INTERVIEWS

Podcast/Video Interviews by Stephen Ibaraki

A Chat with Greg Hagin: Principal & Managing Director, CCS Fundraising and Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar: Senior Vice President, Data Science & Analytics of CCS Fundraising

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Greg Hagin and Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar.

Greg Hagin, Principal & Managing Director, provides fundraising counsel and philanthropic advice to the nonprofit sector and social impact space. An original member of the CCS Board of Directors, he co-chaired the Innovation Committee and serves on the Finance and Audit Committee. Greg leads the firm's Philadelphia office in addition to its Data Analytics and Systems & Change Management practices. In his 20-plus years of experience, he has advised hundreds of executive leaders, philanthropic partnerships, and development initiatives that have raised over $10 billion collectively, positively impacting tens of millions of lives.

Recognized for his insights on the philanthropic landscape and emerging trends, Greg's engaging style and expertise have earned him invitations to speak at prestigious events and conferences across the globe. Most recently, Greg served as a global panelist at YPO Alpine FUTUREX and was an invited participant at the AI for Good Summit hosted by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU). A member of the Satell Institute's Board and Executive Committee, Greg chaired its 2024 Private CEO Conference, "Harnessing the Power of AI for Good". Greg has joined the World Economic Forum in Davos, and served as a Mentor for Unusual Pioneers, a global program established by Yunus Social Business, the World Economic Forum's Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, and Porticus. An accomplished writer and facilitator, Greg is the co-author of AI in Fundraising, which addresses the transformational potential of AI in modern fundraising practices. He has taught for more than a decade at The Wharton School and the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Deeply committed to the nonprofit community, Greg is a former Board member at Fairmount Park Conservancy and a past Board President for Habitat for Humanity of Philadelphia. He serves on the Board of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, Chairman's Council for the Mann Center, and the Development Council for U.S. Soccer Federation.

After opening CCS's flagship Philadelphia office in 2018, Greg was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal's 40 Under 40. He was later honored as one of Philadelphia's Most Admired CEOs and in 2023, joined YPO. Since 2020, CCS Philadelphia has been recognized as a Top-25 Management Consulting Firm in the Book of Lists.

Greg earned his MBA from the Wharton School and BA from Boston College. He began his career in sports broadcasting with NBC Olympics in Sydney and Salt Lake City, then ABC Sports in Japan and South Korea for the FIFA World Cup. With a passion for global engagement, he has visited, studied, and worked in over 45 countries, including all seven continents.

Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar is a leader in creating effective systems and processes with tools and technology. With his education in systems engineering, artificial intelligence, and design thinking, he has built novel solutions to improve fundraising results at the world's top nonprofit institutions.

He is sought after for his thought leadership about the application of AI in philanthropy. He has been featured in multiple journals and publications, including The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Ashutosh has written multiple books, including a co-authored book titled "Data Science for Fundraising." He is also the co-author of AI in Fundraising, which examines the rapidly growing role of artificial intelligence technologies in the nonprofit sector. In addition, Ashutosh has been invited to give keynotes about the power of data at national conferences such as AHP International, Apra, and CASE conferences.

At CCS, he leads the data science practice area, applying state-of-the-art techniques to improve fundraising results. He has provided innovative counsel to leading nonprofits such as United Way Worldwide, UNICEF USA, JDRF, the University of Southern California, Caltech, and the University of Michigan.

Ashutosh earned his PhD and MS in Industrial Engineering, specializing in machine learning, and an MS in design thinking. He is an active member of various professional organizations, including a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He also served a term on Apra's board, where he led the planning of the data science curriculum for the fundraising industry.