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Leadership
Meet our board of directors, advisors and team who bring our mission to life.
Our Team
The dedicated team behind the Women's Coaching Alliance, working tirelessly to create opportunities for young women to become leaders through coaching.
Pam Baker
Founder
Pam has 20 years experience leading teams at healthcare at companies big and small and across biotech, pharmaceuticals, digital health, diagnostics and consulting. In 2022 when her husband Doug died of pancreatic cancer shortly after diagnosis, Pam founded the Women's Coaching Alliance in honor of Doug’s efforts to grow the number of women coaching youth sports.
Marcie Low
COO
Marcie Low has spent her entire career immersed in the dynamic world of start-ups, embracing the title of “Jill of all trades, master of none.”
Leighton Burgess
Director Marketing Strategy & Communications
Leighton is a seasoned brand and digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience in healthcare and consumer products. She is excited to pair her passion for women's sports with her experience delivering high impact omni-channel campaigns.
Kristin Jerome
Director of Events & Operations
As the Director of Events and Operations, Kristin oversees the planning and execution of all organizational events, ensuring they run smoothly and effectively. Additionally, Kristin handles the daily operational aspects of the organization, streamlining processes and optimizing efficiency to support the overall mission and goals.
Magda Marcel
Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships
Magda brings her consulting and technology expertise—and a passion for women’s leadership and sports—to the Women’s Coaching Alliance.
Heidi Schell
Director of People Engagement & Donor Operations
A true people connector and nonprofit leader, Heidi brings her passion for giving back to the community and love of sports to her role in recruiting and developing the next generation of female leaders.
Kathy Toon
Curriculum Designer
Kathy Toon is a professional D1 collegiate tennis coach, sports performance consultant and nationally-known trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance.
Our Board and Advisors
Our board members and advisors are a diverse group of accomplished professionals who bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion to the Women's Coaching Alliance, guiding our organization in its mission to empower young women through coaching and leadership development.
Pam Baker
Founder
Pam has 20 years experience leading teams at healthcare at companies big and small and across biotech, pharmaceuticals, digital health, diagnostics and consulting. In 2022 when her husband Doug died of pancreatic cancer shortly after diagnosis, Pam founded the Women's Coaching Alliance in honor of Doug’s efforts to grow the number of women coaching youth sports.
John Ailanjian
Board Member
John is a Managing Partner at Next Legacy and leads the Direct Investments team. He invests in early-stage fintech, consumer, enterprise, and vertical SaaS companies, primarily in North America.
Chris Ardito
Board Member
I’ve spent the last 25+ years as an executive in Biotech leading teams, and in my volunteer time coaching every youth sport imaginable for both girls and boys. My goal is to be that diverse role model in both settings, so they all know anything is possible.
Jay Banfield
Board Member
Jay Banfield is a workforce development social entrepreneur with leadership roles at Year Up & All Home. He has a BA in psychology from Stanford and a Masters of Public Policy from Berkeley. His research in self-efficacy, a concept which led to the growth mindset framework, has appeared in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
Jane Goodell
Board Member
Jane spent 20 years as a television reporter and anchor, working at the Fox network, plus several local television markets, including St. Louis, Milwaukee and Portland, Maine. Currently she works on projects that explore the impact of women on the game of professional football.
Kathy Koo
Board Member
Kathy Koo is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at MedicAlert Foundation, a nonprofit that created the original medical ID bracelet in 1956, and since then has been the leader in providing safety and peace of mind for people living with chronic medical conditions.
Jen Millet
Board Member
Jen currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for the Golden State Warriors where she reports to the team President. Since her time with the organization, the Warriors have been #1 in the NBA across all revenue verticals.
Miriam Paul Thacker
Board Member
Miriam Paul Thacker is VP and head of Tax of Docusign, with 20+ years of experience working in global corporate finance for iconic companies such as Coca-Cola & Google. A former college athlete, Miriam believes strongly in the connection of women leaders and sports.
Vivek Shah
Board Member
Vivek is the leader of Infinite Potential, helping CEOs & athletes create ultra high performance cultures, and the co-founder of Nitya Capital, a $3 billion real estate firm.
Jess Smith
Board Member
Jess Smith is President of the WNBA Golden State Valkyres team. Smith, who has over 18 years of experience in professional sports, oversees all WNBA business operations and reports directly to Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Schneider.
Poonam Prasad
Advisory
Poonam Prasad is Founder and President of Prasad Consulting & Research. In the face of drastic government funding cuts to nonprofits in the late 1980s, she established the firm in 1989 to help charities attract private philanthropic dollars to make up for the greatly reduced levels of public support.
Danielle Slaton
Advisory
Danielle Slaton is an Olympic & World Cup soccer champion, sports analyst and co-founder of BAY Football Club. She also serves on the board of the US Soccer Foundation and Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative
Jim Thompson
Advisory
Jim Thompson is the founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance, a movement created to transform the culture of youth sports. Jim is excited about the impact Women's’ Coaching Alliance can have both on getting more women into leadership roles and the improved positivity that can come in youth sports.
Tara Vanderveer
Advisory
Stanford Women's Basketball Coach 1985-2024 and US Olympic Womens Basketball Team Coach 1995-1996. The second-winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, Tara VanDerveer cemented herself as one of the top coaches in the sport, both collegiately and internationally, and is a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2002).
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