Our Team

We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.

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Celeste C. Smith

Celeste has spent more than twenty years working at every layer of this field. She has led a $34 million grantmaking portfolio, supported a $2 million MacKenzie Scott grant, co-founded and stewarded a nationally recognized cultural organizing institution for over a decade, and held senior leadership across foundations, nonprofits, and federal service. She has been in rooms with donors, with boards, and with frontline workers, bringing them into the same room. That range is not a biography detail. It is how Grants and Grit works.

Founder and CEO
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Courtenay A. Barton

Courtenay has distributed $49 million in philanthropic grants since 2018 and most recently led a $60 million environmental justice fund serving 14 states, nearly 300 Native nations, and US Pacific territories. A former Program Director at the Cleveland Foundation, she created the Cleveland Black Futures Fund in 2020, a first-of-its-kind initiative for Black-led nonprofits that attracted investment from Facebook and continues to operate today. She brings rare depth in racially equitable grantmaking practice to the firm's advisory work.

Senior Advisor | Grantmaking and Racial Equity Strategy

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Faith, Justice, and Grants Strategy

Gina A. S. Robinson, PhD

Dr. Gina is a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of faith, racial justice, and philanthropy. With a PhD in Religious Education and experience as a program officer at a multi-million dollar foundation, she brings theological depth and grantmaking fluency to the work.

Sherylynn Sealy

Learning Design and Convening Strategy

Sherylynn brings policy, pedagogy, and presence to every space she holds. A former senior program manager at Grantmakers in the Arts, she leads the firm's curriculum design, facilitation, and convening work with structure, soul, and joy.

Jannah Smith

Digital Strategy and Content

Jannah leads the firm's digital presence and content strategy. She translates the firm's thinking into content that moves people, not just audiences, with clarity, cultural grounding, and a sharp eye for what actually lands.

Aaryn Smith

Creative Strategy and Visual Narrative

Aaryn shapes how the firm and its clients show up visually and in language. She brings a designer's eye and a strategist's mind to the work of making ideas visible and stories land.

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Donor Strategy and Relational Philanthropy

Laura Rock

Laura is a former funder and foundation founder who bridges transformational relationships between wealth holders and community-rooted organizations, helping move resources with meaning and accountability. She brings deep experience in relational philanthropy, fund development, and helping donors unlearn harmful giving behaviors.

Sadia Gul Nawab 

Cultural Strategy and Community Organizing

Sadia is a cultural organizer and MBA whose work spans violence intervention, decolonization, narrative reclamation, and the arts. She brings anthropological training, grant management experience, and deep Chicago roots to the firm's community-facing work.

Iara Muhammad 

Operations and Administrative Coordinator

Iara keeps the firm running behind the scenes. She manages systems, scheduling, and logistics so leadership can stay focused on strategy, relationships, and the work that matters.

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