Uma Rao has been in the nonprofit sector for 17 years. Her roles have been to organize communities, serve on boards, train, and to raise funds, mostly within and for women and communities of color. She currently serves as the first Development Manager for Ada Developers Academy. Before joining Ada's team, she was the Director of Development and Communications for TAF, overseeing strategy & execution to raise a budget of 3M+ and comprehensive marketing & communications. Prior to serving on Team TAF, she was a regional organizer at Pride Foundation, raising and moving funds (1.5M+) to LGBT communities and scholars in rural areas of Western Washington. She also served as the Program Director at Social Justice Fund NW, raising and moving funds (1M+) to grassroots social change organizations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. In addition, Uma spent several years as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and was the executive director of Chaya (now called APIChaya), supporting survivors in her own South Asian community. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Coalition Ending Gender Violence and is also on the board of a startup-nonprofit to support access to reproductive health, called SURGE. Uma is grateful for her mentors, peers, family and community. Some of her most favorite things to do include hikes with her dog and her partner, listening to great stories, and dancing to loud music in the mornings.