Partners of the Month: Holly and Zachary Levow
We honor Holly and Zachary Levow as our first Partners of the Month in 2018. Their dedication to our investments and financial generosity as Partners have truly been game changers for us, having contributed significantly over the past three years. Their commitment to our mission and impact inspires and motivates many of us every day.
Holly and Zach were members of the SVP network before moving to Portland, serving as Partners at SV2, the Silicon Valley’s SVP affiliate. They joined SVP Portland in February of 2014, and since then they’ve been pushing us forward and upward. Holly has been the Lead Partner for our Latino Network investment since 2014, and under her leadership, SVP has been able to help Latino Network’s operating budget grow from $1.3 million in 2013 to $8.3 million today. Holly’s steadfast support and hard work had a deep impact on our Partnership and the work we’ve done together. The Levows are instilling their passion for philanthropy in their children as well—both are members of SVP Youth. And, as if all of her work for us wasn’t enough, she’s also one of our most generous donors. Zach is the CTO of Barracuda Networks, heading up innovation and development of Barracuda Networks’ solutions. Before that, he was the co-founder and vice president of engineering for Affinity Path, a self-service dial-up ISP with more than 4,000 Partners. He’s a pioneer in mail server development, remote access, and the free Internet space, and was named a 2007 Ernst & Young “Technology Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California” award recipient.Holly is just as inspirational outside of SVP as she is inside. She recently founded a boutique here in Portland called Foundation, which combines her passions for fashion and philanthropy. Each quarter, they select a nonprofit organization whose mission speaks to them, and at the end of the quarter, they donate 100% of the profits earned to the organization they chose to partner with. She’s also the co-founder of Equitas Entertainment Partners, a mission-driven production company focused on rebalancing the gender pay inequity in the entertainment industry, fostering a diverse work environment, and creating social impact. Her work exalts our Values and Behaviors—most prominently: partnering, leveraging unique assets, and taking responsibility for results.
Hear from Holly about her SVP experience:
What compelled you to join SVP?
Having experienced being on the receiving end of venture funding during my time working in startup companies in Silicon Valley, the idea of using that model in the philanthropic world resonated with me and I wanted to get involved.
What has been most rewarding for you thus far?
Seeing the direct impact in our community is by far the most rewarding. I have had the honor and privilege of working with Latino Network for the last four years. I have witnessed their organizational growth and have seen first-hand the joy and pride in the preschool graduates (and families) of their Juntos Aprendemos program.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to spend time traveling with my family and exploring new cultures, and (hopefully) opening my mind to new ways of thinking.