I’m a systems and capital strategist focused on designing the financial and operational infrastructure that organizations need to thrive and strengthen community and connection.
For more than fifteen years, I’ve worked across community health, education, housing, justice system, philanthropy, and local news in roles spanning applied research, organizational design, and innovative finance. I specialize in building the structures -- tools, decision-making, and funding -- that help mission-driven organizations grow sustainably.
Previously, I served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the National Trust for Local News, where I helped conserve 65 local newspapers and built the shared operating systems to sustain them. Now I partner with leaders to design the next generation of infrastructure for strong communities. My work includes catalytic-capital strategy, fund design, applied research, and fractional executive leadership for organizations navigating growth, transition, or experimentation.
My recent projects include developing community investment strategies for local news ecosystems, researching flexible capital tools for social entrepreneurs, and building shared operating systems for worker-friendly media.
I hold a Masters of Public Administration from NYU Wagner, where I was a Reynolds Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship.
Valentin is a family name. It belonged to my grandmother, who survived the Holocaust and rebuilt her life in the U.S. She earned a master's in social work and spent her life proud of the difference she made.
I named this practice in her honor. Valentin means strong, healthy, and powerful. It stands for survival -- but also for creativity, meaning-making, and the work of building something new when the old way no longer fits.