David Forte

David Forte is the Director of Research Translation and Strategic Initiatives at Opportunity Insights. In this role, David focuses on building out strategic activities that bring OI research into practice. David comes to OI from prior work in housing policy, including leading impact and evaluation efforts at the King County Housing Authority, and more recently, consulting on data analysis and evaluation with public agencies across the United States working to end homelessness. He also has experience as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School and in program evaluation and fund development roles with nonprofit organizations in Seattle, WA and Boston, MA.

David holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Texas A&M University.

Emily Leff

Emily Leff is a Research and Data Communications Associate at Opportunity Insights. Emily has worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Plural Connections, an interdisciplinary research and action lab whose mission is to use tools from data science and design to advance pluralism. Previously, she worked at Insurify, a Boston-based insurtech startup, as a Quantitative Content Writer and Data & Research Lead. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Data Analysis from Wesleyan University and Master of Science in Information Design & Data Visualization from Northeastern University.

Quianta Moore MD, JD

Quianta Moore MD, JD, is the Executive Director of The Hackett Center for Mental Health and the Executive Vice President of Health Equity at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Under Dr. Moore’s leadership, The Hackett Center is focused on creating transformative change for mental and relational health by co-creating evidence-based, community-informed policies, programs, and practices and bringing them to scale. Dr. Moore is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Moore is the owner and founder of Catapult Dreams, LLC, where she helps funders and non-profits enhance their social impact through evaluation, coaching, capacity building, and strategic planning.

Dr. Moore is an experienced, action-oriented researcher who has designed and conducted large-scale, state-wide evaluations of mental health initiatives and early childhood programs. Her research uses rigorous methods to answer important questions, which then inform the design of policies and programs that impact people and their communities.
Dr. Moore has dedicated her professional life to advancing health equity and protecting the future of the next generation through promoting early brain health, which is vital to breaking generational poverty and our country's future economic prosperity. She is the creator of Brain Builders, a parenting program that focuses on improving early brain development and building social cohesion among moms, improving health and economic outcomes.

Mayor Sylvester Turner gave Dr. Moore a proclamation acknowledging the impact of her work in the greater Houston area. She is also a Robert Wood Johnson Interdisciplinary Research Leader.

Amanda B. Timm

Amanda Timm is the principal and owner of Amanda Timm Consulting. With nearly 30 years of experience in the civic, nonprofit and community development fields, her consulting practice provides philanthropic and nonprofit clients with strategy, program design, training and facilitation services. She leads and supports through collaborative and consensus-based approaches that center people and community in the process.

Prior to consulting, Amanda was the Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Houston office for twelve years. While at LISC, she orchestrated the program’s strategic shift to a comprehensive approach for community development. The approach included family financial stability, community engagement, real estate strategy, housing finance, and health; all aimed to advance neighborhood efforts for people- and place-based transformation.
Amanda worked with teams of community leaders to launch two organizations: LINK Houston and the Houston Housing Collaborative. The organizations play strategic roles in enhancing Houston’s advocacy ecosystem by addressing equitable transportation and affordable housing.

Through appointments with leadership committees, Amanda has contributed to the policy agenda for City of Houston mayors and worked on issues including disaster recovery, comprehensive planning and workforce development. She currently serves as the board chair for LINK Houston.

Amanda holds degrees from Southwestern University and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. She makes her home in Houston with her husband and their three adult daughters who are at various stages of launching into the world.

Cary Wright

Cary Wright is the CEO of Good Reason Houston, a nonprofit dedicated to improving public education in Houston through collaboration with families, educators, policymakers, and philanthropists.

Prior to becoming CEO in 2023, Cary served as the Chief External Affairs Officer for Good Reason Houston. He spent nearly a decade with Teach For America, culminating in his role as Executive Director of the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Cary’s experience in public education, fundraising, public affairs, and nonprofit leadership spans over 15 years, including notable positions such as Press Secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives and an elementary school teacher in rural Mississippi.

Beyond his professional commitments, Cary actively contributes to the Houston community as a board member of Houstonians for Great Public Schools and as a member of the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Executive Committee. Cary is also a member of the Davidson College Alumni Association Board of Directors.
A native of Amarillo, Texas, Cary is the proud graduate of Texas public schools and received his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College where he studied English and Art History. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys traveling, exploring Houston’s culinary scene, and staying active. Cary resides in the Houston Heights with his boyfriend Nick and their beloved dogs, Memphis and Finn.

Diana Zarzuelo

Diana, a proud Houston native from an immigrant family, is dedicated to building a more equitable and opportunity-rich city. As Vice President of Community Impact at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, she leads the organization’s impactful work, from Understanding Houston—a regional awareness initiative developed with the Kinder Institute—to the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, which strengthens disaster response and resiliency. Her team oversees grants supporting economic mobility, intergenerational poverty reduction, and small business aid, benefiting hundreds of thousands across Houston and Texas.

Diana joined the Foundation in 2019, quickly advancing from Senior Director of Community Philanthropy to her current leadership role, where she collaborates closely with the CEO, Board, and community partners. Prior to the Foundation, Diana led data and innovation strategies at BakerRipley and served as a policy advisor under the Obama Administration, focusing on economic mobility. Her work is rooted in equity and expanding opportunities for families and communities.
She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor’s in psychology and cultural anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. Diana completed the CFLeads Executive Leadership Institute in 2022, was named one of Houston’s 40 Under 40 in 2023, and is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum. She serves on the Board of FuelEd and spends her free time with her husband, Luis Negreros, and their three children.