Gisela Vargas

Gisela Vargas

Marketing Specialist

Gisela loves to channel her creativity through music, photography, and graphic design. In college she gave back to the community by helping the homeless population raise their spirits with music. She enjoyed visiting children in shelters to teach them music, performing at shelters, and helping feed families. In her free time, she likes to make music with friends, explore new places in the Bay Area, travel, and spend time with family.

As a Marketing Specialist at Graybird Foundation, Gisela is responsible for marketing execution, client research, social media strategy, website development and event planning. She has a deep appreciation for marketing and is excited to help nonprofits leverage marketing to further reach and benefit the community.

Gisela holds a BA in Economics and Marketing from the University of California, Riverside.

I can’t function without

My family

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Brazil for Carnival

My hidden talent is

Does knowing the “Cup Song” count?

Nerdy thing I love to do

Reread Harry Potter

Favorite podcast/movie/book

Ted Radio Hour/Bridesmaids/The Book Thief

Celebrity who would play me in a movie

Gina Rodriguez… a girl can dream

Jill Grossman

Jill Grossman

Founder and CEO

As founder of Graybird Foundation, Jill is thrilled to give back to the Bay Area community that has given so much to so many. At Graybird, she is responsible for strategic planning, identifying opportunities, and executing fundraising efforts.

Jill has played an active role in several projects — most notably as executive producer of the documentary Surviving Skokie and as a task force member of the LifeMoves (formerly InnVisionShelterNetwork) rebranding initiative.

Even before founding Graybird, Jill was involved in several nonprofit marketing projects including the acquisition of two digital mammography systems at the San Mateo County Hospital and the 25th Anniversary fundraising video for ShelterNetwork. As a member of the Crystal Springs Uplands School board of trustees, Jill led the creation of Crystal’s mission statement, tagline and the 2009-2014 strategic plan as well as co-led the marketing/capital campaign efforts for the institution’s new Middle School. Her high technology communications experience includes executive roles at Silicon Graphics, Macromedia and Catapult Partners.

Jill has a BA in History with a minor in Business Administration from UCLA. Apart from Graybird, Jill enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, movies and spending time with her three fabulous children and extended family. Oh, and she also loves the Golden State Warriors.

See Jill’s full professional background on LinkedIn.

You would never guess

I wear a size 10 shoe

I can’t function without

Music on a hike

Celebrity who would play me in a movie

Sandra Bullock (I wish!)

A nerdy thing I love to do

Try to figure out who will win the Oscar in every category every year

My favorite vacation spot is

Sun Valley, Idaho

As a kid I was always in trouble for

Losing things

Favorite part of my job is

Working with my friends

Renee Spooner

Renee Spooner

Chief Marketing Officer

The Graybird Foundation clients inspire Renée to dig deep and make bold marketing moves on their behalf.  After a successful Silicon Valley career in high-tech marketing, she now combines her skills in branding, communications and project management with her passion to mentor nonprofit professionals. Clients on the Graybird roster include Berkeley Symphony, Crystal Springs Upland School, Foundation for a College Education, Gatepath, Golden State Youth Orchestra, LifeMoves, Reach for Home, and Surviving Skokie.

As Chief Marketing Office at Graybird Foundation, Renée is responsible for guiding client marketing strategy, bringing together skilled teams, and mentoring clients as they take ownership of their new brands.  She draws from a background in public relations, customer marketing and product launches, with previous management roles at Silicon Graphics, BEA/Oracle and VMware, and consulting with numerous startups.  Renée’s evolution into the nonprofit sector is her way of giving back.

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Sailing the South Pacific

Celebrity who would play me in a movie

Joan Cusack

A nerdy thing I love to do

Is recite Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I [ … ] everyday

Pray for my children and my sanity

As a kid I was always in trouble for

Talking too much in class

My favorite restaurant is

Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay

Favorite part of my job

Mentoring up-and-coming marketers

Helen Boyer

Helen Boyer

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer of Graybird Foundation, Helen leads strategic planning, finance, operations and our grant process. She collaborates with project teams, guides client engagements and develops creative solutions that drive the foundation’s programs and goals.

Helen brings two decades of business management and operations experience to Graybird, spanning the corporate, non-profit, public and private sectors. Having lived internationally and travelled to more than 25 countries, she has a diverse professional background ranging from leadership roles in business development, product planning, logistics and process management to assisting underserved children in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Vietnam. Helen’s volunteer service deeply informs her life practice. She is honored to help individuals and businesses in her local community, in addition to her work at Graybird.

