The Shared Humanity Project Leadership Team
Mark Bergel, Co-founder, Executive Director
Dr. Mark Bergel co-founded The Shared Humanity Project after 35 years of leading efforts in both the university and nonprofit sectors. He has created grassroots programs and services that have helped more than 300,000 children and adults living in poverty.
In 2018, Mark was inducted into both the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame, the only person to hold both honors.
Mark has also been selected as Washingtonian of the Year and as one of People Magazine’s “All-Stars Among Us.” He has also received the Cyrus A. Ansary Medal, the Dr. Augustus White III Award, the Roscoe R. Nix Leadership Award, and many other local and national recognitions.
Mark is currently developing large-scale, multi-sector solutions to domestic poverty while also consulting organizations in the U.S. and abroad on how to most effectively solve poverty in small communities and larger regions. His perspectives differ from mainstream approaches to poverty, believing that the solutions lie not with government but with individuals and groups in every sector — and especially with people in the communities where opportunities are most needed. Mark speaks to audiences of all sizes on poverty and myriad other social issues. He earned a B.A. from Northwestern University and received both Masters and Doctoral degrees from American University.
Katherin Ross Phillips, Co-founder
Dr. Katherin Ross Phillips worked for many years studying the reach and effectiveness of policies that support low-income working families. While at the Urban Institute and the Center for Policy Research, her research was cited to help support the expansion of paid leave, the minimum wage, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Before attending graduate school, Katherin worked for the Department of Health and Human Resources as a budget analyst and a member of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform.
Katherin has been a frequent speaker on poverty measurement and social policy at both the national and cross-national levels. As Vice President of Research at A Wider Circle, Katherin led efforts aimed at systemic change and better understanding and addressing poverty’s root causes.
Katherin has a Ph.D. in Social Science, a Master’s Degree in Economics from Syracuse University, and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.
