OUR MISSION IS TO UPLIFT YOURS

Josh Riman (he/him)

After graduating from Syracuse University, I spent nearly a decade immersed in the world of advertising, branding and marketing. I worked at great shops and made great friends, but never felt connected to my corporate clients.

My quest for more meaningful work led me to the Taproot Foundation, who assigned me to a string of pro bono branding projects for NYC-based nonprofits.

These experiences fundamentally changed the trajectory of my career, inspiring me to earn a master’s in Nonprofit Administration and launch Great Believer.

Today, I live in Brooklyn with my lovely wife, smiley sons, and kooky cat.

Catie Walsh (she/her)

I moved to NYC 11 years ago to attend graduate school at NYU, where I earned my Masters of Science in International Development. After graduation, I spent several years working in nonprofits focused on public health in Africa, helping to craft programs and campaigns focused on malaria and universal immunization.

A few years ago, I made the switch to creative agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi.

I’m grateful that my experiences have led me to some amazing places in the world, and now thankful to be at Great Believer, where I can combine my nonprofit and agency backgrounds.

Outside of work, you can find me curating my dog’s closet (Winston is very fashionable) or planning the next trip with my husband.

Mike Yamagata (he/him)

Raised in Hawaii and trained at Western Michigan University’s School of Arts, I’m a multifaceted art director with an endless devotion to typography, illustrations and branding.

My versatile creative approach allows me to bring effective design to Great Believer’s amazing clients. No matter the project, I bring a keen sense of style – and a keen sense of humor.

In my spare time, I love listening to podcasts and exploring the food scene in Queens.

Ash Saraga (she/her)

I’ve been gleefully pulling apart electronics and modifying software since I was a kid. Anything that could be plugged in, down to my family’s poor vacuum cleaner, was at risk of being torn to bits so I could see how it worked.

My first road bike – a late 70s Univega, sporting drop handles and down-tube shifters – came as trade for some basic HTML edits during college at Worcester State. Afterwards, I took whatever web work I could find, with a joyous verve that’s led to ten years at nearly every level of web development for non-profits and campaigns across the country.

Nowadays, I’m almost never without my copilot: a mighty little dog called Leela. We spend our days coding meaningful websites with Great Believer, riding motorcycles, or otherwise building, breaking and fixing things with my partner Ryan and cat Ziggy. I love books on audio, origami, chisel-tipped soldering irons and a smokey lapsang souchong.

Christine Hunt (she/her)

A nomad of sorts, I’ve called many places home throughout the south and northeast. At one time, home was North Carolina where I earned my bachelor’s degree in International Comparative Studies and African & African American Studies from Duke University.

After college, I spent five years working at nonprofits, serving marginalized and under-resourced communities in several focus areas including education, immigrant and refugee assistance, and public health. Before joining the Great Believer team, I worked at a marketing and communications firm, which specialized in supporting nonprofit clients.

I love helping others realize an idea, giving something new life, or creating something that didn’t exist before. I’m excited to continue contributing to causes I’m passionate about with Great Believer.

Christine Obiora (she/her)

Raised in the great state of New Jersey, I later studied at Pace University in NYC where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Arts and Entertainment Management.

Having worked with various nonprofits, I’ve always been dedicated to uplifting meaningful causes. Coupled with my passion for user-centered design, I’m proud to call myself a member of the Great Believer team.

Outside of work, you can always find me playing with all the dogs or obsessing over the latest Academy Awards ballots.

Jaclyn Skrela (she/her)

A lifelong (upstate) New Yorker, I moved to the city for college and received my bachelor’s degree in New Media and Digital Design from Fordham University. While attending Fordham, I had opportunities to organize and lead projects as well as to start learning about and interacting with the nonprofit world.

I’m grateful to be working at Great Believer because it threads together my interests in design and project management while allowing me to continue supporting impactful nonprofit organizations.

Outside of work, you can probably find me reading a book, listening to music, or drinking a matcha latte in the park.

Missy Kurzweil (she/her)

I got my start as an advertising copywriter and found my way to nonprofit communications, where I met my match. For more than a decade I’ve helped mission-driven organizations write and rewrite their stories with style and substance. I am passionate about reproductive justice, climate activism, and global health among other issues of our time – and feel lucky to impact those issues the best way I know how: through words and ideas that inspire action.

At Great Believer I help nonprofit and advocacy clients articulate their core messaging, bring website copy to life in vibrant and impactful ways, devise fundraising strategies that work, and implement effective communications across channels – online and off.

When not working, I love to practice yoga, score great thrift-store finds, and spend endless hours rough-housing and playing with my two toddler sons.

Michelle Kehne (she/her)

Born and raised along the West Coast, I gained my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Washington in Seattle. Later, I cut my design teeth at the University of Berkeley. I found my fire in crafting unique digital brand experiences, and designing websites that surprised and delighted users.

Having worked with non-profits early on in my career, I fell in love with the impact strategic design could have on mission-based organizations. Good design helped back these visionaries with the tools they needed, and I was happy to be their wing-woman.

In my free time, I can be found exploring my new home-state of Michigan with my partner and Corgi puppy, drinking a cup of quality joe, and vibing to good music.

Claire Wajda (she/her)

Born and raised in the beautiful Hudson Valley, I moved even farther upstate to attend college at SUNY Oswego. While there, I took far too many Lake Ontario sunset pictures and fell in love with design.

I’ve always been looking for an agency that connects my passion for branding and illustration with the opportunity to support impactful organizations – and I’m so glad to have found that at Great Believer.

When I’m not designing, you can find me in the great outdoors, listening to music or laughing with friends.

Chad Lamson (he/him)

Born and raised in Central Texas, my first venture into writing code was learning how to customize my Myspace profile. This created a curiosity in me about how to code, and in 2009 I launched a career working as a freelance web developer. During this time, I also worked for a nonprofit as a technical director.

I have an equal love for designing clean and modern websites, as well as writing lean and efficient code.

Joining the team at Great Believer was the perfect place to combine my love for building websites and working with mission-oriented clients. Outside of web development, I enjoy spending time with my wife (Stephanie) and our three adopted children (London, Jett, and Maeve), playing guitar, and golfing.

Anthony D’Aprile (he/him)

My love for all things computer related began at an early age when I started working on websites as a hobby. Using website building tools, I would attempt to impress family and friends with the things I built. I became determined to learn how websites worked behind the scenes. This led to a deep passion for all things code.

Fast-forward to 2011 when I began my professional web development career. In the years since, I leveled up my skills working on hundreds of websites for marketing agencies. I am excited to be a part of GB where I can apply everything I’ve learned in a more meaningful way for nonprofits.

In my free time, I create video games, play guitar and enjoy going on adventures with my partner Kristin and our dog Onnie.