Our Mission
Founded by former Congresswoman Jackie Speier, The Jackie Speier Foundation strengthens San Mateo county families by supporting innovative, community-driven solutions to the feminization of poverty, ensuring that all children can thrive and reach their full potential.
Our Vision and Approach
We envision a San Mateo County where every woman and child can thrive in safe, nurturing homes, free from poverty and domestic violence. Our goal is to reduce child poverty by half over the next decade, giving families the support they need to reach their full potential.
By connecting the county’s creativity and wealth with its hidden needs, we are developing solutions that will not only impact change here, but also inspire change far beyond our county. Since 2023, Jackie Speier has been hosting listening tours to understand these challenges firsthand and lay the groundwork for innovative programs such as the Baby Bonus Program.
A Model for National Change: Through our work in San Mateo County, we are creating a blueprint that can be scaled to other communities across the country, addressing poverty and domestic violence on a broader level.
GOALS
01
Strengthen families by ensuring fundamental needs are met
02
Create and elevate community-driven, sustainable solutions
03
Establish a world-class foundation
Founder - Jackie Speier
Relationships are currency, and few have amassed the connections Jackie Speier has over her remarkable 40+ year career. Representing San Mateo County at every level of government from County Supervisor and State Assembly to State Senator and Congresswoman, Jackie knows this community inside and out. She has also led as a technology Vice President at Electronic Arts, bridging her extensive public service with private sector insight. With her tenacity and courage, Jackie has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding, tackling San Mateo’s toughest challenges head on. A fearless advocate for women’s rights, LGBTQ equality and those marginalized by society, Jackie has consistently been a voice for the voiceless. She brought the #MeToo movement to Congress, was named one of Newsweek’s “150 Fearless Women” and was listed among the “Politico 50.” As a former Representative for California’s 14th Congressional District from 2013-2023, Jackie served on influential committees including the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, while leading initiatives in the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, and co-chairing the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence. Throughout her career, Jackie has championed causes that benefit women and children. She has been instrumental in passing legislation on pediatric cancer research, sexual assault prevention, child support enforcement and financial privacy. As the founder of the Professional Businesswomen of California (PBWC), she has empowered tens of thousands of women to lead and succeed. Now, Jackie has returned home to focus on one of her most important missions to date: ending child poverty. “I’ve fought many battles in my career,” Jackie says. “Eradicating child poverty in San Mateo County is the most important one of my life.” In January 2025, she began serving on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, uniting local leaders and resources to create a future where every child grows up in a safe, stable environment. Jackie lives in Hillsborough with her husband, Barry and their dog, Emma. She is a proud mother of two, a loving grandmother and a bestselling author and a relentless champion for change. Her vision is clear: a San Mateo County where every child can live to their highest potential.
Our Team
Sheryl Young
Interim Executive Director
Carla Boragno
Advisory Board Chair
Henry Ollmann
Program Coordinator
Hillary Mickell
Operating Advisor
Sheryl Young has over 25 years of CEO experience in growth and repositioning through innovation, talent recruitment and management, branding, and cross sector collaboration. Recently “crossed over” into the foundation sector to create donor and nonprofit relationships. She is well versed in governmental funding and regulations in the nonprofit sector, and has focused on building partnerships throughout her career.
Carla Boragno is a Genentech veteran with 35 years of leadership experience in engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and site management. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Engineering and Facilities for Roche, overseeing design, construction, and asset management across its global manufacturing network. From 2012 to 2019, she was Vice President of Site Services, managing Genentech’s 6 million sq. ft. real estate portfolio and leading functions including engineering, facilities, EHS, security, and workplace services. She retired from Genentech in 2022 and now serves as a business advisor and executive coach. Carla is a passionate supporter of her community and local philanthropic efforts. She served on the Board of Directors for Bay Area Council, Junior Achievement of Nor. California, and as the Board Chair for the Genentech Foundation. She is currently on the Advisory Board for Power Speaking, Inc, an industry advisor for SPARK Program in Translational Research (Stanford School of Medicine), Board Chair for Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte, and a Commissioner for First 5 San Mateo County. Carla also serves on Boston University Dean's Leadership Advisory Board for the College of Engineering. In 2016, Carla was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the most influential women in business in the Bay Area, and in 2017 was named to their “Forever Influential” Honor Roll. She was also selected in 2017 as a Hall of Fame honoree for the Northern California Real Estate Women of Influence Awards. Carla has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley.
