Barbara

Toorens

Fundraising & Sponsorship

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

As a repatriated expat, Barbara loves rediscovering old haunts, meeting new people, paddleboarding Lake Washington, and hiking with her rescue dog.

Barbara is passionate about circularity, working with mission-driven organizations to design programs aimed at reintroducing resources into the economy—material and human. Experienced in strategic marketing, communications, project management, fundraising and business development, primarily in the IT sector with an eye for private/public win-win collaborations, she spent 5 years as a director of sister NGOs in Brussels supporting African social entrepreneurs committed to changing the e-waste cycle with g’local, circular economic solutions. In 2017, she returned to the Seattle area and launched a boutique consultancy, Humanista Projects. Barbara’s a University of Pennsylvania teaching fellow in Social Impact Strategy with a MA in Cross-cultural and Sustainable Business Management from the University of Paris.

Charlee

Newman

Marketing

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

An avid adventurer, Charlee enjoys cycling around Seattle (and finding the routes with the least hills) and exploring Discovery Park with her dog. 

 Charlee works at YSC Consulting, developing comprehensive leadership strategy programs to enable the business objectives that are pivotal to an organization’s success. She has extensive experience in business development and marketing bringing a sharp commercial lens to all projects to increase impact. Charlee earned a B.S. in Advertising from the University of Illinois, with a focus on English Literature and Communications. More recently she earned an M.B.A. from Baruch College with specializations in Organization Behavior and Sustainable Business.

Daniel

Pulse

President

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

Daniel lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle and loves being in the heart of the city. He feels that Seattle is a special combination of access to outdoor adventures both in the mountains and on the water; world class art, music, food, sports, and more; and a population that, as a whole, cares about causes and having a positive impact in their communities, for humanity, and for the world.

Daniel is a management and strategy consultant at The Pulse Group with a focus on long-term planning, and the Director of Business Development and Account Management at Discovery Health MD. Daniel has an MBA from the Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College, and is an experienced leader with a background in both finance and business development. He launched and later dissolved a non-profit named PlayUp, and now serves as Director of Corporate Partnerships for Minds Matter Seattle. He is also an active member with several business associations in the greater Seattle area. Daniel is a former collegiate soccer player, and is the former Head Varsity Coach and Program Director for the Ballard High School Girls Soccer Program.

Kendall

Swinski

Treasurer

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

Kendal is as active as you can get! She loves rowing at Greenlake and Lake Washington Rowing Club, Lagree Method Pilates at Studio 45, and rockclimbing either outdoors or at Stone Gardens and Vertical World. You can also find her gardening at home or the Beacon Food Forest,

Kendal is currently a student in Seattle University's Leadership Executive MBA program (LEMBA). She is excited to make use of her entrepreneurial skills in project managment, program design, and service to create meaningful interactions for Net Impact Seattle members. Her passion is to inspire, connect, and transform people and communities through deep respect and appreciation for life. She loves using her creative powers toward innovations that allow for more health, thriving, and joy. 

Gary

Gao

Events

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

Gary likes to spend his free time on or near bodies of water which makes Seattle the prime location for him. On a typical weekend you can find him kayaking or hiking around the sound, or just drinking a bottle of water. 

Gary is a sustainability consultant focused on energy and water strategies. He spent the past 6 years in the sustainability field, developing custom client solutions to meet their sustainability goals and driving down their impact on the environment. He enjoys finding creative solutions to tackle complex challenges in an interconnected world. 

Kassie

McKnight

Marketing

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

Kassie's favorite thing about Seattle is escaping to the mountains and waking up fireside with a cup of locally roasted coffee.

Kassie is a sales and marketing professional with five years’ experience in recreation, sustainable tourism, and event management. After working in international sales and program development, she found a way to engage her skills locally. She is currently the Operations Manager at a family-owned urban winery, working to grow the brand and establish an inclusive community space in the heart of SODO.

Liz 

Johnston

Vice President

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Favorite Thing About Seattle

Liz likes to search for critters in the tidepools at Constellation Beach in West Seattle, or get lost walking through the Washington Park Arboretum. 

As Director at City Forest Credits, Liz works with local stakeholders in cities across the country who are leading the development of urban forest carbon projects. She has over a decade of experience leading complex projects and driving change through social and environmental impact projects at a regional and international scale.