Our Team

OUR TEAM

Dream big and get things done.

WORK WITH US
Leadership
Board of Directors
National Shared Services
Advisory Board
California New York City D.C. Metro Area Boston
Associate Board
New York City D.C. Metro Area Boston California
Regional Teams
Pittsburgh New York City D.C. Metro Area Boston California
Thais Rezende
President and Interim CEO

Thais Rezende

Position: President and Interim CEO
Thais comes to us from BizWorld, having formerly spent the last eight years as BizWorld's CEO, where she grew the organization to become the largest teacher-led entrepreneurship education non-profit in the world, serving over 850,000 students worldwide. She launched BizWorld’s innovative YES! Program to support young entrepreneurs to gain access to tools, mentorship, and capital needed to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. Thais holds an unwavering commitment to making economic opportunities and entrepreneurship education accessible to all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved and underrepresented backgrounds. She started her career in the non-profit world, focusing on micro-enterprise development. For eight years, she led the growth of innovative programming and the organizational expansion at Women’s Initiative for Self Employment. As the lead developer of the successful business propulsion program “SuccessLink,” she set a new national standard for entrepreneurship support services that became a national model. Thais worked for the Mexican Consulate as part of The Mexican Communities Abroad Team, where she helped implement and develop health, education, and business trade programs. Her background also includes journalism work in both TV and print, covering the tech industry. She resides with her husband and three daughters in Seattle.
Desiree Ford
Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Desiree Ford

Position: Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Email: dford@build.org
Betsy Neptune
Regional Executive Director
Boston

Betsy Neptune

Position: Regional Executive Director, Boston
Email: bneptune@build.org
Betsy Neptune comes to BUILD with over 15 years of experience in community economic development in Latin America and the U.S. She is passionate about creating a world in which everyone can have a job that they love and one through which they can grow and develop in order to have a positive impact. In her most recent role as the Chief of Economic Development for the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, she led economic recovery and resilience efforts for 101 cities and towns in Greater Boston. During her tenure, she expanded the work of the team beyond traditional economic development efforts, to include workforce development, digital access, and other strategies to advance wealth creation with a focus on reducing the racial wealth gap. Over the past year, her team played a key role in COVID response and recovery efforts throughout the Greater Boston region. Prior to that role, she led the Small Business Technical Assistance program for the City of Boston, after serving as the Executive Director of Egleston Square Main Street, an organization in Jamaica Plain/Roxbury whose mission is to support small businesses. This work was shaped by her experiences working in community economic development for several years in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Betsy has a heart for teaching, coaching, and entrepreneurship, so BUILD is a perfect fit. She has taught high school and graduate-level classes and also coaches existing and emerging entrepreneurs through her coaching business. She is a graduate of Trinity College with a degree in Anthropology and has certificates in Nonprofit Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. She received her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and lives in Boston.
Ryan Oliver
Regional Director
California

Ryan Oliver

Position: Regional Director, California
Email: rOliver@build.org
Ryan Oliver serves as Regional Executive Director for BUILD Bay Area and Los Angeles, holding primary responsibility for leading growth initiatives and directing strategy. Ryan brings twenty years of experience as an innovative educator, leader, and program designer in urban schools, from Boston and Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and East Oakland. Previously, Ryan served as Founding Program Director for BUILD Boston. A Bay Area native, Ryan has lived, learned, and worked on both coasts. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Education from California State University Monterey Bay, and Principal Certification from University of Pittsburgh.
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC
Email: swells@build.org
Roy Hirshland *Chair*
Chair
Innovation Savills

Roy Hirshland

Position: Chair, Innovation Savills
Eldridge Gray *Treasurer*
Managing Director
Seven Post Investment Office LP

Eldridge Gray

Position: Managing Director, Seven Post Investment Office LP
Doug Brien *Secretary*
Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Mynd

Doug Brien

Position: Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mynd
Ajay Agarwal
Managing Director
Bain Capital Ventures

Ajay Agarwal

Position: Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
Ajay invests in early-stage software with a focus on front-office SaaS, AI/ML infrastructure, and supply chain technology. Prior to Bain Capital Ventures, Ajay led product and sales as an early employee at Trilogy, an enterprise software pioneer, growing annual revenues to $300 million. Ajay’s primary investment themes include AI-enabled applications (Clari, Gainsight), the future of work (Homebase), bottom-up and developer led software (Sendgrid), supply chain and manufacturing transformation (FourKites, ShipBob, Vention), and automation (Ike). Ajay served as board director of several exited companies with combined outcomes of nearly $5 Billion, including SendGrid (acq. by Twilio), TellApart (acq. by Twitter), Kiva Systems (acq. by Amazon), and InfoScout (acq. by Vista Equity), and has been named multiple times to the Forbes Midas List Top 100 Venture Capitalists. As employee #18 and SVP Product, Sales & Marketing at Trilogy Software, Ajay built a legendary recruiting program, signed multi-million-dollar contracts with Fortune 500 customers, and delivered breakthrough enterprise products, including market leading config-price-quote (CPQ) software. Ajay holds a patent for the “Method and Apparatus of Configuration Solutions”. Combining his track record at Trilogy with 17 years of investment experience at Bain Capital Ventures, Ajay’s passion is working with early stage founders on team-building, culture, iterating on product-market fit, and scaling go-to-market operations.
Mohamed Fahmi
Regional Managing Director
First Republic Bank

Mohamed Fahmi

Position: Regional Managing Director, First Republic Bank
Dora Gougoufkas *DC Chair*
Managing Vice President
Capital One

Dora Gougoufkas

Position: Managing Vice President, Capital One
Karl Jacob
Serial Entrepreneur

Karl Jacob

Position: Serial Entrepreneur
Gagan Kanjlia
Chief Product Officer
Silicon Valley Bank

Gagan Kanjlia

Position: Chief Product Officer, Silicon Valley Bank
David Li *California Co-Chair*
Managing Partner
Arenova

David Li

Position: Managing Partner, Arenova
David Peinsipp
Partner
Cooley

David Peinsipp

Position: Partner, Cooley
Mike Portegello *NYC Chair*
Partner
Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader
Ernst & Young LLP

