Non-Profit Fundamentals

Kari Aanestad is the associate director at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. In this role, Kari partners closely with the executive director to chart MCN’s strategic response to organizational and sector challenges and plays a critical role as counselor, advisor, and strategic thought-partner for the executive director. Kari shapes and implements the organization’s strategy by providing oversight of fundraising, sector research, GreaterMN programs, special programs, operations, human resources, and financial management. 
 
As a nonprofit fundraising professional with nearly a decade of experience, Kari also provides leadership to GrantAdvisor.org, a strategic initiative launched in partnership between MCN, California Association of Nonprofits, and Great Nonprofits. GrantAdvisor is a crowdsourced website led by nonprofits that’s like a “Wikipedia” of philanthropy. Grantseekers write reviews of foundations, helping their colleagues and giving honest feedback to strengthen philanthropy. 

Jonathan Brown is a growing voice in people-centered leadership. With 14 years of work in rural, suburban, and urban communities, he has become a recognized leader in creating positive change by empowering individuals to perform to their best capacity. Jonathan has delivered over 2,000 public speaking engagements, inspiring audiences across the region to take a more human-centric approach to leadership. 

Jonathan’s formal education includes a B.A. in Business Management and an M.A. in Communication and Culture, providing him with a strong foundation in both business theory and the social sciences. His Capstone work on the Economic Factors that gave rise to HipHop culture and the Temple of HipHop demonstrates his ability to blend academic rigor and cultural awareness in his work. 

In addition to his academic and community work, Jonathan has 12 years of successful management experience in Higher Education, College Athletics, State Government, High School Athletics, and Nonprofits, making him a well-rounded leader with a broad perspective on organizational dynamics. Professionally, Jonathan is the Vice President & Chief Program Officer at Propel Nonprofits whose mission is to “fuel the impact and effectiveness of Nonprofits with guidance, expertise, and capital.” He is also the founder and Chief Strategy and Leadership Coach at Praxis Group MN, where he supports small businesses and nonprofits with: Leadership Training, Executive Coaching, and Community Engagement Initiatives. 

Jonathan’s life mission is to “empower people to do their best work,” and he does that through an engaging, witty, and inspiring message that challenges leaders to reflect on themselves, their own motivations, and ask piercing questions about the ways they treat and support others. 

Communications strategist Neil Ashvin Chudgar helps do-gooders in the Twin Cities and beyond find language for their biggest ideas. Before founding Chudgar Consulting in 2014, he spent over a decade helping students think about language and meaning at the University of Chicago and Macalester College. His consulting practice draws on the tools and techniques of literature, the relational ecology of Internal Family Systems theory, and the wisdom of liberation movements. Chudgar lives with his husband and two small orange cats in Northeast Minneapolis.  

Ashley Oolman, founder & inclusion consultant of Allied Folk, guides partners through evidence-based best practices, product development, and progressive thought leadership. From large corporations to individual allies, she transforms strategic business initiatives and advances equitable community spaces. With more than a decade of leadership experience in advocacy, employment, and workplace culture, she understands how to navigate complex environments and provide actionable insights for growth.

Ashley strives to advance community equity through her contributions on African American Leadership Forum’s collective impact task force, and serves on a coalition of providers supporting transracially adopted youth to reinforce their development of positive black identity. She enjoys creating space to coach local parents on inclusive parenting, including children in critical conversations.  
  
Her work has been featured on podcasts, and she has presented at state and national conferences. Ashley earned an MBA with a concentration on human resource management, a B.A. in psychology with a minor in human development and family studies, and a certification in organizational diversity & inclusion. She is committed to inclusion as a means to advance human rights for all people, in all walks of life.  

Nonoko Sato is the executive director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), the largest state association for nonprofits in the United States. She oversees MCN’s strategic response to organizational and sector challenges through public policy and advocacy, responsive and educational programming, and sector-wide research. 
 
Nonoko serves or has served in a variety of advisory, board, and trustee roles, including Governor Walz’s Council on Economic Expansion, Equity Diversity Impact Assessment Committee of the Minneapolis Public Schools, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, Theater Mu, Carleton College, among others. She previously served as MCN’s associate director, overseeing internal operations, programming, finance, and administration, as well as launching BenefitsMN, an association health plan for nonprofit organizations that strives to increase the vitality of Minnesota nonprofits through access to affordable and sustainable healthcare. 
 
Prior to these roles, Nonoko served as the executive director of SMART, an organization in San Francisco that champions educational equity by supporting students in overcoming systemic barriers on their journey to a college degree. Under her leadership, the organization tripled the number of students and expanded its services through high school. In all her roles, Nonoko is a relentless advocate for racial equity and justice, dedicated to enhancing and improving cultural humility, intentionally creating inclusive and accessible spaces, and working to end disparities in power, money, access, and resources. Originally from Tokyo and Chicago, Nonoko graduated from Carleton College as a first-generation college student. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her family.