Helen graduated from UC Davis, with a BS in Textile Science. When she isn’t at Graybird Foundation you’ll find her riding her bike to the beach, listening to jazz at her favorite café, or up-cycling a new find. And, plagued with a serious case of wanderlust, she is always planning the next stamp for her passport. See Helen’s full professional background on LinkedIn.

You would never guess

I know the words to nearly every song in the musical “Funny Girl”

I can’t function without

My sisters

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Angkor Wat in Cambodia

A nerdy thing I love to do

File my greeting cards by category

Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist

Baraka, Shantaram, Into the Woods, Guayasamin

I [ … ] everyday

Chat during my commute with one of my best friends (for 38 years)

As a kid I was always in trouble for

Talking too much, especially to strangers

Favorite part of my job

Working with people who are guided by their hearts

Shelley Willig

Shelley Willig

Head of Education Practice

Shelley is obsessed with education; she believes that increasing the percentage of young people earning college degrees is a solution to many of the major issues plaguing our country today. Combining her 20 years in high-tech marketing with her role as Head of Education Practice at Graybird, Shelley is elated to lead projects for community based organizations working hard to get more students to and through college.

Since 2006, Shelley has been deeply involved in education nonprofits. She manages the volunteer college advising program at Foundation for a College Education where she also works directly with students. Shelley serves on the board of Mid-Peninsula High School, a CAIS school in Menlo Park. Prior to joining Graybird Foundation, Shelley served eight years as the Director of Admission at Trinity School, an independent elementary institution.

Shelley holds a BA in Communications from CSU Fullerton, and a certificate in College Admissions Counseling from UC Berkeley. When she is not touring college campuses, Shelley enjoys hiking, cooking, and dinners on the patio with her husband and four sons.

I can’t function without

The goofiness of my kids and husband

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro

I’ve always wanted to be

Bilingual

My hidden talent is

Cooking a pretty good meal in anybody’s kitchen with whatever I can find in the fridge and pantry

A nerdy thing I love to do

Read statistics about college admissions

Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist

Stand By Me/Operating Instructions/Driving Miss Daisy/Elton John

As a kid I 

was never in trouble because I never got caught!

My favorite spot in the Bay Area is

Wunderlich Park Trails

Favorite part of my job

Working with people I admire

Veronica Santo

Veronica Santo

Marketing Specialist

As a Marketing Specialist at Graybird Foundation, Veronica is responsible for marketing execution, client research, social media strategy, website development, and event planning.

Veronica is originally from the Bay Area where she attended Palo Alto High School and then she moved to Southern California where she graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing).

During Veronica’s internship at Graybird Foundation in the Summer of 2018, she developed a passion for helping her community. After graduation, Veronica joined our team as a Marketing Specialist where she continues to work with nonprofits to which she feels deeply connected.

In her free time Veronica loves to travel, attend sporting events, and hangout with her family and friends.

My favorite spot in the Bay Area is

Foothills Park

You would never guess

That I have been on stage with Green Day

I can’t function without

Caffeine

Celebrity who would play me in a movie

Mandy Moore

A nerdy thing I love to do 

Watch crime documentaries

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Swim off the Amalfi Coast

My favorite vacation spot is

Maui, Hawaii

Reach for Home — Fund a Need Video

Natalie Occhipinti

Natalie Occhipinti

Marketing Specialist

Natalie was born and raised in the Bay Area, attending Trinity School and Castilleja. She left California for college, attending the University of Colorado Boulder where she earned BA in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a minor in Religious Studies.

Natalie chose to study both science and religion in her college career. While gaining a deep understanding of the world’s ecosystems through research projects and lecture, Natalie simultaneously expanded her knowledge of worldly affairs and historical communities by writing and engaging in discussion with her peers and professors. Along with her studies, Natalie enjoyed exploring Colorado. Now she’s back in the Bay Area, working with Graybird as our Marketing Specialist. She brings a unique, analytical perspective to our office.

As Marketing Specialist, Natalie conducts client research, compiles research results and manages interview schedules. She schedules, prepares and attends client meetings, presentations and events, while also reviewing and providing input on all Graybird projects.

Outside of work, Natalie enjoys traveling, painting, and spending time with her friends and family.

I can’t function without

Coffee Coffee Coffee

The travel adventure on my bucket list is

Exploring Southeast Asia

A nerdy thing I love to do

Discuss scientific theories

Favorite Podcast/Movie/Book/Play/Artist

My favorite movie is Funny Face, and my favorite musical group is Fleetwood Mac

My favorite spot in the Bay Area is

Skyline Boulevard

You would never guess

I was born on leap day!

Favorite part of my job

Working with a group of remarkable women