Our Advisors
Charlie Bresler, Co-Founder & Board Member
After careers as a graduate professor of psychology and as President of a large, public international retailer, Charlie actualized a long-standing goal of doing something socially impactful. He co-founded The Life You Can Save with Peter Singer in 2013 and provided seed money to jump start its growth. He served as volunteer Executive Director for eight years prior to turning the position over to Rickard Vikstrom.
Charlie lives in Washington State with his wife Diana, a family physician, who partners in supporting The Life You Can Save. His two children and grandchildren live nearby.
Rickard Vikstrom, Executive Director
After working as a nonprofit consultant, including global roles with the United Nations in Switzerland, India and Thailand as well as consulting assignments for a number of well-regarded nonprofits in Australia, Rickard joined The Life You Can Save as a volunteer. He quickly transitioned into a full-time staff position, working primarily on fundraising and partnerships. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2020 and to Executive Director in 2021.
Rickard is a citizen of Sweden and Australia and is currently based in Sydney where he lives with his long-term partner.
Katie Stanford, Research & Business Intelligence Manager
Katie Stanford is the Research & Business Intelligence Manager at The Life You Can Save. Prior to joining the team Katie has worked in the public health field and with child-serving nonprofits for two decades. Her recent work has focused on analyzing data to understand the diverse factors impacting community health, supporting policy, systems and environmental change to improve equity, and implementing programs to strengthen public health and wellbeing. She holds a master of science degree in data analytics. Katie lives in Washington State with her spouse and two children and – beyond contributing to a more just and compassionate world – enjoys yoga, keeps running, loves the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and thrives on social connection.
Louise Pfeiffer, Director of Philanthropy
Louise is a proud South Australian who was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology major) in the 1990s from the University of Adelaide. On graduating, she furthered her career in the highly competitive financial services sector for 17 years in Sydney and Melbourne, completing a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and a Master of Business Administration through Melbourne Business School during that time. She acquired extensive experience in account management and business development across retail banking, institutional stockbroking, funds management and superannuation, and consulted to some of Australia’s largest financial institutions. After returning to Adelaide, Louise ran her own financial planning business, while volunteering for a political party to influence legislative change to further animal rights.
Louise joins The Life You Can Save after being influenced by Peter Singer’s work while at university, where she minored in philosophy and ethics, and again after reading TLYCS after its first release in 2009. Driven to alleviate unnecessary suffering in the world, she joins The Life You Can Save eager to apply her business skills through a role that will have a huge positive impact on the lives of others.
Louise loves cooking, bridge and golf, and lives in the Adelaide Hills with her partner, two children and rescue animals.
Leslie Limpert, Director of Marketing and Fundraising Operations
Leslie joined the Team in 2021 and brings her vast experience in data management and direct marketing from both the for profit and nonprofit sectors. She currently leads direct marketing and supports our database management system. She works with the Team in customer relationship management (CRM).
She lives in Marin County, California with her husband, who works in commercial real estate, and nearby her grown daughter.
Constanza Bourdieu, Strategic Advisor, Partnerships and Major Donors
Prior to joining The Life You Can Save, Constanza worked 10 years as a corporate lawyer at law firms in Argentina, Australia and Uruguay, and was ranked in late 2021 as a Rising Star in Corporate Law by Legal 500. She specialized in Environmental Law at the University of New South Wales, where she was awarded Dean’s Recognition for her achievements in International Environmental Law. In parallel to her role at corporate law firms, Constanza has engaged in humanitarian and environmental matters during her free time.
In 2019 she joined UNESCO’s Chair on Sociocultural Anticipation and Resilience, where she focuses on research and preparation of policy briefs for decision makers. She is an external advisor and member of the board of Unplastify, and she has 18-month experience in refugee asylum-seeking and legal protection in Australia.
Constanza has now joined TLYCS on a full time basis to bridge the corporate world and the non-for-profit sector. She is eager to find and create strategic and innovative partnerships to help the organization continue to grow and expand into new regions. She’s also excited to manage the book translations and publishing agreements, and assist the whole team with their legal needs.
Constanza lives in Uruguay with her husband and son. She enjoys running, podcasts, and beach cleanups.
