Michelle Akapnitis

About Michelle Akapnitis

I didn’t start my career in philanthropy. I started in motion. As a dancer, I learned that mastery comes from systems: disciplined repetition, feedback loops, and a structure that allows creativity and rhythm to thrive. Those same principles drive how I approach fundraising today: It’s not about theory or flashy strategy decks…it’s about building systems and habits that move missions forward.Over my career, I’ve helped organizations raise more than $200 million to fuel social change, from leading a $16M annual fundraising team at a NYC education nonprofit to helping clients close $5M+ in new funding through my firm, MAP Fundraising.I founded MAP because I was tired of watching brilliant nonprofit leaders burn out trying to do everything alone. I saw executive directors juggling programs, boards, donors, and operations — all while being told to “just tell your story better” or “find more major donors.”That advice wasn’t wrong. It was just incomplete.Fundraising fails because systems break, emails don’t get sent, and no one has time to follow up. That’s where we come in.At MAP, we act as your embedded fundraising team - the strategists, operators, and development associates behind the curtain - building structure, tracking pipelines, managing follow-up, and yes, pressing send on the email that moves your mission forward. Our MAPing™ framework and use of AI tools like Cleopatra AI™ help under-resourced teams raise more with less, scaling income without scaling chaos.Outside of work, I’m usually back in motion — skiing, biking, or chasing my baby nieces around — or belting Taylor Swift lyrics with friends over a meal I definitely didn’t cook.I believe anyone trying to do good in the world deserves the same tools and confidence as the best-resourced organizations. My work is about equity, execution, and impact, helping good people do great work.If you’re a scrappy, mission-driven team ready to scale without the burnout — let’s talk. Action beats perfection every time.

Experience

1. Mentor

   SXSW

   Dec 2025 — Present

   Helping nonprofit and start up founders scale their organizations leveraging fundraising and ai

Education

• Columbia College Chicago

  Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

Skills

• Performing Arts
• Event Planning
• Musical Theatre
• Improvisation
• Choreography
• Art Education
• Teaching
• Contemporary Dance
• Art
• Dance
• Fine Art
• Social Media
• Jazz
• Ballet