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Speaker Information
Cherian Koshy
Professional Speaker and Author | Vice President, Kindsight
Cherian Koshy is a globally recognized keynote speaker, strategist, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience advancing fundraising, leadership, and innovation across the social impact sector. He has led high-performing teams in healthcare, education, the arts, and human services—helping organizations raise hundreds of millions of dollars while building cultures grounded in trust, dignity, and human connection.
He is the author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making, a multi-week USA Today bestseller that reached #11 nationally and became the #1 Amazon bestseller in Nonprofit Organizations. His work explores how neuroscience, behavioral science, and ethics shape generosity, leadership, and organizational decision-making in an increasingly complex world.
A visionary entrepreneur, Cherian is the founder of NonprofitOS (now, engage)—an AI-powered platform that transformed nonprofit operations and was later acquired by Kindsight, where he now serves as Vice President, helping mission-driven organizations adopt ethical, human-centered technology.
Cherian holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation and is the 118th person in the world to hold the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) credential. He is also certified in behavioral science from Harvard Business School and in the ethics of AI from the London School of Economics. He is a Q3LC Certified Leader, an Exactly What to Say Certified Guide, and a member of the Rogare Council and the advisory council of Fundraising.AI.
His insights have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, CEOWorld, Yahoo Finance, and other leading publications. He serves on the executive committee of the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and on the board of The Giving Institute, and is an adjunct faculty member at The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
In the past five years alone, Cherian has trained thousands of nonprofit professionals across five continents through keynotes, workshops, and leadership programs. His work challenges leaders to design generosity not through pressure, but through understanding.
He lives in Iowa with his wife Betsy, their 2.3 kids, their dog Aslan, and is an avid Iowa State Fair fan (and donor)!
Erik Tomalis
Chief Community Officer, Avid AI
Erik Tomalis is an internationally recognized nonprofit leader, speaker, and fundraiser with more than two decades of experience helping mission-driven organizations grow generosity and strengthen donor relationships. Throughout his career, he has personally conducted more than 5,000 face-to-face donor solicitations and helped raise millions of dollars for organizations spanning healthcare, education, faith-based, human services, athletics, and youth-serving sectors.
As Chief Community Officer at Avid, Erik leads the company’s community engagement, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and industry relationships. He works closely with nonprofit leaders across North America ensuring Avid remains deeply connected to the challenges, opportunities, and future of philanthropy while helping organizations leverage technology to build stronger donor relationships.
Prior to Avid, Erik held leadership roles with Virtuous, the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Boy Scouts of America, and other nonprofit organizations, building expertise in major gifts, capital campaigns, fundraising strategy, and organizational growth.
A sought-after keynote speaker and educator, Erik serves on the advisory board of Fundraising.AI and is a member of the Giving Institute. He is passionate about helping nonprofits combine empathy, innovation, and technology to create meaningful human connections and lasting impact.
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