The Art of Volunteering

Please welcome Leonard Rivera to the program! Leonard is a sole practitioner trial attorney with 35 years of experience representing people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives — whether they’re facing criminal charges, fighting for custody of their children, or going through a divorce. He's taken on major corporations like Walmart and Chick-fil-A when his clients were injured and needed someone willing to stand up for them. In court, Leonard advocates for individuals who are often overlooked or overwhelmed by the legal system, making sure they’re treated with dignity, their rights are protected, and their voices are heard. His work is about turning fear and uncertainty into clarity, strength, and justice.
Leonard currently serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania Commission for Fairness and Justice, where he works to advance equity and integrity within our legal system. He is also a founding member of the Chester County Latino Luncheon and Scholarship Organization, helping create pathways to higher education and professional opportunity for Latino students. His past leadership includes serving as President of the Longwood Rotary, supporting pro bono initiatives through the Chester County Bar Association’s Access to Justice program, and mentoring students through Wilmington University School of Law, The Garage Youth Mentoring Program, and West Chester University. Across each role, his focus has been on expanding access, empowering young people, and strengthening our community through service.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Pennsylvania Commission for Fairness & Justice - https://www.pa-interbranchcommission.com

Leonard Rivera Law's Website - https://www.leonardriveralaw.com
Leonard Rivera's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonard-j-rivera-a27bb07

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Today we are joined by Hemang Desai! Hemang is the Co-founder and Treasurer of Ray of Hope International Foundation and the Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for SAP SE.
At work, Hemang leads CSR for SAP globally, and they enable various forms of employee volunteering worldwide. Last year, they logged over 110K hours of volunteering, which includes traditional, skills-based and pro bono volunteering. They love to embed volunteer leadership as a key learning and development mechanism for our employees - both in terms of leadership growth from being a volunteer leader, as well as from a skills development standpoint through our pro bono consulting and skills-based volunteering offerings.
Outside of work, Hemang is the co-founder of my nonprofit, Ray of Hope International Foundation, which is a primarily volunteer-driven organization. They run various fundraisers throughout the year and look to engage our community, including youth in our mission. These opportunities can be everything from helping at our events, to managing our social media, to coming up with new fundraiser ideas and leading them from start to finish.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

SAP Social Sabbatical - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6goZ_9AlkDw
How Organizations Measure the Real Impact of Social Enterprise Programs - https://www.60decibels.com/insights/how-organizations-measure-the-real-impact-of-social-enterprise-programs

Ray of Hope International Foundation's Website - https://www.letsgivehope.org
Ray of Hope International Foundation's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rayofhopeintl
Ray of Hope International Foundation's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rayofhopecharity
Ray of Hope International Foundation's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ray-of-hope-international-foundation
Hemang Desai's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemang-desai-ba21194

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Joining us on this episode is Julia Kasper founder of Girls Spark, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering teen girls through leadership, connection, service, and meaningful conversations around the issues impacting their lives. Julia founded Girls Spark while still in high school and has remained involved in the organization’s growth, annual Summit, special projects, and strategic direction. With a background in public relations, marketing, communications, and program development, Julia now serves as Program Manager for Leadership Stark County, where she leads the Youth Leadership Academy and helps create leadership experiences for people across Stark County, Ohio. Her work is centered on helping young people find their voice, build confidence, connect with their communities, and see themselves as leaders.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Girls Spark's Website - https://www.girlsspark.org
Girls Spark's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AllGirlsSpark
Girls Spark's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girls.spark
Girls Spark's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/girls-spark
Julia Kasper's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rose-kasper

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Joining us today is Erin Berard! Erin is from Haverhill, MA, and is attending Lasell University for her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She is currently in her third year at Lasell and has been a part of Empty Bowls for all three years. In her time, she has held the roles of treasurer, vice president, and now president on the club's executive board. Erin's volunteering centers on the work she does to fight food insecurity. The Empty Bowls Club raises money for Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton, MA. She started a sponsorship program in the Fall 2025 semester, which has allowed the club to raise greater amounts faster. Erin is working to find new and creative ways to raise more money through the Empty Bowls Club to benefit the Centre Street Food Pantry and the greater Newton area!

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Lasell University Empty Bowls Club's website - https://laserinvolvement.lasell.edu/organization/lasell-college-empty-bowls-club
Lasell University Empty Bowls Club's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lasellemptybowls1
Lasell University Empty Bowls Club's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lasellemptybowls
Erin Berard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-berard-3272a12b2

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Please join us in welcoming Angela Williamson back to the podcast! Angela is a consultant and has 20 years experience as a volunteer engagement leader. Her volunteering journey began early in life picking up trash at the state fair in order to earn concert tickets along with numerous other volunteer roles.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Today we welcome Houston Goodwin to the conversation. Houston is the CEO of Better Impact, a volunteer management platform serving organizations that engage volunteers worldwide. He has spent his career operating software companies that make an impact in local communities. Outside of working with nonprofits with Better Impact, Houston is involved with several organizations locally in Winston Salem, North Carolina where he lives with his wife and son.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Six ways people show up to serve. Which one is yours? - https://www.myimpactstyle.com
Better Impact's Website - https://www.betterimpact.com
Better Impact's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/better-impact-inc-
Houston Goodwin's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/houstongoodwin