Mike Portegello

Position: Partner, Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP
Mike Portegello is an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where he brings more than 30 years of international and domestic experience in public accounting serving publicly traded companies with operations in both the US and abroad. Currently, he serves as the Northeast Region Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) Leader to provide services that help companies navigate the various aspects of a growth-oriented enterprise. SGM is a global network of EY professionals advising the full spectrum of dynamic, fast-moving and groundbreaking companies around the world, including VC-backed/private equity companies and their investors, large private and family enterprises, IPO-bound companies, and public companies in the Russell 3000 and 2000 indexes.​ ​ Throughout his career, Mike has worked with clients in New York and California, as well as internationally. He has served US registrants and foreign private issuers on SEC matters including initial public offerings (IPOs), public and private debt offerings, quarterly and annual filings, acquisitions, divestitures, and stock registrations. ​ ​ Previously, he provided overall management and led high performing teams to deliver audit services to New York State and Connecticut area clients. He continues to work closely with multinational organizations as well as high growth phase companies in the software/technology, media and entertainment, and leasing industries.​ ​ Prior to this role, Mike served as Strategic Growth Markets Leader for New York, leading a multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals in providing perspective to and advising our emerging, IPO-bound, entrepreneurial clients on accelerating their growth. In addition, he has served as a Co-Director of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New York program. ​ Mike graduated Suma Cum Laude from St. John’s University and received his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.
Thais Rezende
President and Interim CEO
BUILD

Thais Rezende

Position: President and Interim CEO, BUILD
Thais comes to us from BizWorld, having formerly spent the last eight years as BizWorld's CEO, where she grew the organization to become the largest teacher-led entrepreneurship education non-profit in the world, serving over 850,000 students worldwide. She launched BizWorld’s innovative YES! Program to support young entrepreneurs to gain access to tools, mentorship, and capital needed to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. Thais holds an unwavering commitment to making economic opportunities and entrepreneurship education accessible to all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved and underrepresented backgrounds. She started her career in the non-profit world, focusing on micro-enterprise development. For eight years, she led the growth of innovative programming and the organizational expansion at Women’s Initiative for Self Employment. As the lead developer of the successful business propulsion program “SuccessLink,” she set a new national standard for entrepreneurship support services that became a national model. Thais worked for the Mexican Consulate as part of The Mexican Communities Abroad Team, where she helped implement and develop health, education, and business trade programs. Her background also includes journalism work in both TV and print, covering the tech industry. She resides with her husband and three daughters in Seattle.
Trish Walker *Boston Chair*
Founder
My Daily Dash

Trish Walker

Position: Founder, My Daily Dash
Jack Dorsey, Emeritus
Co-founder and Former CEO of Twitter
Co-founder
Principal Executive Officer and Chairperson of Block
Inc.

Jack Dorsey, Emeritus

Position: Co-founder and Former CEO of Twitter, Co-founder, Principal Executive Officer and Chairperson of Block, Inc.
Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, Emeritus
Founder
BUILD

Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, Emeritus

Position: Founder, BUILD
Catherine De Jesus
Senior Staff Accountant

Catherine De Jesus

Position: Senior Staff Accountant
Cindy Pineda
Director of Pathways

Cindy Pineda

Position: Director of Pathways
Cindy Pineda is a mission-driven educator with over 10 years of experience who has dedicated her life to youth development, fighting social injustices and closing the achievement gap. She cares deeply about future generations and seeks to leave a legacy through everything she does. Hailing from the sunny city of Los Angeles, she attended the University of California Berkeley, where she received her Bachelors’ in Psychology with a minor in Public Policy. Upon graduation, Cindy interned in Washington DC, working on educational policy reform on Capitol Hill. While in Washington, she moved on to work as an Academic Advisor for a non-profit organization called Upward Bound, chaired the Policy Committee for the District of Colombia of Consolidated Services and worked for the US Census Bureau. Her interest in international education came after she worked on and led various Latin American education development projects in Colombia and El Salvador. Being a huge advocate for social change and multicultural exposure, Cindy was devoted to bring students of all backgrounds together to share their stories and experience the world from different perspectives. This interest led her to pursue a Master's in International Education with a focus on development at New Yok University. While at NYU, she continued her career as the Assistant Director of the Field Projects office. There, she managed the daily operations of all civic engagement, college preparation and community outreach programs with NYC public schools, and designed first-year college programs. At BUILD, Cindy has spent the last 4 years instilling and developing entrepreneurial lessons to a budding group of students in NYC communities. Her innovative ideas and program design have been instrumental in improving the student experience. She serves as an imputation to the first graduating class to become the best they can be, add value to others lives and explore the world as evidence by lessons learned in her travel of over 30 countries. Cindy is obsessed with tacos and french-fries., and loves to try new foods wherever she goes. On her free time, Cindy likes to work out, do yoga, run, cook, show off her dancing skills or just sit at a park on a sunny day and read a good book.
Julie Tumasz
Director of Creatives
Communications & Marketing

Julie Tumasz

Position: Director of Creatives, Communications & Marketing
Email: jtumasz@build.org
Julie brings her passion for visual storytelling, entrepreneurship and digital design while leading the Communications and Marketing Department at BUILD.org. She uses her positive energy and strategic digital tactics to bring the spark to BUILD's national communications plan, digital campaigns and video production. Julie comes to BUILD after working with the United Nations as a digital content analyst/video producer where she produced, edited and shot promotional videos in Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Hawaii to spotlight grassroots organizations and local sustainable development solutions to be showcased at the UN Climate Change Summit. Julie’s passion for entrepreneurship comes after co-founding the nonprofit organization, Design Xchange in 2019, a startup providing training to Ugandan social enterprises in digital communications. While working in Liberia as a Visual Storytelling Consultant at the nonprofit Accountability Lab, Julie developed her interest for nonprofit communications while producing digital marketing content promoting accountability and exposing corruption. Julie first developed her passion for education as a teacher during her 2 year Peace Corps service in the small village of Zvan, Macedonia. Julie’s love for teaching only grew while teaching internationally in Morocco and Myanmar in the years following her Peace Corps Service. Julie completed her MPA in Development Practice at Columbia University with a specialization in Technology, Media and Communication. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design with a minor in Film Production from the University of Virginia.
Marisol Adriana Burgueño
Senior Manager of Digital Strategies and Innovation

