Leah Benson, Board Chair

 As a founding board member, Leah Benson is excited to support the work Girls Build™ does, lending her expertise in running a small business, thinking outside the box, and eating licorice anytime, anywhere. Prior to opening Gladys Bikes (2013-2020), an award-winning women-focused bike shop in Portland, Leah worked as an event planner, volunteer coordinator and non-profit program manager.  In her spare time, she likes to get extraordinarily excited about mundane things, read too many books at the same time, ride her bike around town and up steep hills, and think about maybe taking up running sometime. 

Vera Warren, Board Secretary

 Vera was born and raised in Oregon and works as an attorney for Lewis Brisbois in the Portland office. She is very passionate about her community and heavily involved in community activities, including service on several boards and committees. Vera comes from a very large family and it was one of her family members who recruited her to join the Girls Build board! A big draw to joining the board was organization’s ability to empower girls all over Oregon. Girls Build’s entire mission resonates with Vera and she is thrilled to be a part of the board. Vera is marking her one-year board anniversary this April. 

Lindsay Benedict, Board Treasurer

Lindsay is a fundraising consultant with more than 18 years of experience working with nonprofits around the country and connecting people to the causes that make the world better. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting, gardening, and learning (ever so slowly) to play the piano. Lindsay has served on the Girls Build Board since 2018 and wishes she could have been a Girls Build camper when she was a kid!

Stephanie Grant, Board Member

 Stephanie is a litigator at Portland law firm Tonkon Torp LLP and a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. The work of Girls Build™ is near and dear to her heart, since her parents taught her how to swing a hammer before she could wield a pen. With Girls Build™, Stephanie hopes to use all the tools at her disposal to pass on the gifts of curiosity and confidence. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, and trying to master her mom’s Korean comfort food recipes. Stephanie has been on the Girls Build board for four years. 

Sari Matisoff , Board Member

Jackie Haddon , Board Member

I am so excited to serve on the Board of Directors for Girls Build! As a clinical social worker and mental health agency director for most of my career, I have always been deeply involved in standing up for the rights of others to live with dignity and advocating for equitable access to education, employment, healthcare and housing. My social work career has focused on the needs of teen girls and young women – many of whom have survived highly traumatic life events and are working to see themselves as powerful beings. Now as a real estate agent, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, professional volunteer (and parent of a Girls Build camper!), I value the opportunity to be of service to my community in a new way and donate a portion of my time and income to organizations that dedicate their energy to doing the same. I work closely with these organizations to lift the voices of those historically marginalized in the trades industry and have developed a referral directory for women/BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ tradespeople.

Though originally from Oregon, I have lived all over the US and spent time traveling the world. Now I live in SW Portland, raising my three kids to be the best humans they can be alongside my husband, two dogs and two cats. You can learn more about me and my background at www.jackiehaddonhomes.com