Erika is an experienced community engagement practitioner with proven skills in stakeholder relations, strategic planning, board development, community investment, and program implementation. She has a unique combination of work experience in the nonprofit sector and oil and gas industry focused on collaborative solutions. Erika has held executive leadership positions in the nonprofit sector for a decade. Erika’s husband Brendan and six-year-old daughter Poppy enjoy spending weekends tackling home projects and taking trips to her hometown in Canada to visit family and friends.

Lauren is the ultimate connector. She brings people together to spark innovative thinking, secure local and federal funding, and develop workforce and education programs that create economic vitality in communities. She brings her skills in managing international development projects, supporting small batch manufacturing initiatives, and developing partnerships to all of her projects. As a real human, Lauren is learning to play the fiddle, raise two adventurous kids, and hike, bike, and garden in the time between.

An ardent wordsmith and avid volunteer, Shaneka is pursuing her bachelors in Creative writing at the university of Houston Downtown and is a recipient of the Dr-Yung-Fa-Chang scholarship and writer for the Bayou Review. When she’s not working or studying, Shaneka loves attending volunteer events in the Houston area and writing blog posts for the Houston Community ToolBank. She is social media free and fills up her free time skating in abandoned malls and rollerblading in the park.

Tricia is a writer and educator who loves helping people connect more effectively and work more creatively with the people they serve. With a background in schools, arts education programs, nonprofits, and philanthropy, she's passionate about designing effective programs, fostering collaboration, and storytelling. She loves to create events and activities that help organizations better understand their stakeholders' needs and develop innovative solutions. In addition to her work with Projects-Matter, Tricia loves to read, ride bikes, cook, hike, and go on adventures with her rambunctious four-year-old daughter.