BUILD Metro DC

Danielle joined BUILD Metro DC in the Fall of 2020 and serves as the hub of all development operations for the Metro DC team. This includes, but is not limited to helping to manage fundraising, coordinating social media/communication, and supporting the Executive Director. Danielle’s background is in events and fundraising, having worked both for political agencies and education nonprofits. She has always had a passion for youth empowerment and an entrepreneurial mindset, believing in the power of education as a pathway to closing the opportunity gap in underserved communities. Danielle graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in International Relations, with a focus in diplomacy and political communication.

Gregory Williams joins the Build Metro DC team with years of experience as a Special Educator in the Washington D.C area. As a former Program Coordinator with the College Steps Program, Greg provided customized college support for students with learning and social challenges.

He is excited to join BUILD DC and transition back into High School Programming. Greg is most excited to continue to make a positive impact on the empowerment of our students. He often enjoys spending time with his family and friends and serving his community as a local Football coach in his spare time. Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Johnson C. Smith University.

Karleton Thomas is a social entrepreneur and workforce development practitioner who has spent much of his career developing opportunities for marginalized communities. After nearly a decade of engaging vulnerable populations and witnessing the myriad of barriers to effective programming, Karleton is poised to deliver on the “dream” and provide sustainable solutions to the students, residents, and parents of our communities.

Shawn worked as a professional chef straight out of high school before landing his first real office job in international development. In that role, Shawn spent several years working with government clients from Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam, and came to appreciate just how much need there is for community support initiatives around the world. In 2005, Shawn and his wife, Eva, moved to Washington, DC from New Zealand. After working at both the New Zealand and Canadian Embassies to the U.S., Shawn left government work to join the world of social good. Over the past decade, Shawn has worked with several nonprofits to help connect individuals and companies to the causes they most deeply care about. If Shawn’s fundraising experiences were written up as a novel, he believes that the donors and corporate partners would be the heroes of the story – after all, it is they who through their generosity help make change possible.

Shawn holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies form Massey University in New Zealand and is blessed to have two amazing children: Anna (6) and Owen (3).