Program Staff

Adam joined the Nonprofit Leadership Program team in August 2014. As Associate Director, he advises current NPL students on course work and practicum placements, speaks with prospective students, and supports the Director for the Nonprofit Leadership Program. Prior to joining SP2, he worked in international education arranging experiential opportunities for university students and faculty with nonprofits and social enterprises in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Adam received his B.A. from Brown University and his M.S.Ed. in International Educational Development at the Graduate School of Education at Penn. 

Ariel Schwartz has been working with the CSIS since 2015. Prior to her current position, Ariel was Postdoctoral Fellow and Director of Distance Learning, doing curriculum development and overseeing the educational experiences of participants in the Executive Program and other classes. This year, Ariel also serves as an instructor in Penn’s Nonprofit Leadership master’s program. As a social researcher, Ariel studies how grassroots social sector organizations can make good use of donor-funded computing technology. In 2008, Ariel co-founded Maria’s Libraries, a US-based not-for-profit organization striving in Kenya for information access and social, political, economic, and cultural development through community libraries. Ariel received her BA and MPA from Cornell University, and her PhD from the University of Texas. Ariel is also into riding her bike, cultivating plants, and enjoying forested and other outdoor spaces.

Peter Frumkin is Mindy and Andrew Heyer Chair in Social Policy, Director of the Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership Program, and Faculty Director of the Center for Social Impact Strategy, all at the University of Pennsylvania. His research and teaching focus on nonprofit strategy, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. He is author or co-author of six books, including Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy, On Being Nonprofit, and Serving Country and Community.

Carl is a Program Manager in the Center for Social Impact Strategy. In this role, he is responsible for managing a portfolio of executive programs. Carl previously worked in the Center for Innovation and Leadership at Swarthmore College. There, Carl focused on managing programs focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, supporting student leadership development, and implementing a design education curriculum through campus projects and special initiatives. Carl completed the Executive Program in Social Innovation Design from CSIS and Weitzman School of Design in 2020 and also served on the teaching team as a Teaching Fellow. He has received training in design thinking at the Teaching and Learning Studio at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. Carl graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education with an M.S.Ed in Higher Education Administration and a BS from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL.

Mandisa is the Program Coordinator for the Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS). As the coordinator, she is responsible for supporting various functions for CSIS, including both online and residential educational programs. Mandisa holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Howard University and has a background in non-profit, volunteerism, and community outreach. Additionally, she serves on several boards including the Spruce Foundation and the Howard Alum club of Greater Philadelphia. Outside of work, Mandisa enjoy traveling, cooking, and volunteering at her family’s plant shop.