The Team
Who We Are
Betsy Densmore, has a long career of providing leadership and developing leadership in others. As ASE’s Director, she has worked with over three hundred and fifty not-for-profit organizations, catalyzing tens of millions of dollars in new revenue for innovative charitable ventures. For several years, she served as an Adjunct Professor in the Social Entrepreneurship and Change Masters Program at Pepperdine University and in the Business Department of Golden West College. She also consults on programming at several other universities. Betsy Densmore is an entrepreneur herself, having founded three hospitality businesses, an insurance agency and two nonprofit organizations. She is co-owner of two restaurants. Prior to launching ASE, she lead programs for a global training and development organization, served as the Executive Director of a community foundation, ran an energy services social enterprise, and was a Manager of Consumer and Community Affairs for a Fortune 500 retailer. She is currently serving on the Boards of Innovative Housing Opportunities and the Corporation of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
949-500-2381
Isabelle Bart, Managing Director, has been actively involved in local philanthropy for more than ten years. She was previously the Executive Director of RevHub OC, where she managed partnerships and led operations for their social impact incubator/accelerator which focused on supporting social enterprises. Prior to RevHub, Isabelle had leadership roles in business planning, marketing strategy, and digital transformation for several organizations in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors. She has been a long-time supporter of social entrepreneurs, an innovation advisor at UCI Beall Applied Innovation, and as an advisor for the OCTANE nonprofit accelerator. Isabelle also serves on the Boards of Child Creativity Lab, Cancer Kinship, and Project Access and is a member of the global Catalyst 2030 group promoting and working towards achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from ESSEC Business School in Paris, France.
949-529-7183
Isabelle Bart
Managing Director
Archie L. Holton
CIO
Program Leader, is an entrepreneur, actor and executive coach. After running a successful plumbing business for twenty years, he recently opened two restaurants. Building on his own entrepreneurial experiences, Holton is a business coach. With over twenty years of experience as a transformative educator, Holton has worked with thousands of people, giving them the tools they needed to create their dreams as realities. He has also created a number of record-breaking sales teams. Love (he is known as the "Love Coach") and empowerment are keys to his unique style of training.
714-936-8022
Paul Van Berkom’s career demonstrates vast experience as a community leader and business manager in several different industries. In his youth, he became an Eagle Scout. He is a principal in a multimillion-dollar farm in North Dakota, with holdings of over 5 thousand acres. Meanwhile, in Southern California he developed expertise in marketing, buying, selling, creative finance, foreclosures, probates, property management as an independent real estate broker, with interest in properties in five states. He has also studied acting out of LA and has experience with film production. Most recently, he co-founded and co-manages the Santa Maria BBQ restaurant. Since 2013, he has served as a consultant for Academies for Social Entrepreneurship, equipping UCLA students and non for profits with the resources they need to create and sustain high-performing social enterprises. He holds an International Business degree from California State University Northridge and speaks a little German.
714-465-0987
Paul Van Berkom
Program Instructor
Lead Social Enterprise Trainer, Consultant & Coach, has been working with not-for-profit organizations for more than 25 years. Her focus is customized training and consulting services for not-for-profit organizations seeking assistance in diversifying revenue, increasing earned income, marketing planning, and strategic planning processes. Ms. Cohen also serves in Interim Executive Director positions in organizations with an earned income focus during periods of leadership transition. Ms. Cohen was the Director of New Business Ventures at HOPE Services for 3 years, an affiliate consultant with CompassPoint Nonprofit Services in the Bay Area for 6 years, Director of Business Development Services and Sr. Consultant with the National Center for Social Entrepreneurs for 5 years, and Chief Executive Officer of Project HIRED, a not-for-profit employment service serving individuals with disabilities, for 10 years. A long time resident of the Bay Area, she has served on the Boards of numerous local and national not-for-profit organizations.
408-761-5927
Janet S. Cohen
Consultant & Coach
