Dani Cattan

Dani manages the development team’s data systems and provides support for a wide breadth of grant proposals, concept notes, and funder reports. Prior to VentureWell, Dani worked in the arts nonprofit sector, where she developed, coordinated, and managed a portfolio of programs and funding opportunities centered in social justice and accessibility. Dani received a B.A. in Latinx Studies, Art Activism, and Photography from Hampshire College, and an M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management and Social Welfare Policies from the City University of New York – Baruch College.

Patricia Dorsher

Patricia works collaboratively to steward and expand funding from an array of sources, specifically focusing on Higher Education Innovation Ecosystems programs. Patricia has been working in business development for eight years, and in 2022, her acquisition rate was over 90% for bids she led, wrote, or substantially contributed to. She holds a B.A. in Japanese Studies from DePaul University and an M.P.P. from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, focusing on nonprofit leadership and management.

Maurice Dunn

Maurice focuses on identifying foundations and corporations that align with VentureWell’s mission, as well as supporting the cultivation of stewardship of these partners. During his time at Johns Hopkins University, he identified more than 300 new research funding opportunities and standardized corporate and foundation prospect strategy. He holds a B.A. in Public Health Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Dana Jimenez

Dana works on proposal and report coordination, data management, and team support, helping to ensure seamless, efficient collaboration and project success. She holds over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector, where her work has ranged from international development grant making to grants coordination at a local nonprofit to exploring fiscal sponsorship at a philanthropy consulting firm. Dana holds a B.A. in International Relations, with a minor in Political Science, from Florida International University.

Steffi Madorf

Steffi works collaboratively to steward and expand funding from an array of sources, specifically focusing on Commercialization Programs and Learning and Evaluation initiatives. In her career, Steffi has managed diverse portfolios of grants from various funders—including government agencies, industry partners, and foundations—and secured significant funding for impactful programs, including proposal development efforts resulting in the establishment of the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Research and Development department. She holds a B.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Elisa Mai

Mark Marino

Mark leads VentureWell’s growth strategy, including new business cultivation and portfolio expansion of individual, foundation, corporate, and government revenue. This is accomplished through integrated partnerships and development work tied closely with VentureWell’s marketing, communications, and events. He also serves as principal investigator and project director for several VentureWell initiatives. Mark has over 20 years of experience in U.S. and global health organizations leading operations, business development, board governance, program development, and administration. He has a background in molecular biology and infectious disease diagnostics and received a B.A. in Zoology and Neuroscience from Miami University, Ohio, and an M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Rebekah Montañez

Rebekah supports the development team by managing the creation of proposals and reports, coordinating development activities, and maintaining and enhancing the team’s use of systems and tools. She has experience managing events and working on donor fundraising efforts. Rebekah holds a Bachelor’s in History and Legal Studies from William Paterson University, and a Master’s in Global Affairs from Rutgers University.

Brandi Orbin

Brandi secures funding for new and existing programs at VentureWell by collaborating with leadership, program staff, funding partners, and external experts in addition to colleagues on the development team to cultivate funder relationships and solicit mission-aligned gifts and grants. Brandi has spent more than 25 years working in the higher education and non-profit sectors, having served in multiple fundraising, marketing communication and advancement roles over that time for institutions such as Georgia Tech, NC State, Meredith College, Catawba College, and Barton College. She holds a B.A. from NC State University.

Kiera Palma

Kiera oversees the infrastructure, systems, and resources that enable VentureWell to produce a high volume of quality proposals and reports. Her extensive experience in this field has included implementing and managing several grants management systems, using platforms such as Salesforce, AmpliFund, and Fluxx, and maintaining a high renewal rate of annual grant funds due to stellar stewardship and grant compliance efforts. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Norfolk State University.

Beth Ward

Beth produces proposal applications, reports, and other written materials across VentureWell’s entire portfolio of funders to further VentureWell’s mission, and supports the Growth Strategy & Development team at all stages of the development pipeline. Beth served for over 30 years in the nonprofit, higher education, and healthcare sectors, with a focus on grant writing, project management, strategic planning, and systems development. Beth holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Yale University and a B.A. in History from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Wendy Westbroek

Wendy focuses on the coordination of federal proposals and reports, expanding VentureWell’s capacity and deepening its expertise with regard to agency-specific pre- and post-award processes and procedures. A biomedical researcher by training, Wendy spent 13 years at the National Institutes of Health as a postdoctoral fellow and staff scientist, before leaving the agency to teach at Salish Kootenai College and Flathead Valley Community College. Wendy holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Ghent University in Belgium.