Matt Ehlman is a co-founder of The Numad Group, The Garage coworking space and #MorningFillUp series. Matt said “yes” to a volunteer trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation while in college. Before leaving, the professor leading the trip predicted, “You’ll be back.” The professor was right. Matt returned to Pine Ridge Reservation, volunteering for Red Cloud Indian School. He left briefly to earn an MPA from Indiana University, and then at the age of 25, returned to live on the reservation and serve as vice president for advancement. He turned a planned operating deficit into a surplus during the great recession, brought fundraising professionals together around the country to implement plans and ultimately raised revenue to $70 million-plus during his five-year tenure. Matt is a 2015 Bush Fellow and is completing his doctoral degree in philanthropic studies, which is all but dissertation.
