OUR TEAM
Gabriela Smith
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIR
Gabriela Smith is the founder and executive chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, one of only 2.3% Hispanic-led foundations in the country. In her role as executive chair, she is deeply involved in the work of the foundation, focusing on strategic planning, program design, and the development of philanthropic collaborations. An entrepreneurial philanthropist and investor, she has 25 years of experience designing and supporting programs in education, leadership development and capacity building. With drive and diplomacy, she has built innovative collaborations across sectors to advance equity in education, first-generation college student success, and the applications of mind, brain and education science to teaching and learning in the everyday classroom. She is one of the founders and original partners of both, the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, and the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center.
Gabriela is a founding investor of Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), a nonprofit investment fund built on the principles of venture capital investing, capacity building, and outcomes evaluation. Now in an honorary role, she served as an active member of VPP's Board for almost 20 years, providing guidance on philanthropic investments designed to build strong, effective organizations. Since its inception, VPP has raised and deployed over $110 Million strategically investing in education programs improving the lives of thousands of children and youth in the National Capital Region.
She has also served as a member of the Dean's Council of the Harvard Kennedy School, the Georgetown University Board of Regents, the Visitation Preparatory School Board, and the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center Advisory Council, organizations with which she continues to be engaged. Currently, she serves as a member of the Georgetown Scholarship Program Advisory Board, as a lay consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as president of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders Washington DC Chapter, and as a member of the Board of Directors of FADICA, the premier Catholic Philanthropy Network.
Her early professional background includes supervising health and education projects for the World Bank, as well as serving as a social worker for Catholic Charities in Los Angeles. Gabriela received a master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and both a master's degree in Latin American Studies and Economic Development, and a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a photography enthusiast and a dedicated researcher and writer of her family history. Her photography work can be seen online at
The Crimson Gallery. She is married and the mother of a son and two daughters.
Danielle M. Reyes
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Danielle M. Reyes is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. Since the foundation’s inception in 2015, she has led the strategic development and implementation of its operations and programs, and plays a lead advisory role in the work of Crimsonbridge Group and Crimsonbridge LLC. As an entrepreneur and long-time leader with 30 years of professional experience in education, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector, Danielle specializes in designing innovative philanthropic approaches and initiatives that integrate equity, technology, and communications to foster authentic community-based partnerships that drive change. She is a leader, strategist, and speaker who presents regularly on innovative and inclusive philanthropy, nonprofit capacity building, leadership and organizational development, and strategic communications. She has presented extensively at regional convenings throughout the Greater Washington region and at the annual conferences of the Council on Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Communications Network, and Grantmakers for Education.
Before joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, Danielle spent more than a decade at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. As a Senior Program Officer, she specialized in grantmaking related to economic security, law and justice, and nonprofit sector development; she also played a leadership role in developing the foundation’s social media strategy. Prior to that role, Danielle served as the Executive Director of the Latino Student Fund, where she helped increase access and information on educational opportunities to the DC metropolitan area’s Hispanic community. She was the first Western Region Team leader for Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit. In addition to leading education-focused nonprofit organizations, Danielle’s teaching experience includes several years as a public school teacher, university instructor, and U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.
In 2023, Danielle was named one of the Washington Business Journal Women Who Mean Business and received the Spur Local Barbara Harman Changemaker in Philanthropy award. She currently serves as a member of the DC Bar Foundation Board of Directors (and held the position of President), the co-chair of the Crestwood Citizens’ Association’s Green Team in Ward 4, and a volunteer in the Maryland Master Naturalist Program of Nature Forward. She has served on the Rock Creek Conservancy Board of Directors and on the national boards of the Taproot Foundation and Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, where she served as Board Chair. She also served as a commissioner of Serve DC – The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism. Danielle holds a master’s degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she co-chaired the Hispanic student society, Comunidad Latina; a master’s degree in Teaching from Manhattanville College, where she received the Alumni Valiant Educator Award; and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where the Multicultural Student Society recognized her for outstanding contributions to the Latino/a Community. When not working in philanthropy, Danielle is an avid outdoors enthusiast who is a passionate advocate of outdoor fitness and environmental conservation.
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Caitlin Furey Mayo
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER
Caitlin Furey Mayo is a Senior Program Officer at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this role, she drives program development and implementation for the Foundation’s Education Imperative, a unique collaboration of stakeholders focused on increasing student enrollment and Latino family engagement in Catholic education, including universities, nonprofits, the Archdiocese of Washington, and Catholic schools. Caitlin has presented nationally on this topic and serves as a resource for other regions interested in implementing similar programming. She also leads the Foundation’s English Language Initiatives program and co-leads the development and implementation of LeaderBridge, where she conducts outreach to local nonprofit leaders and engages leadership development providers. Caitlin manages the Foundation’s Bridges Program and expanded the portfolio to include Bridges for Schools and Bridges for Census. Her expertise includes nonprofit management, communications capacity building, Catholic education, and education programs serving immigrant communities.
Caitlin has spent her professional career in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, Caitlin developed a passion for youth empowerment and equity in education during her four years working at Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. As the Program Manager at Girls on the Run, Caitlin honed her relationship-building and program development skills working with hundreds of volunteers in schools throughout Montgomery County and expanding program delivery in Title I schools. Through her previous nonprofit experiences, as a fellow at an organization serving individuals who experience homelessness and as a mentor for an organization focused on college access, Caitlin learned how to engage diverse stakeholders and build community.
