Meet Our Team
National Team
DAVID P. ADAMS - Co-Founder and President, Linley Foundation
David was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, raised in Brazil and received his secondary and university education in Europe.
He has a BA in Portuguese and French literature from King's College, London and an MA in English literature from the University of Massachusetts.
David began his career as a lecturer in 19th-century Portuguese literature. After leaving academia, he founded the Linley Group, Inc., a Boston-based consulting company, focused on the commercial real estate industry. He later founded Linley International, investment advisors focused on Latin America.
David is co-founder of the Linley Foundation, a non-profit organization engaged in education, environmental and animal-rights projects.
Currently, he is a public speaker, professional interviewer and writer. He is responsible for the conceptualizing and launch of the America I Want social media campaign. David has a deep love for philosophy while, over his life, pursuing a range of eclectic interests, from flying, skydiving to horseback riding.
He is married to the Brazilian artist, Maria Lucia Ferreira, and divides his time between Vermont, Brazil and Europe.
MARIA LUCIA FERREIRA
Co-Founder,Director of Operations/Communications /Coordinator
Maria Lucia is a painter, film editor and website designer.
She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and graduated from Escola de Belas Artes de Sao Paulo with a degree in Fine Arts. In 2000, she moved to the United States where she became a citizen.
Maria Lucia regularly exhibited her work in Sao Paulo. During that period, she studied psychology and art therapy, two of her passions. She also worked as a private art teacher.
While in the US, Maria Lucia has explored different media, including film and editing. Her work with Portrait Interview, LLC, a personal interviewing service, allows her to combine her art and film editing skills with her interest in peoples’ life stories.
Maria Lucia is the co-founder and the Executive Director at Linley Foundation and co-director of the America I Want initiative.
PETER MALLARY
Vice-President
Peter Mallary most recently served as Vice-President in charge of Government Relations and Community Outreach for the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.
He is a former Member of the Vermont House of Representatives. He worked for Governor Peter Shumlin on special projects related to addiction and treatment, particularly on the development and implementation of Vermont’s “hub and spoke” system, now considered a national model.
He served on Governor Phil Scott’s Opioid Coordination Council.
Mallary has also had a long career as a publisher, writer and a journalist. He has served on numerous boards. These include serving as President of The Vermont Historical Society, President of the Vermont Community Loan Fund, Chair of the Snelling Center for Government, Chair of the Capitol Complex Commission, Chair of the Vermont Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, President of the Second Wind Foundation and President of the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences. He has also served on the boards of the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, Marlboro College, Capstone, Friends of the State House, The Fairbanks Museum and Vermont PBS. Mallary lives in Bradford, Vermont.
PETER MALLARY
Vice President,
National Program Strategy
CHARLIE DEPMAN
Chief Technology Officer
Charlie is a technologist, founder, and builder with more than a decade of experience shaping early-stage, people-centered, mission-driven ventures. He strongly believes in using technology, data and design for good - to improve the lives of all beings.
As Cofounder and CTO of Ridepanda, he grew the climate tech company into a nationwide platform with clients like Google, Amazon and OpenAI, leading engineering, product, and culture.
Before entering the startup world, he worked at international environmental nonprofits including Future Generations China and Waterkeeper Alliance. He has also worked in education, teaching at schools including NYU Shanghai, Moringa School in Kenya, and Product School.
Born in New Haven, CT and educated across the US, Canada, and China, Charlie thrives at the “zero to one” stage—turning bold ideas into practical systems that empower communities.
LEN GAMACHE
Chief Development officer
Len is a philanthropic fundraising consultant and Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Prior to consulting, he headed institutional fundraising programs for three major hospitals in Ontario and three Canadian national charities (The Royal Conservatory of Music, the Children’s Aid Foundation and Kids Help Phone).
​He has led and coordinated numerous campaigns that have generated hundreds of millions of dollars over more than three decades. He has also been awarded the distinction of “Fundraising Executive of the Year” (Waterloo Region).
​Prior to his philanthropic career he served in various public relations, marketing and editorial positions with non-profits, such as The Seagram Museum (Waterloo, Ontario) and the University of Waterloo. He volunteers with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Friends of Killarney Park and Georgian Bay Forever.
​Len grew up in Massachusetts and attended Northeastern University. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife, Jody Dailey.
ZAIRO CHEIBUB
Analyst / Advisor
Zairo Cheibub is a political scientist and public opinion expert with extensive experience in academic research, teaching, and institutional leadership in both the United States and Brazil. His work focuses on political behavior, public opinion, and social policy, with a career spanning leading universities and public policy institutions across the hemisphere. He became an American citizen in 2017. He currently serves as Strategic Initiative Specialist at the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Zairo holds an MBA from the Sloan Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed advanced doctoral studies (ABD) in Political Science at MIT. He earned a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro (IUPERJ) and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF).
Zairo has taught at Brown University, where he served as Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, teaching courses in public opinion, survey research methodology, and Brazilian politics. From 2002 to 2006, he was Director of FGV-Opinião, the public opinion research center of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), where he led major initiatives in public opinion research and democratic governance.
NATHAN FOLEY
Associate Editor
Nathan was born and raised in Sacramento, California.
