Jennifer, co-founder

Jennifer is the President of the Tsuha Foundation, an anti-poverty philanthropic foundation with three areas of focus: transformative relationships, systemic change, and Asian communities. In addition to funding to a slate of grantees, the Foundation partners with the University of Western Australia to operate the Tsuha Global Fellows program, which supports emerging leaders in the Global South as they develop high-priority research and policy solutions related to UN Sustainable Development Goals in their home communities. 

Jennifer serves on the boards of Circles USA, a social-capital based anti-poverty organization with 80+ locations across North America, and Bread for the World, an inclusive Christian organization based in Washington, D.C. that advocates for policy changes to end hunger. 

On a more creative front, Jennifer has produced and financed more than 30 documentaries because she believes in the unique capacity for film to build empathy and promote change. She is a member of Impact Partners, Sundance Catalyst, Chicken & Egg, and Windrider Institute.

Before working in the nonprofit world, Jennifer graduated from Hamilton College (B.A., Mathematics and Computer Science), worked at Accenture, homeschooled her children, and taught math in a charter school.

Justin, co-founder

Justin is the director and founder of an advisory firm with experience in market research, neuroscience, and iterative design. He and his team work with social-impact leaders to develop projects spanning media/content, online/software, and in-person solutions. Justin leads the team in running research and design processes to help leaders connect with and understand the audiences they are trying to help. In addition, he provides direct support to leaders through the day-to-day challenges they face in launching new projects. 

Previously, he was the Founder/CEO of an EdTech startup that taught students ages 8-14 how to code, design, and create with technology using professional tools and practices. The company developed a platform that scaled to teach 100,000 students online in 100 countries and in person in 17 states.

In addition to running the company, Justin personally oversaw the in-house production studio that created all the interactive video-based courses. The courses were made available to students in public schools when the company was acquired in 2018. 

Justin received a degree in cross-cultural ethics and grew up working with a nonprofit that brought computer schools to orphanages in Eastern Europe. 

Backstory

Over many years advising filmmakers, nonprofit executives, and social entrepreneurs, we consistently noticed how stressed and burned out these leaders were.

They were all incredibly smart people who wanted to make their communities better places. Their projects (whether films, products, or nonprofit programs) would make ambitious, creative visions into reality. They worked tirelessly to raise money, stick to impossibly tight budgets, and keep funders updated and happy. They listened deeply and centered other people’s stories. They kept tabs on social media, LinkedIn, and current events. They took care of their teams.

But there was rarely anyone who supported them. They felt deeply alone.

We wondered:

  • What if filmmakers and nonprofit leaders could take time early on in their projects to gain extreme clarity on their projects and desired impact?

  • What if directors could talk with their audiences early on and find out what matters to them, in their own words?

  • What if they had a group of collaborators and funders who energized, rather than drained, them?

  • What if they prioritized their own needs, not just the project’s needs?

  • What if they had enough conviction in their projects to make difficult decisions early on, to say no to what wasn’t quite right, and implement their projects more efficiently and effectively?

What if we could help?

What if we could use our experience and connections to create a fellowship to support leaders as they create films and nonprofit programs?

We decided to try it. We met with nonprofit directors and film directors to find out what they would want in a fellowship. We committed funding. Our first cohort ended in April 2024, with one nonprofit leader and two filmmakers, working both in person and remotely. We learned a lot together and we’re excited to launch our second cohort!

Our second cohort will remain grant-funded and will expand to include two filmmakers and two nonprofit directors, running from mid November 2024 through August 2025.

Candidates apply with a single project (a film or nonprofit program, budgeted at $250k or more) to develop throughout the fellowship. Candidates should have directed 1-3 major nonprofit programs or 1-3 films in the past, and have prior experience fundraising and managing a budget of $250,000+. We are accepting nominations now through September 13, 2025.