Leah Silen Email & Phone Number

I’m a senior nonprofit executive who guided the evolution of NumFOCUS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, from the idea phase to an organization providing support services to essential scientific software used by ~30 million users worldwide.𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:$𝟮𝟳𝗠 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: Spearheaded the delivery of over $27 million in project-restricted donations and grants, which have funded critical needs, including new feature development, maintenance and documentation, legal services, DEI initiatives, community management, and educational events for the open source projects in NumFOCUS’s portfolio. I have consistently delivered tangible fundraising results in a highly competitive landscape of corporate and institutional donors.𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴: The impactful programs I've launched include Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship, Diversity in Scientific Computing, Project Contributor and Diversification Research, PyData Events and Meetups, Small Development Grants, Corporate Engagement and Partnerships, Governance research and consulting, and Project Sustainability Summits.𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 & 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: Wrote and implemented the grant to launch the Diversity in Scientific Computing program and fund staff time to oversee the initiative. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 & 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁:My leadership philosophy centers on driving strategic business decisions that are immediate, transformative, and compassionate—creating high-impact results while establishing a collaborative and cohesive organizational culture. My experience spans business operations, strategic planning, nonprofit management, legal compliance, fiscal sponsorship, and resource development.I see leadership as a service and value opportunities to empower others to reach their fullest potential. As a natural community builder, I am excited to leverage my experience and knowledge as I explore new chapters and adventures.

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  Texas Tech University

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