Founder: Brianna Thomas (based in Philly)

Background: At Catchafire — the SBV industry leader — matching employees at companies like MassMutual, Paramount, and GSK with nonprofits. The result? Over $700K in pro-bono value created for organizations across the U.S. and Globally

Community Leadership:

Manager at Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service
Board Member for Bold Futures Academy, an incubator for students to design, prototype and pitch an entrepreneurial venture through human-centered design and mentorship.

Being an introverted founder taught me that the conventional networking playbook wasn't written for us and that’s okay. We’re designing better routes driven by community, not clout.

If you're a shy founder who struggles with visibility, I see you.

You care deeply about building a business that matters, one that creates real impact + real profit. What we’ve been told will grow that business? Posting daily on various platforms and hoping for at least one viral moment.

It feels like being stuck between a rock + a hard place. Visibility supports growth but your intentional nature makes the current standard feel like something you have to force.

Something that isn’t sustainable for you + surprisingly converts clients at less than 2.5% compared to direct referrals, at 10 - 30%.

Here's what I've learned: You don't have to become someone you're not to have the business you want. Over here, we don’t panic — we pivot.

Skills-based volunteering offers a different path, one that can be used as an additional layer to your current strategy. One that honors your depth + builds reputation through community contributions rather than performance.

Something powerful happens when you offer your professional expertise to nonprofits. Testimonials & Access to warm referrals, from organizations that can speak directly to what it's like to work with you.

Not just for followers or likes. For potential mentors + partners + angel investors in a nonprofit network that are value-aligned.

The results? Your inner confidence gets stronger. Your portfolio gains meaningful ambassadors. Your network experiences organic growth. Your visibility amplifies—in a way that feels safe and organic.

Nonprofits serving underrepresented communities receive less than 2% of institutional funding — the same range as venture capital for underrepresented founders.

When under-resourced entrepreneurs and organizations are inspired to support each other, it's a win-win.

That 2%? Shy founders live inside that statistic too. When visibility feels risky, you don't raise your hand. The business stays smaller than it should — not because the work isn't good enough, but because the room never knew you were there.

Here's what changes that: nonprofit networks house more potential mentors and partners than most entrepreneurs realize. Showing up there doesn't require you to perform or pitch — just to genuinely contribute to their mission.

The doors that can open? They open quietly, powerfully and because you earned it.

Building connections through community makes your business more resilient in a world where relationship-building is still an asset.

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