The Team

Meet Our Team

We are PGK

PGK is a movement, and like all movements it is made up of many people, many faces, and most importantly, many giving hearts. A few of the most involved are shared below, but we are grateful to every single person helping us along in this journey to create #GivingKids.

Our Staff

Molly
Yuska

Founder of PGK

Amy
Johnson

Outreach & Marketing Manager
SF Bay Area

Sundari
Johansen

Manager of Strategic Engagement

Our Board

Molly
Yuska

I am the founder of PGK and a life-long student of the nonprofit sector, having received my Master’s of Management and Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University.

But most importantly, I am the mother of four kids who teach me the importance of patience, empathy and compassion every day. Having served as a policy analyst for a safety-net health care system right out of college, started a business to assist first-generation college students understand the accessibility of higher education, and provided consulting services to the nonprofit sector through my own practice, I have spent my entire career working to advance the agendas of mission-driven organizations.

It was in seeing the struggles of these organizations fulfill their inspiring missions with limited resources and the almost limitless potential of the next generation to usher in a new era of philanthropy and volunteerism, that I set out to start PGK. I believe in two fundamental truths: the goodness that lies within all people and the ability to change the world when we teach our young people to tap into and stay connected to that.

Heidi
Johnson

I am a nonprofit director, founder, and blogger. I serve as the executive director of TACSC, a nonprofit cultivating leadership among Catholic middle and high school youth. I founded and co-chaired the The Spiritual Care Guild

at CHLA which has become a national template for pediatric chaplaincy. I am also the creator and founder of the blog, Charity Matters, which tells the stories of small nonprofits and their beginnings. I am the mother of three boys living in Pasadena, with my husband, Ron, and a proud graduate of USC.

I serve on a number of educational and nonprofit boards supporting the causes I care deeply about, and am a strong believer in philanthropy, having seen the impact it can have on so many, especially young children during their formative years. My passion is using my voice to make a difference and connecting people and causes that matter.

Katie
Terino

With a degree in Business Administration from Boston University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, I started my career in high-tech operations, then transitioned to higher education,

with a decade of experience working for and with top-tier MBA programs. For the last six years, I have been volunteering, consulting and working in local elementary schools, primarily in the areas of strategic planning and institutional advancement. I have previously held Board positions with the Wayland Children & Parents Association and Saint Joseph’s Elementary School, in addition to being a founding Board member of St. Benedict’s Elementary School and part of the team that set up the school’s operations in its founding year.

I currently serve on the Board of House of Possibilities, Inc. and Project Giving Kids, while also continuing my consulting and volunteer work. Living outside of Boston with my husband, Joe, and three school-aged children, I believe in the paradigm PGK represents and the importance of developing a culture of empathy and inclusion among youth.

Ilona
Barskaya

I am an operations strategist and mother of two, with a business degree from San Francisco State. Throughout my 17-year career, I have established a reputation as a transformational leader who is driven by challenge,

undeterred by obstacles, and committed to furthering standards of excellence. My expertise encompasses aspects of business development and administration ranging from controlling costs and maximizing revenues to harnessing team strengths to improve company-wide performance. But, my most rewarding job is being a mother of two beautiful individuals (a girl and boy) who I get to watch grow up into caring, empathetic and smart young adults.

My kids are what brought me to PGK – their expressed interest in giving back, their awareness and care for others, and their desire to share their good fortune with others who are less so. PGK allows my family to find and connect to causes that we truly believe in and to give back to our San Francisco community.

Jeff
Kuan

I am currently an MBA student at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, I worked as a product manager at Globality, Inc., a technology marketplace focused on B2B

premium professional services, and as a consultant at Parthenon-EY, where I focused on private equity and corporate strategy. I graduated from the University of Southern California and from the General Course program at the London School of Economics.

As a millennial, I believe in the important role service plays in youth development. I joined PGK because I was inspired by the unique opportunity to leverage technology to better connect kids and teens to volunteer opportunities.

Seema

Otoya

I am a strategy and business development professional with over 14 years of experience in consumer packaged goods and management consulting. I am currently part independent consultant

and part stay-at-home mom. As the founder of Vartoya Consulting, I am a driving force behind critical strategic, operational and organizational initiatives for my clients. I work with domestic and international clients to provide thought leadership in developing practical solutions to complex challenges. Prior to this, I spent several years working in internal strategy roles at Beachbody, Wonderful, Disney and Microsoft. I received my MBA from Harvard Business School and my BBA from The University of Texas at Austin.

As mom, I have two little children (4 year-old boy and 2 year-old girl) and a sweet little dog who are the light of my life. Living in LA, I felt it was important for me to help teach them the importance of giving back from an early age, and that is what led me to identify with PGK and its mission. I am honored to be a part of such a great organization and look forward to empowering others to join us!

Our Advisory Team

Liza Batallones

Communications and Media Professional

Max Duganne

CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley

Rachel Hanebutt

Research Analyst at Global Family Research Project

Phil Lipof

News Anchor, NBC Boston

Kyle Neal

Senior Trust Advisor, Northern Trust

Regan Schaffer

Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior, Pepperdine University

Heather Simpson

Actress

Katy Tucker

Independent HR Consultant, Board Chair Boys & Girls Club of Venice

Laurie Chan

CFO, Communications Media Solutions, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Amilia Premji Fugman

Consultant

Heather Jack

Assistant Director of Advancement at the Rivers School

Julie Ngo

Pharmacist

Kristen Pratt

Recruitment Support Contractor

Sara Schiff

Journalist/podcaster

Monica Spehar

University Recruiting and Diversity/Inclusion Manager, Nvidia

Nishtha Chouhan

Entrepreneur

Ruwan Gunatilake

Principal at Medley Investments

Mike Joyce

VP of Programming at the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester

Ali Meyers

Executive Director, Meyers Learning Center

Ashley Scatena

Consultant

Ethan Sim

Clinical Operations at Gilead Sciences

Nathaniel Tilton

Private Wealth Advisor

PGK is looking for dynamic board members who share our passion for kids, service and technology. If interested in learning more, email us at admin@projectgivingkids.org.

Our Sponsors

Thank You!

There are many individuals and organizations who make our work possible. We are incredibly grateful for all the support provided in ways large and small that allow us to connect kids to causes. Thank you!