Celebrating 30 Years of Idealist! Discover where we’ve been, and where we’re going.

Our Team

Image of Ami Dar

Ami Dar

Executive Director

As I say on this page, I started Idealist in 1995, and I am still here. In addition to what's on that page, two things I am proud to share are this conversation that TED invited me to have early last year with the Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad, and this graduation speech I gave back in 2011 where I spoke about my mother and about everything she taught me.

Image of Matthew Chavez

Matthew Chavez

Senior Producer

Inspired by Idealist’s mission after Ami Dar's talk at Creative Mornings, Matthew Chavez joined the team as a Senior Producer. In this role, he creates compelling videos, organizes engaging events, and facilitates impactful community initiatives. All aimed at furthering Idealist’s goal of fostering a more connected, supported, dignified world.

Outside of Idealist, Matthew is an NYC-based artist, educator, and author, known for his innovative participatory public installations like Subway Therapy, an acclaimed work that garnered him the Brendan Gill Prize from the Municipal Art Society of New York and the Demos Transforming America Award.

Driven by a passion for empowering others, Matthew co-founded Listening Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering social connections and personal growth through the practice of listening. Listening Lab develops transformative educational programs and public works designed to uplift communities.

He has many hobbies and interests including backpacking, traveling, people watching, video games, political/philosophical discourse, sewing, climbing, podcasting, and volunteering. Occasionally, you can find him in parks around NYC moonlighting as a surprise game show host.

Shannon Moore

Business Systems Coordinator

I’ve always believed that the more you focus on helping other people, the more you end up helping yourself. After many years in volunteer coordination, and exploring roles in finance and patient care, my own journey brought me to my current role at Idealist, where I can use everything I've learned along the way in a meaningful way! I really enjoy the daily challenges of problem-solving, learning new things, and supporting our incredible Idealist team with the tools they need to keep Idealist thriving.

I grew up figure skating, and dancing in South Africa, but these days, you’ll usually find me on our small holding. I’m often outside wrestling with fences, planting veggies, or earning blisters fighting an endless battle against grass. To recover, I love painting, reading, dreaming of traveling across the rest of Africa, and spending quality time with my family and our beloved floofs.