LEADERBRIDGE TEAM BIOS
Gabriela Smith
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIR
Gabriela Smith is the founder and executive chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, one of only 2.3% Hispanic-led foundations in the country. In her role as executive chair, she is deeply involved in the work of the foundation, focusing on strategic planning, program design, and the development of philanthropic collaborations. An entrepreneurial philanthropist and investor, she has 25 years of experience designing and supporting programs in education, leadership development and capacity building. With drive and diplomacy, she has built innovative collaborations across sectors to advance equity in education, first generation college student success, and the applications of mind, brain and education science to teaching and learning in the everyday classroom. She is one of the founders and original partners of both, the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, and the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center.
Gabriela is a founding investor of Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), a nonprofit investment fund built on the principles of venture capital investing, capacity building, and outcomes evaluation. Now in an honorary role, she served as an active member of VPP's Board for almost 20 years, providing guidance on philanthropic investments designed to build strong, effective organizations. Since inception, VPP has raised and deployed over $110 Million strategically investing in education programs improving the lives of thousands of children and youth in the National Capital Region.
She has also served as a member of the Dean's Council of the Harvard Kennedy School, the Georgetown University Board of Regents, the Visitation Preparatory School Board, and the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center Advisory Council, organizations with which she continues to be engaged. Currently she serves as a member of the Georgetown Scholarship Program Advisory Board, as a lay consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as president of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders Washington DC Chapter, and as a member of the Board of Directors of FADICA, the premier Catholic Philanthropy Network.
Her early professional background includes supervising health and education projects for the World Bank, as well as serving as a social worker for Catholic Charities in Los Angeles. Gabriela received a master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and both a master's degree in Latin American Studies and Economic Development and a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a photography enthusiast and a dedicated researcher and writer of her family history. She is married and the mother of a son and two daughters.
Danielle M. Reyes
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Danielle M. Reyes is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. Since the foundation’s inception in 2015, she has led the strategic development and implementation of its operations and programs. As an entrepreneur and veteran leader in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, Danielle designs innovative philanthropic approaches and initiatives that integrate equity, technology, and communications to foster authentic community-based partnerships that drive change. She brings more than 25 years of professional experience in education, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector in the Greater Washington region, nationally, and in the Caribbean. As a leader and strategist in innovative and inclusive philanthropy, nonprofit capacity building, leadership and organizational development, and strategic communications, Danielle has served on and led numerous funders collaboratives and grant review panels. She has presented at the Council of Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Communications Network, and other affinity group gatherings.
Before joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, Danielle spent more than a decade at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. As a Senior Program Officer, she specialized in grantmaking related to economic security and nonprofit sector development; she also played a leadership role in developing the foundation’s social media strategy. Prior to that role, Danielle served as the Executive Director of the Latino Student Fund, where she helped increase access and information on educational opportunities to the DC metropolitan area’s Hispanic community. She also served as the first Western Region Team leader for Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children’s literacy non-profit. In addition to leading education-focused nonprofit organizations, Danielle’s teaching experience includes several years as a public-school teacher, university instructor, and U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.
An active volunteer in the community, Danielle currently serves as the co-chair of the Crestwood Citizens’ Association’s Green Team in Ward 4, as a volunteer in the Maryland Master Naturalist Program of Audubon Naturalist Society, and on the board of directors of Rock Creek Conservancy and the DC Bar Foundation. She has served on the national boards of the Taproot Foundation and Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, where she served as board chair. She also served as a commissioner of Serve DC – The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism. Danielle holds a master’s degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she co-chaired the Hispanic student society, Comunidad Latina; a master’s degree in Teaching from Manhattanville College, where she received the Alumni Valiant Educator Award; and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where the Multicultural Student Society recognized her for outstanding contributions to the Latino/a Community. When not working in philanthropy, Danielle is an avid outdoors enthusiast. She founded Yoga Hikes DC, LLC in 2013 and has been an active leader and advocate in Washington, D.C. outdoor fitness and environmental conservation.
