Looped In with Knitt

Knitt

Looped In is a podcast published monthly that welcomes guests from the nonprofit and donor space to discuss the importance of making connections, the best way to get involved and the dos and don’ts when it comes to building sustainable relationships. Hosted by Lisa Munter, founder of Knitt – a web-based platform that helps to connect donors and nonprofits and to streamline the process to make giving easy.

Episodes

  1. Looped In: Season One Wrap Up!

    12/13/2023

    Looped In: Season One Wrap Up!

    As we wrap up Season One of "Looped In with Knitt," we can feel good about the impact our diverse group of guests have made on their communities, with each contributing a unique perspective on various industries and community initiatives. The guests included Bo Goliber, current Chief Development and Communications Officer for AIM Services, who has over two decades of experience in communications, fundraising, development, and marketing in both non-profit and corporate industries; Riham LaRussa, who took a leap of faith into entrepreneurism, acquiring Small Packages, an e-commerce gifting company. Her extensive knowledge in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, and Operations is now directed toward streamlining processes and optimizing cost efficiency. We also welcomed Eric Donovan, who serves as the Community Engagement Director at Death Wish Coffee; Laura Kriegel, a fierce advocate for children who founded Camp Stomping Ground, a nonprofit children's sleep-away camp located at the base of the Adirondack Mountains; Megan Quillinan, Executive Director of the Mechanicville Area Community Services Center (MACS) since 2001; Natasha Pernicka, leading The Food Pantries for the Capital District as Executive Director since 2011 and The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York since 2023; Jeff Vukelic, President and CEO of Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service. Saratoga Eagle is a 4th generation family-owned beverage distribution company located in Saratoga Springs, NY;  Adam Feldman of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga Warren and Washington County; and lastly, Rajat “Raj” Ghoshal, Chief Operating Officer of Polyset, where his primary responsibility is to ensure efficient and effective business operations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  2. Looped In: with special guest, Natasha Pernicka

    08/01/2023

    Looped In: with special guest, Natasha Pernicka

    Natasha Pernicka has been leading The Food Pantries for the Capital District as Executive Director since 2011 and The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York since 2023. With more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Natasha has developed and implemented new programs, created growth in fund development efforts, and led strategic initiatives throughout her career. She has experience in hunger relief, homelessness/housing, mental health, older adults, and youth development. Her work with The Food Pantries includes increasing revenue and in-kind support more than 250% over her tenure, increasing programmatic impact for more than 65 food pantries who provide mor than 3 million meals for 69,000 people annually, and leading the Filling the Gap Food Pantry System and Community Needs Assessment and initiatives. Initiatives include: Food as Medicine program; New York State Food Connect Resource database and map; and the creation of the New York State Community Food Assistance Network, now known as The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York. In addition, Natasha has served as the Chair of the Nonprofit Business Advisory Group of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Food Access, Food Equity, and Food as Medicine workgroups of the New York State Hunger and Food Policy Council, the Albany and Rensselaer County FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Boards, the Steering Committee for the Greater Capital Region Food System Assessment, the New York eHealth Collaborative CBO & VBP Advisory Committee, and has served on the board of Women in Development of Northeastern New York. She is a guest lecturer on hunger, nonprofit leadership, and management and has presented at events such as the New York State Anti-Hunger Conference, on air on WAMC’s Roundtable, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. In addition, she is a graduate of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Tech Valley Program. Contact Natasha PernickaLinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  3. 05/15/2023

    Looped In: with special guest, Jeff Vukelic

    Jeff Vukelic serves as President and CEO of Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service.  Saratoga Eagle is a 4th generation family-owned beverage distribution company located in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Jeff oversees an organization the services 21 counties in upstate New York and employs over 300 stakeholders. Prior to relocating to Saratoga, Vukelic spent 14 years at Try-It Distributing in Buffalo, NY.  Saratoga Eagle is a family-owned subsidiary of Try-It.  While at Try-It, Vukelic served as Warehouse Manager (1991-1993), Sales Representative (1993-1995), VP of Corporate Affairs (1996-1998), Information Systems Manager (1998-2000), VP of Strategic Planning (1999-2001), and most recently Executive Vice President (2001-2005).  Vukelic also spent five years as the District Director and Congressional Aide to Congressman Bill Paxon before joining the family business in 1991.  In 2014, he was named to the Transition Team by newly elected U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Vukelic attended Canisius High School in Buffalo before graduating from Hobart & William Smith Colleges in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 1987, he was the recipient of the Dr. Augustus H. Hillman ’26 Memorial Award, which recognizes the outstanding sportsmanship, leadership, and determination of a member of the Hobart cross-country team. Over the past 17 years, he has been heavily involved with the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the New York State Beer Wholesalers Association.  For both organizations, Vukelic has been a member of the Board of Directors, Treasurer, and Chairman. Vukelic has been an active member of the community since 1999.  He was the recipient of the Buffalo’s Business First Forty under 40 award in 2002.  He has served on The Buffalo Renaissance Foundation (1999-2005), The Amherst Chamber of Commerce (2001-2005), The Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo (1998-2005), The Buffalo Police Athletic League (1998-2005), The Mercy Hospital Foundation (2000-2005), The Transitional Services Association (2009-2012), Parish Council for The Church of St. Peter (2011-2013), Saratoga Youth Hockey Assoc. (2009-2012), Saratoga Springs History Museum (2010-2015), Saratoga Springs YMCA (2012-2020), SPAC (2012-2021), and The Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce (2014 to 2017), Vukelic also served as the Chairman of the American Heart Association Start Heart Walk in 2010. Vukelic currently serves on the Board of Trustees at LeMoyne College, and is Vice Chair of AIM Services Inc. Vukelic lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with his wife, Elaine and has two adult children, Jeffrey and Olivia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 min

About

Looped In is a podcast published monthly that welcomes guests from the nonprofit and donor space to discuss the importance of making connections, the best way to get involved and the dos and don’ts when it comes to building sustainable relationships. Hosted by Lisa Munter, founder of Knitt – a web-based platform that helps to connect donors and nonprofits and to streamline the process to make giving easy.