Merrill is a dedicated advocate for ovarian cancer research and support, driven by a personal mission that began after the passing of his wife, Shauna, in 2018. Despite an initial prognosis of just six months, Shauna bravely fought the disease for three years, inspiring Merrill to commit himself to funding research and resources to combat this devastating illness.

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With a strong background in business and education, Merrill founded and led an international freight forwarding company for 27 years. He also served as director of the Clackamas Community College Small Business Development Center and taught as a professor for five years. Additionally, he was Chair of the Undergraduate Business and Leadership Program at Marylhurst University for seven years.

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Outside of his professional achievements, Merrill cherishes his role as a father to three daughters and a grandfather to nine grandchildren. He is also a passionate saxophonist, performing professionally, and enjoys outdoor pursuits such as biking, birding, walking, and hiking.

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Merrill holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Duane Bolinger has a deep passion for encouraging, educating, and empowering the next generation to lead with confidence and purpose. A lifelong advocate for personal growth and community involvement, Duane believes that every young person deserves access to guidance, resources, and opportunities that help them recognize their potential and step into leadership roles.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics from Portland State University, holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation, and is the founder of Eldon Reese Advisory Group, a financial advisory firm located in Beaverton, Oregon.

Duane’s decision to join the board stems from his belief that the right support at the right time can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. He is honored to contribute to an organization focused on equipping youth with the tools they need to thrive—both personally and within their communities.

He and his wife, Wendy, enjoy traveling to spend time with their five children and growing number of grandchildren. Outside of his volunteer work, Duane enjoys serving in his church, hiking, playing golf, and designing new landscape projects.

Juston Gaddis is story teller -- an accomplished producer, director, writer, editor, videographer and photographer of feature films, podcasts, advertising materials and music videos. His credits include international awards for his production of a hip-hop video called 3rd Twin Honesty https://youtu.be/cw0HG-gevcg?si=_rGzbZawGby33v9Z that was the first place winner of best hip-hop video of the year in Columbia MO, New York, Los Angeles, London and Nigeria in 2018.

He is also an accomplished painter. His company Owner of GMP Podcast Group in Portland, Oregon has flourished over the past six years and continues to attract top-tier clients.

He graduated from Sacramento State College where he was the starting half-back on the football team. He is the proud father of four children and loves his beautiful white Volvo SVU. He is a founding director of the Shaunaqua Foundation board.

Recently retired from Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a 40 year IT corporate career. Her passion for wellness, recovery, and mindful financial fitness fuels her mission to help others achieve their dreams with compassion and connection.

Kate is a Certified Project Manager, Personal Financial Coach and Hatha Yoga Teacher with decades of leadership in IT transformation.

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Kate holds an Executive MBA from The College of William and Mary and a BBA from Averett University.

​Kate lives in Arizona sharing life with you two grown children, a beautiful daughter-in-law and a toddler granddaughter. 

Michael Walsh spent his corporate career at the intersection of finance and medical science, helping to fund early-stage biotechnology firms and investing on behalf of institutional and private investors in the biomedical technology sector. He is now focused on utilizing his skills and energy to help build nonprofit organizations that can have a significant impact on people’s lives worldwide.

In 1994, Michael founded Kilkenny Capital Management (KCM) with Bessemer Venture Partners. Over the next twenty years, KCM raised nearly $500 million to invest in publicly traded medical technology companies using an innovative probability-based investment strategy. Before becoming an investment manager, he was a Senior Biotechnology Research Analyst with Robertson, Stephens & Company, where he was instrumental in raising capital for emerging biotechnology companies. Other professional roles in his career have included Angel Investing in the Chicago start-up community through HBS Angels and helping to found a specialized medical marijuana dispensary.

Michael has also been actively involved in numerous non-profit organizations during his career, focusing on the intersection of the education and public health fields. He is currently the Board Treasurer of both ParenTeach Institute, which develops integrated parenting education curricula, and Fortify Foods, which advocates for alleviating iron deficiency anemia in Africa through nutrition supplementation strategies. Previously, he served as President of the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago, Board Treasurer of the Chicago Center for Music Education, member of the Health Policy and Management Executive Council at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Grants Committee for Friends of Prentice Hospital. 

Michael received his bachelor’s degree cum laude in Biochemistry from Harvard College and his MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Elizabeth, where they raised their two wonderful twenty-something-aged children.

Dr. Belma Ljutic is a distinguished immunologist with extensive experience in both academic and industrial area. Dr. Belma Ljutic earned her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Toronto, where she conducted groundbreaking research on natural killer (NK) cell biology. Her academic background laid a strong foundation for her subsequent contributions to the field of immunology, particularly in the development of vaccines.  She currently holds a position at Sanofi in Toronto, where she is the Head of the Quality Control Laboratory for the vaccines.

Dr. Ljutic’s research has significantly advanced our understanding of natural killer (NK) cell biology and the development of vaccines against pneumococcal infections. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and she has been involved in several patent applications related to immunogenic compositions of vaccines.

Rochelle is a member of the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation. She is very involved in the Native American community having spent the last ten years as Coordinator of the Native American Education Program in Vancouver, WA.  She is an Indigenous Education consultant of the BASTE program for Clark College. Rochelle currently is an Adjunct Professor of Art and Native Studies at Portland Community College, Eastern Washington University, and an affiliated faculty with the Indigenous Nations Studies Program at Portland State University having taught a course on Indigenous Critique of Native American Art. Rochelle served as the coordinator of the Northwest Indian Story Teller Program with the Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. Rochelle maintains an active studio practice, with over 30 solo, competitive group and invitational exhibitions and portfolio exchanges dealing with Indigenous inappropriate appropriations and Indigenous history.