Some connections take a minute to click into place. Others have been there all along, just waiting for the right moment to surface.
That’s exactly what happened with Lara Sepanski Pimentel.
I’ve crossed paths with Lara more times this year than I can count. We’re both part of the same mastermind class at thINCubator. Our sons are in Cub Scouts Pack 93 together. And somewhere along the way, Lara turned to me and asked, “Did we go to high school together?”
Turns out, we did. She was a year behind me. Small world, right? It’s a reminder I keep having to relearn since moving back from the Long Island/NYC area: this community is deeply, wonderfully connected. People you knew as kids show up again as adults, running businesses, raising families, building something meaningful, right down the road from you. We even found another thread between us: we both went to Syracuse University for grad school, just not at the same time.
We finally got a real chance to talk business at, of all places, a goat farm. Our Cub Scout troop visited The Lavender Farm in Remsen, and while we held a few days-old baby goats, Lara and I dove into a conversation about content creation and building a social media presence. If you’re a one-person business owner, you know how tricky that balancing act can be. Turns out networking and holding baby goats go hand in hand. Highly recommend.
Who is Lara?
Lara is the founder of Osa Philanthropy, where she helps nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, both locally and globally, secure the funding and sponsorships they need to do their work. With around 20 years of experience and more than $23 million raised over her career, she partners with organizations to bring clarity to their mission, strengthen their internal systems, and build sustainable, growing revenue.
Her path to this work started as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, where she discovered her drive to do well by doing good. That experience, paired with a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse, shaped the way she now shows up for the nonprofits she serves: as a trusted, neutral partner who helps them find their footing and their funding.
And honestly, you can feel that energy the moment you’re around her. Lara is always smiling. Her warmth is contagious, whether she’s talking fundraising strategy or just standing in a field with a goat in her arms.
Why This Connection Matters
This is what I love most about this community. You think you know someone’s story, and then you find out you’ve actually known each other longer than you realized. You show up for your kids at a Scout event and walk away with a business connection. You hold a baby goat and end up talking about social media strategy (something I love talking about because after all that’s my jam content creation).
These are the moments the Connect Series exists to capture: the real, unplanned, human ways we build community around here.
If your organization is doing good work and could use help finding the funding to sustain it, connect with Lara and Osa Philanthropy at osaphilanthropy.com.
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