Founders
Helen Shin Yi
Co-Founder and President
Helen Shin Yi, Co-Founder and President
Helen is a seasoned IT professional with experience in the telecommunications industry. She has held positions in product management, marketing, and sales management at various telecommunications companies, including Sprint, France Telecom (formerly Global One), Cox Communications and Tata Communications. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards for achievement and outstanding performance. Helen received a B.S. degree in International Business from the University of Maryland-College Park, and a Masters in Information Systems in Telecommunications at Johns Hopkins University. Influenced by her grandmother’s story of helping hundreds of orphans during the Korean War and inspired by her own daughter’s giving spirit, Helen left her career in telecom to fulfill her passion to inspire children. She launched Touching Heart, an award winning non-profit dedicated to helping children experience the joy of giving to those in need. Helen’s personal passion centers on helping children who are less fortunate, believing that everyone has a giving heart and can make a difference.
Taylor Yi
Co-Founder and Board Secretary
Taylor Yi, Co-Founder and Board Member
Taylor is a college student who is passionate about helping children in need. She works with kids to make a difference for people in need and has raised funds for many charitable causes. She enjoys tennis, reading, and playing the piano. Taylor is a student at Boston University. She is dedicated to serving others and enjoys volunteering and working with young children.
Touching Heart Team
Ken Harvey
Executive Director
Ken Harvey, Chief Development Officer
Ken Harvey played football in the NFL of 11 years, and before that he attended the University of California at Berkeley for college. His journey was not the normal path and he realized that too much is given, much is required. Ken learned through experience that while the heart may be in the right place there is a proper ways of doing things. His mission, like the title, is that he wants to help Touching Heart make a difference. ” If I die only being known as a football player, then I have not done all that God has given me the talents to do.”
Reneta Din
Program Director
Reneta Din, Program Director
Reneta brings a strong background in program and project management in the nonprofit sector and a genuine passion for making a positive impact in the world. In her current role at Touching Heart, Reneta oversees multiple programs and initiatives, advancing Touching Heart’s mission and expanding its impact, while fostering strong community partnerships. Beyond her role at Touching Heart, Reneta serves as a consultant for the esteemed Arab Studies Institute, where she leads the Knowledge Production Project—a pioneering digital humanities initiative. Reneta holds a master’s degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Outside of her professional roles, Reneta also dedicates her time as a Girl Scout troop leader, empowering young girls to believe in themselves and work towards making the world a better place. Reneta lives in the Northern Virginia area with her husband and two children.
Arjun Puri
Ambassador for International Programs
Arjun Puri, Ambassador for International Programs
Board of Directors
Kimmy Huggins
Board Chairwoman
Kimmy Huggins
Kimmy Huggins is a Northern Virginia native, and currently resides in Loudoun County with her husband and 3 daughters. She has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and has also worked in sales and marketing, real estate, events, and fundraising. She is the co-founder of The Women of Loudoun County group, and over the years has used this platform to bring together the community to help many different charities and organizations. Kimmy was very interested in becoming more involved with Touching Heart as it combines her biggest passions, which are giving back, and spending time with her family.
Dr. Marina Amat
Dr. Marina Amat
Marina is the founder and president of AMATEA. She completed her PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology from American University, Washington, D.C., in 2005. She focused much of her research on people who have experienced the trauma of social and cultural displacement and the life story narratives they produce. For dissertation research, she worked in the refugee industry in the post-9/11 Washington Metropolitan Area, identifying “refugee scripts” and “refugee narratives” as vital sites to investigating the meanings behind the refugee concept as conceived among self-identified refugees. She has presented her research domestically and internationally.
Terry Crews
Terry Crews
Terry Crews played six years in the NFL, with stints at the L.A. Rams, San Diego Chargers , Rhein Fire (NFL Europe-Germany), Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.
Terry is a talented writer and artist. While in the NFL, he used his artistic talent to create portraits of other players. In 1996, Crews co-wrote and co-produced the independent feature film, “Young Boys Incorporated” (1996).
Crews retired from the NFL in 1997 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows such as The Expendables, The Longest Yard, Everybody Hates Chris, The Family Crews and currently Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
A dedicated philanthropist, Terry prioritizes giving back to his community and to many charities. Terry has been married to his wife Rebecca since 1990, and the couple has five children and one grandchild.
Scott Wiater
Scott Wiater
Under Mr. Wiater’s leadership, Standard Solar has been named one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for four consecutive years according to Inc. magazine, significantly expanding its commercial footprint and reinforcing its leadership positioning as the solar partner of choice. Mr. Wiater has an extensive background in executive management, operations and supply chain management in startup companies as well as established corporations. Previous positions included Executive Vice President at Peak Technologies, a global systems integration company, and Director of Operations for Radio Frequency Identification at Motorola (Symbol Technologies). Mr. Wiater earned a Masters of Business Administration degree and a Bachelors of Science degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Susan Go
Susan Go
Susan Go is Director of Solution Engineering at Salesforce, the #1 customer relationship management (CRM) platform. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise software sales she helps government agencies innovate faster and transform mission delivery to better meet the demands of constituents with user-centered technology. She is also the Founder and President of Salesforce’s Asian American employee resource group hub for the DC Metro area. As President she drives initiatives on cultural awareness, philanthropy, professional development and allyship. Susan believes in a diverse and inclusive community and workforce and partners with other organizations to mentor, educate and drive lasting change.
