Meet the Trailblazers of AFP Golden Gate #7 – November 2025

AFP Golden Gate Chapter
Trailblazers Column (November 2025)

With nearly a decade of experience helping nonprofits grow their revenue and strengthen operations, Marisa Melo brings calm, clarity, and structure to every project she touches. As founder of Elevar Strategies, she partners with small and mid-sized organizations to elevate their capacity, deepen donor relationships, and create sustainable revenue streams.

As a member of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network, Marisa blends big-picture strategy with hands-on execution—often serving as a fractional development leader during times of growth or transition. Her approach is grounded in empathy and practicality, ensuring that fundraising systems work for the people who run them.

“Fundraising can feel overwhelming, especially for smaller teams,” Marisa says. “My role is to make the process more manageable so organizations can focus on what matters most—the mission.”

When she’s not advising clients, Marisa enjoys family adventures with her spouse and child, exploring new podcasts, and dreaming of her next scuba dive.

For Stephanie Casenza, purpose and professionalism have always gone hand-in-hand. Over her distinguished career in both public relations and development, she’s helped organizations of all sizes—spanning from start-ups to those with 11,000 employees—communicate their mission and build lasting philanthropic partnerships.

Today, Stephanie serves as Nonprofit Thought Leader for St. Cloud Leadership, providing interim and transitional staffing support to nonprofits in flux. She guides teams through leadership changes, helps boards and hiring committees select the right candidate, and ensures continuity through onboarding and mentoring.

A two-time credentialed professional—holding both CFRE and APR certifications—Stephanie is known for bringing steadiness and focus during uncertain times. She has served on 16 nonprofit boards, is a past president of the Development Executives Roundtable, and earned her master’s in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.

Her advice to rising fundraisers? “Stay curious. The skills you learn in this field—listening, storytelling, empathy—will serve you everywhere.”

Gunther Korshak has dedicated his career to advancing philanthropy for social good, working at the intersection of environmental action, climate advocacy, and community engagement. In May 2025, he began a new role as Director of Development at Feel Good Action, an organization mobilizing values-aligned voters through digital media and civic participation.

Before this role, Gunther served as Grants Manager at Climate Advisors for two years, leading efforts to secure and steward funding for climate-focused initiatives in the U.S. and around the globe. He spent four years as Associate Director of Development at the Pacific Institute, helping to grow philanthropic partnerships for global water sustainability. Earlier in his career, he worked for five years as Senior Account Executive at Mal Warwick Donordigital, managing direct response fundraising campaigns for major national nonprofits, and over three years as Development Manager for the John Muir Land Trust, connecting local communities to land preservation and stewardship.

Originally from Vermont, Gunther brings a lifelong appreciation for nature and community connection to his work. “Fundraising is about more than dollars—it’s about movement building,” he says. “When people feel they belong to a cause, real transformation happens.”

With nearly a decade of experience in nonprofit development, Zachary Fernandez currently leads major gifts fundraising at Canal Alliance, a multi-service organization that champions the Latino immigrant community in Marin. He is committed to building strong partnerships to create a safer, healthier world where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. As a fundraiser, he is passionate about bringing more humanness into our sector:

“At the end of the day, we all want to be treated as fellow human beings. But too often, we (as fundraisers) fail to make people feel seen this way, for a variety of reasons. I strive to build authentic, values-aligned relationships with donors because I believe that having a strong foundation of trust and understanding compels people to act (and give) in the ways that you invite them to. This human-centered approach is the secret sauce of my fundraising, and something I hope to inspire more fundraisers to tap into.”