Staff

Marissa Tirona (she/her/hers) joined GCIR in November 2020, bringing more than 15 years of senior leadership experience at social justice and philanthropic institutions. As President, Marissa leads the organization’s efforts to galvanize philanthropy to build a society in which everyone thrives, no matter where they were born. Previously, she was a program officer at the Ford Foundation, where she managed a $225 million portfolio as part of the Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD) initiative, Ford’s flagship program designed to strengthen organizations and networks core to the global social justice infrastructure. Before joining Ford in 2017, Marissa led the Blue Shield of California Foundation’s programmatic, policy, and grantmaking efforts to address, prevent, and ultimately end domestic violence and promote health equity throughout the state. Prior to that, she was senior project director at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, where she designed and led comprehensive, multiyear leadership initiatives that developed network capacity, facilitated movement-level work, and centered communities of color. Earlier in her career, Marissa served as program director of the National Employment Lawyers Association and, before that, as an employment attorney at two national law firms.

Marissa has deep experience in organizational and movement capacity building. She frequently speaks on and writes about issues related to transformative philanthropic practice, social justice movement leadership development, and organizational and network strengthening in the United States and around the world. As a certified coach, she has a keen understanding of what is needed to lead and manage thriving, adaptive, and impactful teams, organizations, and networks.

Marissa currently serves on the boards of Change Elemental and Sadie Nash Leadership Project and previously served on the boards of numerous other organizations, including Oakland Kids First, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Social Policy Research Associates, and the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area. She holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, is a member of the California State Bar, and has a B.A. in English literature with a concentration in women’s studies from Swarthmore College. Based in Brooklyn with her family since 2017, Marissa is always from the Town (Oakland).

Processes membership applications and renewals, and oversees the digital systems that support our work

Caleb Beaudoin (he/him/his) has been with GCIR since 2014. He is a certified Salesforce Administrator and, in January 2019, joined the United Philanthropy Forum’s Advisory Group, which provides guidance and support for the database-website platform used by GCIR and others in the Forum’s network.

Caleb is also a full-time student at Santa Rosa Junior College and will soon transfer to Sonoma State University to study sociology. Prior to joining GCIR, he worked for an online retailer, performing order fulfillment and data management. A native of Sonoma County, Caleb enjoys cooking, hiking, and attending events in his community.

Leads our national programs, including overseeing our Delivering on the Dream initiative

Kevin Douglas (he/him/his) joined GCIR in 2019 and has more than 13 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He most recently worked as the Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy for United Neighborhood Houses of New York, a network of New York City’s settlement houses and community centers. While there, he led advocacy campaigns that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in community services by city and state governments. His areas of focus included immigrant opportunity, youth education and skill building, nonprofit contracting, older adult programs, and community services at large. As a consultant, he developed and led what is believed to be the first training in Saudi Arabia for the philanthropic and nonprofit community on effective advocacy techniques.

Kevin was named one of New York Nonprofit Media’s 40 under 40 and a Next Generation Leader by the Human Services Council. He co-founded the giving circle 100 New Yorkers Who Care, and has served on several boards, including the New York Immigration Coalition. Kevin earned an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and a BSW from Eastern Connecticut State University. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two cats, and can often be found in the outdoors running or cycling. 

Manages our development operations, develops information resources, and supports our external communications

Sara Feldman (she/her/hers) joined GCIR in 2020 after spending over 15 years advancing human rights in the non-profit sector and has advocated on behalf of immigrants and refugees as a communicator, project manager, policy advocate, and researcher. Prior to joining GCIR, Sara served as the Ready California Project Director at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, where she led a collaborative campaign to expand the reach of legal services to immigrants in California. Previously, Sara led communications efforts at Legal Aid at Work, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of low-wage workers. At the Human Rights Center at U.C. Berkeley, Sara conducted research in Colombia to assess the public sector and civil society response to gender-based violence in the context of displacement. As a Policy Advisor in Washington, D.C., Sara analyzed issues affecting migrating populations and developed policy recommendations to influence decision-making by Congress, administrative agencies, and international institutions. Sara has published research reports, journal articles, white papers, media statements, and issue briefs. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Oregon, and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she interned in a refugee camp in Mozambique to document the impact of income generation projects on refugee integration. Sara served as a board member for Refugee and Immigrant Services and is a fellow with the Transatlantic Forum on Integration and Migration. In her spare time, Sara enjoys exploring the Bay Area and beyond, spending time in nature, and curling up with a good book.

Manages our internal operations, financial systems, and human resources

Harmony Hayes (she/her/hers) has been with GCIR since 2014 and has over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining the GCIR, she worked at The San Francisco Foundation for the Koshland Program where she collaborated with resident leaders in underserved neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area on community development projects.

