Building the Ideal Board of Directors for a Nonprofit Organization

Board composition is an increasingly important topic in 2020 and moving forward. The purpose of a company’s board is to provide perspective outside of the scope of the business. Diversity in the boardroom has become more important as consumers demand that companies are governed by constituencies that accurately represent their customer bases. In late 2018, California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed California Senate Bill 826, which requires publicly held companies based in the state to have a minimum of one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019.

Simply put, however, this effort may prove to not be enough. Stipulating one female board representative undermines the potential that a holistic view of society can be reflected in the boardroom. At Beyond Capital, we first and foremost look for a win-win proposition when recruiting board members, which has naturally brought forward a distinct board of directors with a balance of skills and viewpoints who come from diverse and dynamic backgrounds with a range of experiences, competencies, and achievements.

Our job on the Leadership Team and staff of Beyond Capital is to discover, foster, and support social enterprises that are seeking sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Our board is charged with setting strategy for how we approach and maximize our efforts. 

Among the benefits: our ability to reinvest donor capital for increased social impact and financial return over time, as well as our capacity to provide pro-bono services to our portfolio's social entrepreneurs. And because Beyond Capital is fortunate enough to have a strong, skilled staff based on the ground in locations around the world combined with an extraordinary board of directors, we have the capacity to guide these social startups in a wide variety of meaningful ways.

One of the most purposeful tasks an organization can take on is the careful selection of its board of directors. We have built an ideal board for Beyond Capital thanks to careful curation and continuous engagement with our board members. We rely on our board members for many functions, but none more important or impactful than the sharing of their unique gifts.

Creating the Right Mix

By considering the individual assets each board member brings to the table in conjunction with the overall makeup and goals of the board, a nonprofit becomes that much more well rounded and capable of extending its efficacy. 

We conduct a careful analysis when considering the appointment of a new Beyond Capital board member, assessing areas where we are in need of assistance and expertise, such as professionals who have experience networking and fundraising in India and East Africa, where we focus our work, or prowess in dealing with local government agencies. Often the need is closer to home, such as dexterity in conducting due diligence, adroit networking know-how, and navigating the legal needs of our organization and our partner enterprises.  

It is imperative that the individual have some insight into the needs of our partner companies (often leading entrepreneurial ventures themselves), as well as the resources required to meet those demands. Members whose skills differ but complement others is also a key component of a successful board of directors, such as professionals with legal and financial expertise.

The Beyond Capital All-Star Board of Directors

The time and talents that our board members bring to Beyond Capital is remarkable; we truly couldn’t achieve the goals we set for ourselves and our portfolio without these 11 individuals. We’d like to highlight each of them here as a way to demonstrate their diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and proficiencies that create a community of deep knowledge, support, and strength.  

Dulari Amin, Principal, Synergy Ventures

Dulari is an entrepreneur, investor, and an adept brand marketer. As the co-founder and principal of Synergy Ventures, she provides early-stage capital to entrepreneurs in CPG, technology, and healthcare. At Beyond Capital, she focuses on entrepreneur development through on-the-ground mentoring, brand building, and advocacy for impact investing.

Michael Cox, Vice President, Seabury Capital

Michael brings more than four decades’ experience working in the aviation sector, including airline treasury, corporate finance, and airline restructuring. As a member of the Beyond Capital Board of Directors, he lends his considerable financial expertise to help ensure the long-term success of our seed-stage social enterprises.

Eric Deltour, Partner, Dechert LLP

As a partner at Dechert LLP, Eric represents and advises domestic and international clients in a variety of corporate law and private equity transactions such as buy-outs, takeover bids, shareholder issues, and venture capital investments. His legal and financial skills are a valuable resource for Beyond Capital and its portfolio of early-stage companies.

Gabriel Eckenstein, Founder, BachmannEckenstein

Gabriel is an experienced and established dealer in traditional Japanese arts, as well as the director of his family’s foundation, Eckenstein-Geigy-Stiftung. His background leading a historic foundation informs his work with Beyond Capital, offering his inestimable guidance in the world of charitable giving.

Samuel Higenyi Mugoya, Executive, Eastern & Southern Trade and Development Bank

Samuel brings more than two decades of experience working in syndications and debt capital markets, having established the syndications functions at the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank and the African Export Import Bank, where he also acted as the organization’s environmental and social officer. Based in Nairobi, Samuel will focus on conducting in-field due diligence proceedings with prospective portfolio companies. 

 Abilash Jaikumar, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TresVista

As the co-founder and managing director of TresVista, an offshore asset management and investment banking service provider, Abilash has been involved in more than $20 billion of financing and mergers and acquisitions activities in media, telecom, airlines, automotive, life sciences, and technology sectors. He shares his extensive knowledge of financing and M&A with Beyond Capital’s expanding network of startup ventures.

Rama Kannan, Senior Advisor, Villgro Innovations Foundation

As a master certified coach and mentor, Rama works globally with senior leaders in corporate and social sectors to achieve their goals. Her passion for social entrepreneurship guides her mentoring efforts, including in her roles with Villgro Innovations Foundation and Beyond Capital.

Osman Khan

An active angel investor, Osman is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience building, operating, leading, and advising digital consumer businesses from seed-stage startups to publicly traded companies. He brings his expertise and his vast network to the table at Beyond Capital, offering our early-stage entrepreneurs invaluable insights. 

Marty Kuehne, Managing Director and CAO, Seabury Group

With more than 30 years of experience in a range of human capital fields, Marty facilitates large-scale organizational change, including merger and acquisition integration, financial turnarounds, IPOs, bankruptcy, and restructuring. His financial acumen helps guide our social enterprises as they grow from early-stage investments to more mature entities.

John McKenna, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Insys Therapeutics, Inc.

John brings more than 25 years of investment banking experience as well as a long-standing record of public service to the Beyond Capital Board of Directors and Investment Committee. In addition to his work with Beyond Capital, John also serves on the board of directors of the Greater New York Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Insys Therapeutics, Inc.

Hooman Yazhari, Vice Chairman of the Board, Bristow Group

Hooman is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Beyond Capital, as well as a member of our Investment Committee. He is a highly accomplished senior manager and corporate lawyer who has served as General Counsel and a member of the executive board of several listed and private companies. 

Nurturing Next-Gen Leaders

Joining a board of directors ?— notably for a nonprofit organization ?— requires a clear-eyed vision of what the commitment entails, including an investment of your time and energy. However, the benefits can be substantial, not only for your career but as a part of a high-performance lifestyle that centers around giving back.

Beyond Capital values its board members and their contributions and believes that being a part of this community enriches their already full lives. We have several ways that individuals interested in the power of impact investing can become involved with our work, and we’re always looking for opportunities to support the next generation of socially minded leaders.