Henry Ollmann is a recent graduate from Pitzer College as a Philosophy major and Spanish minor on the pre-law track. He is experienced in working with nonprofit foundations, having volunteered for a nonprofit named "Fundación Corazones Solidarios" during his semester abroad in Ecuador. He plans to attend law school in the near future in pursuit of a career as an immigration attorney.
Hillary Mickell is an entrepreneur and marketing executive with over 25 years of experience in developing and scaling technology brands, including Microsoft, Yahoo! and Shutterfly. Passionate about innovation in education, Hillary has been driving new models to help connect students with learning since launching the Microsoft education division in 1991. She led Udacity’s groundbreaking industry co-creation model for online learning and served as Dean and Vice Chancellor of Global Innovation at Northeastern University. An advocate for women, Hillary co-authored Elephant in the Valley, a study on unconscious bias in Silicon Valley, and was recognized as one of Yahoo!’s “Top 25 Women Redefining Success.” She has served on the advisory board of HOPEHaiti for over two decades.
JSF Advisory Board Members
Alicia Aguirre
Alicia Aguirre is a former elected official and educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was an elected member of the City Council in the City of Redwood City where she served as Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council member. She is the first Latina Mayor in the history of Redwood City. She is a professor at Cañada College.
Donna Wills Colson
Donna Wills Colson is serving her third term as a Burlingame City Council where she leads work on affordable housing, clean energy, and chairs several audit and finance committees. She is a philanthropist focused on expanding access for children and families at Filoli, and has worked to support childcare and other initiatives with local nonprofits and is the current co-chair of the UC Berkeley Haas Center for Equity Gender and Leadership. Her professional career was twenty-five years in the investment management industry. She has a BA and MBA degree from UC Berkeley. Donna and Eric are proud parents of Clare and Grace.
Karen Cunningham
Karen Cunningham, as the previous Mayor of Brisbane CA, assertively took the Lead to join other San Mateo County Cities and create a conscientious and diligent Task Force Team of residents to become an Age Friendly City. With >50% of our residents, 50 years and older, they took the reigns and became qualified in a short period of time She has been a volunteer in Brisbane for >30 years. Examples of her work include resident-led teams dedicated to bringing a heated swimming pool to Brisbane and a very accessible dog park. 15 years ago she was appointed to the City's Planning Commission and then was elected to the Brisbane City Council in 2017. Some of her major achievements on the City Council have included promoting many Safety and Inclusionary additions to her Community, including promoting "Benches for all" to make walking accessibility available to all, promoting Telehealth and Telehelp through our Library JPA and assertively pushing her Local and State Officials for the funds necessary to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety for all on our local streets and along the Bayshore Freeway. As Mayor during Covid, she assisted County leaders in assuring that the most vulnerable in our Community were given the much needed services that had vanished in the traditional sense.
Leslie Hatamiya
With wide-ranging experience in the public, nonprofit, political, and private sectors, Leslie Hatamiya has held leadership roles in building and managing organizations of many shapes and sizes. For the past ten years, she has led the San Bruno Community Foundation as its inaugural Executive Director, providing overall vision, leadership, and day-to-day management of the nonprofit created by the City of San Bruno to administer the $70 million in restitution funds received from PG&E after a devastating gas pipeline explosion. Leslie previously served as Executive Director of the California Bar Foundation (now California ChangeLawyers) and held management and communications positions at former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential campaign and his Senate office, Coro Northern California, and SOMA Networks. A graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School, Ms. Hatamiya is a dedicated volunteer for the University and served as a member of its Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2005. A resident of San Bruno, California, for more than two decades, Leslie is currently on the Board of Directors of the Atkinson Foundation.
