TechCommons Team

Lea is the Associate Director of the Healthy and Secure Computing Campaign (http://www.compumentor.org/hsc), which works to bring sustainable and secure computing systems to the nonprofit sector.

Prior to coming to CompuMentor, Lea spent five years in New York City working for Idealist.org as their Director of Content. She enjoys providing resources and information that enhance the capacity of the nonprofit sector. Lea received an MPA from Baruch College of the City University of New York in 2005. In her free time you will most likely find her reading fantasy novels, writing, or watching a Joss Whedon show.

Currently, Mary is working with the TechCommons team as a consultant. She has also worked within CompuMentor as the manager of the mentor matching program, the apprenticeship program, the database planning program, the technology assessment program, as well as served as a member of the Community Technology Center team. Not believing the phrase 'good things come to those that wait' she is on a quest to cram as many careers and experiences into this trip as she can. Some career highlights have included Adventure Travel Guide, Yosemite Park Ranger, Adopt-A-Beach Education Coordinator, Videographer and Director Of Youth Development at the SF Conservation Corps.

Mary is the owner/operator of her own small business where she works with teams of other nonprofit professionals providing consulting and training services to nonprofits and schools nationwide. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member and advisor at the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management. And she is still searching for that 'perfect' wave. Once dried off she can be found at home with her immediate and extended family hiking, biking or watching the sun set on Montara mountain. She and her partner also travel as often as their schedule and bank account allow.

After much searching for a person with just the right background to join our talented team here in the Community Engagement campaign of TechCommons, we came across Kami Griffiths. Kami comes to us with a long history of involvement in the non-profit world. She brings a wealth of knowledge and ideas around the challenge of bridging the digital divide.

Originally from Minnesota she’s worked in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City. Her non-profit background includes working for Global Exchange in San Francisco as a graphic designer and most recently working for the New York Department of Parks and Rec. in NYC where she managed 27 public access computing centers and taught beginner and intermediate computer classes for welfare-to-work participants and started a program bringing volunteers into under-served communities to offer free computer classes.

As the technical lead for the Healthy and Secure Computing campaign, Henry strives to be a trusted resource to nonprofits for sound technology direction. He has a particular interest in information security and its impacts on technologically driven societies. His background in IT at for-profit and nonprofit organizations spans over 10 years and he is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Henry was also a writer with the San Francisco Bay Guardian and Pacific News Service.

Away from his work at CompuMentor, he enjoys documentary film, mid-tempo breakbeats, March Madness, dim sum, and next-level mischief.

Coming from the Great White North, Kevin is the Technology Analyst working on the Healthy and Secure Computing campaign. He will contribute and coordinate content on HSC and Techsoup, to better serve the expanding and changing needs of the non-profit community.

Outside of Compumentor, he works with several immigrant rights groups locally, and does volunteer legal interpretation and translation. He received a joint MPA/MA-Int'l Relations from the Maxwell School in Syracuse, NY, during which he also studied in Europe and Asia. He enjoys traveling, swimming, and yoga.

Xavier is very excited about his new role in TechCommons – the ability to participate as a catalyst for social change through these projects is a wonderful opportunity. He feels that, in this way, the history of his own development at CompuMentor is a reflection of CompuMentor's mission in the community: engaging human potential through helping people connect to the resources they need to make positive changes in the world. He looks forward to continuing in that tradition in his new role.

Xavier comes to TechCommons as part of his lifelong drive to use technological networks and resources to engage our human networks and resources. Perhaps anachronistically, though, his personal time is largely filled by activities as easily done by candlelight: reading, interactive storytelling, games of wit and strategy and dancing. He believes that, after all, machines can only support our endeavors – they can’t solve our problems for us. Therefore, while computers are useful and entertaining, the real work of this world requires us to turn away from our monitors, from time to time, at least.

Karen oversees the program that started it all, Mentor Matching. She enjoys matching up volunteers to help out nonprofits and hopes to grow the program so that there are more multifaceted ways for the two communities to join and, as Pollyanna as it sounds, make the world a better place.

Prior to coming to CompuMentor, Karen worked mostly at Universities - the last position she had before hiring onto CM 6 years ago was that of Assistant Director at UC Berkeley's Visitor Center. Probably the most interesting eyebrow raising work she did in the past was as an anatomical model technician. i.e. she constructed models out of natural human bone for schools and medical facilities. Most of her non-work time is now spent with her 10-month old son. Previously, it was with a blow torch and a printing press.