Leah Wilkinson
Leah Wilkinson
Principal, Wilkinson + Associates
A veteran communications professional, Leah has a broad range of experience spanning nearly 25 years in public relations, social media, content, branding and marketing. As founder and principal of Wilkinson + Associates, she is the driving force behind W+A’s success in delivering award-winning results for clients in renewable energy and technology. Before co-founding W+A in 2003, Leah was a Vice President, Public Relations with TMP Worldwide, where she worked with various clients, including Corning Optical Fiber, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Corvis and more.
Leah received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications with honors from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is also an active member of the Solar Energy Industries Association PR Committee and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy.
An avid traveler and reader of all things, Leah is married with two children who keep her entertained and are constant reminders of how quickly life moves!
Advisory Board
Greg Adgate
Greg Adgate
Greg brings years of technology experience to his role as VP of Partnerships and Alliances at Equinix. In his role, he collaborates with leading technology companies to build joint go-to-market partnerships and global alliances that focus on simplifying complex solution deployments and cloud enabled solution bundles. Additionally, Greg provides unique industry thought leadership by leveraging his experience and routinely consults with industry leaders, end users and leading technologists.Greg has been married to Barbara, who is the foundation of his success and happy life, for 19 years and has three amazing kids, Anna, Jack, and Grace. The Adgate family is focused on charitable work and volunteer efforts.
Dr. Manju Bewtra
Dr. Manju Bewtra
Dr. Manju Bewtra is founder and CEO of Creative Computing Solutions Inc. (CCSi), a full-service business solutions company dedicated exclusively to the federal government with an enviable track record of customer satisfaction. Dr. Bewtra managed a robust professional career with a meaningful family life and contribution to her community. After the sale of CCSi, Dr. Naren Bewtra (her husband) and Manju started a Donor Advised Fund to enable them to continue their philanthropic desires. Manju considers her most cherished accomplishment to be her 49-years of marriage, two children, and five grandchildren. She was a finalist for Heroines in Technology Awards 2011 Corporate Category, honoring D.C. area women who balance roles in technology with significant commitments to community service.
Ryan Child
Ryan Child
Ryan is President of Neovera Inc. He is responsible for developing and executing the company’s long-term growth strategies, business development activities and defining Neovera as a premier hosting/managed services company. Ryan was appointed VP and principal in 2004. Prior to his work at Neovera, Ryan has held various Sales/Business Development positions with Veritas Software, Compuware Corporation and Edge Technologies. With almost 20 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. Ryan has spent most of career focused on sales/business development and alliances. Ryan has a B.S. from University of Maryland at College Park and an MBA from George Washington University.
Stacey Gimbert
Stacey Gimbert
Stacey is a marketing professional with over 20 years of experience with both for-profit and non-profit organizations. As Vice President of Direct Mail at America Online, she helped grow membership from 100,000 members in 1994 to over 27 million members in 2002. Stacey is passionate about using her business skills to help non-profit organizations grow. She also leads a Girl Scout troop, and served as the President of her local PTA for two years. Stacey was inspired by Touching Heart after her youngest daughter participated in a project to collect supplies for an orphanage in Kenya. Her daughter wrote a letter to the orphans there and they sent a picture back of a child from the orphanage holding up her daughter’s letter. This is just one example of how Touching Heart empowers children to make a difference in the world!
Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell is best known as a former cornerback with the Washington Redskins. During his record-setting 20 year career with the team he came to be known and lovingly referred to as “Mr. Redskin.” His on field accomplishments include two Super Bowl victories, seven selections to the Pro Bowl, and four NFL Fastest Man competitions. Darrell met his wife of 29 years, Jewell in Washington, DC. The couple have three children who are all successful in their own right. As an avid businessman, Green owns and operates several businesses including Darrell Green Enterprises, Darrell Green Holdings, LLC and WalkFitHealth. Green is also well known for his work off the field as a proponent of education, service and moral development, he founded The Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation (DGYLF) in 1988 and continues to oversee its operations.