Caitlin serves as the President of the Young Professionals Board of Girls on the Run of Montgomery County. She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington’s Rising Leaders program and completed Leadership Greater Washington’s Anti-Racist Leadership Training in 2020. Caitlin received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame in 2012 and earned her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in 2021. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and prefers to spend her free time outdoors – running, hiking, cycling, and attempting to keep a garden alive!
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Robyn Attebury Ellis
PROGRAM OFFICER
Robyn Attebury Ellis is a Program Officer at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this role, she leads the Foundation's College Success Program, which includes partnerships with local and national nonprofits, community colleges and universities, and philanthropy peers. Robyn manages grantmaking, communications, and engagement with a strategic focus on college student success and has co-led a multi-year collaboration with local nonprofit and funder partners. She also leads the Foundation's grantmaking dedicated to Women and Girls Leadership and Civic Engagement and co-leads the LeaderBridge initiative, where she conducts outreach to local nonprofit leaders and manages partnerships with leadership development providers.
Robyn contributes over 16 years of experience in education to the Foundation and skills in community outreach and program development focused on persistence, college completion, and well-being. As former Director of College Success Programming at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, she established partnerships with 45 DC public and public charter schools and adult education programs and worked with students, faculty, support staff, and community partners to build inclusive practices and improve student success. Her teaching experience includes teaching 9th-12th grade English in public schools, a charter school, and a residential treatment center, and first-year seminar courses at the community college level.
Robyn has presented nationally on dual enrollment, retention initiatives, high-impact ways to invest in college success, and nonprofit leadership development, and she serves as a co-chair for the Postsecondary Access and Attainment (PSA2) Impact Group, a part of Grantmakers for Education, where she also served on the 2022 Conference Planning Committee. Robyn holds a master's degree in Comparative Education from the Institute of Education at the University of London in England and received a bachelor's degree in English alongside earning a UTeach certification at the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Rockville, Maryland with her partner and their two children.
Santiago Alurralde
IT PROJECT MANAGER
Santiago Alurralde is the Technology Project Manager at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this role, he supports the online strategy and presence. Working closely with the program team, he supports the design and development of Crimsonbridge’s digital content and campaign development across multiple websites and platforms. As a technologist and project manager, Santiago brings a wealth of experience in the software industry. He has a strong background in leading enterprise software and mobile app development, having worked on successful projects for companies and volunteering for non-profit organizations.
Santiago is a self-motivated and proactive team player who is always looking for ways to improve processes and drive results. He is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems and help organizations succeed.
Sarah Babins
SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Sarah Babins has spent her 16-year career in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, she served as a fund development professional raising funds for senior residents to stay in their homes at Covenant Living of the Great Lakes and Clark Retirement Community. She also worked with alumni and friends at New Mexico State University to create scholarships and other educational opportunities for first-generation college students. In this role, she raised the largest gift for one of the colleges serving nursing and social work students. Sarah loves helping others while making meaningful connections.
Sarah spent time as a program officer for a nonprofit grantmaker in California, a youth program manager for a community foundation in Michigan, and an AmeriCorps VISTA for a youth serving organization in Detroit. She is passionate about giving young people opportunities for growth through education.
Sarah is an active member with the Junior League of Northern Virginia, and also holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.
Sarah has a master's degree in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and received her bachelor's degree in Political Science and French at Albion College. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her partner and child.
Caitlin Banez
PROGRAM ASSOCIATE
Caitlin Banez is a Program Associate at the Crimsonbridge Foundation. In this capacity, she supports the continued growth and national expansion of the Bridges for Schools and Education Imperative programs. Prior to joining the Crimsonbridge Foundation, she gained experience working in graduate admissions, primary and secondary education, as well as opportunities in the legal, nonprofit, and public sectors. As a Montgomery County native, her world language skills have led to her work with members of Maryland’s Hispanic and francophone West African communities, leveraging her expertise in cross-cultural communications. Her admiration for education began at home. Inspired by her immigrant parents, who came to this country to attend university, Caitlin’s investment in the power of education stems from witnessing how education serves as a tool that paves new avenues, empowering an individual to take ownership of their trajectory. Since then, she has worked locally with students as a teacher and mentor, and beyond, having advocated for youth education programs and initiatives at the United Nations in New York City.
Caitlin received her bachelor’s of arts degree in 2018 from the University of Maryland, College Park where she studied French and Spanish languages, literatures, and cultures. She subsequently earned her master’s of science in cybersecurity law from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2023. Outside of work, she sings as a choir member at her parish in the Archdiocese of Washington. She also enjoys baking and admiring the flowers and birds on nature walks through botanical gardens.
Emily Fairbanks
PHILANTHROPY FELLOW
Emily Fairbanks is a rising senior at the Catholic University of America, studying Theology and Secondary Education. Throughout her college career, she has been involved in organizations that promote the importance of education such as DC Reads, a tutoring program that connects college students with local urban schools to help kids with one-on-one learning. In addition, Emily is passionate about her faith and the transformative power of Catholic Education, having worked in Catholic schools and summer camps. After graduation, she hopes to be a Catholic School teacher, so she is looking forward to interacting with the administrative side of education. She is excited to be a Philanthropy Fellow at The Crimsonbridge Foundation to help advocate for the mission pillars to impact lives in diverse communities. Emily enjoys cooking for her large family, spending time with her nieces and nephews, playing pickleball and singing in her church choir.