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Joining the conversation is Faiza Venzant, CVA. Faiza is the Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration.
With over 25 years of leadership experience in volunteer engagement, she continues this work with a goal of centering community amongst the profession, improving equity and access to volunteerism and increasing diversity amongst professional leaders of volunteers. Faiza's work has been recognized with multiple awards for outstanding achievement and innovation in volunteer leadership most recently being awarded a Gold Anthem Award for her work on the Is Everything Welcome? toolkit. In 2018, Faiza published her first children’s book entitled, My Mamma Wants to Eat Me Up! As a mother of two young boys, she has not actually eaten any of her children.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Is Everyone Welcome? Toolkit - https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/is-everyone-welcome-toolkit
Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration's Website - https://www.cvacert.org
Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cvacert
Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cvacert
Faiza Venzant's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizavenzant

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Today we are joined by Dr. Eric Zillmer the Carl R. Pacifico Professor of Neuropsychology at Drexel University and Director of The Happiness Lab, a think tank that studies the psychological science behind happiness and well-being. Eric and his students investigate what contributes to joy in daily life. Through teaching, research, and public engagement, Dr. Zillmer uses evidence-based positive psychology to help individuals and communities understand and cultivate conditions that support a fulfilling life.

Additionally, Eric serves as President of the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society, a nonprofit that organizes classical music events and music education in Philadelphia. He is on the board of US Squash, a national nonprofit governing body for the sport of squash in the United States. Dr. Zillmer also serves as a board member of the German Society of Pennsylvania, the nation’s oldest German-American cultural nonprofit based in Philadelphia. He has been involved in the Society’s Stiftungsfest celebration and leadership activities, including participating in committees that help advance its cultural and community programs.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Engineering Happiness into our Daily Lives - https://whyy.org/episodes/engineering-happiness-into-our-daily-lives
Turn Happy Places and Memories into a Happy New Year - https://www.drexel.edu/news/archive/2025/December/turn-happy-places-and-memories-into-a-happy-new-year
Dr. Eric Zillmer's Drexel University - https://drexel.edu/coas/faculty-research/faculty-directory/psychology/zillmer-eric
Dr. Eric Zillmer's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-zillmer-364ab543/
Dr. Eric Zillmer's X - https://www.x.com/GoDragonsAD
Dr. Eric Zillmer's website - https://www.ericzillmer.com

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

Joining our conversation today is Dan O'Brien, Director of Philanthropy and Impact at Bentley Systems. Dan has spent the past twenty-five years working across corporate, government and non-profit sectors, both domestically and internationally, specializing in building coalitions, finding solutions to challenges, and removing obstacles. His last two decades have been highlighted by managing a youth center in the Middle East at the height of the Iraq War as a Peace Corps volunteer, resettling and building communities for refugees and survivors of torture and trauma, building capacity in neighborhoods with high gun violence and ensuring food access in Kensington during the Covid pandemic. In his current role, Dan manages philanthropy and volunteering efforts for Bentley Systems focusing on four mission driven efforts: STEM programming, infrastructure, natural disaster relief, and community.
As a frequent volunteer, combined with experience creating and managing volunteer projects (with the City of Philadelphia and now with Bentley Systems), to making it his full-time job for more than two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, Dan has participated and celebrated all aspects of the volunteer cycle.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Bentley Systems' website - https://www.bentley.com
CreateAccess' website - https://createaccess.org
New Leash on Life's website - https://www.newleashonlife.org
Dan O'Brien's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielobrienphl

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24

On today's episode, Stormy is joined by Jennifer Schoener and Mohammed Rahman.

Jennifer Schoener is a nonprofit leader, arts advocate, and community builder dedicated to expanding access to inclusive arts and education. She serves in a leadership role with the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation, where she helps guide programs that empower young people through music, creativity, and innovative learning experiences.

Mohammed Rahman is a freshman in Villanova University majoring in Electrical Engineering. Fueled by his passion for volunteering, Mohammed has joined and initiated a multitude of volunteering programs/clubs/services and efforts stemming from early on in his life. As a volunteer, he ensures the task at hand is executed efficiently with joy and passion. As a leader, Mohammed organizes volunteer meetings and opportunities, and lead/regulate services.

Links for today's episode:
Angela Williamson's Volunteer Engagement Accelerator - https://www.angelawilliamsoncva.com
Angela Williamson's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilliamsoncva

Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation's website - https://www.udfoundation.org
Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/UpperDarbyArtsEducationFoundation
Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/udaef
Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upper-darby-arts-education-foundation
Jennifer Schoener's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferschoener
Mohammed Rahman's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammed-rahman-469287395

Join the Mailing List: https://www.stormy-bell.kit.com/55c5d52e24