Susan Kokores
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Susan Kokores is a life-long resident of San Mateo County, raising her two daughters there and currently living with her husband in Menlo Park. Her professional background includes graduating with a BS in Nursing, and earning a Masters in Public Administration. In the last 20 years, she has developed fundraising and executive/team leadership skills. She has served as a Major Gifts Director, Director of Development, and was the Co-Founder and first Executive Director of WANDA, an 18-year-old local non-profit dedicated to the financial stability and mobility of single mothers. For the past two years, she has served as the President of the Commission on the Status of Women, County of San Mateo.
Amy Lester
Amy Lester is a marketing and communications leader with two decades of experience in technology and private equity/venture capital. She led marketing at BDT Capital Partners, a global private equity firm, managing the firm’s brand and capital-raising efforts while supporting portfolio companies across industries and launching its philanthropic platform. Previously, she led communications for Udacity and spent a decade at Walmart where she oversaw communications for the e-commerce platform, scaling it into a $15 billion business and the world’s second largest online retailer. While at Walmart, she also launched the company's groundbreaking Sustainability Index and supported initiatives focused on family health, women-owned supplier businesses and community impact.
Juleen Grace Mallari
Juleen Grace Mallari is currently a senior at Westmoor High School & a student in Skyline College’s Middle College program. She is passionate about working with nonprofits to help women, children and immigrants.
Sandi Nichols
Sandi Nichols has lived in San Mateo County since 1982, serving during that time as the Managing Partner of a San Francisco law firm. She is passionate about supporting women and children in their developmental and educational pursuits.
Nanci Nishimura
Nanci Nishimura is a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, a litigation and trial law firm. She is responsible for complex litigation nationwide, including antitrust, privacy, environmental, business, and community based pro bono work - giving voice to those in need in mediation, arbitration, as well as state and federal courts. She has engaged in legal and community service to promote education, serving as Governor's appointee and vice chair, CA Commission on Uniform State Laws; former chair, CA Commission on Judicial Performance; commissioner and trustee, Asian Art Museum of SF; trustee, CA Science Center Foundation; advisory board, Smithsonian Institution; co-chair, Leaders Forum; scholarship committee, Rotary San Mateo. She earned her B.A. from the University of Southern CA, M.A. from Waseda University, Japan, and J.D from The Catholic University, D.C.
Shauna Stark
Shauna Stark is devoted to philanthropy undergirding American feminism and female body autonomy. She is a strong supporter of the Pembroke Center for the teaching and research on women at Brown University, among other groups addressing the health needs of women. She holds an A.B. From Brown University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has three adult children for whom she was the primary parent, and one grandchild, whose future concerns her vitally.
Lilli Rey
Lilli Rey has worked in various efforts to uphold rights for women, immigrants and humanity. She has worked in political fundraising and community activism for well over twenty years. Currently Lilli has been an advocate in the immigrant community, working with newcomers as they have settled into our county in the past 4 or 5 years.
Barbara Kaplan
Barbara Kaplan is a Healthcare Finance and Management Administrator at San Mateo County General Hospital; Administrator Stanford University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Medicine; University Professor of Business including but not limited to courses in Women in Management and Executive Director of San Mateo County Food Bank for its development and growth under Catholic Charities.
Stacey Wagner
Stacey Wagner has been the Director of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente in San Mateo County for almost 18 years. Her work encompasses government and community relations, internal and external communications, brand and issues management, and community health. She held similar roles in the waste management and telecommunications industries, and she has worked for two members of the California State Legislature.
Ilhaam Husain
Ilhaam Husain is a legislative aide for San Mateo County Supervisor Jackie Speier. She recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied psychology, creative writing, and health humanities. Ilhaam is passionate about empowering vulnerable communities and addressing educational and health inequities. In this domain, she has worked with the Jackie Speier Foundation, Humanity First Student Division, and HealthCorps. Ilhaam also has psychological research experience at both the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University.