Meet the Advisory Board

Lisa Bamford is the Director of Business Development at Sciencix. She graduated from Meredith College, followed by a Master of Science degree from Grand Canyon University. She is President of the NCWTA, a member of the NCDEC, and serves on the Statewide Advisory Board for the SBTDC.

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Since childhood to raising my own children, being of service is a central tenet to me which is why I am excited to support making hands-on community service accessible to all in the Triangle.

James first connected with Activate Good as a Wake County public school teacher in connection with the organization’s work to activate youth volunteers. Now, James is an attorney at Smith Anderson, where he practices corporate law and also leads the firm’s pro bono practice.

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A chronic entrepreneur with a serious biking issue. Peter derives the most pleasure from his daughter and 2 cats and when not working or cycling likes to be a part of the community around him. Giving back through volunteering is the cheat code to happiness, come join us!

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Susana’s passion for youth education, character and leadership development, and community service led her to found Cooking Up Character in 2002 and design its innovative curriculum-a transformative Learn & Serve youth program that grew into a non-profit. Kids learned new skills in STEM, personal development, physical fitness and the arts (all taught by subject matter experts) then immediately applied what they learned in hands-on service projects that created real impact in their communities. In 2023, Cooking Up Character joined Activate Good and was rebranded as Activate Kids, expanding its reach and impact!

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Why Activate Good? Because the common good, being kind, and youth leadership matter to me and should matter to all.  Whether your passion is local, statewide, global, whether it’s about conservation, animals, children, literacy, food security, digital opportunity, Activate Good needs you, and still wants me.

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Zen Yinger is the Founder and Principal of ZenConsult, where she uses decision intelligence to help leaders and teams make sense of complex challenges, spot what may be hiding in plain sight, and find a clear way forward. Over a 25+ year career spanning communications, brand marketing, HR, client success and executive advisory, she has worked with organizations including Mitsubishi, MTV, Whirlpool, Zensar and Aptech, developing an unusual ability to see patterns, connect people and ideas, and find clarity in complexity. Zen is also the author of No AI Coach Needed! (2026) and serves on the Activate Good Advisory Board and other nonprofit boards. She believes meaningful change doesn’t always begin with a grand plan. Sometimes it simply begins with people choosing to show up, pay attention, and care enough to make a difference.