Marisol Adriana Burgueño

Position: Senior Manager of Digital Strategies and Innovation
Marisol Adriana Burgueño is the National Senior Manager of Digital Strategies and Innovation. Before BUILD, Marisol dedicated her career to public advocacy and the intersection of design and social impact. Marisol received her Master’s in Product Design & Development from ELISAVA Barcelona School of Engineering and holds a Bachelors in Industrial Design from California College of the Arts. Marisol started her career by working in various roles in product design and visual communications for social entrepreneurship companies. After leaving the for-profit sector, she put her knowledge of design and background in communications to use, working with nonprofit anti-violence organizations and educational programs for under-served youth in the Bay Area. Marisol’s goals are fueled by her passion to bring an end to the cycles of violence and poverty in her community. She is focused on strengthening community partnerships, increasing access to resources and public awareness.
Mo Foster
Senior Program Manager
Product Development

Mo Foster

Position: Senior Program Manager, Product Development
Norbert Koput
Budget & Financial Report Analyst

Norbert Koput

Position: Budget & Financial Report Analyst
Email: nkoput@build.org
Norbert joins BUILD after several years of experience in analytical roles within the real estate industry. In his last role, Norbert guided his team through monthly forecasts and the yearly budget process. He was also vital in implementing a new FP&A software for 130+ users within the company. Norbert is a numbers-oriented individual who likes to use data to tell a story and drive business decisions. He is ecstatic to join the BUILD team and looks forward to being part of the "spark" that positively impacts future generations. Norbert loves to learn new things and try new activities. He is currently learning about blogging and how to make latte art, and his favorite things to do in his free time include pickleball, bouldering, and skiing. Norbert holds a bachelor's degree in Business Finance from Cornell College.
Pepper Hayes
Director
Development Operations & Communications

Pepper Hayes

Position: Director, Development Operations & Communications
Email: Phayes@build.org
Pepper Hayes loves to crunch numbers and look for patterns in data. She uses these insights to coach BUILD’s development teams to raise the funds we need to support BUILD students. As Director of Development Operations and Communications she maintains our infrastructure for fundraising operations and oversees donor communication and stewardship. As an entrepreneur herself, Pepper knows first-hand how empowering the experience can be and was immediately drawn to BUILD’s mission, which inspired her to leave her career in law in 2014 to join the BUILD team. Pepper is an enthusiastic cat-lover and blogs about her knitting adventures in her spare time. She holds a BA in History, Philosophy, and Gender Studies from Westminster College and earned her JD at the Boston University School of Law.
Rashaida Melvin
Program Director
National Partnerships

Rashaida Melvin

Position: Program Director, National Partnerships
Email: rmelvin@build.org
Rashaida is a lifelong educator who enjoys providing life-changing opportunities to students and coaching and supporting teachers. She joined BUILD as its first Satellite Program Director, supporting partner schools and organizations across the country to implement the BUILD experience with their students. Her support ranged from curriculum development to student event support.  She now serves as Program Director, National Partnerships. Rashaida's goal is to support teachers and students as BUILD expands across the country. Rashaida is excited to join the BUILD team so that she can combine her love for coaching teachers with entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur herself, Rashaida has learned how to run and manage her own businesses through trial and error. She recognizes the value that BUILD provides as we teach students the skills early on that allow them to thrive as young entrepreneurs, ready to be successful young adults in the 21st Century. Rashaida finds value in knowing that her work with BUILD provides new opportunities for students that look like her, opportunities that students of color deserve to receive, but often are denied simply due to the color of their skin or where they live. Rashaida comes to BUILD after serving as a school leader, leading a team of instructional coaches, and teaching in the classroom. Every day Rashaida strives to provide positive opportunities for students so that they may dream big, aim high, and shatter glass ceilings.
Roy Suruki
Director of Finance

Roy Suruki

Position: Director of Finance
Steve Mea
Operations Manager

Steve Mea

Position: Operations Manager
Steve Mea joined BUILD in 2016 and currently serves as Operations Manager for the National Shared Services team. In this role, he supports our organization by keeping tabs on our technology, government filings, insurance coverage, external vendors and contractors, and student program operations. Before stepping in to this position, Steve was a member of the Boston Program team as a Youth Engagement Coordinator and Student Experience Program Manager, in which he supported students, teachers, mentors, and staff in all aspects of the BUILD program. Prior to his time with BUILD, Steve worked for the Germantown Historical Society in Philadelphia and led educational tours of historic homes for 4th and 5th graders. Steve attended Millersville University of Pennsylvania where he studied History and Governmental & Political Affairs, and currently resides in Philadelphia with his Fiancé, rabbit, and two cats. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the drum kit for his band at local Philly-area venues. "I BUILD because of the incredible impact the program has on students, school communities, and families. I saw this first hand as a member of the Boston Program team, and am fortunate enough to continue this work remotely in Philadelphia. An education in business provides a young person with 21st century skills that their normal course load does not have the time to cover. It empowers them to realize their dreams, and graduate from high school with a vision for the future." -Steve Mea
Tony Shavers III
Assistant Director of Donor Engagement

Tony Shavers III

Position: Assistant Director of Donor Engagement
Email: tshavers@build.org
Tony Shavers III joins the BUILD National team as the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement. Before joining BUILD, Tony was the Development Officer at the University of Maryland and previously served as the Leadership Annual Giving Officer at San Jose State University. In these roles, he secured several impactful gifts supporting campus-wide initiatives. Prior to working in higher education, Tony was a Youth Advocate for Community Works West-Project WHAT! (a leadership development program for children of incarcerated parents.) As an alumnus of BUILD (Class of 2010), Tony is excited to come full circle and credits the program for giving him the confidence to believe in his abilities. He recently authored his first book: Is Your Dream Really Worth It? Tony holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from California State University, East Bay.
Aaron Cline
Worldwide Digital Revenue & Accounting
Electronic Arts (EA)

