Leading the Way: Building and Supporting Your Nonprofit Leadership Team

Courtney Bickert is a Senior Consultant at DRiWaterstone. With over 30 years of experience in international development and foreign affairs, she has a strong commitment to creating positive social impact through innovation, partnerships, ESG, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Having worked and traveled extensively across 100 countries, Courtney’s leadership spans sectors like public health, economic inclusion, agriculture, water, human rights, and more in both developed and developing economies. Throughout her career, she has found success in cultivating partnerships across governments, multilateral organizations, businesses, and non-profits, fostering collaboration for meaningful change. As a skilled consultant, she brings unparalleled expertise in identifying and placing top-tier talent to drive organizational success. Courtney holds an MBA/MPP from The University of Chicago.

Veronica LaFemina is Founder and CEO of LaFemina & Co., an advisory firm supporting nonprofits and social impact businesses at the intersection of strategy, leadership, communications, and change management. Veronica partners with organizations and their leaders to go beyond what "looks good on paper" to focus on practical approaches that work well in real life. She is a leader, strategist, facilitator, trusted advisor, and certified change management professional with nearly two decades of experience as a senior executive at national U.S. nonprofit organizations and a high-impact consultant. Her work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, the Today Show, NPR, CNN, Capterra, and in news outlets nationwide. Veronica blogs regularly about nonprofit leadership, strategy, and culture at lafemina.co.

Kristin Raack is the founder and principal of AltruNext, a firm that helps nonprofits flourish. Over the past 25 years, she’s helped a diverse portfolio of nonprofi¬ts expand their impact. She guides clients to success through organizational assessments, strategic planning, leadership coaching, and all aspects of fund development (e.g., annual funds, capital campaigns, grants, major gifts, etc.). Kristin brings broad experience from social service, education, environment healthcare, and the arts, with clients ranging from grassroots, volunteer-driven initiatives to multi-million-dollar regional and national institutions. She has earned the distinguished Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Grants Professional Certified (GPC) credentials.

Michele Reiner is a nonprofit leadership expert and coach. Through 30 years of experience with national and local nonprofits, she knows what it takes to lead. Clients who engage with Michele find themselves energized, supported, inspired - and they see results. She has won industry awards including Oprah’s Angel Network Use Your Life Award and the Community Foundation Managing for Excellence Award. Additionally, her MSW from Columbia University frames her philosophies and grounds her in purpose-based work. Michele lives with her family of five where days are filled with conversations, laughter and creative tension. She enjoys reading, meditating and cooking, and is working on a book for those seeking to tap their spiritual nature.