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Mark Adams is a seasoned high-tech executive with deep experience in building companies and effecting social change. Most recently, he was the Chief Development Officer of Equinix, the world’s leading data center company. Returning to his passion for social impact, Mark co-founded Kasi Cloud, a data center start-up focused on expanding internet access in sub-Saharan Africa. He is also currently a director of Cyrus One, a privately-owned data center platform; and a senior advisor of Digital Infrastructure for McKinsey & Company and Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity fund. Prior to Equinix, Mar held senior executive positions at Electronics for Imaging, Adaptec, Roxio and Mspect. In fall off 2023, he was an adjunct professor at the Haas School of Business, University of California – Berkeley. In sharing his motivation for joining the 10,000 Degrees Advisory Board, Mark says, “I have had a life-long passion and interest in education and launching students on their careers. Both of my parents were university professors and instilled in me a respect for the power of education to create opportunity. At the same time, I’ve seen in my own career path, the power of the right internship, the right first job, to help young people discover their passion in the world. I enjoy counseling young adults about potential career paths and how to get started — I’m very experienced at developing resumes and leveraging networks to help students land that first role. I am very excited about the potential of 10,000 Degrees to drive significant impact in the Peninsula and South Bay. I am impressed with the scope and impact of 10,000 Degrees in Marin and SF — I think there is tremendous leverage by expanding a successful model to new markets.”

Jay resides on his ranch and vineyards outside of Healdsburg, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco, where he grows grapes and produces a modest amount of wine. Jay is a retired technology business executive, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Optical Coating Laboratory in the late 1990s and President and Chief Operating Officer of JDS Uniphase, a fiber optics company, until his retirement in 2001. Prior to his operating roles, Jay also served for 18 years as a management consultant and senior partner with McKinsey & Company. Currently, he remains active as a director of several public companies, a trustee of his independent secondary school in Pennsylvania, and several local community organizations in Sonoma County. Having grown up outside of Philadelphia in a very East Coast family, where “the West” meant Ohio, Jay connected strongly to Montana during a summer job in 1961 working on the Minuteman missile complex in the central part of the state. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a graduate degree from Cornell University, and an MBA from Stanford University.

Jean-Pierre (J-P) Conte is the Chairman and Managing Director of Genstar Capital, a leading US middle-market private equity firm with investments in healthcare, software, financial services, and industrial technology. Conte is a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Business and Colgate University and has spent over thirty years of his career in private equity. A self-made second-generation American born to Cuban and French immigrants, Conte strongly supports immigration reform and established the Hoover Task Force on Immigration Reform in 2011. His other philanthropic efforts support environmental research, neurological degenerative research, and educational equity. His political commitment is to promote the American values of equity, justice, and freedom for all people.

Alongside his prolific philanthropic efforts serving on a number of charity boards (including California Pacific Medical Center, SEO, Hoover Institution, Pan America Development Fund, and Colgate University). J-P is a director of ConnectiveRx, Signant Health, and Advarra.

On joining the 10,000 Degrees board, J-P said: “Educational equity is the foundation of American exceptionalism. I’m delighted to be joining the board of an organization so committed to offering opportunity to the best and brightest of US talent.”

Dr. Jonathan Eldridge serves as the Superintendent/President at College of Marin. He has been at the College for over a decade and works with the College’s talented faculty and staff, as well as community partners such as 10,000 Degrees, to create a truly coherent and integrated educational program for students. Jonathan received a bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Political Science from Central Washington University, graduating from CWU’s William O. Douglas Honors College. His master’s degree is in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University and his doctorate is in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. In addition to working at College of Marin, Dr. Eldridge has also worked at the University of Washington, served as Dean of Students at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Oregon University. At College of Marin Jonathan has developed, expanded, and nurtured partnerships with 10,000 Degrees, Canal Alliance, Marin Community Foundation, Marin County Office of Higher Education, all local school districts, Sonoma State University, Dominican University, Marin Economic Forum, and many others to allow the College to deliver more fully on its commitment to recognize historical and systemic disparities in opportunity and outcomes and direct resources to addressing those disparities.