Aaron Cline

Position: Worldwide Digital Revenue & Accounting, Electronic Arts (EA)
Aaron Ow-Yeang
Partner
EY

Aaron Ow-Yeang

Position: Partner, EY
Adeleke Omitowoju
Principal
Groundwork

Adeleke Omitowoju

Position: Principal, Groundwork
Albino Sanchez
CEO & Founder
Aha! Impact

Albino Sanchez

Position: CEO & Founder, Aha! Impact
Alvina Antar
Chief Information Officer
Okta

Alvina Antar

Position: Chief Information Officer, Okta
Alyssa Lim-Sweet
CAO
Global Business Manager
Wholesale Operations
Nomura

Alyssa Lim-Sweet

Position: CAO, Global Business Manager, Wholesale Operations, Nomura
Andrea Atwell
NYC Regional Board Chair
VP eCommerce
L’Oreal USA

Andrea Atwell

Position: NYC Regional Board Chair, VP eCommerce, L’Oreal USA
Andrea Atwell is the Vice President eCommerce for L’Oreal USA. Prior to this position, she was VP of US Market Supply Chain at L’Oreal’s Luxe Division. Her responsibilities included business, demand and supply planning, and customer care, with the vision of leveraging improved supply chain results to drive strategic relationships with L’Oreal’s US customers. Andrea has helped to lead significant planning process initiatives for L’Oreal which has transformed forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory results, including managing the supply chain and human transitions of 3 major acquisitions for L’Oreal USA. Andrea’s efforts helped to shape the partnership between the supply chain and brands in L’Oreal, shifting the culture to drive operational awareness, improved results and competitive advantage. Prior to her 10 years at L’Oreal, Andrea has worked in the medical device and food & beverage industries.​ Andrea has 15 years of supply chain experience and a true passion for leading and developing teams and recognizing and growing talent. She was recognized as a 2015 Visionary Leader by Consumer Goods Technology for her approach in prioritizing people and leadership to drive supply chain results. Andrea’s leadership has demonstrated that by focusing on people and creating a culture of change leaders, no business challenge is insurmountable. Andrea is also a frequent speaker on supply chain planning and talent development.​ ​ Andrea has a BA in Marketing from Michigan State University.
Andrea Dimarco
CFO
Strivacity

Andrea Dimarco

Position: CFO, Strivacity
Andy Torelli
Senior Vice President
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Andy Torelli

Position: Senior Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Anthony Craigwell
Sales Development Representative
Lumafield

Anthony Craigwell

Position: Sales Development Representative, Lumafield
Antonio Aponte
Chief Accounting Officer
Attentive

Antonio Aponte

Position: Chief Accounting Officer, Attentive
Ay’Anna Moody
Senior Director
Social Impact at Golden State Warriors

Ay’Anna Moody

Position: Senior Director, Social Impact at Golden State Warriors
Bruce Sandys
Entrepeneur

Bruce Sandys

Position: Entrepeneur
Bruce has been an entrepreneur in New York City for more than 30 years. After graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he was the co-founder and president of Crescent Communications, which he helped grow into the largest privately-owned pay telephone company in New York City. After selling his payphone route, he attended Stanford Law School. During his time there, he assisted Suzanne McKechnie Klahr during BUILD’s formative stages and had the honor of being one of BUILD’s first mentors. Returning to New York after graduation, Bruce founded BAS Communications, through which he built and then sold one of the largest owner operated ATM portfolios in New York City. His most recent venture was as a co-founder and CFO of a litigation finance provider.
Camille Peaks
Vice President
Integrated Sales and Marketing
Olympics and Paralympics
NBC

Camille Peaks

Position: Vice President, Integrated Sales and Marketing, Olympics and Paralympics, NBC
   
Candice Tang
VP
Developer Experience & Runtime Platform
Expedia

Candice Tang

Position: VP, Developer Experience & Runtime Platform, Expedia
Carlos Hernandez
Vice President
Technical Operations
NBCUniversalMedia

Carlos Hernandez

Position: Vice President, Technical Operations, NBCUniversalMedia
Carlton J. Charles
Senior Vice President
Treasury & Risk Management
Hearst

Carlton J. Charles

Position: Senior Vice President, Treasury & Risk Management, Hearst
Carlton Charles, Vice President, and Treasurer, Hearst, serves as global treasurer, oversees Risk Management and Insurance, leads the company’s Risk Working Group and is on the Board of Advisors of Hearst Labs, Hearst’s platform for nurturing and grooming early-stage, women-led companies. Carlton has demonstrated financial acumen through a 30-year career in treasury and risk management. Carlton was an early architect of the Enterprise Risk Management program for Moody’s Corporation, a SEC regulated company and one of the largest rating agencies in the world. Carlton regularly reported to the Moody’s board on treasury and enterprise risk topics.​ Carlton also developed the operational risk management program for Hearst and is chair of the company’s Risk Working Group. Among the focus areas for the group are cybersecurity and data privacy. Carlton has created an annual risk summit which is an annual convening of CFOs and CTOs from across Hearst’s businesses. Prior to Moody’s, Carlton held increasingly responsible positions in treasury and risk management for International Paper, Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Viacom and Philip Morris. ​ Carlton currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Hearst Lab, has been working with a group of professionals to establish a business accelerator in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx, was recently on the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College and previously served on The Board of the Bronx Preparatory Charter School.​ ​Carlton holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a Masters in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from SUNY at Stony Brook.
Cendy Moliere
Search Engine Optimization Specialist
eGenerationMarketing

Cendy Moliere

Position: Search Engine Optimization Specialist, eGenerationMarketing
Charisse Jacques
GM and COO Customer & Category Management Solutions
SymphonyAI Retail

Charisse Jacques

Position: GM and COO Customer & Category Management Solutions, SymphonyAI Retail
Christian Souza
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
Courtney Bernabei
Director
Integrated Marketing Strategy-Partnerships
Silicon Valley Bank

