Nick Hardigg (he/him/his) has worked in the conservation sphere for three decades. For the past 15 years, he has served as Executive Director for Alaska Conservation Foundation, the Portland Parks Foundation, and Portland Audubon. At each organization, he adapted its business model to survive and thrive during times of change. No challenge has been greater and more fulfilling than adapting the culture of exclusive conservation groups to recognize and embrace real inclusiveness. Early in his career, he oversaw tourism operations for the National Park Service at the Grand Canyon and Denali. Nick received an MBA from the School of Management. Outside of work, Nick enjoys biking, running, paddling, making sawdust, and laughing with his family.

Emee Pumarega (she/her/hers) comes from a family of Filipino immigrants who left their country during the Marcos dictatorship. She is among the first generation of her family to be born in the US. She graduated from Yale College with a degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. While working at a microbiology lab at the University of Texas at Austin, Emee stumbled on a weekend catering job. Between supporting large events, then returning to the lab for recombinant DNA experiments; she developed a love for precise work and an ability to defuse stressful situations. In 1999, Emee decided to leave the lab to found an event planning business, EJP Events.

The need for inclusion and representation in events became clear to her when, in 2002, a Black wedding client in Portland remarked, “You are the only event planner I’ve come across with a photo of a Black bride on your website, and that’s why I’m hiring you.” Emee realized many underrepresented and marginalized people experience a lack of hospitality and welcome in the event world, and seeks to change that through her work. She draws on the broad exposure to history, culture, and the humanities she received at Yale as her business now serves nonprofit clients, who include organizations such as Oregon Health and Science University and Meyer Memorial Trust. She has served on the board of the Yale Alumni Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington since 2015. Emee holds the Certified Meeting Professional designation from the Events Industry Council. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her two children and her partner.

Allie Yee (she/her/hers) is dedicated to supporting the capacity of social justice leaders and organizations to create equitable and inclusive communities. She got started in the nonprofit sector in North Carolina supporting grantmaking at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and later writing about voting and civic engagement in new immigrant communities in the South at the Institute for Southern Studies. She shifted her focus to nonprofit management, pursuing a business degree at the Yale School of Management. Allie joined APANO Communities United Fund in 2019 as the Manager of Strategic Initiatives and then as the Development and Communications Director prior to her current role as Co-Executive Director of Finance, Operations, and Development. She is excited to help build a strong foundation for APANO’s work and staff and support the organization in leaning into its values.

Sandra Medrano (she/her/hers) works at the intersection of strategy, corporate social responsibility, equity and inclusion. She built her career at FSG, a mission-driven consulting firm, advising corporate business and foundation leaders corporate social responsibility and philanthropic strategies that centered on racial and gender equity and social impact. She worked with a range of corporate institutions across a variety of industries, including pharma/biotech, retail, financial services, as well as worked internationally in Mexico and Colombia. Currently, Sandra works in the tech sector, and focuses on deploying resources that scale social impact and advance the missions of nonprofits and small businesses. Outside of work, Sandra enjoys bike-riding, spending time at the beach/park, scouting out new cocktail bars and finding the best biscuits and gravy in Seattle. She’s a fan of road trips, both long and short, and Spanish music and dance. She and her partner, Fernando, are proud parents of two sassy cats, Frida and Bombon. Sandra received her BA in History and a certificate in Energy Studies from Yale in 2015.