About Us

Leah Adelson is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund. She primarily supports the Financial Empowerment Cities initiative, helping municipal governments build infrastructure to launch and implement Offices of Financial Empowerment. She also works on the Local Consumer Financial Protection Initiative. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Leah worked as a Policy Associate at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and prior to that as a Trial Preparation Assistant at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Leah holds a BA in History from Yale University and a MPA from New York University.

Courtney Bettle is a Principal at Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund where she oversees the organization’s legacy planning and long-term asset building initiatives.  Previously, she served as the Economic Mobility Practice Manager for the Bloomberg Center of Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University where she supported local governments in the U.S. and abroad in implementing data-informed strategies for promoting economic well-being for residents.  Prior to that role she served as the Director of Financial Capability at the CASH Campaign of Maryland where she was responsible for leading the organization’s asset development initiatives to increase financial security among low- and moderate-income families in Maryland.  Courtney hold a BA in Sociology from Goucher College and a MA in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Paige Diner is a Principal at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to Bank On coalitions looking to increase access to safe and affordable financial services in their communities. Prior to this, Paige served as a Teach for America corps member in District of Columbia Public Schools. Paige holds a BA in Sociology from Vanderbilt University and an MSW from Columbia University.

Kant Desai is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where he oversees the organization’s policy strategy, consumer financial protection initiative, and municipal financial empowerment leadership work. Previously, he served as Chief of Policy for Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely, where he developed and launched the City’s first Office of Financial Inclusion. Prior to that role, Kant spent eight years as an Economist at RCF Economic Consulting where he focused on Energy, Environmental, and Urban Policy research. He has a BA in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College and an MPP from University of Chicago.

Ben Elconin is the Deputy Finance Director at the CFE Fund. He partners with the Chief of Research, Evaluation and Finance to manage all aspects of the organization’s finances including accounting oversight, audit and budgets. Previously, Ben served as Director, Finance, Data and Administration with Multiplying Good, a national nonprofit that promotes and celebrates public service. Prior to that, Ben worked at Pencils of Promise where he managed on-the-ground operations of the organization’s country office in Laos. He has a BA in Political Science from UC Irvine and an MA in International Relations from Syracuse University.

Amelia Erwitt is the Chief Operating Officer of the CFE Fund.  Amelia provides leadership to CFE Fund staff in the development and execution of programs, technical assistance, research, policy and communications. She also manages organizational development, fundraising, administration and infrastructure. Previously, Amelia was the Associate Commissioner and Executive Director of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) where she worked closely with government agencies, communities, and the private sector to implement OFE’s critical initiatives.  Amelia has also worked for the United Nations, USAID, and the White House. She holds a BA from the George Washington University and an MPA from Columbia University.

Lisa-Nicolle (Nicky) Grist is Chief of Research, Evaluation, and Finance at the CFE Fund. Previously, Nicky served as Senior Director of Evaluation for the National Urban League, as the Executive Director of a national social policy advocacy organization, and as the Executive Director of a community-based housing counseling agency. Nicky has a BA from Yale College, a Master’s in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and an Executive Certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Olivia Grondy is an Associate at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities on replicating the Financial Empowerment Center model. Previously, she supported development and communications efforts at Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, a large social services provider in Queens. Olivia began her career in the nonprofit sector as Volunteer Coordinator with NYC Civic Corps. She holds a BA in Global Development and Sustainability from St. Johns University.

Allan Guce is a Senior Data Systems Associate at the CFE Fund where he supports the maintenance and development of the database for the Financial Empowerment Center initiative. Previously, he was a client finance manager at a global healthcare communications agency. Prior to that, he worked for an ad-tech company specializing in ad verification and brand safety, overseeing international billing for all APAC and EMEA offices worldwide. Allan holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Mathematics cognate from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL

Rose Harvey is the Manager of FEC Innovations at the CFE Fund where she provides support and technical assistance to municipalities to design and implement Financial Empowerment Centers. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Rose was an Associate Consultant at Matter + Form where she provided business planning and strategic finance services to nonprofits. Previous to that, she worked at the New York City Housing Authority and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. Rose holds a BA in Sociology from Northeastern University and a MPA from New York University.

Aaron is a Principal at the CFE Fund where he supports Bank On integrations. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, he was a high school teacher and a fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab. Aaron holds a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton College and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Mark Hunter is Director of Operations at the CFE Fund. He is responsible for managing all of the CFE’s vendor relationships, providing administrative support to all program functions and logistics support for special events. Previously, Mark worked at the Doe Fund as the Director of a social enterprise that taught basic office skills to homeless and formerly incarcerated people.

Katie Koleini is a Senior Development Associate at the CFE Fund, where she supports fundraising and development efforts across the organization. Previously, she was the Development Project Manager for the Downtown Memphis Commission. She holds a BA in Non-profit Development and a Masters in Urban Planning.

Tamara Lindsay is Chief of Strategy at the CFE Fund. Previously, she was the Director of Programs at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment. Tamara holds a BA from Syracuse University, an MSc from the London School of Economics and an MPA from Baruch University, City University of New York.

Angela Lowery is the Manager of FEC Operations at the CFE Fund where she provides technical assistance to municipalities interested in designing and replicating the Financial Empowerment Center model in their communities. Angela has diverse professional experiences working within community-based organizations, healthcare institutions, and higher education to design and implement high impact programs. In a previous role, she served as the Director of Financial Empowerment at United Way of Summit & Medina County where she worked with public and private stakeholders to launch and manage the City of Akron’s Financial Empowerment Center. Angela holds a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College and a MA in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University.