He discovered his passion at an early age after enrolling in an animation course at his high school, where he learned the basics of film production. Subsequently, he became Director, Lead Editor, and head of the Live Action Department at his school’s professional K9 studio.
His work on animated short films and music videos won him and his studio a number of Student Emmys.
Nathan has worked in other film studios, most notably Burn Films (BBB), where he took on such roles as Director of Photography, Editor, and Assistant Director. While at BBB, he helped produce short films, music videos, and live concert events, all of which fueled his growing love for film and photography as an artistic and intellectual medium.
SOPHIA RABE
Social Media Advisor
Sophia started her college career at Marymount Manhattan, studying photography and journalism. She subsequently transferred to Champlain College to focus on marketing and public relations.
​Since then, she has worked with both nonprofit and corporate companies on everything from branding and marketing to sales and event planning. Her love for networking, connecting and helping people is the basis and inspiration for her business and surrounds every aspect of her life.
Since launching in early 2017, Olive and Milo Social has expanded its client base from local Vermont businesses to entrepreneurs and companies in locations across the country. As algorithms rapidly change and platforms evolve, Sophia keeps Olive and Milo Social at the forefront of the field by immersing herself and her team in the news, education, and technology within the digital marketing world. Olive and Milo Social has sprouted from a creative idea into a flourishing business, and Sophia can’t wait to help you do that with your business, too.
SAMATHA WEST
Associate Advisor
Sam West was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. From a young age she found herself participating in community theatre where she discovered her passion for storytelling.
Now a recent graduate of Dartmouth College having continued in her passion for the arts with a major in Theatre. Throughout her time in school she worked with various regional and off-broadway theatres including Center Theatre Group, Northern Stage, and New York Theatre Workshop; and remained heavily involved in various student-led productions and projects.
A writer, producer, and sound designer, she is most interested in contemporary plays and film that explore race and gender in our ever-changing global world.
LEXI WARDEN
Associate Advisor
Lexi is a theatre artist and dancer from Seattle, WA.
Graduated at Dartmouth College majoring in Theater modified with African and African American Studies. Theatrical credits include Iphis in House of Sticks (Vox Fest), The Narrator in Into The Woods (Dartmouth College), and Ensemble in King Lear (Northern Stage). Her solo dance piece removed was recently featured in the Vermont Dance Alliance’s Mixed Media Dance Symposium.
Outside of performance, Lexi is also a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow involved in researching the history of African American performance and marginalized voices in American theatre.
JELINDA M. METELOS
Associate Advisor
Jelinda is an actor, dancer, singer, and activist.
She was born and raised in Boston, MA, where her passion for helping others began. As her life continued, her interest in criminal justice and education grew through seeing those who looked like her without access to the opportunities that she was given.
Just before high school, Jelinda’s passion for being on stage was established. This past fall she participated in a hands-on internship at Northern Stage in Hanover, NH. There she was an assistant director on two plays, as well as an actor in It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play.
She is currently a junior at Dartmouth College and hopes to pursue a career in education policy, criminal justice, or acting after college.
Asher Edelson is a subacute residential counselor and an elected school board member in Vermont.
With a background in political organization, Asher brings a background of knowledge, and diversity to the team.
He was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age seven, and wants to help as many people with disabilities as possible.
ASHER EDELSON
Associate Advisor
AHAMAD YASSIR
Associate Advisor
Ahmad Yassir is an international educator, artist, and social practitioner.
Yassir creatively leads the Sage Street Mill programs, partnerships, and initiatives while also overseeing the Mill’s ongoing development efforts into multiple sectors.
In his previous role as the marketing associate for the CYNTHIA-REEVES Gallery, he developed the branding identity and outreach plan for the Forefront 2020 event which centered 10 contemporary women artists through a symposium and exhibition on the campus of MASS MoCA.
Before working in arts and facilities and team management, Yassir earned multiple grants and awards to work as an international educator in Lebanon, Turkey, Somaliland, and the United States. He taught arts, peacebuilding, and cultural studies and developed his educational pedagogy, leadership skills, and passion for structural design.
Born in Tripoli, Lebanon as the youngest of six, Yassir earned multiple scholarships to pursue his education. With the support of the United World College in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yassir became a Davis Scholar to earn his BA from Bennington College in Vermont, where his studies focused on educational and community development with a concentration on public policy analysis and visual arts.
​
International Team
JIM ADAMS
Chairman, Board of Advisors
Jim Adams is a painter, writer, editor and translator.
He was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and studied history, political economy and philosophy at the University of Toronto.
Following his studies, he worked in think tanks, both in government and the private sector.
In his early thirties, Jim decided to dedicate his life to painting and writing, passions he has since pursued in a number of countries, alongside his work as a freelance editor and translator.
Today makes his home in a hamlet in France.
​
Jim has exhibited his paintings in several European countries and recently published a book of his writings, entitled Epigrams—his work can be seen at www.EpigramIcon.com.
CRISTINA GOMES
Graphics Advisor
Cristina Gomes is a brazilian graphic designer based in Lisbon, with a solid experience in brand design and packaging.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1963, the early contact with nature influenced her environmental concerns.
Lately she’s been dedicating more of her time to photography and illustration.
​