amisial is the Senior Data Systems Manager for Open Road Alliance, where she brings experience in the fields of database administration, fundraising operations, marketing automation, and data analysis. Prior to Open Road, Denise led the build and adoption of Salesforce and other business systems at Idealist.org.

Denise holds a B.S in Psychology and a B.A in Sociology from Tufts University. She is currently a Certified Salesforce Advanced Administrator and Certified Pardot Specialist.

Caroline Bressan is the Managing Director of Open Road Alliance. Prior to Open Road, Caroline was an Investment Principal at D. Capital, the investment advisory wing of Dalberg. There she focused on D. Capital’s impact investment advisory offerings, building a pipeline of investment opportunities in Sub Saharan Africa, specifically in energy and agriculture. Caroline also worked on the design and structuring of innovative financing mechanisms, including impact bonds and social impact insurance.

Previously, Caroline was an Investment Officer at Calvert Foundation where she managed its $20 million portfolio mainly focused on Latin America. At Calvert Foundation, she originated and managed a pipeline of lending and investment deals focused on the sustainable trade, social enterprise, and financial inclusion sectors. In addition, Caroline designed and launched a revolving line of credit product, the first of its kind for Calvert Foundation and helped launch the international component of the Women Investing in Women Initiative (WIN-WIN). She also sat on the investment committee of the Haitian Emergency Liquidity Fund, created to provide funding to microfinance institutions in the aftermath of the 2009 earthquake. Caroline has previously worked in Bolivia with Pro Mujer designing a business education program for clients.

Caroline received her MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She speaks English and Spanish.

Sarah Howe is the Senior Portfolio Manager at Open Road Alliance. Prior to Open Road, Sarah was part of the Sustainable Investments group at Deutsche Bank / DWS. As an Investment Manager, she was responsible for managing and structuring investments in financial institutions and social enterprises with exposure to MSME segments in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Sarah also led the group's work to integrate social impact analysis throughout the investment process.

Sarah has 13 years of international experience, working to support MSME development and impact investing. Sarah received her MPA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and holds a B.S. from Cornell University. Sarah lives in New York City.

Aaron has spent the last decade advising philanthropists, family foundations and multinational corporations on strategic grant-making, partnership development, and advocacy.

He comes to Open Road from global health nonprofit Population Services International (PSI) where he served as Deputy Director for Philanthropy. Over five years, Aaron built and helped lead PSI's flagship philanthropic and advocacy initiative - Maverick Collective - in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Prior to joining PSI, Aaron was a strategy consultant in New York specializing in advising healthcare companies on innovative access to medicines and public health-focused CSR initiatives. He has also served as a legislative and communications adviser to a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and as a political aide to the UK's Secretary of State for International Development.

Aaron is originally from Boston but grew up in London. He holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham University and a master's in International Development from Oxford University.  

Joe Liszewski joined Open Road Alliance as the Operations Manager, prior to which he was the Program Director of the NorthSky Nonprofit Network, the capacity building program of Rotary Charities of Traverse City. In this position, Joe was responsible for the management of the NorthSky Nonprofit Network including organizational counseling and managing consulting engagements with nonprofits throughout the region. Working with the Rotary Charities’ Leadership Team he managed programs and services to meet community needs, particularly in the areas of network and organizational capacity building.

Previously, Joe served as Executive Director of California ReLeaf where he was responsible for the overall direction of the organization, including advocacy, fundraising and program administration. Joe joined California ReLeaf in 2005 and served as the Program Director before being promoted to Executive Director in 2010. While there, he managed numerous state and federal grants, including the administration of over $6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Prior to California ReLeaf, Joe worked as a Program Manager for the National Tree Trust in Washington, DC.

Joe brings extensive organizational and program management experience to Open Road. He has a Bachelor of Science in Botany and Environmental Science from Miami University.

Laurie Michaels, Ph.D. is an individual philanthropist based in Aspen, CO. Prior to founding Open Road Alliance in 2012, Dr. Michaels maintained a practice in clinical psychology.

Through Open Road Alliance, Dr. Michaels and her team provide fast, flexible, and affordable funding—in both grants and loans—to nonprofits and social enterprises facing discrete, unforeseen financing gaps that threaten to derail their impact. Her experience has led her to actively advocate for change within the philanthropic sector by highlighting the need for better risk management in grant making. She is a contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, SSIR, and Forbes as well as a speaker at forums such as Fail Forward, GEO, The Aspen Institute, and Global Philanthropy Forum.

Dr. Michaels currently serves as Board Member for the peace-building organization, Search for Common Ground. She is a former Board Member of PATH and served on the board of the Aspen Community Foundation for 12 years, including four years as a Board Chair.

