Dan Barnes, Executive Sponsor Dan is an entrepreneur, innovator, and Executive Chair of the Barnes Family Foundation, which he and his wife Susan established to help create a world where everyone thrives and flourishes. After beginning his career in international banking, Dan spent the next 30 years creating and building innovative enterprises that delivered products and services that improved every-day quality of life for tens of millions of people. Today, Dan brings this same innovative, multi-sector partnership approach to create new, innovative philanthropic initiatives, such as Sunny.
Lisa Cooke, Content Strategy Lisa is a journalist, editor, marketing strategist, and brand storyteller. After two decades as a classically trained ballet dancer, Lisa started her editorial career as an NEA Fellow dance critic, award-winning journalist, and section editor for several Los Angeles news outlets. She applied her background in journalism to the first wave of dot-com content strategy – helping numerous Silicon Valley startups establish their brand-specific voices and messaging at launch. She also has worked with several non-profits to create their public-facing missions and visions. On the Sunny team, Lisa architects the development of content that explains the how and why of Sunny’s path to social connectedness.
Steven Michael Crane, Social Connection Science Steven is a Research Scholar at Stanford University and a consultant to numerous academic, industry, and philanthropic organizations. His life’s work is to study, share, and practice the principles that lead to greater wisdom and prosocial engagement in the world. Working at the intersection of scientific research and behavior design, Steven’s role at Sunny is to translate the research into behaviors and applications that lead to better health, human flourishing, and greater social connection.
Ruth Miller Fitzgibbons, Marketing and Communications After two decades as a reporter and editor for national and regional magazines, Ruth founded the award-winning public relations and cause marketing practice at The Richards Group, where she served until her retirement at the end of 2018. Her commitment to branding and strategic communications for nonprofits led her to work with organizations like the American Heart Association, The Salvation Army, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Pancreatic Action Network. Today, in addition to helping propel Sunny, Ruth guides brand and communications strategy for select nonprofits and causes, including The BrainHealth Project, an online platform for strengthening brain health and performance at all stages of life.
Denise Holota, Finance and Administration Denise has been the Chief Executive Assistant at the Barnes Family Foundation since it was established, providing critical support to the executive team and the organization. She has more than 30 years of experience supporting the C-Suite in the health, technology, gases, and banking industries for both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She received her CEAP certification (Certified Executive Administrative Professional) and her teaching certificate to train administration assistants in the Star Achievement Program.
Jeffrey Hummel, Advisory, Technology and Operations As Chief Operations and Information Officer for GrayHair Software, LLC. Jeff is dedicated to evolving the technical direction, operational support, and methodologies used to service GrayHair’s clients. Jeff brings a wealth of customer service, leadership, and technological expertise with over 30 years of experience in transforming technologies within many industries. With a true talent for applying technology solutions to everyday problems, Jeff has received numerous community impact awards. Jeff works with startups, small businesses, and non-profits on their technology needs and on optimizing their solutions.
Betsy Parker, Chief Executive Officer Betsy is an organization builder with deep experience scaling new businesses, launching fast-growing segments, and driving iconic consumer brands to next-level success. She started her career at Monitor Group, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic growth. Subsequently, she held successful roles leading innovation, strategic planning, and corporate and new business development for iconic consumer brands adapting to significant disruption, first at WW (Weight Watchers) and then at Consumer Reports. Prior to joining Sunny, Betsy led the Affiliated Businesses unit at Thrasio, a pre-IPO unicorn that pioneered the small-cap eCommerce aggregator model. Betsy has an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a BA in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Amy Vest, Digital, Social and Behavioral Design Amy is passionate about helping people build healthier and happier lives. She is a problem solver, with expertise in behavior design, instructional and program design, graphics, and media. As a lifelong student of why people do what they do, Amy applies that knowledge to helping her clients most effectively meet the needs of the people they serve. Her roster of clients spans many of the nation’s leading organizations in healthcare, pharmacy, digital marketing, grant-funded research projects, and mental health.