Elisa López is the Director of Data Systems at the CFE Fund, where she supports the implementation and management of the database for the Financial Empowerment Center initiative. Previously, she was an Admissions Associate and then Program Coordinator of Research and Evaluation at Math for America. She holds a BA in Sociology and Education from Swarthmore College and an MA in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College, City University of New York.

Madeline (Maddy) Murnane is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund where she provides technical assistance to municipalities to design and replicate Financial Empowerment Centers. Previously, Maddy was a Senior Associate at the New York Immigration Coalition, where she oversaw government contracts and foundation portfolios. She also brings direct service experience working in asylum law and financial empowerment programming. Maddy holds a BA in International Studies with a focus in Economics from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

Allison Miller is an Associate at the CFE Fund, where she supports grant management and contracts for all projects. Previously, she worked in nonprofit fundraising, writing and managing grants for financial and health-equity organizations. She also served as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. She holds a BA in Psychology from Rhodes College.

Jonathan Mintz is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the CFE Fund. He also founded and co-chaired the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition (CFE Coalition), which brings together pioneering municipal governments from across the country to advance innovative financial empowerment initiatives on the municipal, state, and national level.

Jonathan was previously the longest-serving Commissioner in the history of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, having been appointed to the role by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. During this time, he redefined the Department’s regulatory enforcement powers toward a focus on consumer financial stability, re-envisioning consumer rights in fields such as debt collection, process serving, employment, and finance. While there, he launched the NYC Office of Financial Empowerment, which has been replicated by local governments across the nation. Jonathan holds a BA from Indiana University, an ME from Bank Street College of Education, and a JD from Cornell Law School.

Ulrike “Ulli” Nischan is the Deputy Research and Evaluation Director at the CFE Fund. Previously, Ulrike served as Assistant Director of Policy and Research at the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s Office of Financial Empowerment. Before her time in city government, Ulrike worked as a policy researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute. She is a proud community college graduate (College of Lake County) and holds a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MIPA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech.

Katie Plat is the Senior Communications and Development Director at the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund where she oversees the organization’s communications and fundraising efforts. Previously, she was the Chief of Staff at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment. Ms. Plat holds both a BA and an MPA from New York University.

Sol Vilera Ramos is a Manager at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities for emergent financial crisis programming. Previously, she was a Financial Counselor and then a Relationship Manager at a New York City based financial inclusion nonprofit. She also served as an Economic Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. She holds a BA in Economics from Texas A&M University.

Cherilyn Richardson is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund where she supports the Bank On Initiative by engaging and deepening relationships with financial institution partners. Previously, she served as the Vice President and CRA Officer with a community bank headquartered in Chicago, IL where she ensured the bank’s compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act by serving the credit needs of low-and-moderate income communities. She will complete her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies at Governors State University in Spring 2025.

David is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where he leads the national Bank On initiative. Previously, he served as Director of Resource Development and Public Affairs for Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland providing fund development and policy leadership. He also served as a research fellow for the New America Foundation in asset building and the Program Director for the Ohio CASH Coalition with Policy Matters Ohio. He has a BA in Political Science from John Carroll University and an MPA from Kent State University.

Scott Schwartz is the Deputy Contracts and Grants Director at the CFE Fund, where he supports contract and grant management for all projects, as well as the Financial Empowerment Center initiative database. Previously, he was a paralegal at a law firm specializing in civil rights and defense litigation in state and federal court. He has a BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

Vicky Selkowe is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where she leads the national Bank On initiative’s operations. Previously, she served as Manager of Strategic Initiatives & Community Partnerships in the City of Racine (WI) Mayor’s Office, and as the head of government relations and compliance for Wisconsin’s largest civil legal aid law firm. Prior to that, Vicky was Chief of Staff to a Wisconsin State Representative, and a public interest attorney. She holds a BA from Beloit College and a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

John Solano is the Director of Training and Technical Assistance with CFE Fund, where he supports staff and partner training and technical assistance across all projects. Previously, he project managed the content redesign and delivery methods for staff training at the Center for Employment Opportunities and served as Executive Administrator at Refoundry. Before entering the non-profit sector, he was the Inventory Control Manager at Eataly USA, LLC. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Richmond and an M.S. in Chemistry from Wake Forest University. John also participated in the New York Community Trust Leadership Fellows Program at Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. 

Matt Trombley is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund where he supports program integrations and building banking access into municipal programming. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Matt was the Leadership Training Coordinator for the University of Rochester’s Center for Community Engagement out of Rochester, New York. He holds a BS from the University of Rochester with a degree in Business Management.

Fernanda Villaseñor is a Principal at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities looking to replicate financial empowerment strategies. Previously, she served as a Planning Fellow for the Fund for the City of New York and as a Project Associate for the World Bank. Prior to that, Fernanda was the Strategic Alliances Coordinator for the Office of Civic Innovation of the Mexico City Government. She holds a BA from the Monterrey Institute of Technology, a Certificate of Political Science from Science Po, and a MUP from New York University.

Whitney Visker is an Associate at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to Bank On coalitions. Previously, she supported financial capability initiatives at CASH Campaign of Maryland by offering trainings to practitioners and clients on strategies that strengthen financial stability in low- and moderate-income households in Maryland. She holds a BA in Political Science from Syracuse University.

Nora Walls is a Senior Communications Associate at the CFE Fund, where she ­­­­­­­supports communications efforts across the organization. Previously, she was a Senior Associate Consultant at the Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit that helps mission-driven organizations amplify their impact by mobilizing skilled volunteers to advance resource equity. Nora holds a BA in English and Media Studies from the University of Virginia and an MS in Professional Writing from New York University.