Under Raissa’s leadership, Tree House has expanded its impact, including the launch of the Veterinary Wellness Center in 2021, a bold rebrand in 2019, and quadrupling the organization’s reserves to ensure long-term sustainability. She served as prior co-chair of the Chicagoland Humane Coalition and currently serves as a board member of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

She was selected for the Allstate-Kellogg Greater Good Nonprofit Leadership Program and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Chicago.

Raissa’s family shares their home with two orange tabbies. She finds joy in gardening, Harvard Business Review articles, and exploring the potential of AI in animal welfare and social impact work.

A graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences, Jamie is certified in Shelter Management through Humane Network. Previously, she served as the Director of Intake and Foster at PAWS Chicago, where she led high-impact programs and fostered strong partnerships to increase lifesaving capacity. Currently, she is Co-Chair of the Chicagoland Humane Coalition and a board member of the Illinois Animal Welfare Federation.

Jamie is passionate about strategic program planning, collaborative leadership, and creating equitable access to care across diverse communities.

Outside of work, she enjoys building Legos, playing board games, nurturing her plant collection, and spending time with her two dogs, Chip and Guppy.

As Senior Innovation Manager at the Center for Economic Progress (now Ladder Up), Brian managed technology behind 10+ free tax prep sites across Chicagoland, supporting 10,000+ tax filings annually. As Senior Manager at All Chicago, he led the homeless services help desk system, strengthening the tech backbone for a citywide housing network.

Brian has presented on data standards, IT management, and AI for nonprofits at Humane World for Animals, the Illinois Animal Welfare Federation, and the National Community Tax Coalition.

When he’s not advocating for tech equity in the nonprofit space, Brian is photographing Chicago’s neighborhoods or impressing with his knowledge of Knight Rider.

Mike is a registered veterinary nurse and has held board certifications in emergency care, critical care, and anesthesiology. Formerly, he led as Surgical Director and Regional Director in both private and corporate veterinary settings and served as co-chair on the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board. An entrepreneur at heart, he has owned several small businesses across diverse industries, from animal care to automotive and specialty foods.

Since joining Tree House, Mike has overseen the expansion of the Veterinary Wellness Center (VWC) and Resident Clinic, doubling the organization’s internal and community patient capacity.

Mike lives in Caledonia, Wisconsin with his wife, son, and four spirited felines.