Partners
Our Mission
Second Nurture creates circles of compassion and support
for foster families so that they are held, resilient and successful—and kids have the loving, growthful relationships and resources they need to thrive.
We help families explore, pursue and thrive in fostering and adoption by mobilizing communities to support them every step of the way.
Personal, Communal and Social Responsibility:
We are all responsible for one another. The well-being of children, families, communities, and society are mutually reinforcing and must be cultivated toward empathy, love and strength. We partner with courageous, visionary, and open-minded communities that choose to prioritize the needs of children.
Our Values
Learning and Agility:
We seek best professional practices to live our values, and listen to each family and community to understand their unique needs and benefit from their wisdom.
Expertise and Collaboration:
Our work leverages the expertise of existing professionals and organizations as well as the skills of the membership, and the wisdom of our families.
Diversity:
We seek sustainable organizational diversity. And our partnerships support families regardless of parental marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, class or physical abilities.
L.A.
COLUMBUS
April Dinwoodie
BOSTON
April is a trans-racially adopted person and nationally recognized thought leader on adoption and foster care. April created a specialized mentoring program called Adoptment, where adults who were adopted and/or spent time in foster care serve as mentors to youth navigating foster care and adoption. To raise awareness surrounding the many layers of the adoption experience, April candidly shares her experiences at workshops, conferences, schools and via her iTunes podcast “Born in June, Raised in April.” Before she entered the non-profit world, April served as a senior level executive within the marketing and communications departments of some of today’s most recognized brands.
CHICAGO
Second Nurture is honored to work alongside individuals and organizations who are creating meaningful change for children and families.
Our Network
Tiffany is a comedian and actress. While growing up in foster care in South Central Los Angeles, her excessive talking and imaginary friends prompted her flustered social worker to steer her into stand-up comedy by enrolling her in the Laugh Factory’s Comedy Camp, a place for at-risk and underprivileged children to transform negative energy into something positive. The experience was just the beginning of her illustrious comedy career.
Tiffany Haddish
Michael McCullough
Mike is a technology CFO and Partner in a Venture Capital firm, with a past in auditing. He received his BBA degree from the University of Iowa and the Masters of Management degree from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. Michael is a licensed CPA, and a Business Management Professor at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Michael and his wife, Beth, have two daughters who joined their family through adoption from South Korea, and one birth son.
Denene Millner
Denene is the NYT best-selling author of 31 books. She is the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint for books featuring African American children and families, which have won Newbery, Caldecott and Coretta Scott King honors and the Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature. In 2008, she founded MyBrownBaby.com which has won numerous awards and worked with many top brands, from Disney to Target. Millner contributes to national publications, including Essence, NPR, Redbook and Glamour. Her extensive television appearances include the Today show, HLN, NPR and MSNBC. She co-hosts “A Seat at the Table'' and hosts “Speakeasy with Denene.” “The Fresh Princess: Style Rules,” the second in a series inspired by Will Smith’s iconic character, debuted in April 2020. Her upcoming novel, “The Beautiful Blood", preempted by St. Martin’s Press (U.S.) and Borough Press (U.K.,) will debut in eight countries in 2023. She lives in Atlanta with her two daughters.
Danny Stewart
Danny is the Director of Operations & Finance for Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Programs, providing services with homeless and street-involved young people. He has a BBS and an MA from Hardin-Simmons University and an MSW from Hunter College in New York. Danny resides in Manhattan with his husband, Pete. In August 2000, Danny found an abandoned newborn in the subway. That infant became their son, who is now in thriving in college and loves playing ultimate.
Peter Mutabazi
As a child, Peter ran away from an abusive home and was helped by the kindness of strangers. As an adult he helped children as he had been helped, and has fostered sixteen children, including the eventual adoption of his son. Peter is the founding director of Now I Am Known, which brings a message of hope to children who need it, affirming that they are heard, seen, loved, and known. Peter lives in North Carolina with his son and three foster children.
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Josh (“Yoshi”) Zweiback
Yoshi graduated from Princeton University and holds Rabbinic Ordination from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). He is Senior Rabbi at the Stephen Wise Temple in LA, a lecturer at HUC-JIR, and a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of Jerusalem’s Shalom Hartman Institute. He is the volunteer Founding Director of Kavod, a non-profit dedicated to protecting human dignity. He is the first board member of Second Nurture. He and his wife, Jacqueline, have three daughters.
Staff
Board Of Directors
Funders
NATIONAL
Colin Walters
Colin Walters, is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in operational leadership, sales strategy, and financial management. Currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Ronald McDonald House Charities in Chicago, IL, he partners with the executive team and Board of Directors to ensure the organization meets its mission objectives. Colin has a proven track record of transforming underperforming sites into profitable entities at companies like Intertek and Pace Analytical. Additionally, Colin has successfully integrated acquisitions, optimized service delivery, and launched new business lines throughout global settings. His career also includes teaching as an adjunct instructor at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Colin lives in Barrington, IL, with his wife and their three children.
Janet Iacobuzio
Janet has written thousands of produced, hour-long scripts for 7 network daytime serials, a web series and a jointly produced, US-Russian telenovela. She has 2 Emmy Awards, 7 Writers Guild of America Awards and more than 2 dozen nominations. Janet worked as a co-headwriter, breakdown writer, script writer and script editor during her 35 year career in television. Janet is a firm believer in the power of a liberal arts education and received her B.A. in English from Barnard College, Columbia University. In the years since, Janet has worked as a ghost writer, a freelance editor and as a consultant and editor with college-bound students on their biographical essays. Janet is a proud member of the WGA, East and NATAS and looks forward to her very first board experience with 2nd Nurture. She lives in Montclair, NJ.