Courtney Bernabei

Position: Director, Integrated Marketing Strategy-Partnerships, Silicon Valley Bank
Courtney is a marketing leader with over 18 years of experience. She's led accounts at various advertising agencies managing internal and external client marketing needs – from strategy evolution through to creative development and execution across all mediums. Some of her key clients include; Northrop Grumman, Amazon, Walmart, LEGO, ConAgra, Samsung, and NBA. In 2017 Courtney co-founded PAL, a childcare tech platform, which was acquired in 2019. In 2021 she joined the Techstars NY Accelerator as the Marketing Expert in Residence where she advised early-stage startups on branding and marketing. Courtney holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Denison University and is currently at Silicon Valley Bank as the Integrated Marketing Strategy Director for Partnerships.   Courtney has a career that spans contributing as a Marketing Expert in Residency at Techstars, founding a company that was acquired in 2019 and leading digital marketing engagements with clients while working on the agency-side.  Courtney graduated from Columbia Business School - attending business school part-time while juggling a full-time job and starting a company. She is currently at Silicon Valley Bank as the Integrated Marketing Strategy Director for Partnerships.
Dan Vallimarescu
Founder
Sawtooth Mountain Partners
LLC

Dan Vallimarescu

Position: Founder, Sawtooth Mountain Partners, LLC
Dan is the CEO of an e-learning startup called Nardagani and is involved in a number of other investment and philanthropic activities.​ Prior to that, Dan ran the Americas Debt Capital Markets Group for Santander Investment Securities for 11 years and the Latin America Debt Capital Markets Group, among other businesses, at Merrill Lynch for 13 years. Early in his career, he worked at The World Bank and the Bank of Boston. ​ Dan received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his MBA from Insead.
Danielle Conkling
Director
Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG at Silicon Valley Bank

Danielle Conkling

Position: Director, Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG at Silicon Valley Bank
David Li
Managing Partner
Arenova

David Li

Position: Managing Partner, Arenova
David Toney
Senior Vice President
Development
Akridge

David Toney

Position: Senior Vice President, Development, Akridge
Donald Wright
Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion
City of Boston

Donald Wright

Position: Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, City of Boston
Dora Gougoufkas
Managing Vice President
Capital One

Dora Gougoufkas

Position: Managing Vice President, Capital One
Elton Kwok
Head of California and Nevada at WeWork

Elton Kwok

Position: Head of California and Nevada at WeWork
Esau Sanchez-Diaz
Regional VP of Customer Success
Amplify

Esau Sanchez-Diaz

Position: Regional VP of Customer Success, Amplify
Frank Graziano
Partner
PwC

Frank Graziano

Position: Partner, PwC
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Grant Williams
Director
Business Development
Macro Solutions

Grant Williams

Position: Director, Business Development, Macro Solutions
Gregory Hendler
Partner
Assurance Services
Ernst & Young

Gregory Hendler

Position: Partner, Assurance Services, Ernst & Young
Isai Serrano
Digital Media and Communications CTE teacher and BUILD Coordinator
Ralph McKee High School

Isai Serrano

Position: Digital Media and Communications CTE teacher and BUILD Coordinator, Ralph McKee High School
Isai started his career in the print industry going from an estimator to production/ outsourcing manager and later a production artist and Account specialist. After working with the top cosmetics, publishing, and entertainment companies, Isai shifted gears and became a CTE teacher in 2009. He has taught graphic arts, financial management and now entrepreneurship and digital marketing through BUILD. His goal is to impact students and help them achieve the potential they have yet to see in themselves. His claim to fame are his students' achievements many of which are now leaders in their respective industries. Currently Isai is a certified work-based learning coordinator providing all the students at Ralph McKee High School opportunities to engage in their career interest though field experiences. 

Jamie Bader
Executive Advisor
EY-Parthenon

Jamie Bader

Position: Executive Advisor, EY-Parthenon
Jan McAdoo
Co-Founder/CEO
MacPac Entertainment

Jan McAdoo

Position: Co-Founder/CEO, MacPac Entertainment
Jeff Glass
CEO
Hometap Equity Partners

Jeff Glass

Position: CEO, Hometap Equity Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
John H. Lee
COO
Divvy Homes

John H. Lee

Position: COO, Divvy Homes
Jon Kanter
CFO
Public Consulting Group

Jon Kanter

Position: CFO, Public Consulting Group
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jon Lang
Partner
EY

Jon Lang

Position: Partner, EY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Joshua Cook
Partner
Goodwin

Joshua Cook

Position: Partner, Goodwin
Justin Bodner
Senior Manager
Strategy
Deloitte

Justin Bodner

Position: Senior Manager, Strategy, Deloitte
Kanika Mediratta
Senior Director- Foundation
General Atlantic

Kanika Mediratta

Position: Senior Director- Foundation, General Atlantic
Katerina Sokolova
Head of Growth Initiatives
BNY Mellon

Katerina Sokolova

Position: Head of Growth Initiatives, BNY Mellon
Keith Jackson
Manager
PBWM Trust & Fiduciary for SVB Financial Group

Keith Jackson

Position: Manager, PBWM Trust & Fiduciary for SVB Financial Group
Kevin Perry
Management Consultant - Advisory Senior Associate
Financial Services
PwC

Kevin Perry

Position: Management Consultant - Advisory Senior Associate, Financial Services, PwC
LaMar Bunts
Chief Transformation Officer
Dartmouth College

LaMar Bunts

Position: Chief Transformation Officer, Dartmouth College
Lars Hens
Executive Vice President
California Bank & Trust

Lars Hens

Position: Executive Vice President, California Bank & Trust
Lindsay Simonds
Managing Director and Principal
Lindsay Simonds Consulting

Lindsay Simonds

Position: Managing Director and Principal, Lindsay Simonds Consulting
Louis Chang
Founder and Managing Partner
Gavilan Investment Partners

Louis Chang

Position: Founder and Managing Partner, Gavilan Investment Partners
Matt Doherty
Co-Founder
ResoluteAI

