BOARD MEMBERS
Maria Kelly
A journalist by training, Maria Kelly works with tech startups and nonprofit organizations to shape narratives, create strategic content, and build brands. Maria started her career as a human rights advocate at the United Nations — an experience that shaped her worldview and commitment to social justice and economic development. She is based in San Francisco, and serves on the board of Yerba Buena Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the Yerba Buena neighborhood.
Lauren Morgan
Lauren Morgan has committed her career to nonprofits and is currently working in Program Operations at the Energy Foundations. Lauren is passionate about scaling up nonprofits through excellence in operations and fundraising. Before working at the Energy Foundation, Lauren previously served as the Member and Donor Partnerships OEicer at GRID Alternatives, managing fundraising campaigns for the organization and helping to build its donor base. Prior to that, she was managing Youth Programs at Planet Granite, a center for climbing, yoga, and fitness. While there, she implemented a nonprofit program for the gym, providing free classes, passes, and financial awards to local nonprofits working with youth. She has served as a member of Americorps, and developed a community garden program in the Boston Public School District. Lauren has degrees in Religious Studies and Environmental Studies from Brown University. In addition to spending time with her family, in her free time Lauren serves on the board of the Mothers' Milk Bank, and prior to that served as Chair of Fundraising and Communications on the board of the Amahoro Children & Community Team.
OUR TEAM
Adama Bryant - Executive director
Adama Bryant's twenty-plus year career has spanned both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors involving local, international, remote, and virtual settings. Her early career included administrative and human resources work for an award-winning landscape company. Her devotion to public service led her to work with several environmental agencies, where she was responsible for human resources, operations, and program and project management.
Ms. Bryant's passion for creating opportunities and access for at-risk youth populations is why she founded Weekend-Adventures (W-A) in March 2018. W-A provides children in at-risk communities with experiential and educational adventures in the arts, science, and the outdoors, all designed to develop a life-long love of learning and new experiences. W-A is a fiscally-sponsored program of the San Francisco Study Center and serves children in grades 3 -12. There is no cost to the children or their families to participate.
W-A's year-round experiential weekend trips are designed to show children that they belong in safe, fun spaces, free from stress, adversity, violence, and drugs. Weekend adventures is the possibility of every child, knowing that they are loved, safe and have access to an unimaginable life. W-A serves children in San Francisco who live in neighborhoods that are under stress and lacking in resources. W-A creates opportunities for children to explore what is possible and empowers them to create a life of their own choosing.
Ms. Bryant is a life-long San Franciscan and the mother of three. She holds a B.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from California State University, East Bay and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco. Her additional professional training includes eCornell certification in diversity and inclusion and coursework with Landmark Worldwide.
As an activist in the community, she served on the board of directors of the Tenderloin Community Business District (TLCBD), is a community expert for the Presidio Trust and has been a program speaker for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association.