Becky Fawcett is the founder and president of Helpusadopt.org, an equality based organization that seeks to reduce the financial burden of adoption by awarding large, life-changing, problem-solving grants. After graduating from Franklin & Marshall College, Becky had a successful career in the magazine industry, first for Baltimore magazine, and then for Philadelphia magazine as the director of marketing. In 1999, she founded The Fawcett Group, a full-service public relations and marketing firm with offices in New York City and Philadelphia. Becky and her husband Kipp adopted their daughter Jane, in 2005, and their daughter Brooke, in 2009. After adopting their first child, Becky and Kipp, were so grateful that they had the financial means to adopt that they decided to make a donation to an organization that would help ease another family’s financial burden. Sadly, they could not find an adoption grant organization that was based on a mission of equality. To address this need and help all types of families, they founded Helpusadopt.org in 2007. Under Becky's leadership, Helpusadopt.org has grown from a kitchen-table organization into a strong, national presence with a full time staff of four, board of twenty two, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of donors. Helpusadopt.org has been featured on CNN, People.com, The Today Show and Good Morning America and in The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, O Magazine and Good Housekeeping for their groundbreaking work in the world of adoption. Becky lives in Manhattan with her husband Kipp and her children Jane and Brooke.

Kipp is a Managing Director in the investment banking group at Janney Montgomery Scott. Kipp originally joined Janney in 2004. Since then, he has worked in investment banking at Bear Stearns, Jeffries and Nomura, covering the specialty finance sector. He most recently was with Accordion Partners where he served as a strategic consultant to CFOs of middle market private equity-backed companies. Kipp rejoins the Firm with over 15 years of investment banking experience and has led and executed over 100 merger and capital markets transactions throughout his career. He specializes in financial institutions with a focus on the specialty finance sector. Kipp earned his B.A. degree in finance from Franklin & Marshall College in 1993, his MBA from Villanova University in 1996 and completed his CFA degree in 1999. The decision to launch Helpusadopt.org was almost immediate once he realized what the average adoption costs are, how many couples struggle financially and how others go childless.

After a successful career in information technology consulting, Mike made a second career of giving back, paying it forward, and making community impact in VA, PA, and NYC through full-time community and nonprofit leadership, coaching and mentoring, and raising two sons while supporting his wife Jen’s successful career as a technology executive. Mike serves on several nonprofit Boards of Directors and several other nonprofit Committees, and coaches swimming and formerly baseball. Mike has been honored as a “Volunteer of the Year” and “Coach of the Year”. Mike became involved with Helpusadopt.org as an adoptee. He was adopted after his birth in 1969 by his parents through an adoption agency and foster family. His birth mother Diana was just 20, and his birth father, 24, had been killed in a drunk driving accident eight months before he was born. After college, he found Diana, and met his biological family on both sides. Mike says, "It has been an incredible experience of the miracle of life, timing and circumstance, and nature and nurture. I am blessed, fortunate, and grateful to have been conceived, born, and then adopted by my loving parents Patricia and Chuck; have a younger (also adopted) sister Michelle; have found my birth mother Diana; be happily married to Jen; be a Dad to two great sons, Ned and Eric; and be alive and well with terrific family and friends. Since meeting Helpusadopt.org Founder & President Becky Fawcett, I have served on Faces of Adoption Leadership Committees, and am honored and proud to serve on the Board of Directors."

Kim was born in South Korea and raised in Connecticut by an Italian-American family. She attended Boston University earning undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Advertising and earned her M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Kim is passionate about bridging digital innovation with the luxury retail experience and is currently the Executive Director, Global Data & Analytics Strategy and Enablement for the Estée Lauder Companies. Prior to her current role, Kim spent a decade in the data and analytics consulting space implementing reporting tools, CRM systems and modern cloud-based platforms for clients such as Stuart Weitzman, Tiffany & Company and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Kim is a proud international adoptee and has prior volunteer work experience as a middle school mentor for adopted children, an adoptee panelist for families looking to adopt, and a member of the Young Leadership Committee all for Spence-Chapin, the adoption agency she was adopted through. The mission and inclusivity-driven aspect of Help Us Adopt resonates with her immensely and she eagerly looks to apply her expertise in data and analytics at the board level to serve this high growth organization. Kim resides in NJ with her husband, son and daughter.