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Caitlin Furey Mayo
DIRECTOR OF CATHOLIC INITIATIVES
Caitlin Furey Mayo is the Director of Catholic Initiatives at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this role, she drives program development and strategy for the Foundation’s Education Imperative, an initiative focused on fostering welcoming school communities and increasing Latino family engagement in Catholic education. In this role, she partners with a variety of stakeholders including universities, nonprofits, dioceses, Catholic schools, and philanthropists. Caitlin has presented on this topic at national convenings hosted by the Boston College Roche Center for Catholic Education, FADICA Catholic Philanthropy Network, Exponent Philanthropy, and more. Caitlin manages the Foundation’s communications capacity building program (Bridges Program) and expanded the portfolio to include Bridges for Schools, which has grown to serve more than 50 schools in 4 (arch)dioceses. Her expertise includes Catholic education, nonprofit management and leadership, communications capacity building, and education programs serving immigrant communities.
Caitlin has spent her professional career in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, Caitlin developed a passion for youth empowerment and equity in education during her four years working at Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. As the Program Manager at Girls on the Run, Caitlin honed her relationship-building and program development skills working with hundreds of volunteers in schools throughout Montgomery County and expanding program delivery in Title I schools. Through her previous nonprofit experiences, as a fellow at an organization serving individuals who experience homelessness and as a mentor for an organization focused on college access, Caitlin learned how to engage diverse stakeholders and build community.
Caitlin earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. She is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Washington’s Rising Leaders program and a frequent volunteer with Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. Caitlin was born and raised in Northern Virginia and attended Catholic schools including St. Mary’s in Alexandria (now the Basilica School of St. Mary) and Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC. She lives in Northern Virginia with her family and loves exploring the outdoors with them.
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Robyn Attebury Ellis
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER
Robyn Attebury Ellis is a Senior Program Officer at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this role, she leads the Foundation's College Success portfolio, including relationships with local and national nonprofits, community colleges and universities, foundations, and philanthropists. Robyn manages grantmaking, communications, and engagement with a strategic focus on increasing first-generation college student success and has co-led a multi-year collaboration with local nonprofit and funder partners. She also leads the Foundation's grantmaking dedicated to Women and Girls Leadership and Civic Engagement and co-leads the LeaderBridge initiative, where she conducts outreach to local nonprofit leaders and manages partnerships with leadership development providers.
With more than 16 years of experience in the field of education, Robyn's background brings community outreach and program development expertise with an emphasis on persistence, college completion, and well-being. As former director of college success programming at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, she established partnerships with 45 DC public and public charter schools and adult education programs and worked with students, faculty, support staff, and community partners to build inclusive practices and improve student success. Her experience includes teaching 9th-12th grade English in public schools, a charter school, and a residential treatment center, and first-year seminar courses at the community college level.
Robyn has presented nationally on dual enrollment, retention initiatives, high-impact ways to invest in college success, and nonprofit leadership development, and is a member of Exponent Philanthropy and Grantmakers for Education where she currently serves as a co-chair for the Postsecondary Access and Attainment Impact Group, completed a 2024 Equity Storytelling Fellowship, and served on the 2022 Conference Planning Committee. Robyn earned a master's degree in Comparative Education from the Institute of Education at the University of London in England and received a bachelor's degree in English alongside earning a UTeach certification at the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Maryland with her partner and their two children.
Sarah Babins
GRANTS MANAGER & SPECIAL PROJECTS
Sarah Babins is the Grants Manager & Special Projects role at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. Sarah administers the Foundation's grants across all program areas, contributing to the Foundation's robust communications strategy, and supports the President & CEO with special projects.
Sarah spent her 17-year nonprofit career as both a professional fundraiser and a grantmaker. Before joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, Sarah served as a development director for two senior care communities and at a state university. Sarah also served as a program officer for a nonprofit foundation in California and a youth program manager for a community foundation in Michigan. As a volunteer, she undertook many leadership roles with the Junior League over 12 years including numerous board & leadership roles in communications, fiscal oversight, social events, fundraising, and legislative advocacy.
Sarah is a member of the Junior League of Northern Virginia and holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. Sarah has a master's degree in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and received her bachelor's degree in both Political Science and French at Albion College. In her spare time, she enjoys reading about faraway lands and taking outdoor walks with her family in Alexandria, Virginia.