PRI Review Committee
PURPOSE
Venn Foundation’s Board of Directors created the PRI Review Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its review, approval, and oversight responsibilities related to Program-Related Investments (PRIs) made by Venn Foundation.
STRUCTURE
The PRI Review Committee is comprised of one or more Review Teams. Each Review Team has its own unique Team Charter that names the PRI Deal Stream(s) for which it has responsibility and, for each, provides a reference to the related Deal Stream Directive that describes the purpose, guidelines, and process for the Deal Stream.
REVIEW TEAMS
Currently, the PRI Review Committee has three Review Teams which oversee a total of five Deal Streams across three program divisions:
Social Enterprise Division
This review team helps administer Venn’s oldest, largest, and most diverse PRI program, which focuses on driving concessionary capital to nonprofits with earned revenue models, businesses with formally declared social corporate purposes, and businesses that are advancing charitable impact.Technology Transfer Division
This review team reviews and approves PRIs that helps universities and other public research institutions de-risk promising discoveries coming out of their research laboratories so they can be licensed and ultimately get to market for the benefit of the public. Venn is piloting this model with University of Minnesota (UMN) Technology Commercialization, but Venn aspires to see it made available to any university or research hospital.Minnesota Afterschool Advance
This review team focuses on PRIs that assist low-income families in utilizing the Minnesota K-12 Education Tax Credit (Tax Credit) to pay for qualified educational expenses, especially academic afterschool activities, for their eligible children.
Committee Members
A puzzle enthusiast, My loves to bring together stories, data, and research to create the big picture. As a Senior Analyst at Building Impact Partners, she gets to do just that – finding the answers to big questions and synthesizing it all together in a compelling and fact-based narrative for our clients. Rooted in a passion and desire to work on issues of youth development, racial and gender justice, and education equity, she has experience within the philanthropic and the education sector. She is excited by philanthropy that is community-centered and community-directed. She has worked as a Grants Manager at Chicago Beyond and Youthprise – organizations that pride themselves on being youth- and justice-focused, working alongside grantees as partners as opposed to funders. Prior to joining Building Impact, she was an Investment Manager with Charter School Growth Fund, supporting and investing in the nation’s best charter schools. My received her B.A. in Politics at Princeton University.
Conner O'Brien has dedicated his career to the intersection of life sciences, healthcare, and technology, with a focus on managing strategic partnerships and client relationships. As Senior Manager of Oncology Partnerships for Invitae's Data Platform, Conner led collaborations to generate Real World Evidence across various medical fields. His expertise includes managing intricate partnerships with life science organizations and patient advocacy groups. With experience in startups, nonprofits, and finance, including roles at Ciitizen (acquired by Invitae), the Medical Alley Association, and Hill Capital Corporation, Conner brings a breadth of experience in partnerships, business development, and client success. Additionally, as a cancer survivor and volunteer, he serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for Rein in Sarcoma, illustrating his dedication to patient advocacy and non-profit work.
Anindya serves a Senior Manager at Janaagraha, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in India's cities. With over 10 years of experience in public policy, program management, development finance, infrastructure advisory and organization development, Anindya leads reformative efforts to fortify the capacities of state and city governments to deliver better urban services. Currently, Anindya is guiding a team of change makers in implementing a competency-based human resource management system and business process re-engineering within government ecosystems. He also spearheads the advocacy efforts on shared municipal service models across India, piloting proof-of-concept, developing playbook(s) and scaling successful pilots. Anindya's passion lies in creating resilient cities and navigating the intricate landscape of urban development. He has earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, where he received the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Award. He brings a wealth of expertise in innovative finance, infrastructure, housing, and food systems. He is enthusiastic about finding impact-led solutions to the most complex challenges of our times.
Chad is a leader, innovator, and problem solver. Chad is the Founder and Chief Disruption Officer of InnoNative Consulting Inc., Co-Founder and CEO of LAUNCHKIT, and a founding board member of Project: Cultivate—all initiatives designed to solve persistent problems in the business sector. Through these professional roles, Chad leverages his 20+ years of community and economic development and 15 years in philanthropy to better support Indigenous causes and communities, including facilitating over $60 million dollars in funding across projects. Chad is also a connector. Through authentic relationship building, Chad has established a robust network of partners, clients, and allies. Paired with his experience in strategic advancement, Chad has consistently demonstrated an ability to foster meaningful partnerships to advance Indigenous causes. An enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Chad's work is grounded in Indigenous values and a cultural context.
Marie serves as Executive Director of Philanthropic Services and Senior Philanthropic Trust Advisory Specialist for Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management where she helps individuals and families define and achieve their charitable goals as part of their overall wealth plans. Prior to Wells Fargo, Marie worked in the nonprofit sector for 22 years, most recently at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she was Director of Planned Giving and Endowment. Marie holds a BA in Business Administration from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and a JD from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, MN. She served as convener for the William Mitchell Intellectual Property Institute Board of Advisors. She is a Past Chair of Minnesota Gift Planning Association and a member of Twin Cities Estate Planning Council, Minnesota Women Lawyers, Advisors in Philanthropy, and Leave a Legacy Minnesota.
Over the past 40 years, Susan has started and grown two businesses, including S&B Properties which focuses on real estate development consulting with nonprofit service organizations. Since joining the National Association of Women Business Owners board of directors in 1990, Susan has served on many boards including Western Bank and the F.R. Bigelow Foundation. Most recently, she chaired the national governing board for the Jeremiah Program, which works to end the cycle of poverty for women and their children, two generations at a time. She also has served as board chair for District Energy St. Paul, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, and the James J Hill Reference Library. Susan has received numerous awards including being named to the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame in 2013. She has received an Outstanding Achievement Award for leadership in business from the YWCA and an honorary Doctorate from United Theological Seminary. Susan received the Carlson School of Management’s Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota in 2010. Susan is passionate about creating systemic change to increase economic independence for women and people of color. She also has a special interest in supporting entrepreneurs with innovative products and ideas that create social impact.
Minette has more than 5 years public-sector experience in the environmental field of local government. She graduated with a B.S. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a major in Sustainable Systems Management and double minors in Environmental Science & Business Management. She started her career in AmeriCorps as a Minnesota GreenCorps member at St. Anthony Village from 2018-2019, where she worked on energy conservation, resident education and engagement, and supported a pilot program for recycling food waste at City Hall. She spent several years with Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health, where she held a fellowship position, an Environmental Health Specialist position, and was most recently a Health Educator. Minette is currently the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of St. Anthony Village. She is also a member of the Wallin Education Partners Alumni Advisory Board and a board member for the Minnesota GreenCorps Alumni Association.
Jaclyn draws on over two decades of leadership success in nonprofit development and service to the community. Currently serving as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor for U.S. Bank, Jaclyn works exclusively with private foundations, public charities, families, and businesses to help maximize the impact of their charitable goals. Her professional experience spans a variety of roles including as Director of Philanthropic Planning for The Saint Paul Foundation and practicing corporate law with Stinson LLP after earning a JD from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2018. Jaclyn has a passion for innovative approaches to social enterprise and impact investing, and she is excited to help PRIs become a mainstream tool in philanthropy.