AI in Action
Everyday AI for Development Professionals
October 1, 2025 | 8:15 - 10:00 a.m. | Uncommon Schools
A Panel discussion featuring AI superusers in various fundraising roles highlighting how they use AI to build relationships, boost creativity, and strategize.
Join Women In Development NYC for a morning of networking, learning, and engagement. The event will start with a networking reception of coffee and light pastries, followed by a moderated panel discussion featuring AI users of various development roles to showcase a variety of AI use cases that any role or organization can use! Bring your business cards and your fundraising colleagues!
Hosted By
Uncommon Schools
100 Church St., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Early Bird Registration (Ends September 17th)
$30 for Members | $40 for Non-Members
Regular Rate Registration (Closes September 30th)
$25 for Young Professional & Student Members
$35 for Members | $45 for Non-Members
Light breakfast will be served
Event Agenda
- 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. - Registration and Networking
- 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. - Welcome & Panel
- 9:45 - 10:00 a.m. - Q&A & Program Concludes
Featured Panelists
Victoria Martinez
Digital Marketing Specialist
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
As the Digital Marketing Specialist at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), Victoria spearheads various digital marketing initiatives, content creation, market analysis, and brand management. Before joining RPA in 2025, she worked in varying Marketing capacities at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a focus on content creation, copywriting, graphic design, and special projects related to audience engagement and cultivation. She holds an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and a B.A. In Art History from Barnard College.
Guirlaine Ritha Belizaire
VP of Innovation
Development Guild
At Development Guild, in addition to her responsibilities as an executive search and fundraising consultant, Guirlaine serves as a moderator for BIG Question—a live, community-powered planning tool capable of engaging up to a million participants in real-time. Harnessing her facilitation skills, data-driven mindset, and gift for making every voice feel heard, on BIG Question, she guides mission-driven organizations through their most complex strategic and fundraising challenges, translating collective insights into clear, actionable next steps. She also heads Development Guild’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program, thoughtfully leveraging AI to craft company-wide learning experiences and provide the human resources department with ongoing guidance to ensure the culture and policies remain equitable and inclusive.
Before joining Development Guild, Guirlaine held key fundraising positions at several nonprofit and educational organizations, including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Cambridge in America (which promotes in the United States interest in and support for the University of Cambridge, England), UNICEF USA, and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.
Guirlaine received a Master of Arts in Biology from Hofstra University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics from the University of Rochester, where she is an active alumna and currently serves on the Black Alumni Network Executive Committee. She is a committed member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC).
Both for personal and professional use, Guirlaine continues to experiment with and responsibly harness the power of AI to serve humanity.
Katherine Sarci-Tucker
Director of Institutional Giving, Uncommon Schools
Grants/Institutional Giving AI User
Katherine M. Sarci-Tucker, MS, CFRE, is a dedicated and results-driven development professional with more than 10 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations achieve their fundraising goals. Currently serving as the Director of Institutional Giving at Uncommon Schools, she oversees a team responsible for generating millions in annual revenue from foundations, corporations, and government grants. Her expertise includes leading fundraising campaigns, managing high-value donor portfolios, and developing effective stewardship processes. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), she has held key roles at institutions such as the New York Hall of Science, The New School, and Columbia University, where she honed her skills in donor relations, grant compliance, and strategic communications. Katherine earned her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature from Oberlin College.
Zoe Stein
Regional Gift Officer, Cornell University
Frontline Fundraiser AI user
Zoe Stein is a Regional Gift Officer on Cornell University's Discovery Team. She focuses on identifying and cultivating potential major gift prospects across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and New York Metro areas. In her role, she has conducted hundreds of qualification meetings and successfully secured five and six-figure gifts while bolstering the pipeline of major gift donors to areas across Cornell’s campus.
Zoe brings a diversity of industry experience to her work in higher education development, including her background as a professional ballet dancer, management and sales at Taglialatella Galleries, and administration at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. She serves as an advisor to the board of the Krueger Foundation and as a class volunteer for the Spence School. She earned her BA in Art History and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis.
Zoe is an early adopter of using AI tools to develop efficient and innovative approaches to development work. As a super user amongst her team, she has led one-on-one sessions to assist colleagues as they explore using AI in their work.
Moderator
Tiffany Christopher
Director of Development, Discovery Program
Cornell University
With over 14 years in the development industry, Tiffany Christopher currently serves as the Director of Development for the Discovery Program at Cornell University where she also fundraises as a major gift officer. She spearheads the strategic vision of the team, focusing on a dual mission: to identify and grow future major donors to the organization and to develop industry talent into proficient gift officers prepared for successive roles in development. Holding an MBA from Cornell, Tiffany is passionate about business strategy, team culture, onboarding, and leadership. She is particularly committed to making the field of development more inclusive and supportive for new professionals of all backgrounds.