Michael Miller, current Board Treasurer at Helpusadopt.org, is a founder and Vice President of Miller Bros., an energy services firm based in Conshohocken, PA. He is part of the founding team at Miller Bros. Solar, a National operations and maintenance provider to owners of solar generating facilities. Michael is also a founder of GreenPrint Capital, a finance firm providing tax equity investments in the renewable energy space. He spends as much time as possible raising, watching, laughing and learning with his family.

Seema Baranwal is a board-certified internal medicine physician and serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. She was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Seema earned her M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Seema and her husband Ash are the proud parents of three children, one of whom was adopted from India in 2011. Seema enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, mentoring medical students, caring for patients, and giving back to her community. Seeing how adoption has built her wonderful family, Seema is passionate to help support and build as many loving families as possible.

Veronica Miele Beard is an entrepreneur and brand-builder who exists at the intersection of style, culture and technology. Miele-Beard began her career in equity sales and trading on Wall Street and advertising sales at Vogue, before becoming partner and COO at the premier technology hedge fund, Coatue. While there, she learned how to build a thriving brand and business in a tumultuous tech market. On a quest to create a uniform for women in the way men have suits and ties, Veronica and her sister-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard launched their namesake brand in 2010 with the very first Dickey Jacket. Today, Veronica Beard is a full lifestyle brand, offering ready-to-wear, handbags and shoes with 36 stores worldwide. Forever inspired and driven by a make-it-happen mindset, her happy place is off-the-grid, exploring the world with her 5 children.

Sarah Cotenoff was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Delaware and received her Masters from The New School in Media Management. She began her career in advertising sales at Turner Broadcast and HowStuffWorks. After launching her own podcast advertising agency, she transitioned into adtech by co-founding and leading the sales team at Podsights, which was acquired by Spotify in 2022. Currently, she is the VP of Sales at Just Women's Sports and resides in LA with her dog and cat. Sarah has a passion for helping companies and organizations that solve real-life problems, like HelpUsAdopt.org. Her family was built in part by adoption and she wishes every couple or person who has it in their heart to adopt should be able to. She strongly believes that families come in all forms and the high cost of adoption should not be a barrier for children to find loving homes.

Christina Donelson is a C-Suite Executive with 20+ years of experience building and transforming cultures through strategic talent development and reinvestment strategies. Her public and private company Board work includes partnering with Nominating and Governance, Compensation and Board Chairs to develop programs and processes to enhance the overall effectiveness of the Board, and to align executive compensation with shareholder value. After spending several years as the SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer of a ~$2.5B+ organization, Christina now serves as a strategic advisor to Boards and executive teams looking to transform their culture and talent programs by leveraging her experience in M&A intensive environments. She is committed to helping leaders create equitable and inclusive teams. Christina earned her MA in Organizational Communication from the University of Oklahoma as well as a BA in Journalism from the University of Texas at Arlington. When asked why she joined Helpusadopt.org's Board Christina says, “As an adoptive mom, I know that families are formed in a variety of ways and come in all shapes and sizes. I love the clarity of the mission at Helusadopt.org and the emphasis on making adoption accessible to a diverse and inclusive population. It would be an honor to participate in helping the organization support more families by increasing awareness of the programs and fundraising needs throughout my professional and personal networks.”.

Jeff Dorschuck serves as the Vice President of Business and Professional Banking Regional Manager at M&T Bank where he has worked for over 16 years. Jeff was born and raised in Valley Stream, NY and is married to Danielle with whom he has a three month old named girl, Isabella Marie. He is a sports enthusiast being a big fan of the NY Mets, NY Jets, and Penn State football. He's an avid traveler who has visited over 36 countries and enjoys play golf on his downtime. Jeff is passionate about Helpusadopt.org's mission and is very excited to help more kids who are in need of a loving, permanent home.

Debbie Drinkwater is an adoptee. She was raised in St. Louis by her adopted parents along with her younger brother Steve, who is also adopted. Deb attended Franklin & Marshall College and graduated in 1992 with a degree in Political Science. While attending F&M she met her future husband, Mark Drinkwater, and married in 1993. Together they raised their three children in Duxbury, MA. They currently live in Stowe, VT full time. Deb and Mark have three biological children, Liz, Caroline, and Sam. In the mid-nineties Deb worked on the Weld-Cellucci Committee and then transitioned to a role as an Executive Assistant to Governor Bill Weld. As a mom Deb became a habitual volunteer for local community causes. She Chaired the Duxbury Beach Preservation Society for 4 years, raising money for the barrier beach's restoration efforts. She also ran events for the Jett Foundation of Pembroke, MA, Crossroads for Kids of Duxbury, MA., and The Mt. Mansfield Ski Academy in Stowe, VT. In 2021, working through a social worker, Deb has found and established connections with her biological family. With the support of her adoptive family, she is currently building some amazing relationships with her extensive biological family who are mostly in the Kentucky area.

