FINANCE MANAGER

Linda has 25+ years of experience in various accounting and finance roles, and has held leadership positions as Director of Finance and Accounting in Fortune 100 companies such as Fedex and Xerox. In 2015, Linda started her own consulting firm called T-Accounting Solutions (www.callmycfo.com). The firm helps small businesses with between $5M-$25M in revenue create strategic plans, budgets, financial reports and cash flow strategies and teaches best practices to existing on-site accounting staff. Linda is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from the University of Arizona as well as a Master of Science in Accounting degree from California State University, Sacramento.

Linda is an adjunct professor at the College of the Canyons in Valencia, CA and was drawn to Serving Up Hope for the emphasis and importance of teaching and education that the organization includes in all of its programs.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jack got involved in Serving Up Hope by helping his mother launch the San Francisco branch of the organization, and he saw the great work that Vania was doing and wanted to support the SUH mission in any way possible.

He grew up playing tournament tennis – leading his Cal Club team to win the Team Tennis U14 National Championship in 8th grade – but fell out of love with the sport in high school and pursued competitive golf instead. In middle school he was also a ball boy at the Tiburon Challenger, Bank of the West Classic, and the BNP Paribas Open with his sister.

Jack is currently a student at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California planning on a major in Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP). At school he plays on the club tennis team and is a sports broadcaster for the CMS men’s and women’s basketball, softball, and baseball teams.

PROGRAM IMPACT ASSESSMENT ADVISOR

Elena is a cognitive neuroscientist, interested in the design of interventions that are accessible to all the population, using technology as a way to improve cognitive, emotional and social skills of patients with ADHD, dementia, or mood disorders. She aims to help and support others in as many ways as possible to promote wellbeing (emotional and physical). Through sports, which she is passionate about, she hopes to make this goal more achievable by supporting local and international organizations with a focus on sport, psychology, and STEM education.

Elena is originally from Cordoba, Spain. Moved 6 years ago to the US, Boston, (MA), and currently living in the Sunshine State (FL). She started playing tennis at 8yo, and she is a certified tennis and snowboarding instructor.

DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

As a high school senior, Mia was the SUH Florida Outreach Coordinator. She coordinated donations of child-sized activewear and racquets, STEM games and educational material, and watches. She has also been helping with the program development and evaluation areas.  

 “I have been playing tennis since I was five. By training for tournaments, I developed a strong work ethic, discipline, and resilience. These qualities carried over to all aspects of my life. I am amazed at how quickly the children are progressing with their skills — both in tennis and in STEM!”

Mia also writes songs and has published them on streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube. She used the proceeds from the past year to purchase two laptops for Serving Up Hope. “I wanted to donate these laptops, because SUH’s STEM program is the first and only exposure to technology for all the children.” 

PROGRAM DATA MANAGER

Pamela is a Data Analyst and advocate for Community Psychology in Uganda with a background spanning over three years. Pamela has significantly contributed to impactful projects, working with institutions such as SafeBoda (boda’s are motorbike taxis, the most prolific form of transportation in Uganda) and SEMA. In her role at SafeBoda, Pamela actively creates and maintains metrics sheets, conducts training sessions, and provides invaluable insights through data analyses.

In her prior role as Research and Data Manager at SEMA, Pamela played a pivotal role in crafting and implementing effective institutional data management procedures. Her responsibilities ranged from overseeing databases to ensuring digital security and contributing to generating data-centered impact reports for public institutions in Uganda.

Beyond the technical, Pamela's blend of data analysis and commitment to community psychology is evident in her work with the Serving Up Hope team in Uganda to deliver holistic sessions around the children’s engagement in the programs and within their communities.

NATIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Anne got involved in Serving Up Hope two years ago when her daughter Caroline attended sessions hosted by Special Olympics and WTA Charities. Vania was on the session sharing about Serving Up Hope, and Anne & Caroline were inspired to collect equipment to donate. They are now involved in fundraising, events and program coordination. They helped set up multiple Chicago-based programs and are excited about continuing to grow Serving Up Hope around the world.

Tennis has always been a passion for Anne. She enjoys working with Vania, the USTA, WTA Charities and the tennis community to help grow the sport in underserved areas. Anne is involved in several organizations that support Caroline, who has autism and multiple medical issues, and people with disabilities.

Anne has worked as a human resources leader for 25 years. She has her MBA from Northwestern University (Kellogg) in marketing, nonprofit management and organizational behavior. Anne and Caroline started a business, Caroline’s Birdie Tweets (BirdieTweets.org), which sells birdseed wreaths and ornaments. Their mission is to provide an opportunity to build job related skills for Caroline and others with disabilities.

LOS ANGELES PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Though a native Texan, Mandi has called Los Angeles home for the last 13 years and currently works as a TV Music Executive for Apple TV+, covering International Scripted Series. Prior to joining the studio side, Mandi was an independent music supervisor for projects such as Nashville, Zola, The Newsroom, and Mozart in the Jungle, to name a few.

Outside of work, she is a certified yoga instructor, plays the alto saxophone in a community band, and spends way too much time playing and captaining USTA league tennis. Mandi can also be found watching Sooner football with her family and finding every opportunity to travel, eat great food, and hang out with her two cats, Panda and Lucille, and fluffy dog, Savannah.

Mandi joined the Serving Up Hope team in early 2021, lending a hand with the launch of the Los Angeles-area programs.

SAN FRANCISCO PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Laura is an active and passionate volunteer for several local non-profit organizations that focus on underserved children and families. She has held a variety of volunteer and leadership roles at her children’s schools and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Chapter of the National Charity League.

Born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, Laura graduated from Iona College with a BS in Accounting and later earned an MBA from Fordham University. She worked as an equity research analyst at CIBC World Markets Oppenheimer and a supervisory analyst for Robertson Stephens. Laura fell in love with San Francisco and has made the West Coast her home since 1999.

Laura started playing tennis with her girlfriends after witnessing the joy, camaraderie and life experiences it brought her children. She loves reading, cooking, playing cardio tennis and occasionally 9 holes of golf. Laura and her husband John live in Marin County and are proud parents of their three children, Jack, Anna and William.

FLORIDA PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Sandra was born in Madrid, Spain and has been living in the U.S. for 11 years. She started playing tennis at 4 years old and is currently training to be on the professional tennis tour. Playing and coaching tennis are two of her biggest passions. Through tennis, Sandra wants to help people any way she can and make the sport more accessible to those who can’t afford it. She runs a free tennis program for kids in her community. Working with Serving Up Hope “…gives me the opportunity to reach more people and pursue my passion for helping others.”