Anna Jeong
Acting Treasurer
Anna Jeong
Anna is a Manager with Raffa’s managed accounting services department. She has over 18 years of public accounting experience. Anna joined the firm in 2003 and has served primarily the not-for-profit industry since then. Anna is responsible for multiple clients attending board and finance committee meetings, assisting in month-end closings, financial consolidation, financial analysis and reporting, audit and tax assistance, maintaining client’s internal control, managing cash flows, and identifying and re-engineering accounting functional areas to improve client’s financial output. She oversees several staff members in assisting with various clients work. Anna graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Elaine Keltz
Elaine Espinola Keltz
Elaine is a speaker, spokesperson, and on-air media personality. She holds the title of Mrs. DC America 2015 and continues to promote her platform: Empowerment for Women through Entrepreneurship, a topic she feels is equally important for children. Elaine is the host and co-producer of episodes of the Comcast Cable TV show I’m Every Woman and is also the national podcast host for the Better Business Bureau. A strong advocate in the fight against human trafficking, Elaine is also a volunteer and spokesperson for the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Initiative. With a professional background that includes eight years as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry, Elaine now serves as media spokesperson for various corporations and hosts on-air segments for DC Hot Spots, Jewelry Consumer News, Diversity and Inclusion TV and other various projects. Elaine is the Executive Director of Media SavvE, a company that helps small businesses enhance their branding and visibility through digital advertising. First and foremost, Elaine is wife, mother and strong community advocate.
Dave Ryan
Dave Ryan
Dave is the Executive Vice President & Americas Regional Head for Tata Communications, one of the major companies of the $100.9 billion Tata group. He manages Tata Communications’ regional operating strategy, business development initiatives and helps lead growth strategies for the Americas region. Dave has led Tata Communications’ regional growth since being hired as the first American employee in 2004. He has subsequently established the company’s significant presence in the U.S. market, and helped grow a customer base that includes large U.S.-based multinationals and global telecommunications carriers. Dave majored in Business Management and graduated with a B.B.A. degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1979. He is married with three sons and lives in Herndon, Virginia.
Pam Rothenberg
General Counsel
Pam Rothenberg, General Counsel
Pam Rothenberg is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP where she practices in the areas of commercial real estate, business and entrepreneurship. In her real estate practice, she routinely handles the acquisition, financing and development of commercial office buildings, multifamily properties and large scale mixed-use developments. In her business practice, she represents entrepreneurs at all stages of their businesses life cycles, from start-ups to high growth companies.
Pam is a change agent and founded her firm’s Impact Business Group, leading a team of more than 40 firm professionals who provide a complement of strategic and legal services at the cutting edge of the rapidly growing Impact Economy. Their mission is to “Power Commerce in the Impact Economy.” The firm’s Impact clients range from large legacy businesses (that are integrating ESG factors and Impact into their core business operations) to high-growth entrepreneurial ventures, all of whom are seeking to “grow their competitive advantage with Impact.” Pam is driven by the notion that enterprises of all kinds can harness the positive power of businesses to both generate revenue and solve endemic social problems. In 2015, the firm’s Impact Business Group was short listed for a Financial Times Innovation award and in June of 2018, the firm’s Impact Business Group was part of a team that won the inaugural Grunin Prize for Innovation from NYU Law.
Pam serves on a number of boards, including the Advisory Board for the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland and the Board of Directors for Shelters to Shutters, a non-profit organization that runs an innovative program providing mentorship for careers in multifamily property management, along with full-time employment and housing opportunities for individuals facing homelessness. She also serves on the Board of Governors for the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness.
Pam received her B.A. from Tufts University; summa cum laude, and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
Grant Host
Grant Host
Junior Board
Aadya Reddy
President
Aadya Reddy
I’m Aadya, and I’m so excited to be president this year! I first got introduced to Touching Heart through a summer camp in third grade, and over the years I wanted to do more and more. Being able to lead the Junior Board is an amazing experience and I can’t wait to plan upcoming events with the rest of this amazing team.
Mihir Kulshreshtha
Vice President
Mihir Kulshreshtha
I have been involved in Touching Heart since I was a second grader, and have loved being a part of such a tight-knit, supportive community. I am a junior in high school, and outside of Touching Heart I love to play basketball and learn more about technology. I truly cannot wait to help organize Touching Heart events this year and get to work with the rest of the Junior Board!”
Rishi Madduluri
Secretary
Rishi Madduluri
My name is Rishi and I’m a freshman attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology. I’m very passionate about science and aerospace but love sports as well. The most important thing that made me apply to join Touching Heart was the name itself and the mission of the organization. I believe that everyone has the means and power to contribute and give back to the community for the betterment of the world. I’m very humbled and excited to join the Junior Board of Touching Heart as the Secretary and help further the mission and vision forward.
Hannah Longfellow
Schools on a Mission Specialist
Hannah Longfellow
I am 16 years old and a Junior in High School. I have been a part of Touching Heart since 7th grade, when I joined the Touching Heart Club offered at my middle school. I enjoy digital art, dance, and robotics in my spare time. I am very excited to serve as the Schools on a Mission specialist, and can’t wait for the upcoming year!
Riya Kakkar
Kids on a Mission Specialist
Riya Kakkar
Pratheek Tangirala
Community Outreach Specialist
Pratheek Tangirala
Hello all! I’m Pratheek, a high school junior from Chantilly. I am honored to be a Community Outreach Specialist at Touching Heart. In school my favorite subject is social science, and I enjoy playing badminton in my free time. Other volunteering organizations I’m part of include Amnesty International, Red Cross, and Key Club.