Founded in 2023, the Hamilton Families Mission Committee represents the next generation of Bay Area advocates for ending family homelessness. This diverse group of under-35 professionals works to support Hamilton Families across business functions. This includes but is not limited to: fundraising, organizational excellence, operations, volunteer efforts, brand strategy, marketing and communications, and advocacy efforts.
The Mission Committee offers a unique opportunity for young professionals in the Bay Area to work closely with a group of peers to advance Hamilton Families’ mission: to end family homelessness. We understand you’ll likely be balancing career, family, and other responsibilities, so we want to be upfront about what making a commitment to the Mission Committee looks like.
Emily Abraham is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, where she leads strategic partnerships, navigating local government, and fundraising. She also leads the Chamber Foundation's sustainability initiative, Yes SF, which is focused on driving San Francisco’s green transformation by supporting climate-focused startups and fostering public-private collaboration. With experience in local government as a Legislative Aide and trade associations, Emily has worked on key policy areas, including sustainability and economic development. Passionate about cross-industry collaboration, she is dedicated to creating pathways for innovation and sustainable growth in San Francisco.
E.J. Fortenberry is a Vice President and Client Service Advisor in the Los Angeles office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management, creating holistic and customized analyses for high-net-worth families, individuals, trusts, foundations and endowments. He works closely with clients and their respective professionals to provide solutions to complex business, professional, and personal circumstances. He joined the firm in 2017 as an associate and transitioned to his current role in 2021.
Prior to working for Bernstein, E.J. graduated from Boston College, where he double majored in Finance, and Management and Leadership, while minoring in African American Diaspora Studies. He was also a student-athlete at Boston College, where he played Division 1 Football. Outside of work, he enjoys movies, outdoor activities, and traveling, and joined the Hamilton Families Mission Committee in 2024.
Ali Rae Hunt is the B2B Communications Lead at Canva, where she heads up PR, Comms, and Analyst Relations for Canva's fast-growing enterprise business. She previously led global communications for startups like Skyflow and Molekule, and started her career at PR agency LaunchSquad, where she helped drive media strategy and execution for generational companies like Uber and Netflix. Ali Rae holds a B.A. in Communication Theory from Boston College.
Ali Rae was first introduced to Hamilton Families in 2018, and has supported the organization in various capacities ever since – from babysitting at Mother's Day celebrations and bringing kids to the zoo, to event planning, fundraising, and building out what is now the organization's first Mission Committee.
Nicole LaPorte has spent her career working alongside organizations that champion housing justice, economic resilience, and community-led solutions to systemic challenges. Nicole’s passion for community engagement began during her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, where she worked with displaced communities across several countries. Since returning to the Bay Area, she has worked at the San Francisco Foundation, focusing on strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations, including those advancing affordable housing initiatives. Originally from Santa Cruz, Nicole grew up witnessing the impacts of rising housing costs and displacement, which fueled her commitment to housing justice. She believes in Hamilton Families’ mission and is excited to support its work in making the Bay Area a more inclusive and equitable place for all.
Violet Loo is a Special Operations Manager at Eureka Casino Resort. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development with a specialization in trauma and brain development. Guided by her mantra—to provide as many children as possible with the tools and skills to create a life they can be proud of—Violet dedicates much of her time to supporting youth.
Her commitment to breaking cycles of generational poverty led her to earn her TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) Practitioner license after completing her undergraduate studies. She volunteers weekly with a transitional housing children’s program and notes that fifth-grade math is harder than she remembers.
Born and raised in the North Bay, Violet still visits her parents in Marin weekly—usually when her dad is cooking a yummy dinner or when she needs more Kleenex boxes… for free! Her ohana, including her two older siblings, is her home, and they love traveling the world together, fly fishing, golfing, surfing, and continually challenging one another to find new ways to support their community.
Patrick Magowan
Austen Peterson is a Director at Lift Partners, a full-service real estate investment company focused on the adaptive re-use and repositioning of industrial properties along the West Coast. Beyond real estate, Austen is deeply committed to community engagement, serving on the Mission Committee of Hamilton Families, an organization focused on combating family homelessness in San Francisco. She has also chaired her K-12 school’s alumni board for the past two years, giving back to an institution that played a pivotal role in her development. Austen remains passionate about mentorship and fostering connections that strengthen both the real estate industry and communities she resides in.
Austen holds a B.A. in Urban Studies and Architecture from Trinity College (Connecticut). Originally from Southern California, Austen enjoys long beach days with family and friends.
Andrew Udeshi was born in San Diego, CA and grew up in Sri Lanka. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. For his capstone project, he started a computer science lab at a rural village school in Sri Lanka and taught middle school students basic computing, many of whom had never seen a computer before. This experience solidified a passion for using technology to tackle pressing social challenges, and making education more accessible and inclusive. He currently works as a Program Manager for the People team at Chime. He previously worked at the Global Philanthropy Forum, African Leadership Foundation, TechWomen, and PagerDuty. Outside of work, Andrew is an avid runner and golfer, enjoys trying new recipes and cuisines in the kitchen, and loves rooting for his favorite football team, Liverpool FC.
“Our strength as a city comes from supporting our communities. I am honored to be a part of this work to uplift and house families in San Francisco who need it most.”
