The Skillman Foundation

Kenneth S. Frierson joined the Foundation in May 2026 as the director of Ground Building and works with grant partners to influence education policy and systems change by amplifying community power.

Kenneth is a thought-leader and administrator with over 15 years of professional experience in education and philanthropy. His areas of expertise include fostering a sense of belonging for students in transition, youth leadership, access and equity programs, community and civic engagement, and grantmaking.

Kenneth has worked across all sectors of education, from K-12 teacher to successful administrator at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, creating pathways for underrepresented youth to access education. Prior to joining The Skillman Foundation, he was a program officer at the Ruth Mott Foundation in Flint, where he was a leader in the foundation’s race, equity, diversity, and inclusion work, as well as its civic engagement initiatives. Kenneth has consistently centered equity and championed community voice in his work.

Elizabeth Mugo (she/her) joined the Foundation as a data storyteller fellow in August 2026. In her role, she translates research and data analysis into compelling visualizations and narratives to help shape understanding, inform action, and support social change.

Born in Kenya and raised in the United States, education played a key role in Elizabeth’s understanding of the U.S., and educators—including her parents—helped her unlock opportunities beyond her wildest imagination. Prior to joining The Skillman Foundation, Elizabeth worked in social policy research as a research associate and analyst at Mathematica in D.C., where she led and supported research projects across a range of topics from economic mobility to education to child welfare. In these roles, she also developed her passion for place-based and community-driven approaches to policy change which she brings to her work at the Foundation.

Carolyn Gonzalez-Bright joined the Foundation in August 2026 as a department associate on the Program team. In this role, Carolyn supports the Program team’s strategic and operational work, helping to coordinate projects, strengthen internal processes, and advance the team’s grantmaking and programmatic priorities in alignment with the Foundation’s People Powered Education strategy.

A Detroit native, Carolyn, brings a deep commitment to young people and extensive experience in workforce development, youth programming, employer engagement, and cross-sector partnership building. Prior to joining The Skillman Foundation, she served as a work-based learning coordinator with Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation, where she helped connect young Detroiters to meaningful career exposure, work-based learning experiences, and employment opportunities while building partnerships across employers, community organizations, and workforce systems.

Carolyn’s approach to her work is grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and a belief that young people should have meaningful opportunities to shape their own futures. She is especially passionate about connecting education, workforce development, and community partnerships in ways that expand access and opportunity for Detroit youth.

Carly Grace joined the Foundation in August 2026 as a department associate. In her role she supports the Organizational Design & Development and the Communications teams.

Previously, Carly worked at the Detroit Regional Chamber, where she served as the manager of mobility initiatives for the MichAuto team. In that role, Carly managed a coalition of partners working on career exposure efforts for youth. Additionally, she supported the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative, an initiative designed to strengthen community colleges and increase the number of residents earning college degrees and high skill credentials.

Early in her career, Carly performed scheduling and outreach for Congresswoman Haley Stevens’ district office. She also served as a campaign coordinator for State Senator Mallory McMorrow’s first campaign. These experiences deepened her commitment to working with and on behalf of communities on macro-level systems change.

Maria Paton joined the Foundation as a department associate in August 2026. In this role, she provides logistical planning and coordination, as well as project execution assistance to ensure the operations team and the president’s office are running smoothly and effectively supported.

Maria has centered her career on community resilience initiatives, such as assisting survivors of natural disasters, providing patients with trauma-informed medical advocacy, planning mobile health clinics, and developing an emergency preparedness program by and for people with disabilities. Most recently, she supported statewide service members (ranging from ages 21 to 76) who contributed their time and talents to municipalities and nonprofits in service to the AmeriCorps state program at CEDAM, the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan. Connecting people with the resources necessary to reach their goals is at the heart of Maria’s professional background.

Patrice D. Wright joined the Foundation in August 2026 as the department associate for the Learning & Impact team. She is a dedicated education advocate and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience in data management, program implementation, and whole-child support. Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, Patrice is a lifelong Detroiter and a proud product of Detroit Public Schools. She attended Michigan State University, where she studied history and deepened her passion for social justice, education, and research.

Prior to joining The Skillman Foundation, Patrice began her career as an AmeriCorps member with Playworks Michigan, teaching social-emotional learning to K-5 students in Detroit. Most recently, she served as a program director for Communities in Schools of Michigan, where she solidified her commitment to surround students with a community of support by breaking down barriers to success.