GreenLight Announces Philadelphia Executive Director

Felicia Rinier joins organization to lead next phase of work in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA – July 20, 2021 – GreenLight Fund welcomes Felicia Rinier as the new GreenLight Philadelphia Executive Director. She joins GreenLight with over a decade of experience leading and expanding grass-roots community engagement efforts across the Philadelphia metro area and is passionate about bringing lasting impact and equitable change. As executive director, Rinier will provide on-the-ground support to GreenLight’s existing portfolio organizations as well as lead the community-driven process to bring the next set of social innovations to Philadelphia.

“Felicia brings a commitment to including community voice and extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, two capabilities critical to GreenLight’s work,” said Katherina ‘Kat’ Rosqueta, Founding Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, GreenLight Fund Board member and GreenLight ED Search Committee member. “I’m thrilled that Felicia will be leading GreenLight’s next phase of work here, tackling some of our community’s toughest challenges with programs that deliver results. I look forward to working with her.”

Before joining GreenLight Philadelphia, Rinier served as the Director of the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity (P-CHE) at Thomas Jefferson University/Jefferson Health. In this role, she led the daily operations of P-CHE and worked across the Jefferson enterprise to implement the Collaborative’s strategic vision. The partnerships she was able to build with dozens of community-based organizations and residents helped to launch three multi-million-dollar projects in Philadelphia aimed at reducing health disparities. Prior to P-CHE, Rinier held a range of nonprofit leadership positions at prominent Philadelphia based organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, where she was the officer of community engagement, and Reinvestment Fund where she was the special assistant to the CEO and then a research analyst for the institution.

“I am eager to work alongside and learn from community partners as we identify pressing social needs and diligently strive to find equitable solutions,” said Rinier. “With gratitude for the GreenLight Fund III investors making this next phase of work possible, I look forward to leading GreenLight in our city and remain encouraged by the beauty and generosity of spirit I see flow through Philadelphia every day.”

GreenLight Philadelphia will continue to partner with the local community to identify systemic barriers to economic mobility and invest in proven models and local partnerships to help break down those barriers and address deep-rooted racial disparities, creating opportunities for children and families to thrive. As executive director, Rinier will partner with the Selection Advisory Council, an inclusive, cross-sector group of community leaders, along with residents with lived experiences to vet and select an evidenced-based program with measurable results to bring to Philadelphia.

GreenLight Fund’s CEO and Co-founder Margaret Hall remarked, “We are delighted to have Felicia on board. Her experience building trusted relationships with community residents and organization leaders along with her passion for Philadelphia will make her an outstanding executive director in this community-driven work. We look forward to her leading the work in Philadelphia as we continue to center equity and partner with the community to address long-standing and deep-rooted inequities.”

GreenLight Fund launched in Philadelphia in 2013 and has supported the replication of five organizations into Philadelphia to effectively address community-identified unmet needs. Rinier will provide ongoing program management support to those local organizations: Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), improving outcomes for returning citizens and lowering recidivism rates; Compass Working Capital, utilizing coaching and resources from the federal Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program to help families build wealth; ParentChild+, improving early literacy and school readiness by engaging parents alongside their two and three year-old children; Single Stop, increasing college persistence by providing access to benefits and services; and Year Up, helping young adults gain the skills, experiences and support to close the opportunity divide.

Malkia Singleton Ofori-Agyekum, ParentChild+ Pennsylvania State Director and GreenLight ED Search Committee member added, “GreenLight’s support of ParentChild+ has been invaluable since it became a portfolio organization in 2016. As ParentChild+ continues to expand our footprint in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, as well as navigate the new normal that we are all anticipating, I look forward to working with Felicia. Her deep experience and local roots are sure to enhance our work together as she leads GreenLight Philadelphia.”

GreenLight Philadelphia Fund III supporters fueling this next phase of work include: Bank of America, Barra Foundation, Burke Family Foundation, Firstrust Bank, Hamilton Family Foundation, Hess Foundation, Kopelman Foundation, Brook Lenfest Foundation, Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Foundation, MKM Foundation, Santander, John and Sue Simon, Marc and Leah Singer, TD Charitable Foundation, Terrace Fund, Carolyn and Robert Turner, Vanguard Group Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation. Additional corporate sponsors include: Amgen Foundation, Comcast, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU), FS Investments, JPMorgan Private Bank, Kynetic, Morgan Lewis, NewSpring Capital, Osage Partners, and Philadelphia Alliance of Capital and Technologies (PACT).