Deborah Freed Goldman was born and raised in Marin County, graduating from Redwood High School as Salutatorian. After receiving her BA in Political Economy from UC Berkeley, she achieved her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Raising three children in Mill Valley, she served as PTA President at Old Mill and MVMS, served 6 years on the Tam High Foundation Board including Chair and served 18 years on the Kiddo! Mill Valley Schools Foundation Board, serving previously as Chair. She served on the Bridge The Gap Marin City College Prep Advisory Board, including the Marin Promise Success Network and the Marin City Math Collaborative working groups; and currently serves on the SchoolsRuleMarin Advisory Board, USC Marshall School of Business Torch Society-Women’s Leadership Circle and UCB Political Economy Alumni Advisory Board. She mentors first generation students in middle school, high school and college via 10,000 Degrees, Bridge The Gap and English Language Development. She also serves on the Napa Valley Community Foundation Fruit of the Vine Scholarship Committee helping assess and provide scholarships directly to first generation students in Napa County. She owns and operates Oro Puro Vineyards winery, olive oil and honey business in the Napa Valley. She enjoys hiking the trails of Mt. Tamalpais and Atlas Peak in any weather.

Dr. Denise M. Lucy is an expert in leadership and organizational change. She is a Professor of Business and Organizational Studies, Founder and Executive Director of the Dominican University of California’s Institute of Leadership Studies. She has 42 years of experience in higher education as an educator and executive; first at the University of San Francisco and currently at Dominican since 1993. Some of her former professional roles include Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean, Associate Dean, Director of Marketing and Corporate Development.

She currently serves as a tenured professor of Business and Organizational Studies in Dominican’s Barowsky School of Business, and founding Executive Director of Dominican’s Institute for Leadership Studies. As a professor, and leadership scholar she teaches and consults in leadership and team development, strategic planning, and organizational change, negotiation and conflict management. Her research interests include leadership and teams, small business enterprise, micro-finance poverty reduction, community leadership, civic engagement and corporate social responsibility. She serves on several boards, such as Marin Health, Dominican’s Women Leadership and Philanthropy Council and is Co-President of the Pt. San Pedro Road Coalition.

Monica Mehra is a vice president and securitized products portfolio manager for the disciplined alpha team at Loomis, Sayles & Company, where she is responsible for security selection and trading for CMBS and ABS. She joined Loomis Sayles in 2011. Monica began her investment career in 2004 at Morgan Stanley in ABS trading and syndicate, and later worked at Nomura Securities as the lead ABS trader. She earned a BS in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from Columbia University.

Angela Mira is an accomplished strategic planning professional with over thirty years of experience in executive leadership and consulting roles at Wells Fargo, Visa International, and Charles Schwab. She has an extensive background in driving change through business transformation, program governance, and marketing execution. Angela holds an AB in Sociology from Princeton University and an MBA in Corporate Strategy from the University of Michigan. She is currently pursuing post-graduate studies in AI and digital transformation. Angela is a strong supporter of educational equity and has served on the Advisory Board for Assumption Catholic School, where she also chaired the auction marketing committee for over a decade. Angela resides in Hayward, CA, with her husband, daughter, and son.

Mark joined Bank of America in 2000. He is responsible for managing a team of Relationship Managers who in turn manage a portfolio of clients who require financial services to make their financial lives better. Mark’s team engages in dialogue with CEOs and CFOs regarding the clients’ industries and alternative capital structures, and then assesses the risks and impacts from both the client’s and the bank’s perspective for development and implementation of an overall client strategy. Mark’s team of Relationship Managers are also responsible for leading, directing and coordinating key team members in analysis and execution of the effective delivery of their products and services to clients and prospects. Mark is well-versed in a broad range of banking products and services and holds FINRA Series 24, 7 and 63 licenses. Prior to joining Commercial Banking, Mark’s 23 years at BofA was spent mostly in Large Corporate Credit and Risk, working in several industry groups.

Mark has the honor of Serving on the Board of Directors for local educational non-profit 10,000 Degrees as well as the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and currently lives in San Rafael with his wife, Katey, and children, Max and Camille.