Dr. Michaels earned a B.A. from Williams College. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling

Franklin Mora supports Open Road as an Investment Principal after working in Investment Banking at Wells Fargo Securities. There he worked on providing advisory services and creating financial models for companies ranging from large-cap telecommunications to diversified media focused on debt and equity raises, M&A, and IPOs.

Previously, Franklin worked as Deputy Director for the Queens Economic Development Corporation where he developed an award-winning Social Enterprise program helping Immigrant entrepreneurs in the construction contracting sector within New York City. Franklin has worked for and consulted with companies including Google, NBCUniversal, ACCION USA, and Cisneros Group of Companies as well as small businesses and social enterprises located domestically and in emerging markets.

Franklin is an MLT fellow alum, Consortium fellow alum, and NLC fellow alum. Outside of work Franklin spends time in the woods with his dog Oscar, checking out new ethnic restaurants, reading recommended books, and planning his next adventure. Fun fact: Franklin lived out his teenage dream of becoming a rapper by performing to a crowded venue of over 200 people during business school with a band called “Risky Business.”

Franklin holds an MBA from the University of Michigan – Ross School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

Tom Schumacher is an Investment Principal at Open Road Alliance, prior to which he was a Digital Finance Specialist at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) under the ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance where he identified, evaluated, and structured opportunities in fintech and financial inclusion. Prior to OPIC, Tom was a Senior Advisor at USAID’s Global Development Lab where he made grants to social enterprises, nonprofits, and impact evaluations within several innovation programs including Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) and the Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge.

Tom has experience in international development, startups, and financial markets through a variety of positions including as co-founder of Tala, a fintech company committed to financial inclusion globally.

Tom holds a M.P.P from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland. He lives in Maryland with his wife, son and two dogs.

Ivon Silva is the Portfolio Administrator for Open Road Alliance. Her broad experience includes work at New York University, the North Star Fund and The Ford Foundation. Specifically, Ivon’s experience is in the fields of information technology, communications, development and grantmaking.

Ivon holds a B.A. in Political Science/Public Policy from Stony Brook University and a M.A. in Economics, Political Economy from Brooklyn College.

Alexandra is an Investment Associate with Open Road Alliance (ORA) in Washington, D.C. In her role, she supports the Social Investments Team in all aspects of the due diligence and portfolio management processes.

Alexandra has five years of investment management experience. Previously, she was an Investment Analyst at the Boston University Investment Office where she assisted with portfolio management and performed due diligence on investment managers across asset classes, including hedge funds, private equity/venture capital, and real assets. Prior to joining BU, she was a Research Analyst at Forester Capital, L.L.C, an investment advisor whose investor base includes foundation, endowment, pension, and family clients.

Alexandra received her B.A. in Economics from Barnard College of Columbia University and her MBA from the Yale School of Management. During her MBA, Alexandra held various internships at CDC Group plc, Harlem Capital Partners, and Liquidnet and conducted research through the Yale Program on Social Enterprise and the Yale International Center for Finance.

Maya Winkelstein is the CEO of Open Road Alliance, a hybrid philanthropic and investment initiative focused on advancing solutions to Keep Impact on Track. In her role, she is responsible for the organization’s overall strategy and management of the global Open Road Alliance team.

Since its inception in 2012, Open Road has made over $40million in grants and low-interest loans to organizations across the impact sector which have encountered unexpected roadblocks. Through this strategy, Open Road has kept over $411 million of impact on track across all sectors and geographies, for both registered nonprofits and for-profit social enterprises. The organization also conducts research and advocates for the adoption of long-term, system-wide risk management practices in the philanthropic sector.

Maya served as Open Road’s inaugural Executive Director, and previously worked as an Associate Director with the consulting firm williamsworks where her clients included the Eastern Congo Initiative, Nike Foundation, PATH, Tostan, and TOMS Shoes. Prior to williamsworks, she served in multiple roles across the nonprofit and government sectors focusing on program development, fundraising strategy, and corporate partnerships.

Maya writes and speaks frequently about Open Road’s work and its growing research expertise on ‘Risk Management in Philanthropy.’ She is a regular speaker at forums including Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Skoll World Forum, and PEAK Grantmaking. Her work has appeared in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Foundation Review and many other publications. In 2017, Maya was featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s ‘On the Rise’ series and Huffington Post’s ‘Women in Business.’ She is a former Board Member of the Global Press Institute and a current member of the Leadership Advisory Council for GrantAdvisors.org.

Maya holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan; MSc from the London School of Economics; and Certificate in Finance from Georgetown University. She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and two young sons.