A man with curly dark hair, a beard, glasses, and a nose ring, sitting indoors with a plant in the background.

Terri James

FOUNDER & BOARD PRESIDENT

Terri knows first hand the challenges of navigating college and professional school on a high budget. Raised in working-class neighborhoods and educated in Los Angeles public schools, she worked hard and earned admission to Stanford and Harvard Law School.

Along the way, she faced the challenges many lower-income students face: borrowing textbooks when she couldn’t afford them, missing out on study-abroad experiences, and shivering through her first Cambridge winter until her work study job helped her afford a proper coat.

Reflecting on the stress and shame of those times, Terri began thinking of ways students in similar situations could access “extra” funds without stigma.

Far from wealthy herself, Terri created MY RICH AUNT because she’s passionate about creating a community of generous “aunties and uncles” who want to make a tangible impact on students’ lives, one small financial boost at a time.

Terri worked at premier law firms (Paul, Weiss and Davis, Wright & Tremaine) and non-profit organizations (ACLU and Center for Reproductive Rights), before transitioning to the entertainment industry and becoming a business and legal affairs executive at E!.

After E!, Terri worked in business & legal affairs teams at BBC and Paramount Global (formerly Viacom), before joining HBO/HBO Max’s in-house legal team where she trains/manages a team of junior attorneys and acts as lead legal executive for a diverse slate of series, including House of the Dragon, Love & Death, and The Rehearsal.

A man with curly dark hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a dark green sweater.

Adriana Ambriz

FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

A man with curly dark hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a dark green sweater, sitting indoors with a blurred background of a plant and wall.

Keith Sparks

FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER

Keith Sparks has more than three decades experience developing, structuring, and managing complex energy businesses, including the first independent power project in sub-saharan Africa and the largest integrated wind and transmission project in the U.S.

Keith currently advises private equity entities, family offices, and portfolio companies on data center and power project development and transmission integration.

He received his AB from Stanford University and JD degree from University of Texas.

Prior to a career in energy, Keith served as Assistant Athletic Director at Stanford University. This experience ultimately evolved into a startup professional basketball league designed to disrupt and transform college sports. The initiative contributed to the passage of inaugural codification of Name, Likeness and License (NIL) rights for athletes in California, which has become a template for college athletes across the country. 

[NEED TO SAY SOMETHING MRA RELATED]

  • A woman with curly hair wearing glasses, earrings, and layered necklaces, smiling indoors.

    Penny Codrington

    ADVISORY BOARD

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • A man with glasses, dark curly hair, a beard, and a nose ring, wearing a dark sweater, sitting indoors with a plant in the background.

    Afam Onyema

    NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT ADVISOR

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • A woman with shoulder-length black hair, smiling outdoors with green foliage in the background.

    John H. Peeples

    SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with glasses, hoop earrings, layered necklaces, and curly hair in an office setting.

    Shivam Pujara

    TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR & FOUNDER OF MADHUPA

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • A man with dark curly hair, glasses, a beard, and a nose piercing, wearing a black sweater, sitting indoors with a blurred plant in the background.

    Haley Sparks

    ADVISORY BOARD AND CONSULTANT

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.