Penny Austen is co-founder and Executive Director of ThinkGive. A native Canadian, Penny holds a deep belief that she has been the most fundamentally impacted by a handful of kind and compassionate people. She is passionate about elevating the importance of kindness and empowering young people to discover their capacity to affect change through the strong (not soft) skills of kindness and compassion. Skills that can help the world reconnect and heal.

Penny spent two decades working in technology and nonprofit management, then co-founded ThinkGive as a platform to shine the light on character. She received her bachelor’s degree from McGill University and her MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. She lives in Concord, MA, with her husband, three children, and three dogs. When she’s not working, you can find her watching her kids play sports, climbing a mountain, or struggling to stick to meditation practice.

Susan joined the Board of ThinkGive in keeping with a consistent narrative around meeting people where they are, seeking to deeply understand them, and supporting growth and change in order to help them reach their full potential. She became interested in ThinkGive when her fifth grade daughter jubilantly shared her experience with the program. The joy and simplicity of building relationships through kindness resonated with Susan, spurring her hope that the ThinkGive program could reduce anxiety, create feelings of belonging and connection, and improve the learning experience in the underfunded district where she worked as a tutor.

Susan is currently completing an MSW and School Adjustment Counseling license. Connecting the dots backward, ThinkGive fits in perfectly with her experiences in education – teaching at independent schools, urban public schools, an international school, as well as counseling college students about their career trajectories. Most recently, she interned on the inpatient behavioral unit at a local hospital, increasing her understanding of mental health and its powerful relationship to early experience. When she’s not researching, writing, and gaining experience in social work, you can find Susan on the trails with an enthusiastic husky, throwing clay on a potter’s wheel, cooking with her husband, or happily watching her two teens play basketball, music, or anything that they love.

Amy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied at Loyola University in Baltimore where she received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology. Post college, Amy moved to Boston with the plan of being there for a year. Twenty plus years later, she has made a suburb of Boston her home. Amy has worked in the education or mental health field for the past 20 years. She returned to school at the University of Massachusetts, Boston to earn her degree in School Psychology. She currently works as a school psychologist for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District.

Amy’s commitment to the social and emotional wellness of children attracted her to the board of directors at ThinkGive. She believes children have the power to change their world and make it a better place. She values a child’s intrinsic desire to connect to those in their world. Amy lives in Concord, MA with her husband and two sons. Amy enjoys traveling, discovering new beaches, skiing with her family, and connecting with family and friends.

Adam comes from a professional background in pedagogy and non-profit management. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he knows the value of educating young minds to imagine a better tomorrow. Adam worked as a languages teacher for several years in Germany, mostly helping migrants and refugees adapt to a new culture, before attaining his Public Policy Masters and working for several small non-profits there and in the U.S. The thread going through his career is his passion for countering otherization across society and cultures. ThinkGive’s mission of fostering empathy and compassion in youth locally and internationally therefore holds great appeal for him.

Adam supports ThinkGive as a volunteer board member, and he is excited to be joining at a time when the organization is about to move into a new phase of growth and development. An avid hiker and cyclist, the great outdoors is Adam’s happy place. He made the move over the pond to support his wife in her studies at Harvard, and greatly enjoys their new life together in Cambridge, MA.

Jennifer brings over 20 years of marketing, fundraising, and community relations experience to the ThinkGive Board of Directors. A born and raised New Yorker, Jennifer currently lives in Concord, MA, since 2003 with her husband and two teenage children after working in a variety of communications positions across the country (El Paso, San Francisco, and Boston).

Jennifer is passionate about the power of developing social-emotional skills in youth as these skills are paramount to student achievement in school and beyond. ThinkGive combines an engaging curriculum with user-friendly technology so that youth can set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

When not working at the community food pantry coordinating food drives, you can find Jennifer on a tennis court, ski slope, or walking her dogs.

Desha spent her childhood in Trinidad and Tobago before relocating to Washington, DC to further her education. A proud graduate of Howard University, she earned her BBA in Marketing before dedicating the next 14 years to raising her young family in England.

The doctrine that “it takes a village” has always shaped Desha’s perspective on the value of community. Growing up in a diverse, multicultural society fostered a greater appreciation of varying cultures, the stories they tell, their differences and, above all, their similarities. In a complex world where kindness and compassion are often overlooked, she was encouraged and motivated by the simplicity of ThinkGive’s mission, and embraced the opportunity to have a meaningful impact through helping to grow the organization and spread the program.

The historic town of Concord, MA has been home to Desha, her husband, and their five children since 2009. As a successful Realtor, her background in marketing, and her understanding of the challenges families face through relocation has been instrumental to her career. She’s passionate about her family and community, enjoys traveling, and takes every opportunity to support her children from the sidelines at their sporting and dance events.

Christine has been an officer in the Development Office at Emerson Hospital for the past five years, where she has been involved with prospect and donor cultivation and stewardship, corporate relations and sponsorships, grant writing, event management, and volunteer management. She began her non-profit work as Associate Director of the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, an agency that supports a broad range of human services organizations which advance the well-being of Concord and Carlisle residents.

Earlier in her career, Christine spent many years in the Financial Services industry. She earned her undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Virginia. Christine has volunteered with The Concord Public Schools, Nashoba Brooks School, Fenn School, National Charity League, Holy Family Parish, and Nashawtuc Country Club. She lives in Concord, MA with her family.

Dennis joined the board of directors at ThinkGive because he is passionate about helping teachers create a more supportive and caring learning environment to benefit all students emotionally and academically. Through his experience in school counseling and special education, he has seen how social emotional learning programs are an integral part to the success of a classroom and school. Dennis supports ThinkGive as the Program Committee Chair and the Treasurer. He is really excited to be part of ThinkGive at this time as it moves into the growth phase of the organization’s development.

Dennis graduated from Bryant College and received his MSW and MBA from Boston College. He lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, two teenagers, and Golden Retriever. In his free time, he enjoys playing pick-up basketball, having movie nights with his family, coaching high school girl’s basketball, and cheering on his daughter’s sports teams.

Kimone (she/her) is invested in creating equitable and enriching educational opportunities for students. Currently she serves as the Director of Auxiliary Programs at Inly School and has worked in independent schools for the past six years. Kimone started at ThinkGive as a part-time Business Development Associate before joining the board of directors. She brings experience leading diversity, equity, and belonging projects, and a passion for building relationships and improving the lives of students.

Kimone grew up in Jamaica before moving to the United States to further her education. She credits her island upbringing and elementary school teachers, particularly her third-grade teacher, for her entry into the field of education. Kimone earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Denison University and currently calls Boston home. She is an avid runner and reader who loves spending time in nature.