Matt Doherty

Position: Co-Founder, ResoluteAI
Matt brings to BUILD NYC a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship and technology leadership. Matt is the founder of ResoluteAI, a venture-backed SaaS startup building enterprise search solutions for R&D organizations. Prior to Resolute, Matt founded ZergNet, an ad-tech startup currently serving over a billion ads daily. Earlier in his career, he was the VP of Engineering for Fina Technologies, where he built trading systems using machine learning. He has also lectured at NYU on machine learning and other computer science topics. Matt is passionate about advocating for children and underserved communities. He is a former board member of the Child Care Resource Center, a nonprofit helping families find and afford quality child care. Matt has also often served as a volunteer tutor for high school and middle school children in New York City through organizations such as New York Cares. Matt received his S.B. and M.Eng. degrees in computer science from MIT.  
Matt Flanagan
Founding Partner
Fama PR

Matt Flanagan

Position: Founding Partner, Fama PR
Matthew Zehner
Startup Founder

Matthew Zehner

Position: Startup Founder
Megan DeCesaris
Audit Partner
Ernst & Young LLP

Megan DeCesaris

Position: Audit Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Michael Copty
Director
Silicon Valley Bank

Michael Copty

Position: Director, Silicon Valley Bank
Michael Farb
CEO
Boatsetter

Michael Farb

Position: CEO, Boatsetter
Michael has over 15 years of experience building, running and scaling technology companies and organizations across a wide range of industries. Leading the organization of Neon One brought together Michael’s skills and experience in growing entrepreneurial technology companies with his passion of supporting non-profit organizations to increase their impact in the world. In addition to now serving as CEO at Boatsetter, Michael serves as Board Chair for Build.org, a national education-based nonprofit that leverage entrepreneurship to empower students in underserved communities. Michael has a Computer Science Degree from UPenn, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. After starting a career at Accenture where he built global technology systems in New York, London, Singapore, & Seoul, he co-founded CaptainU. Acting as President, he and his team scaled this sports technology platform to millions of customers and organizations. After CaptainU was acquired by Blue Star Sports, Michael joined the Blue Star team as Chief Revenue Office and GM of the Enterprise Software and Payments group, helping scale the organization and combining products to build a product suite for organizations to excel and flourish. Michael is now proud to leverage his background to help nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations drive impact and help them reach their goals more quickly.
Mike Portegello
Partner
Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader
Ernst & Young LLP

Mike Portegello

Position: Partner, Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP
Mike Portegello is an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where he brings more than 30 years of international and domestic experience in public accounting serving publicly traded companies with operations in both the US and abroad. Currently, he serves as the Northeast Region Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) Leader to provide services that help companies navigate the various aspects of a growth-oriented enterprise. SGM is a global network of EY professionals advising the full spectrum of dynamic, fast-moving and groundbreaking companies around the world, including VC-backed/private equity companies and their investors, large private and family enterprises, IPO-bound companies, and public companies in the Russell 3000 and 2000 indexes.​ ​ Throughout his career, Mike has worked with clients in New York and California, as well as internationally. He has served US registrants and foreign private issuers on SEC matters including initial public offerings (IPOs), public and private debt offerings, quarterly and annual filings, acquisitions, divestitures, and stock registrations. ​ ​ Previously, he provided overall management and led high performing teams to deliver audit services to New York State and Connecticut area clients. He continues to work closely with multinational organizations as well as high growth phase companies in the software/technology, media and entertainment, and leasing industries.​ ​ Prior to this role, Mike served as Strategic Growth Markets Leader for New York, leading a multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals in providing perspective to and advising our emerging, IPO-bound, entrepreneurial clients on accelerating their growth. In addition, he has served as a Co-Director of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New York program. ​ Mike graduated Suma Cum Laude from St. John’s University and received his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.
Natalia Villarmán
Founder and CEO
Seen@Work
Director of DEI
Danone NA

Natalia Villarmán

Position: Founder and CEO, Seen@Work, Director of DEI, Danone NA
Natalia is the Founder and CEO of Seen@Work.As Founder and CEO of Seen@Work (seenatwork.com), a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm, Natalia Eileen leverages the team she manages to support her clients with all their DEI needs. She develops and facilitates workshops, coaches senior leaders, and builds DEI initiatives related to employee resource groups, executive scorecards, inclusion councils, task forces, diversity reporting, metrics planning, and more. Prior to founding Seen@Work, Natalia worked as a diversity and inclusion strategist and human capital consultant for over seven years through organizations including Deloitte, Facebook, and Teach For America. Natalia graduated from University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School with an MBA in Organizational Effectiveness with an emphasis in Inclusion in the Workplace and from New York University with a BA in History, which included courses in critical race theory and oppressive political structures.

Naveen Shahani
Principal
Apollo Global Management

Naveen Shahani

Position: Principal, Apollo Global Management
Naveen Shahani is a Principal at Apollo Global Management, where he focuses on the firm’s private equity investments. Prior to Apollo, Naveen worked in the Financial Sponsors Group in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Naveen currently serves on the Board of Directors of CEC Entertainment, parent company to Chuck E. Cheese.
Nicolas Lirette
Advisor

Nicolas Lirette

Position: Advisor
NICOLAS LIRETTEVice President, American Express Nic most recently served as President at American Express, serving as Chief of Staff for the head of the Consumer business. He was responsible for a range of business planning and strategic activities and partners with leaders across the organization, from country managers globally to c-suite partners. Prior to this role, Nic worked in the Merchant business where he played a central role in the launch of EMV chip cards and contactless payments and helped improve customer satisfaction globally. Prior to American Express, Nic worked in investment banking at UBS and investment management at Wellington Management. ​ Nic holds an MBA degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. Originally from Canada, Nic speaks French fluently. Nic lives in New York with his wife, son, and daughter.​ ​
Patrick Van den Bossche
Partner/Board Member
Kearney
Inc.