An NYC native, Sam earned her undergraduate degree from George Washington University and her Masters degree from USC School of Social Work. For almost two decades, Sam worked with children of differing circumstances in a wide variety of psycho-educational capacities in private, public and at risk therapeutic and school settings. Upon adopting her youngest child in 2018, Sam decided to shift her career focus. In 2023, Sam created LELUXE, a collection of luxury fashion staples where she currently serves as both Creative Director and Founder. Sam and her husband, Jonathan, live in Los Angeles with their three children Charli, Hudson and Emma. Their family is philanthropically passionate in their support of organizations serving the needs of children. Growing their family through adoption has been the greatest gift for their family and they are personally focused on creating opportunity for others to do so. The important, impactful and transparent work of Help Us Adopt resonates with Sam and speaks to her passion for sharing the blessing of adoption.

Paige is a visual merchandiser and manager at Skirt, a multi-brand luxury retail clothing store on the Main Line in Bryn Mawr, PA. Paige graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, with an emphasis on textile design, and carved a path as a go-to visual merchandiser at companies such as Lilly Pulitzer and Addison Bay. She currently resides in Bryn Mawr, PA with her rescue vizsla-plott hound, Archie. Outside of being an avid runner, she enjoys down time on the shore in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. A birth-mother, adoption is a personal story to Paige. Through her journey in the adoption process, she has experienced first-hand the positive impact and the pure joy that adoption has had on her child’s adoptive family. Being on this Board of HelpUsAdopt.org is among the productive ways for her to share her own story while helping with the important work of the organization.

Glenn Hill is the proud father of three adopted children. He is also a Managing Director with J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Global Fund Structuring Team where he focuses on structuring and funds management for private equity funds, real estate funds and hedge funds. Mr. Hill serves as President of J.P. Morgan Private Investments Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser that manages private client assets in J.P. Morgan multi-manager portfolios and feeder funds. Prior to joining the Private Bank in 2003, he worked for J.P. Morgan Partners and the J.P. Morgan Investment Bank, where he managed institutional private equity fundraisings for both internal and third-party fund managers. Mr. Hill received his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and B.S. in Advertising from Florida State University.

Kate Jenkins is a Managing Director and Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Ares where she is responsible for leading the firm's recruitment efforts and setting its global recruiting strategy. Prior to joining Ares, Kate was the Global Head of Investments & Client Businesses Recruiting at BlackRock. Previously, Kate was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan, where she oversaw Global Recruitment for Investment Management. Before J.P. Morgan, she held various recruiting leadership roles at Morgan Stanley and Oak Hill Capital Management. Kate began her career in Human Resources at Penguin Putnam Publishing. Kate earned a BA degree in Sociology from Gettysburg College in 2000. She is an active member of the Millbrook School alumni association. Kate resides in Essex Fells, NJ with her husband Brady and their two children.

Sterling has more than 30 years experience in supporting Health and Human Services (HHS) programs across the US and globally. His passion for protecting and improving the quality of life for vulnerable children and their families has driven his mission to focus on working with Children’s Services programs throughout his career. In addition, he has started and/or worked with non-profit organizations that taught entrepreneurial skills to inner-city minority students and provided social and economic guidance for inmates that were about to be released. Sterling is very pleased and appreciative of the opportunity to work with HelpUsAdopt to continue improving the lives of children and their families.

Sheryl is a Florida family law attorney, cancer survivor, and child champion. She is an advocate for adoption, in particular single parent adoptions. Her son, William, who was born in her heart and not under, made her a mother in 2016 after a challenging journey where she experienced significant anti-favoritism from agencies because she was adopting as a single parent. Sheryl is committed to helping fund forever bonds by rallying financial assistance and raising awareness.

