Team Appleseed

If you have less than a decade of experience doing the work we do, please consider joining our roster here instead.

BAPTISTE TEYSSIER, sr. BEHAVIORal consultant

Baptiste is convinced the world would be a far better place if we’d listen to each other. Because solving complex behavioral challenges requires true listening—to clients and their customers—he has the chance, every day, to bring about that better world. Baptiste is a researcher and strategist at Appleseed.

Jeff bates, chief operating officer

Jeff is passionate about how we interact with and come together through the systems and tools we rely on. As COO, he keeps our daily operations running smoothly so the team can focus on making impact. Jeff believes everyone should have a say in how the systems they depend on are built. He’s dedicated to creating a supportive and collaborative workplace and finding smart ways to make our work more effective and meaningful.

LYDIA HARRIS, sR. bEHAVIORAL cONSULTANT

Lydia is fueled by a deep curiosity about human behavior and a commitment to putting people first. She leads initiatives that drive meaningful change by deeply understanding and addressing human needs. Her approach is characterized by warmth and dedication, resulting in solutions that resonate with users. Lydia’s background is in service design.

Merlin Micoleau, Behavioral Research Fellow

Merlin has a background in history and passion for decolonial and developmental studies. He believes that empathy and diligent research are the key to fighting poverty and climate insecurity while preserving the autonomy of affected groups. He holds a BA in History and German from Northern Arizona University. 

Danielle Ward, Behavioral Research Fellow

Danielle is a social scientist passionate about reducing health and social inequalities in global development. She has experience designing intersectional research approaches and researching both public health and social / health policy. She holds an MPH in Global Health from George Washington University and a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Bristol.

Lily Wang-Falzon, Ethnographer & User Researcher

Lily believes that the best solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges are driven by empathy. A qualitative researcher at heart, she excels at developing deep understandings of culture. She has a background in sociology and holds an MA in China Studies. She speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.

Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, Research Collaborator

Gayathri believes that understanding people and their priorities is key to building great products and services. She has a background in UX research, management, and in adapting tools and methods in the promotion of social development. She holds a double MA in Human-Computer Interaction from Paris Saclay and the University of Trento.

LIEZL VAN RIPER

Liezl is a business development and fundraising expert with 16 years experience with international and national non-profit social enterprises, with a track record of securing multi-year, 7-figure funding partnerships with corporations, foundations, and governmental agencies.

ADAM QUINN, JD/MBA, CO-FOUNDER

Adam assists with legal and financial aspects of Appleseed and helps guide organizational strategy. After graduating law school and getting his MBA from the University of Minnesota, Adam became the Director of Business Development for S. Groner Associates (SGA).

John Mark Feilmeyer

John Mark is a design thinker, social innovator, and market strategist living in Des Moines, Iowa. His work has centered around the arts, workforce development, and financial inclusion, both in the U.S. and in West Africa. He is currently a senior UX research manager at Root Insurance.

KAILI Mumme Delp, MBA, MPH 

Kaili is a strategist, business person and problem solver. She has a passion for improvement and is a habitual learner. Her work spans multiple industries and functions with the common thread being leadership. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her family. Kaili is currently the VP of Solutions Engineering at ADB SAFEGATE, an aviation company.

CEZARINA NICULAE, ex-COO of appleseed

Cez is passionate about social entrepreneurship, and its power to help people and the planet. With a decade of experience in finance, consulting and remote team/operations management, she is helping Appleseed unlock the impact-making potential of the very best social ventures.

STEPHEN GRONER, PE, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT | SGA

Stephen is the founder and president of S. Groner Associates, Inc. (SGA). Prior to starting SGA in 1998, Stephen, with his engineering background, worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works as a project manager.

PAMELA ROUSSOS, CIO | MILLER CENTER FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Pamela scales Miller Center’s impact with social entrepreneurs and partners by innovating new methods of support and engagement. Prior to joining the Center in 2014, Pamela was a software executive leading early stage companies in business and marketing strategy, helping founders create, refine, and execute business strategies and go-to-market plans.

MELISSA BARD, Vice Chancellor for Human Resources | California State University

Melissa is a human resources professional who has worked in the financial services and manufacturing industries as well as the higher education space. She is an HR strategist with a passion for organizational development, employee engagement and transforming processes and services to support institutional change and effectiveness.

ERICA MAHGEREFTEH, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER, STRATEGY DIRECTOR

Erica was Appleseed's first Board Chair, serving from July 2015 to March 2019. Her passion for making a difference and her strategic mind has been vital in shaping our organization and our campaigns.

LILY YUAN, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER

In November 2016, Lily joined Appleseed as a Founding Board Member, supporting organizational growth, brand management, and fundraising efforts. Lily's involvement with Appleseed began as a Founding Sponsor and she also provided guidance during Appleseed’s early stages of development.