Our Board of Directors
Restless Development USA’s Board of Directors is made up of professionals and alumni from various fields including finance, media and the international development sector. The Board meets quarterly to discuss the strategy, growth, operations and financial management of Restless Development USA.
Barbara Spitzer – President and Chair
Barbara Spitzer is the USA Board Chair of Restless Development, where she inspires growth, purpose, and social impact, bringing a wealth of leadership expertise. Thrilled to contribute to the organization’s mission, she passionately mentors and develops young talents, empowering them to forge impactful careers and shape a brighter future.
Barbara is a trailblazer, dedicating her career to transforming organizations into thriving learning, growth, and fulfillment hubs. With a 35-year journey, Barbara’s commitment to global transformation through people has shaped her into a catalyst for positive change. Recently transitioning into a portfolio career, Barbara’s impact resonates across companies, non-profits, academia, and corporate boardrooms. Her mission extends beyond borders, encompassing youth leadership, disability inclusion, mental wellness, and the fight against food insecurity.
Krystle Cheirs-Roberts – Vice Chair
Krystle has over 15 years of experience in social justice work. As a grassroots community organizer, she worked in the service of human rights and self-determination of Filipino people, particularly women and girls, both in the USA and in the Philippines. Krystle has also served as a counsellor, program manager, and educator for the LGBTQIA+ community, families affected by chronic illness, and youth affected by homelessness, immigration, police harassment and incarceration, and violence. After building a social work career at organizations like Sadie Nash Leadership Project, The Door, District 75 schools, the Fortune Society, and Living Arts, Krystle decided to pursue a Masters in clinical practice with individuals, groups, and families at the Silberman School of Social Work. In addition to school and her role on the Restless Development USA Board of Directors, Krystle is a Legal Assistant at the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT & HIV Project. She lives and loves in Queens, New York.
Tiffany Agard – Chair of the Development Committee
Tiffany Agard is a rising finance professional, interested in investing in sustainable infrastructure and a better understanding of capital and equity markets. During her previous work in agricultural development, she realized how challenging change can be without proper investment in underlying infrastructure. Tiffany has previously worked on monitoring and evaluation projects in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Indonesia and supported business development for rural agripreneurs in Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Chile. She is most excited about the involvement of youth in tackling the world’s largest issues and promoting talent development and empowerment for young populations navigating the workforce. As a member of the Restless Development Board, she is encouraged by the collaboration and passion of young people and the profound impact that technology and social media have on providing a platform for collective action. Tiffany recently graduated from Cornell University with an MPA in economic and financial policy.
Kate Roberts
Kate has seen first-hand the ability of young visionaries to change the world in her decade of experience training leaders and supporting growing organizations. She has made it her mission to connect world-changing leaders to build meaningful collaborations and grow positive impact. As the Corporate and Foundations Development Manager at Rise Up, Kate develops relationships with institutional and corporate partners.
Kate began her career in program design and management with Restless Development and now serves as the Chair and Treasurer for their Board of Directors. More recently, she built partnerships for Mission Hub and supported startups and nonprofits as an independent strategist and consultant. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Kate has lived and worked on four continents and is now proud to call Oakland home. She holds Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Political Science from Williams College and an MBA from Yale University. She is an insatiable reader, a reluctant runner, and a surprising cardshark.
Scott Warren
Scott Warren is a fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently leading an initiative focused on exploring, researching, and convening a pro-democracy agenda in the USA, organizing convenings focused on bridging long-term and short-term fixes for democratic reform, and supporting cities in efforts to promote civic participation and democratic engagement.
At SNF Agora, he also launched Democracy Moves, an international network of youth activists pushing for democratic change, which is now part of Restless Development, and helped Johns Hopkins University in exploring its own role as a beacon of civic engagement and democracy. He has also advised USAID on youth civic and political engagement.
Scott is the founder of the national civics education organization Generation Citizen, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. He served as the organization’s CEO for more than 11 years, helping grow Generation Citizen to become one of the preeminent civics education organizations in the country. Warren published a book in 2019, Generation Citizen: The Power of Youth in Politics, and was named an Echoing Green Fellow in 2010, and a Draper Richards Kaplan Fellow in 2012.
Alex Kent
Alex Kent is the interim Co-CEO of Restless Development. She is a long-term advocate for Youth Power as one of the best ways to achieve a more just and sustainable world. At Restless Development she has led on the Decent Work Livelihoods, and partnerships with Dubai Cares, ADB, and Cambridge University as well as overseen the development of the Youth Collective. She has a background in campaigns, education and participatory research. With a Geography degree from Edinburgh University and a Masters from University College London in Education and International Development.
Alex has 20 years of experience working for WaterAid, Save the Children, Comic Relief and the Global Campaign for Education. She lived in Johannesburg for seven years and set up and ran a global education campaign, 1GOAL, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. She now lives in London with her partner and 3-year-old twins.
