Employee Spotlight: Newest Faces at Development Guild

Yasiris Espinal

Executive Search Coordinator

What brought you to Development Guild?

Being a part of a team where I could expand my skill set and draw on my passion for helping others was really important to me. I found Development Guild through LinkedIn, and was impressed with how consistent and organized the company’s presence was on the platform and on their website. I was intrigued by the position, and the opportunity to work with different non-profit organizations all over. I’m happy I joined such a wonderful team here at Development Guild!

What does your day-to-day look like?

My day to day varies, but I find that every day I am managing emails and putting together or making edits to different documents, scheduling different meetings or interviews with leads and candidates, updating our internal databases and attending meetings. Also, I’ve recently started the conducting research on searches, which consists of creating a candidate pool for outreach to engage and screening potential candidates. To keep up with the moving parts of the search process, I check in with our outreach specialists to know which candidates will be advancing to interview with the search lead after a phone screen.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is finding the right candidate for our clients and for the candidates as well. I appreciate the time we spend throughout the search process to screen, interview, and engage with the candidates to be sure we’re meeting our client’s needs. As well as finding the right place for the candidates as well. It’s a rewarding feeling when we come to the end of a search!

What’s a cause you are passionate about?

Mental health! I’m passionate about bringing awareness to how important mental health is.

Share a fun fact!

I recently went skydiving in April for my birthday.

Shanzeh Faisal

Executive Search Associate

What brought you to Development Guild?

I have always been active in volunteering, and I have always been especially drawn to welfare organizations.  I have volunteered at local day care centers and senior homes, at animal shelters such as Natalie’s Second Chance Shelter and PAWS. So, I was drawn to working at Development Guild DDI; I wanted to work for a company that strived to make an impact by providing services to non-profit organizations.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Typically, I wake up and try to get some sunshine in first thing in the. I make myself some coffee and then review my calendar. I write down a list of tasks for the day. I respond to any emails from the night before and work on any urgent items. I then dive straight into meetings, raising any questions as needed to make sure we are on track and gather any updates or notifications from team members or clients.

In addition to the meetings, I work on other important tasks to keep my projects moving, including: agendas, following up on items, green sheets, gathering data, reviewing candidate applications, and making sure our internal database is up to date. Most of my day is spent scheduling, responding to emails, and preparing documents such as putting together interview packets, making sure we are staying on track with the budget and ensuring everything is flowing smoothly.

As the workday comes to an end, I wrap up any loose ends. I review my to-do list, check if any pending tasks require attention, and follow up on any outstanding requests or action items. I then log off for the day and tidy up my workspace for the next day.

What’s a cause you are passionate about?

I am really passionate about the environment and animal welfare, as well as social justice, especially access to mental health resources for minority and low-income populations.

Share a fun fact!

I have two cats, Leo and Simba, and I love spicy food.

Kat Landa

Senior Vice President, Executive Search

What brought you to Development Guild?

I was looking for an opportunity to influence the talent side of fundraising. After working with 100s of nonprofits over the years on fundraising campaigns, I saw firsthand how qualified talent made the difference in organizations that were successful vs. stagnant.

Now, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to focus on the talent side of the equation, matching the right candidates to the right culture and responsibilities to maximize the impact our clients can make on their critical goals.

What does your day-to-day look like?

As a member of our West Coast practice, I typically benefit from a busy morning of status, strategy, candidate, and client meetings followed by an afternoon of more deep focus to write briefs, candidate summaries, and position announcements. I round things out by responding to any remaining emails and LinkedIn conversations and planning out any relationship connections I’d like to make the next day.

What’s a cause you are passionate about?

I’m passionate about creating equitable spaces through education and access. One specific way to make a lifetime of impact is to level the playing field for kids entering kindergarten. Studies continue to show that brain development peaks between 0-3 years of age, and experiences before the age of 5 can have a lifetime of impact. Supporting families with financial, educational, and healthcare resources for children 0-5 years old is a passion of mine.

Share a fun fact!

Maybe because it’s top of mind with our recent record snowfall in California, but I enjoy several family ski trips a year. My husband taught me to snowboard when we met, and now, I’m one of the few 40+ year old moms I know who are out there shredding (at least until my knees give out.)

Theresa Leinker

Vice President, Fundraising

What brought you to Development Guild?

I loved my first job – fundraising for a children’s hospital – and the donors, families, and colleagues I met there. I spent ten years at the hospital and then moved into consulting to help a broader range of nonprofits grow. I joined the team at Development Guild DDI after ten years at Schultz & Williams, a Philadelphia-based firm, where I worked primarily in campaign planning studies, campaign implementation, interim management, and assessments.

A few of my favorite recent consulting projects were a campaign with Share Food, a huge food bank in the city; campaign planning with Travis Manion Foundation, a veterans’ service organization; and a unique corporate social responsibility engagement with Lincoln Financial Foundation, who wanted to help its food bank partners across the country continue to grow post-pandemic.

What does your day-to-day look like?

I’m enjoying the mix of fundraising projects and search. Right now my day-to-day is focused on doing outreach for three searches; client meetings and work on fundraising assessments and counsel; and sales, particularly by connecting with former clients and contacts.

What’s a cause you are passionate about?

I’m into hyper-local organizations. I volunteer with a food pantry that serves 75 families in our school district. I also feel strongly about supporting military veterans, particularly because so many people in my family have served, including my dad.

Share a Fun Fact!

I’ve met Beyonce! That’s my best fun fact. At the children’s hospital I was often arranging special trips and hospital visits for the kids. It was a lot of backstage access, on-the-field access, and celebrity tours. Everyone I met was amazing and generous and really made the kids’ day special.

Karin Shedd

Managing Editor

What brought you to Development Guild?

Coming to Development Guild was a happy accident. I was coming off maternity leave for my first child, working remotely for a New York-based digital news company, and wondering how I could transition my skillset into a new kind of role. That’s when I got a lovely LinkedIn message from a Development Guild recruiter. I hadn’t imagined I could use my skills for a consulting firm, much less one that works exclusively with really cool nonprofits.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Wake up, play with my baby, chug coffee, and then get on the little treadmill under my standing desk to start my work day. What I do each day depends – editing a video, prepping for an interview, fixing a transcription, writing a script, etc. Every day is different.

What’s a cause you are passionate about?

Paid parental leave. A few years ago, I created an 8-minute video that attempted to explain why the United States is one of the only countries in the world without guaranteed paid parental leave. It’s a long story, but the outcome is that the US’ system is worse for everyone: for parents, for their coworkers, for the kids, and for the economy. I was fortunate enough to get a few months off because I live in California, but even that is well below the standard set by most other nations regardless of their level of wealth. It’s just absurd and I could rant about it for hours.

Share a fun fact!

I’m left-handed, but only for writing. The left side of my body is basically useless for everything else – kicking a ball, diving off the block in a swim meet, throwing a ball, using scissors, brushing my teeth, cooking, etc. I’m 95% right-handed except for in the one way that people use to label their handedness