Team Upswell

Sarah, Drew and our partners

Upswell is Sarah Francis and Drew Bernard. We work in close partnership with Capulet and Virtual Labs, and with our research partners.

Portrait of Sarah Francis

Sarah Francis

Founding Partner · Campaigns & Impact

Sarah has spent 25 years designing and running campaigns, and she knows how to bring people together for a cause.

At Upswell, she helps clients plan and run social campaigns that serve their missions, from global health to disaster relief. In every project, her goal is to give clients the skills and confidence to succeed on their own.

Before founding Upswell, Sarah was the Director of Strategy at ActionSprout, where she helped hundreds of organizations learn to use Facebook for their causes and, later, was brought in as an internal member of the Facebook Health Partnerships team. Before that, she was the Chief Technology Officer at MomsRising, an advocacy organization focused on making America a family-friendly place. In five years, she helped grow MomsRising from twenty thousand members to one million across the country.

When Sarah’s not working, she might be found MIG welding, crocheting or playing in the woods.

Portrait of Drew Bernard

Drew Bernard

Founding Partner · Innovation & New Initiatives

Drew has spent more than two decades working in technology and social impact. His aim is to give people the technology and strategies to build a world that is healthier, more equitable and filled with joy.

At Upswell, Drew works on new initiatives. He’s happiest brainstorming with Upswell partners, looking for the places where the work can do the most good.

Before founding Upswell, Drew co-created an online platform that tens of thousands of NGOs around the world used to rally their communities through Social Action Campaigns on Facebook. His career in the social sector began in 2002 at a nonprofit that helped other nonprofits grow stronger, where he led a program on strategy and innovation.

When the laptop closes, you can usually find Drew hiking, biking, skiing or strumming one of the four chords he knows on the guitar.