Celebrating Women Leaders at Purpose Possible

Mar 10

At Purpose Possible, we believe in the power of leadership, collaboration, and impact-driven work. As a firm founded and led by women, we are proud to highlight the exceptional women who guide our service verticals and shape the success of our clients. This Women’s History Month, we celebrate our Directors and Partners—women who lead with expertise, passion, and a commitment to strengthening mission-driven organizations. Their leadership not only supports the nonprofits we serve but also reinforces the value of women-led organizations in shaping strong, resilient communities.

Adi Bates – Director of Communications

Adi is a creative strategist with more than a decade of experience in branding, marketing, and storytelling. She leads Purpose Possible’s communications vertical, ensuring that clients’ messages resonate with their audiences through engaging content, design, and strategy. Under her leadership, organizations develop compelling brand identities, execute impactful campaigns, and communicate their missions effectively. Adi manages a team of consultants specializing in content creation, graphic design, website development, and more. Her personal and team expertise spans design, social media, annual reports, blogs, and marketing strategy, ensuring that organizations tell their stories with clarity and impact.

Laura Hennighausen – Director of Strategic Philanthropy

Laura brings a deep understanding of philanthropy and nonprofit governance to Purpose Possible. As Director of Strategic Philanthropy, Laura works with corporate, private, and individual funders to create equitable and effective giving practices. Her expertise in grantmaking strategy, funder relationships, and community-driven philanthropy directly translates into impactful alignment between organizations and funders. Notably, Laura also curates “Dispatches from the Philanthrosphere,” a monthly roundup of trends in philanthropy, keeping clients and over 2,300 readers informed of sector-wide developments.

Betsy Oliver - Director of Fundraising Services

With nearly two decades of professional fundraising experience, Betsy excels in guiding organizations through staff transitions and strategic planning. Her strategic management of fundraising operations ensures clients consistently achieve their financial goals. A seasoned expert in development strategy, grant writing, and campaign management, Betsy co-leads a diverse team of 25 consultants as Director of Fundraising Services. With her team, they deliver tailored fundraising services to 34 clients, empowering each to achieve financial sustainability and growth. Betsy's leadership exemplifies the company's commitment to women in senior roles, a commitment that is reflected in our overall supportive and empowering work environment.

Mindy Schweitzer-Rawls – Director of Fundraising Services
Mindy co-leads Purpose Possible’s largest service vertical, Fundraising Services. Her leadership, rooted in empathy and advocacy, strengthens organizations by forging genuine connections between funders and communities. Mindy crafts holistic strategies for nonprofit growth, seamlessly integrating fundraising, communications, and community development. Committed to her team's growth, she provides meaningful professional development tools to 25 consultants while expertly overseeing 30 client relationships. Mindy balances her demanding leadership role with motherhood and community service, embodying the flexibility and commitment that Purpose Possible champions. Our flexible culture empowers our leaders to manage their teams, collaborate effectively, support their families, and remain engaged in their communities.

Susannah Darrow – Founding Partner, Vision + Strategy

As a founding partner, Susannah leads Purpose Possible’s Organizational Strategy vertical, helping mission-driven organizations navigate change, develop strong leadership, and create sustainable plans for growth. With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit strategy, fundraising, and board development, Susannah ensures that organizations have the tools and frameworks needed for long-term success. Her work includes resiliency planning, organizational assessments, team culture assessments, and leadership coaching. In addition to balancing motherhood, board and community service, she also oversees the firm’s overall strategic direction and financial management, ensuring Purpose Possible continues to grow and serve the mission-driven sector effectively.

Kari Hudson - Director of Business Development + Client Relations

Kari is an experienced fundraising professional with a history of success supporting nonprofit clients. Having worked for multiple national organizations, Kari has experience cultivating meaningful, long-lasting, partnerships all over the country. As such, she has developed a keen ability to actively listen and walk away with a true understanding of the needs of an organization - a skill she employs daily in her role cultivating new clients for the firm and even more so, cultivating and deepening relationships with existing clients.

Beth Sadler - Director of Fundraising Services, Mid-Atlantic Office

Beth has more than 10 years of experience fundraising and organizing to support movements for racial and social justice in D.C. and nationally. In her role as Director of Fundraising Services for the Mid-Atlantic team, she provides guidance and professional development to a team of 9 consultants supporting clients in Washington, DC, Maryland, Texas, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Beth also contributes to coaching and establishing standards of excellence for fundraising services across the company. Her insights contribute to the overall success of our team and their availability to produce results for our clients.

Starsha Valentine - Partner + Managing Director (PP Mid-Atlantic)
Starsha leads the Mid Atlantic Office team of Purpose Possible in the Washington, DC area. Her thoughtfully built team works with nonprofit organizations to optimize their organizational operations including developing community-centric fundraising systems and processes, leading strategic plans, examining effective communications, and fostering organizational health and growth. Leading from her years of experience, Starsha brings a visionary perspective to nonprofit organizational development that integrates collaborative leadership with crucial stakeholder engagement to maximize organizational effectiveness. She specializes in assisting BIPOC-led grassroots organizations in strategic organizational design, program design, fundraising, and development strategy. In her role as Partner, Starsha guides and enhances the firm’s culture and commitment to IDEA principles.

The Power of Women in Leadership

As a firm founded and led by women, with a team that's 90% women, we are proud to highlight the exceptional women who guide our service verticals and shape the success of our clients. With 10 of our 11 most senior roles occupied by women, we are committed to creating a supportive and empowering work environment. Our flexible culture allows our leaders to manage their teams, collaborate effectively, support their families, enjoy fulfilling extracurricular pursuits, and remain engaged in their communities.

As Founding Partner, Marketing + Business Development, I believe that women’s leadership strengthens all organizations, fostering innovation, collaboration, and meaningful change. As we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8th), I’m thrilled to honor the women who drive our mission forward. Their expertise, dedication, and vision help transform organizations and communities, proving that when women lead, everyone benefits.

Laura Moody - Founding Partner, Marketing + Business Development

Laura's experience at the intersection of purpose and people has placed her at the forefront of mission-focused communication and community engagement strategies. As Founding Partner, Laura oversees the external focus of the firm including business development and communications strategies. She employs her project management and leadership abilities toward clients effectively scaling grants management in support of small businesses and artists. Since January 2025, Laura has led the firm’s efforts to produce a weekly Government Affairs Digest keeping clients and the nonprofit community informed of the latest changes to government funding; providing clarity and tools organizations and their Boards can leverage to navigate uncertainty.