Victoria is a 20+ year Corporate Executive, Professional Public Speaker and #1 best-selling Author. She has been recognized for her work in leadership, mentorship and her advocacy and advancement of under-represented groups, particularly focused around the equity and advancement of women and those in the LGBTQ community. Victoria is an experienced Board Director having served on many boards, including ones that support children from the Child Welfare system. As an adopted child herself, Victoria is deeply committed to the mission of HelpUsAdopt.org

Sandhya Rawal-Sumangali is a seasoned professional with extensive leadership experience in healthcare organizations. Most recently, as Vice President of Corporate Development at Elixir Solutions, she specialized in corporate strategy, business analytics, and operational transformation. Sandhya's accomplishments include establishing infrastructure for Rite Aid's Executive Leadership Team as the inaugural CEO's Chief of Staff and orchestrating a successful asset sale exceeding $500M. Previously, at McKinsey & Company, she excelled in formulating growth strategies for Fortune 50 retail pharmacies, overseeing spin-offs, and optimizing operations for prominent clients.

Marilyn’s full-time and favorite job is being a mother. Having had her first child at 23 and then adopting her fourth 20 years later, she has a unique and evolving perspective on motherhood. Marilyn was born and raised in New York and attended the Pharmacy School at SUNY Buffalo. She married her high school sweetheart, Michael, at 22. They now live in San Diego where they own several successful restaurants. She is still working on raising her 17-year-old son, Max, who is finishing his senior year, and considers herself very lucky that her three grown children and two grandsons live nearby. Marilyn considers Max's adoption to be her greatest accomplishment. Knowing that she changed his life from uncertainty in a Russian orphanage to giving him every advantage that every child deserves has filled her heart and soul. The faces of the other orphans waiting for homes still haunts her 17 years later. Every child deserves a family and a home and she cannot think of a more meaningful way to share her resources and time than working with Helpusadopt.org.

Hyla Kaplan Rosenberg is originally from Barrington, Rhode Island. She is a Partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP in New York, NY where she focuses on employment-based immigration for Fortune 500 companies. Her passion for immigration law developed in college when she began working with individuals from underserved immigrant communities. Pro bono work remains an important part of her practice with a focus on asylum applicants and unaccompanied minors. Currently residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons, Helpusadopt.org’s mission resonates with her as she understands the importance of removing financial barriers to adoption and values the important work the organization does to build families. She feels so fortunate that as a child, her long-wished-for sibling finally arrived via adoption and hopes to help others on their adoption journeys.

Jerry Slipakoff graduated from the University of Miami School of Business and joined the family owned steel company. After running the company for 10 years Jerry decided to leave the steel business to join a friend to grow his start up real estate investment / management company. Starting with 200 apartment units, the Galman Group has grown over the past 30 years and now owns and manages approximately 10,000 apartment units.

Karen is a passionate proud parent of her adopted daughter Iris, who 26 years ago, came to them from Bulgaria. With her husband Marc, of 30 years, they collectively went through the rigorous process of a foreign adoptions, which offers its own challenges. Karen and Marc worked the long process and Iris made a family with them when she was 20 months old. Two other children followed, Joseph now age 25 and Sophia now 22. Karen grew up in Chicago and attended Loyola University of Chicago with a B.A in Finance She had a very successful 18 year career at The Northern Trust Company Chicago, as a Vice President in a variety of Relationship roles including the Trust department supporting insurance pension funds, Taft-Hartley and ERISA funds. She also worked at her family’s business where there were no limits to her role. Karen’s proudest impact was felt in her nonprofit efforts, where she championed many efforts in her school district and beyond for the rights of children with disabilities. She became fully committed to helping children. Karen was President of the JCC Women’s Board and currently sits on the JCC Central Board in Chicago. Karen and her family live in a Northern Suburb of Chicago.

Linda Yarden is an attorney, a Managing Director of the Golden Seeds Angel Network, and is the co-founder of In the Stacks with Linda, a facilitated book salon. She was the Managing Director of Corporate Placement and Strategy at the A.W. Rush & Co. search firm, where she now serves as a consultant. Her legal experience includes 14 years with Goldman, Sachs & Co. and 10 years at Lehman Brothers. During the course of her career in the financial services industry, Linda served as the Executive Vice President of SIFMA C&L. She is now on the Board of Trustees of Park Avenue Synagogue. Linda is an arbitrator with both FINRA and the AAA. Linda graduated from Franklin & Marshall College and received her Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law. Linda lives in Manhattan with her spouse, Chris Smith and her two children.