They counsel high schoolers, advocate for students with disabilities, and develop new donor strategies—and that’s only the beginning of what they do! Our Founders Fellows are fearless! This year marks the fifth cohort of talented young women who have joined Impact100 Philadelphia through the Founders Fellows program. Fellowships are available to women ages 25 – 35 who demonstrate a commitment to philanthropy and service.

Nia Daye, a first year Founders Fellow, is the Assistant Director of Philanthropy at Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia, Inc. She grew up in Bayonne and Jersey City (NJ), but relocated to Philadelphia five years ago. Though her work experience primarily reflects a corporate background within the industries of sports, consulting, and sales, she has over 10 years of volunteer and leadership experience that led her to pursue a formal, professional career in the nonprofit sector. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame in 2013, and hopes to continue her formal education in the coming years.

Ameera Sullivan graduated from Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts in 2011 with a degree in Psychology and received her Master’s Degree (dual certification) in School Counseling from Eastern University in 2014.  She also serves as a Director-At-large for the Temple University Young Alumni Board (TUYA) where she is responsible for organizing team building activities for board members. Ameera loves her job as the Head Counselor at her alma mater, Strawberry Mansion High School where she services all grades. She is a candidate for the License of Professional Counseling Certification and started her own nonprofit organization in 2015 called The Butterfly Project, which aims to service teenage students in Philadelphia, as well as sponsor a women’s support group called Caterpillars To Butterflies that operates in the summer months. She lives in Philadelphia with her two daughters.

Darlene Hemerka joins Nia and Ameera as a first year Fellow in 2018. She is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia. The law firm Greenberg Traurig sponsors Darlene’s fellowship. Darlene works to ensure that students ages 14-21 with disabilities are receiving appropriate transition services: activities designed to prepare the student for employment, further education, and independent living. Darlene graduated from The Pennsylvania State Dickinson School of Law in May of 2016. While in law school, she completed internships with both government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the United States Department of Justice and the World Institute on Disability (WID). Darlene now serves on WID’s Board of Directors.

Impact100 Philadelphia is pleased to welcome these women, Young Philanthropists, and new and returning members as we continue our work to change the face of philanthropy in our community.