Founder & CEO

Trisha Cornwell is the founder and principal consultant of Capacity, a national social impact consulting firm specializing in nonprofit management and philanthropic advising. With 20 years of leadership experience in the social sector, she brings deep expertise, a breadth of skills, and a vast network to every engagement.

Today, Trisha leads strategic projects for nonprofits and foundations across the country, coaches emerging Executive Directors, and serves as Head of the Morcos Family Foundation in New York City.

A fierce advocate for educational equity and creating pathways to opportunity, Trisha began her career in 2006 as a bilingual fourth-grade math teacher at one of Houston's most underserved elementary schools through Teach For America. Since then, she has led teams across large traditional public school districts and charter management organizations, and most recently served as Executive Director of EMERGE — a college access nonprofit she grew from startup to $6M+ in annual revenue.

Trisha's areas of expertise include nonprofit management, fundraising, marketing, strategic planning, and talent operations.

Born and raised in Albany, NY, Trisha holds a BA in Education Policy and Advertising from Syracuse University and an MBA from Rice University. She has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Texas Business Journal and a Rising Star by Texas Executive Women.

In her free time, Trisha can be found collecting stamps on her passport, recharging in the Adirondacks, and spending time with her daughters, Noa and Maya.

Senior Consultant, Program Strategy

Whitney joins the Capacity team as a Senior Consultant focused on clients in the non-profit space.

She formally served as the Vice President of Program at EMERGE, a college access and success organization in Houston, Texas where she managed a team of 30+ employees, 5 school district partnerships, and a $3 million dollar operating budget.

She is highly skilled at program evaluation and design, data strategy, technology implementation, strategic planning and building team culture.

Whitney hold a BA from UCLA and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, visiting new restaurants, and traveling the world. In 2023, she spent time in France, Switzerland & Bali.