Patrick Van den Bossche

Position: Partner/Board Member, Kearney, Inc.
Paul King
Director
Silicon Valley Bank

Paul King

Position: Director, Silicon Valley Bank
Ram Vijayanathan
Head of Internal Audit
Pinterest

Ram Vijayanathan

Position: Head of Internal Audit, Pinterest
Ram Vijayanathan is the Head of Internal Audit at Pinterest, a visual discovery engine with the mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. His responsibilities include helping the organization manage strategic, operational, and financial risk by providing oversight to the internal audit team, developing and executing on the annual audit plan, and supporting the company's Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance efforts. Ram and his team evaluate Pinterest's systems of internal controls and operational efficiency and effectiveness. Before joining Pinterest, Ram was an Internal Audit Director at Facebook, Inc., where he was a part of the corporate audit function and led teams that supported the company's SOX efforts along with managing an operational audit plan. Prior to Facebook, Ram held various positions of increasing scope and responsibility in audit for QVC and American Standard. He has a background in public accounting from Deloitte. Ram has previously served as the President and a board member of the Philadelphia Institute of Internal Auditors and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Business Logistics. In his free time, he enjoys watching all Philadelphia sports teams, riding his Peloton, and traveling.  
Ramon Simms
CFO Partner
Managing Director
CFO Practice
Burkland

Ramon Simms

Position: CFO Partner, Managing Director, CFO Practice, Burkland
Renaldo Webb
Founder
PetPlate

Renaldo Webb

Position: Founder, PetPlate
Renaldo Webb is Founder and Chief Product Officer at PetPlate. Inspired by his dog Winston, Renaldo founded PetPlate after deciding that he did not want to feed his dog anything less than real food. After making hundreds of batches of home-cooked dog food for Winston and his pup pals, Renaldo decided to launch a pet food brand that he could proudly call his own.  Renaldo graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Physics, and prior to starting PetPlate worked at LCatterton and McKinsey & Company. He launched PetPlate as a nationwide subscription service in early 2017, following an appearance on the hit TV show Shark Tank.
Riley Rodgers
Principal
Valia Ventures

Riley Rodgers

Position: Principal, Valia Ventures
Robert Glazer
Founder & CEO
Acceleration Partners

Robert Glazer

Position: Founder & CEO, Acceleration Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Roger Barton
Managing Partner
Barton LLP

Roger Barton

Position: Managing Partner, Barton LLP
Roger is the founder and Managing Partner of Barton LLP, a law firm of over 30 attorneys practicing across most areas of business law. Roger is widely published and speaks nationally and internationally on law firm innovation, the practice of law as a business, and forming partnering relationships with clients. Barton LLP was recently featured by Law360 in an article entitled Giving Big Law a Run for Its Money as one of “10 boutiques that have established brands on par with the biggest of firms” who are “capable of competing with – and beating – the best big firms at the highest level” and by Acquisition International as among “Ones to Watch: The Best Boutique Law Firms.” ​ Roger’s practice is mostly high-stakes commercial litigation, but he also enjoys his role as outside General Counsel and adviser to many of the entrepreneurial clients of his firm. He is rated by The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel Magazine and the National Law Journal as one of the Top Commercial Litigators in the United States. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, the invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to less than one-half of one percent of lawyers in America and has been selected as a Super Lawyer in Thompson Reuters’ annual survey of the top 5% of lawyers in the New York Metro Area every year since 2013. He holds an “AV Preeminent” rating, the highest rating in the legal profession for professional excellence and ethical standards, as determined by the peer review of judges and lawyers conducted by Martindale.​ Prior to founding Barton LLP, Roger was with Sidley Austin in New York. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, AB Honors College, and has a JD from Fordham University School of Law.
Rollins Stallworth
Investor
Nava Ventures

Rollins Stallworth

Position: Investor, Nava Ventures
Sabira Alloo
Head of Private Equity Partnerships
Google

Sabira Alloo

Position: Head of Private Equity Partnerships, Google
Sara Ponzio
Chief Commercial Counsel
County of Santa Clara

Sara Ponzio

Position: Chief Commercial Counsel, County of Santa Clara
Scorpio Rogers
Vice President
Assistant Dean
Mercy College

Scorpio Rogers

Position: Vice President, Assistant Dean, Mercy College
Scorpio Rogers is an Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor at Mercy College in the School of Business on the Bronx Campus. He is the Director of Entrepreneurship for the School of Business across all campuses where amongst other things he manages the annual Student-Preneur Conference and Business Plan Competition. He is also the Executive Director of the Mercy Business Incubation Center (MIC) tasked with aiding in the growth of start-up and bourgeoning entrepreneurial businesses. Additionally, he is the advisor to the Mercy chapter of CEO, Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, a student-run organization that fosters entrepreneurship amongst college students.

Scott Friend
Managing Director
Bain Capital Ventures

Scott Friend

Position: Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Sean Robertson
Vice President
Direct to Scale
NBC

Sean Robertson

Position: Vice President, Direct to Scale, NBC
Steven Mack
Partner
PwC

Steven Mack

Position: Partner, PwC
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC
BUILD

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC, BUILD
Email: swells@build.org
Timothy Garnett
Managing Director
The Avascent Group

Timothy Garnett

Position: Managing Director, The Avascent Group
Tony Bordon
Managing Director
Spinnaker Analytics

Tony Bordon

Position: Managing Director, Spinnaker Analytics
Trish Walker
Founder
My Daily Dash

Trish Walker

Position: Founder, My Daily Dash
Venkat Srinivasan
Managing Director
Innospark Ventures

Venkat Srinivasan

Position: Managing Director, Innospark Ventures
Victoria Kinnealey
Portfolio Development
Ventures
Dell Technologies Capital

Victoria Kinnealey

Position: Portfolio Development, Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital
Vivan Tran
VP Kids and Family Marketing
NBC Universal

Vivan Tran

Position: VP Kids and Family Marketing, NBC Universal
Zach Riedy
Partner
TCV

Zach Riedy

Position: Partner, TCV
Michael Farb *Co-Chair*
CEO
Boatsetter

Michael Farb

Position: CEO, Boatsetter
Michael has over 15 years of experience building, running and scaling technology companies and organizations across a wide range of industries. Leading the organization of Neon One brought together Michael’s skills and experience in growing entrepreneurial technology companies with his passion of supporting non-profit organizations to increase their impact in the world. In addition to now serving as CEO at Boatsetter, Michael serves as Board Chair for Build.org, a national education-based nonprofit that leverage entrepreneurship to empower students in underserved communities. Michael has a Computer Science Degree from UPenn, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. After starting a career at Accenture where he built global technology systems in New York, London, Singapore, & Seoul, he co-founded CaptainU. Acting as President, he and his team scaled this sports technology platform to millions of customers and organizations. After CaptainU was acquired by Blue Star Sports, Michael joined the Blue Star team as Chief Revenue Office and GM of the Enterprise Software and Payments group, helping scale the organization and combining products to build a product suite for organizations to excel and flourish. Michael is now proud to leverage his background to help nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations drive impact and help them reach their goals more quickly.
David Li *Co-Chair*
Managing Partner
Arenova

