In today’s environment, impact leaders need trusted, experienced partners in their corner. To provide cut-through personalized support and deep value to the impact leaders we serve, NationSwell is thrilled to welcome six extraordinary leaders into our community as Strategic Advisors.

One of our aims at NationSwell is to fast-track our members to the most valuable and actionable insights, knowledge, best practices, relationships and thought-partnership that they need to accelerate their impact and lead at their best. These days, there is no time to waste. 

Our Strategic Advisors have been admired and effective practitioners. They have led the functions that our members lead, have sat in their seats and bring practical insights, perspective and approaches that will help our community members to navigate the current waters effectively, with principle and in service of impact work that is built to last. They will join NationSwell tables, provide 1:1 advisory sessions and contribute to the spirit of mutual support, connection and inspiration at the center of our community.

Most have been long-term members and dear friends. We are thrilled to welcome them now as Strategic Advisors. Get to know them below.

Dr. John Brothers

STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Areas of Expertise: Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Social Policy, Community Development

John Brothers most recently served as President of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and T. Rowe Price Charitable, overseeing $750M in assets. He founded and led Quidoo, an international consulting firm, for over a decade before merging it in 2015. At T. Rowe Price, he spearheaded initiatives like the Elevation Awards, DesignFest, and Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, establishing the firm as a leader in trust-based philanthropy and community partnerships.

Dr. Brothers has over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, with expertise in youth development, social services, and the arts. He has taught social policy and nonprofit management at NYU, Rutgers, and served as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard. He also holds honorary and visiting roles at Queens University Belfast and the China Global Philanthropy Institute.

A prolific writer and speaker, John has contributed to Stanford Social Innovation Review, Nonprofit Quarterly, and Huffington Post, and been featured in major media including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Inspired by his upbringing in poverty, he began his career as a community organizer and case manager, advancing to leadership roles that support vulnerable families across the U.S. and internationally.

Maggie Carter

STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Areas of Expertise: CSR, Health Equity, Impact Measurement, Tech for Good, Cause Marketing, Community Resilience

Maggie Carter is a senior advisor and consultant specializing in strategic planning, impact measurement, program development, and partnerships. She previously served as Director of Social Impact at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she led initiatives in health equity, disaster response, environmental equity, and tech education. 

During her tenure, she co-directed Project Sunflower, earning the Ukraine Peace Prize. Before AWS, Maggie was Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at UNICEF USA, overseeing corporate engagement, philanthropic grants, and cause-related marketing. She also served on the Steering Committee for UNICEF Innovation. Previously, as Deputy Director of the Shot@Life campaign at the United Nations Foundation (2011–2014), she co-created the award-winning “Get a Shot. Give a Shot.” campaign with Walgreens. Maggie began her career in social responsibility and community relations with the National Basketball Association and the Atlanta Braves. She is pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy at George Mason University and holds a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences from James Madison University.

Tom Key

EXPERT IN RESIDENCE
Areas of Expertise: Career Advisory, Talent Networking

Tom has built his career in executive search and career advisory, pioneering talent networking programs for top management consulting firms, now industry standards. Starting at Egon Zehnder, he founded Bain & Co.’s executive talent network and later replicated it at BCG. In 2022, he joined World 50 Group to expand career advisory services for executives.

Having coached around 1,000 executives, Tom expertly navigates executive and board-level searches across public and private sectors. An avid networker, he connects leaders to accelerate career transitions.

Tom is an adjunct professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, teaching courses on executive search and networking since 2004. In 2025, he began co-teaching entrepreneurship at Brandeis University and advises Emory’s Laney Graduate School on PhD career transitions. He has also spoken at HBS, Kellogg, and Wharton.

He holds a BA in Economics and Asian Studies from Denison University and an MBA from Emory. Tom lives in Atlanta with his wife, dogs, a retired horse, and their twin college-aged daughters.

Michael Kobori

STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Areas of Expertise: Sustainability Leadership, Human Rights, Sustainable Finance, ESG Regulations, Industry Collaboration.  

Michael Kobori is an independent Board Director at Bunge Global and recently retired as Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks, where he led environmental sustainability, social impact, and human rights. Previously, he was Vice President of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., helping establish the company as a leader in sustainable apparel. He has nearly a decade of experience at The Asia Foundation supporting human rights and economic development in Asia. Michael serves on the President’s Leadership Council of The Asia Foundation, the U.S.-Japan Council, and is Executive Producer of Utopia Theatre Project, a social justice theater company. 

Michael has taught corporate sustainability at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and served on numerous sustainability boards and advisory committees, including the Better Cotton Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy and undergraduate degrees in Asian Studies and Psychology from UC Berkeley and studied sustainable finance at Oxford University.

Rose Kirk

STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Areas of Expertise: Areas of Expertise: Go-to-market, Responsible Innovation, Impact Imperative, Career Development, Building Influence and Reputation

Rose Kirk is a C-level executive with more than 35 years of experience leading sales, marketing, customer service, go-to-market strategies, and responsible innovation. Beginning as an award-winning journalist, she rose to senior leadership at Verizon across Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing, earning a reputation as an innovator and trailblazer.

She serves on the board of Casella Waste Systems, contributing to its Compensation and Nominating and ESG committees, and has held leadership roles in global nonprofits. Passionate about history’s role in shaping the future, Rose is on the National Archives Foundation board and supports the arts through Texas Women for the Arts.

Rose holds a BS from Arkansas State University and is completing a master’s thesis at Washington University. Featured in outlets like Good Morning America, Forbes, and BBC, she is also executive producer of the documentary Without A Net: The Digital Divide in America.

AiLun Ku

STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Areas of Expertise: Leadership Development, Educational and Workforce Access, Systems Change Strategy, Community Building, Organizational Growth and Management

AiLun Ku is the Vice President of Community and Capacity at the EGF Accelerator, where she redesigns and leads leadership development programs, community-building efforts, and strategic grantmaking to strengthen the nonprofit sector.

Previously, AiLun was the President and CEO of The Opportunity Network, where she scaled programs reaching over 50,000 students annually and secured the largest unrestricted gift in the organization’s history. There, she led all aspects of the organization, including programming, evaluation, finance, operations, and national growth. 

She is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator, a Pahara Fellow, a Heckscher Leadership Fellow, and a dedicated educator and advisor. AiLun is passionate about access, leadership, and cultivating inclusive, high-impact communities.

Before OppNet, AiLun worked at NYU Wagner, the Equal Justice Initiative, and other social impact organizations. She holds an MPA and BA from NYU and is a 2019 MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow.

To learn more about our membership community, visit nationswell.com/membership