Our Story

Inspire Access was founded because we believe in a world that works better for everyone. A world where our brightest minds and innovative businesses have access to investment capital. Where leaders are funded based on merit, not privilege or access.

We saw the opportunity for philanthropic capital lying dormant in Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to be invested in these leaders, mitigating one of the defining issues of inequality in the US today, the investment gap.

The Inspire Access team has years of experience supporting, mobilizing capital, for, and investing in underrepresented fund managers and founders. Our team has witnessed the enormous potential that emerges when more equitable funding is available.

When we learned that nearly $200 billion (now $328B) was sitting inactive in DAFs, we recognized an opportunity to narrow the investment gap by unlocking this capital, and Inspire Access was born.

Our Team

Patrice King Brickman is the Founder and CEO of Inspire Access, a nonprofit organization that invests philanthropic dollars in funds and companies led by underrepresented founders who have historically lacked access to investment capital.
After successfully exiting a family business in 2013, Patrice founded Inspire Capital LLC in 2015, a venture fund that invests predominantly in women and minority-led businesses. Patrice currently serves on the board of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). She is also a founding investor in WE Capital and a founding member of both the Conscious Leadership Forum and Soul Circle. Additionally, she is a member of TIGER 21 and the Economic Club of Washington, and a minority owner in Monumental Sports; home to the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics.
Patrice has served on several nonprofit boards both locally and nationally, including Halcyon, Wolf Trap, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, Children’s National Hospital Foundation, the National Center for Children and Families, Peer Health Exchange, and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.
Patrice lives in Potomac, Maryland, and has four children and two new adored son in-laws.

Christine Roddy is the COO of Inspire Access. She brings 15+ years of experience in nonprofit management, operations, and impact investing, with a deep commitment to equity, wealth creation, and financial inclusion at both the enterprise and fund manager levels. Throughout her career, Christine has championed strategic capital sourcing and deployment to drive systemic change, mobilizing philanthropic and impact investment capital to advance inclusive economic growth. She has extensive experience scaling operations, optimizing financial management, and building cross-sector partnerships to maximize impact within emerging organizations.
She has previously served as VP Operations at VC backed climate- and ag-tech startup Clean Crop Technologies and led AlphaMundi Foundation as their Executive Director. Christine is a recognized leader in impact investing, blended finance, and inclusive innovation, frequently representing organizations as a speaker, panelist, and thought leader at industry events. Ms. Roddy holds a BA in International Relations from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Christine lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Daniel.

Leah Brickman is the Co-founder of Inspire Access. She is currently pursuing her MBA at MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, Leah served as Manager on the Advancement team at JUST Capital where she was responsible for supporting JUST Capital’s philanthropic initiatives through donor engagement and stewardship, she also led the organization's next generation network, JUSTGen.
Prior, Leah worked on the Social Impact team at Marsh McClennan developing their internal communications and supporting the globalization of their volunteering and matching gifts programs. Earlier in her career she was at Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s fundraising organization, the Jimmy Fund, and Ascend at the Aspen Institute.
Leah received her B.A. in Human Services and International Affairs from Northeastern University in Boston.

Ryan Pierce is the Program Manager at Inspire Access. A committed advocate for overlooked and underrepresented founders, Ryan has spent his career fundraising, advising, and supporting early-stage companies. He brings a strong background in venture capital, small business ownership, and founder engagement, with a focus on strategically funneling capital to high-performing, underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Prior to joining Inspire Access, Ryan was a small business owner and held several roles across the startup and venture ecosystem. He served as a Growth Representative at Wefunder, a Venture Capital Analyst at The BrainTrust Fund I, an Operations Analyst at Plug In Ventures, and a Co-syndicate Lead at SBLK Ventures. Across these roles, Ryan honed his ability to provide sound strategic guidance to founders while navigating the complex intersections of capital, innovation, and equity.
Ryan earned his degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Memphis and is an Eagle Scout.

Kat Braun is the Development Associate at Inspire Access. Kat Braun brings a diverse skill set and a passion for philanthropy to the organization, with expertise in administrative support, project management, and donor communications.
Kat's proficiency in CRM management, data entry, and donor reporting showcases her ability to effectively organize and manage databases, ensuring accurate and efficient record-keeping. Her strong project management skills, including time management and multitasking, enable her to oversee projects from inception to completion, supporting organizational missions with precision and dedication. Adept at both verbal and written communication, Kat excels in proactive outreach and engagement, fostering meaningful connections with donors and stakeholders.

Board of Directors

Laurie Martin is a Managing Director at Pitcairn Trust Company, where she manages the Single-Family Office team at Pitcairn and focuses on estate planning, investments, and education with an emphasis on being a trusted advisor for each family member.
Prior, Laurie was with Fortigent, where she managed the consulting team. She began her career at Ayrshire Associates. Laurie holds both the CFA designation and the CTFA designation. She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Denver and a BS degree from the University of Delaware.
Laurie currently lives in Gaithersburg, MD, with her husband and two children.

LeRoy Pingho is a former senior executive at MCI Telecommunications, Fannie Mae and Charles Schwab, he envisioned, built, scaled, and managed major organizations and multi-year capital and operating budgets. LeRoy also founded PAC, Inc., an IT consulting firm.
LeRoy serves as the Chair of Slauth Technologies, Anywyse Audio, Otto Learning, Edgagement. He is also the Founder and CEO of Great Elm Solutions, a management consulting firm. LeRoy has served on several nonprofit boards such as Medstar Foundation, The Washington Area Women’s Foundation, So What Else, Manavar, and CUP International.
LeRoy lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Anne, children Jordan, Haley and Maya.

Ernita Thomas is the Executive Vice President of Finance of The RL Companies, LLC, a holding company that provides strategic investments in a diverse portfolio of companies. Ernita is responsible for overseeing the finance function of the highly diversified company, including financial and management accounting, regulatory reporting, budgeting, planning and forecasting.
Prior, Ernita was an Assistant Controller at Freddie Mac and held several roles over ten years at The Carlyle Group. Ernita began her career at the Rushmore Funds. Ernita holds a BS in accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Anne Mosle is a Vice President and Executive Director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute and also serves as Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute Forum on Women and Girls. In her role she works to build pathways to opportunity for children, women, and families with low incomes.
Prior to the Aspen Institute, Anne served as a VP and Executive Officer of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. She serves on the boards of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the American Public Human Services Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, America’s Promise, and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.
Anne lives with her family in Washington, DC.

Hillary Baltimore is a Philanthropist who supports a variety of organizations, primarily focused on education and underserved segments of the population. Her areas of expertise include fundraising, outreach, marketing, and program development.
Prior to her current philanthropic focus, Hillary worked in real estate with a focus on affordable housing. She currently serves on the boards of the Bullis School, N Street Village, and the Bethesda Country Club, and previously served in leadership roles for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Hillary lives with her husband, Thomas, and their two children.