Board of Directors
Ruth Borenstein
Ruth Borenstein is a litigation partner in the San Francisco office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. She is engaged in a complex civil litigation practice at both the trial and appellate levels in courts throughout the country. Ruth has served on the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco, which has honored her as a Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. Her pro bono work has included co-authoring an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the American Bar Association in Lawrence v. Texas (the case that struck down discriminatory sodomy laws) and an amicus brief asking the California Supreme Court not to nullify the marriages of same-sex couples who received marriage licenses in San Francisco. She was the primary author of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Model Domestic Partners Health Benefits Policy.
“GroundSpark produces powerful films that touch people on an emotional level and motivate them to promote social change. I am proud to support that work as a donor and as a board member.”
Donna Bransford
Donna Bransford, a consultant to foundations, donors and nonprofits, has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 14 years. She was most recently the Executive Director of Changemakers, a national public social change foundation, and has previously served as the Director of ACORN International, Director of Outreach at Tides Foundation, and Director of Development and Marketing at Project Open Hand. Donna has served on the Boards of several organizations, including the League of Young Voters, Bay Area Wilderness Training, and on the advisory board of Circle of Life. Donna received her B.A. from Wesleyan University. Donna is temporarily living in Seattle, but she and her partner look forward to returning to her home in Oakland soon.
“GroundSpark has taken on the unique role of creating thoughtful, powerful films, while also developing a broad base of community networks to ensure that these films will be seen by thousands of young people, families and educators. I am honored to support GroundSpark to continue this important work of creating positive change in our schools and communities.”
Jocelyn Burton
Jocelyn Burton is a partner in Burton Mousseau LLP, a law firm providing employment litigation and counseling services based in Oakland, California. Prior to forming Burton Mousseau, she was Chief Attorney for the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. In addition, Jocelyn was an Assistant United States Attorney for over 11 years, during which she served as both deputy chief and chief of the civil division. In addition to GroundSpark, she currently serves on the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees.
“GroundSpark produces wonderful films which promote diversity, inclusion and respect on all levels. I enthusiastically support its mission and hope to make a significant contribution as a board member.”
Stacey Hawver
Bio coming soon.
Riaz Karamali
Riaz A. Karamali is a partner in the Silicon Valley office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, a large California-based law firm. His areas of emphasis include business formation, venture capital finance, complex technology transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. Riaz earned his B.A. from Rice University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School. He is a frequent author and speaker on various aspects of business law, and is a member of several professional and civic organizations. Riaz lives in Palo Alto, California with his wife and two children.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the GroundSpark Board. With forces of division and intolerance unfortunately on the upswing in our society today, GroundSpark’s mission of promoting respect and understanding has become all the more important. In my opinion, the genius of GroundSpark’s filmmakers lies in their being able to produce films that move and touch both children and adults by spotlighting the common humanity and similarities we each have with each other, regardless of arbitrary divisions that are sometimes imposed by society.”
David Kundtz
David Kundtz has pursued several careers, including eighteen years in religious ministry and 20 years in the practice of psychotherapy as a family therapist. He is a public speaker on the topics of stress management and emotional health and a published writer with six non-fiction books, among them Stopping: How to Be Still When You Have to Keep Going, Nothing’s Wrong: A Man’s Guide to Managing His feelings, and most recently, Awakened Mind: One-Minute Wake Up Calls.. He holds a doctorate (S.Th.D) in pastoral psychology. Born in Cleveland, Ohio; schooled in Washington, Baltimore, and Berkeley, he lived and worked many years in Idaho, with a three-and-a-half-year period in Cali, Colombia. He currently lives with his partner Robert in Kensington, California and Vancouver, British Columbia.
“GroundSpark is a practical embodiment of a personal conviction that respect for diversity is the essential way to peace. GroundSpark also embodies my belief that to create positive change in people’s beliefs and practices, the vehicle for change must be emotionally-based. GroundSpark’s films, certainly well grounded in reason, are primarily emotional experiences. Thus they change human hearts. It is an honor to be part of it.”
Doug Paxton
Douglas E. Paxton, Ph.D., was the founding program director of the Presidio World College MBA in Sustainable Management. He has worked in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, starting as an operations research manager for a New York stock brokerage firm before attending Yale University’s School of Management for an MBA. Since that time, Doug has worked in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and as the executive director of Indochinese Housing Development Corporation. He was also director of people and organizational development at Business for Social Responsibility before joining Presidio World College. He has recently completed his Ph.D. in Transformative Learning; his dissertation research explored how white people can work together to better address racism in themselves and in organizations.
“Our nation is in a crisis of division and fear. It has never been more important to work for social justice and open hearts. I believe GroundSpark’s work is profound, effective and deeply needed in the world today. It is an honor to be associated with supporting such work in whatever manner I am able.”
Elissa Perry
Elissa Perry is the Web and Community Learning Director forhe Leadership Learning Community and previously served as Vice President of Educational Technology for the Different Ways of Knowing comprehensive school reform model. For 20 years she has worked in nonprofit and education sectors where she has developed an expertise in engaging technology and media production tools to cultivate youth and community development and to catalyze social justice movements.
“GroundSpark’s work has been changing my life in real ways since Deadly Deception (1991).
In the power of media and of people telling their own stories lives the potential for change. Serving on the board is an opportunity to bring my interests and experiences together with those of others actively engaged in making media to bring about a more sustainable, just and livable world.”
Eddie Rodriguez
Eddie Rodriguez, a California-licensed attorney, has spent the last 17 years as the Real Estate Development Specialist/Contract Administrator for Neighborhood Housing Services of America in Oakland. In this position, Eddie has served as liaison between affiliated nonprofits and local, state and federal agencies. He has also assisted nonprofits, resident organizations, and community groups in developing comprehensive affordable housing development plans. Prior to this position, Eddie worked for nearly 10 years as a Tax Advisor in San Francisco and Washington, DC. Eddie has served for the last 12 years on the board of directors of Conard House, a private nonprofit social service agency serving the mental health community of San Francisco.
“I have a commitment to public interest work, and see serving on the board of GroundSpark as an opportunity to educate my community and the public at large about the important issues GroundSpark addresses in the media it produces.”
Jo Ann Smith
Jo Ann Smith, a retired school superintendent, has more than 30 years experience in the California educational system. Her past positions include serving as Superintendent to Sequoia Union High School District, Redwood City and Grossmont Union High School District in La Mesa, acting as Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Berkeley and at Point Loma College in San Diego, and serving as principal, Vice Principal, Department Chair, counselor and teacher in various schools throughout California. Jo Ann has served on numerous committees and boards responsible for raising funds for public school activities, and has been the spokesperson on behalf of school districts on many occasions.
“I am impressed with the high quality production work of GroundSpark, but more impressed with its values and impact in the social efforts about which I care most: education, justice, respect and equality. It is an honor to associate with such an organization.”
Steve Vezeris
Bio coming soon.
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