Harmony earned an M.A. in Economic Development from The University of San Francisco. During that time, she managed a research project with support from USAID to examine the impact of social networks on access to micro-credit in the western highlands of Guatemala. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, antique shopping, and spending time with her family.

Supports our executive and governance functions

Angelica Laguna (she/her/hers) joined GCIR in August 2021, bringing more than 15 years of administrative experience. For the past 12 years, she worked in higher education. Angelica earned an M.A. in Business Administration from Argosy University. She is a Northern California native and a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. Professionally, she enjoys document formatting and employing technology to improve processes and procedures. When not working, Angelica enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and cooking.

Leads our programming and funder engagement in key geographic regions

Cairo Mendes (he/him) joined GCIR in October 2021. He is a queer-Latinx-undocumented organizer, facilitator, and community builder who has been an active leader in social justice spaces for 10 years. Prior to GCIR, Cairo was Co-Director at Access Strategies Fund and Senior Associate at The Boston Foundation, where he authored a framework to guide investments toward social justice movements and deepen the foundation’s relationship with organizing and advocacy groups. In his current role at GCIR, Cairo is committed to pushing philanthropy to be more representative, transparent, and accountable to the communities it aims to support.

Cairo began his journey as an immigrant rights activist with the Student Immigrant Movement (SIM), one of the first undocumented youth-led groups in the country. During his time as a community organizer, Cairo co-led anti-deportation and education equity campaigns, and was responsible for overseeing recruitment, team management, media, and the design and facilitation of SIM’s programs. Cairo was also an active national leader through United We Dream.

Cairo has served as a fellow and advisory board member of Young People For, a member of the New Leaders Council 2019 Boston Cohort, a board member of the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth, and a member of the community investments committee at The Lenny Zakim Fund. He is a recipient of El Mundo’s 30 Under 30 Award and the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.

In his spare time, Cairo likes to draw, write, and learn how to cook and bake (especially pão de queijo). He also loves traveling, watching corny Netflix movies with his friends and family, and playing with his beloved dog, Snoopy.

Supports our internal operations, including finance, development, and general administration

Melisa Montoya (she/her/hers) joined GCIR in 2020, bringing over 15 years of experience in supply chain/project management. Before joining GCIR she worked for Clif Bar where she managed the relationships with their East Coast distribution teams. Prior to that, her experiences ranged between non-profit program management (Bay Area Bike to Work Day) and organic produce distribution.

Melisa is a Southern California native who loves being outside. When she’s not knee-deep in home improvement projects or cooking yummy meals, you can find her spending quality time with her wife and two scruffy mutts.

Leads program and policy strategy and development, funder education and engagement, and funder mobilizing and organizing

Ivy Suriyopas (she/her/hers) joined GCIR in May 2021, bringing more than 15 years of experience working to advance immigrant justice. Previously, she was a program officer at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), where she focused on immigrant and refugee rights and managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio. At OSF, Ivy developed a grantmaking strategy focused on challenging the systems rooted in the racialized treatment of immigrants throughout U.S. history. Along with her colleagues, she convened leaders from across the racial justice, immigrant rights, and Muslim Arab South Asian movements to cultivate solidarity in a transformative and co-liberating way. Before joining OSF in 2015, Ivy was an attorney and the director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, working at the intersection of migrants’, workers’, and women’s rights, providing legal representation, and advocating for policy changes informed by the lived experiences of her clients. Previously, she was co-chair of the Freedom Network, a national alliance of almost 40 NGOs and individuals that serve and advocate for the rights of trafficking survivors.

Ivy has written and presented extensively on immigration, workers’ rights, and racial justice, and her op-eds have appeared in publications such as The Guardian and The Hill. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association recognized Ivy as one of the Best Lawyers Under 40 in 2014, and she received the New York City Bar Association's Legal Services Award in 2012. Ivy holds a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, is a member of the New York State Bar, and has a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University.

Leads our development operations and guides our institutional messaging

Dianna Truong (she/her/hers) has been with GCIR since 2016. Prior to joining GCIR, she served as a business development communications strategist at Palantir Technologies, where she wrote proposals concerning a wide range of public interest issues, from global health to humanitarian crisis response. She previously worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, one of the top law firms in the country, where she was actively involved in pro bono work. Most notably, she obtained legal permanent resident status for a domestic violence victim under the Violence Against Women Act, and advanced constitutional challenges in defense of clients facing deportation. Dianna also served on the board of directors of the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area and the OneJustice Advisory Board.

Dianna earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of Southern California. In law school, she represented low-income clients as a student attorney with the Hale and Dorr Legal Services Center and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. As an undergraduate, she interned with the American Civil Liberties Union and co-founded the organization’s USC chapter. Dianna is a Bay Area native, a proud daughter of Vietnamese-Chinese immigrants, a book lover, and an avid foodie.