Crafting with Conscience: Ethical Storytelling in the Social Good Sector

Rachel D’Souza, MPPA, is the founder of Gladiator Consulting in St. Louis, MO, a boutique firm co-creating change with nonprofits across the country. As a proud member of the Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council, Rachel works to guide and resource a global initiative to reimagine the nonprofit sector through a lens of radical collaboration, racial equity, social justice, and decolonization. In 2024, Rachel became the first person of color to serve as Board President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals St. Louis Regional Chapter in its 50-year history.

In addition to the Community-Centric Fundraising Resource Hub, her thought leadership has appeared in Blackbaud Institute’s npExperts publication The Great Reset; NeonOne’s report, Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving, and most recently; episode #178 of What the Fundraising podcast with Mallory Erickson. Rachel builds understanding and practice of the potential for transformation in our sector through webinars and panel conversations in partnership with sector leaders such as the Independent Sector, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the Collective Impact Forum.

Rachel is the proud mama to her two children, Cameron and Emelia. Rachel enjoys cooking with her kids, Peloton workouts, and being an elder millennial on Instagram. Currently, she is pursuing her second Master’s Degree at the Washington University School of Law and, upon completing her studies in 2024, hopes to build more transformative connections between the nonprofit and public sectors.

Derria L. Ford, MBA. Ed. D, is the Chief Advancement Officer for Martha O’Bryan Center, an anti-poverty community-based organization. She has over 16 years of nonprofit experience. Her expertise spans program expansion, grant administration, executive leadership, and fund development. Derria’s career has been marked by her exceptional ability to lead and motivate teams, her strategic thinking skills, and her ability to build relationships with organizational stakeholders.

Derria’s previous position was at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, where she served as the Deputy Director of Development and Community Engagement. Over the past five years, she has made significant strides in increasing revenue, boosting individual giving, diversifying grants, establishing a signature fundraising event, and simplifying complex legal concepts to benefit vulnerable communities through educational documents, videos, and media. In addition to her professional achievements, Derria holds a Doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University, where she specialized in Leadership and Professional Practice, as well as a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University.

Beyond her impressive professional and academic accomplishments, Derria is a dynamic individual who loves sharing stories about her vibrant eight-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. With her extensive experience and passion for positive change, Derria Ford is a purpose-driven leader that believes deeply in the power of nonprofits.

Diana Farias Heinrich (she/her) is an entrepreneur, speaker, and marketer. As the CEO of Habrá Marketing, Diana helps nonprofits use ethical communication strategies and marketing to raise more money. She is certified as an Advocate for Survivors of Domestic Violence and for DEI in the Workplace. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Literature/Writing and Latin American Studies. Her proudest accomplishments are being a mom and wife, and helping women in Ghana start a sustainable, clean water business.

Demetria Lightfoot is the Senior Director of Philanthropy at Youth In Need, an organization dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families. With over a decade of experience in fundraising within the human services field, Demetria has secured close to $10M in donations for various organizations. Her outstanding leadership has earned her recognition in the community, including prestigious accolades such as the Delux Women Who Inspire Award, the Regional Business Council of St. Louis Leadership 100, and the YWCA Women In Leadership Award.

Demetria is an alumna of Fontbonne University, holding both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and has been acknowledged as a distinguished alum. She passionately advocates for Community-Centric Fundraising, sharing her expertise with local and regional nonprofits to help them integrate these principles into their fundraising efforts. When she’s not tirelessly working towards “world domination,” Demetria cherishes spending quality time with her family and friends.

Chris Miano has made it his mission to elevate the stories of real human beings. He believes that through storytelling with grassroots Community-Generated Content (CGC), the world can become a more inclusive and equitable place for everyone.

Chris was born and raised in Buffalo. He spent eight years in the Army traveling around the world and learning about the power of storytelling as a tool to connect with people across many cultures, generations, and socio-economic backgrounds.

When he returned home from Afghanistan, Chris thought about his grandfather who was a WWII Veteran, and how cathartic it would have been to have him around to share stories with. This inspired Chris to create MemoryFox. The organization started as a way to capture the life story of elderly family members, and eventually grew to support mission-driven organizations.