David Li

Position: Managing Partner, Arenova
Sabira Alloo
Head of Private Equity Partnerships
Google

Sabira Alloo

Position: Head of Private Equity Partnerships, Google
Alvina Antar
Chief Information Officer
Okta

Alvina Antar

Position: Chief Information Officer, Okta
LaMar Bunts
Chief Transformation Officer
Dartmouth College

LaMar Bunts

Position: Chief Transformation Officer, Dartmouth College
Louis Chang
Founder and Managing Partner
Gavilan Investment Partners

Louis Chang

Position: Founder and Managing Partner, Gavilan Investment Partners
Aaron Cline
Worldwide Digital Revenue & Accounting
Electronic Arts (EA)

Aaron Cline

Position: Worldwide Digital Revenue & Accounting, Electronic Arts (EA)
Danielle Conkling
Director
Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG at Silicon Valley Bank

Danielle Conkling

Position: Director, Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG at Silicon Valley Bank
Joshua Cook
Partner
Goodwin

Joshua Cook

Position: Partner, Goodwin
Lars Hens
Executive Vice President
California Bank & Trust

Lars Hens

Position: Executive Vice President, California Bank & Trust
Charisse Jacques
GM and COO Customer & Category Management Solutions
SymphonyAI Retail

Charisse Jacques

Position: GM and COO Customer & Category Management Solutions, SymphonyAI Retail
Paul King
Director
Silicon Valley Bank

Paul King

Position: Director, Silicon Valley Bank
Elton Kwok
Head of California and Nevada at WeWork

Elton Kwok

Position: Head of California and Nevada at WeWork
Steven Mack
Partner
PwC

Steven Mack

Position: Partner, PwC
Jan McAdoo
Co-Founder/CEO
MacPac Entertainment

Jan McAdoo

Position: Co-Founder/CEO, MacPac Entertainment
Kanika Mediratta
Senior Director- Foundation
General Atlantic

Kanika Mediratta

Position: Senior Director- Foundation, General Atlantic
Ay’Anna Moody
Senior Director
Social Impact at Golden State Warriors

Ay’Anna Moody

Position: Senior Director, Social Impact at Golden State Warriors
Aaron Ow-Yeang
Partner
EY

Aaron Ow-Yeang

Position: Partner, EY
Sara Ponzio
Chief Commercial Counsel
County of Santa Clara

Sara Ponzio

Position: Chief Commercial Counsel, County of Santa Clara
Riley Rodgers
Principal
Valia Ventures

Riley Rodgers

Position: Principal, Valia Ventures
Albino Sanchez
CEO & Founder
Aha! Impact

Albino Sanchez

Position: CEO & Founder, Aha! Impact
Esau Sanchez-Diaz
Regional VP of Customer Success
Amplify

Esau Sanchez-Diaz

Position: Regional VP of Customer Success, Amplify
Ramon Simms
CFO Partner
Managing Director
CFO Practice
Burkland

Ramon Simms

Position: CFO Partner, Managing Director, CFO Practice, Burkland
Lindsay Simonds
Managing Director and Principal
Lindsay Simonds Consulting

Lindsay Simonds

Position: Managing Director and Principal, Lindsay Simonds Consulting
Rollins Stallworth
Investor
Nava Ventures

Rollins Stallworth

Position: Investor, Nava Ventures
Candice Tang
VP
Developer Experience & Runtime Platform
Expedia

Candice Tang

Position: VP, Developer Experience & Runtime Platform, Expedia
Andy Torelli
Senior Vice President
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Andy Torelli

Position: Senior Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Vivan Tran
VP Kids and Family Marketing
NBC Universal

Vivan Tran

Position: VP Kids and Family Marketing, NBC Universal
Matthew Zehner
Startup Founder

Matthew Zehner

Position: Startup Founder
Mike Portegello *Chair*
Partner
Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader
Ernst & Young LLP

Mike Portegello

Position: Partner, Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP
Mike Portegello is an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where he brings more than 30 years of international and domestic experience in public accounting serving publicly traded companies with operations in both the US and abroad. Currently, he serves as the Northeast Region Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) Leader to provide services that help companies navigate the various aspects of a growth-oriented enterprise. SGM is a global network of EY professionals advising the full spectrum of dynamic, fast-moving and groundbreaking companies around the world, including VC-backed/private equity companies and their investors, large private and family enterprises, IPO-bound companies, and public companies in the Russell 3000 and 2000 indexes.​ ​ Throughout his career, Mike has worked with clients in New York and California, as well as internationally. He has served US registrants and foreign private issuers on SEC matters including initial public offerings (IPOs), public and private debt offerings, quarterly and annual filings, acquisitions, divestitures, and stock registrations. ​ ​ Previously, he provided overall management and led high performing teams to deliver audit services to New York State and Connecticut area clients. He continues to work closely with multinational organizations as well as high growth phase companies in the software/technology, media and entertainment, and leasing industries.​ ​ Prior to this role, Mike served as Strategic Growth Markets Leader for New York, leading a multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals in providing perspective to and advising our emerging, IPO-bound, entrepreneurial clients on accelerating their growth. In addition, he has served as a Co-Director of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New York program. ​ Mike graduated Suma Cum Laude from St. John’s University and received his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.
Antonio Aponte
Chief Accounting Officer
Attentive

Antonio Aponte

Position: Chief Accounting Officer, Attentive
Roger Barton
Managing Partner
Barton LLP

Roger Barton

Position: Managing Partner, Barton LLP
Roger is the founder and Managing Partner of Barton LLP, a law firm of over 30 attorneys practicing across most areas of business law. Roger is widely published and speaks nationally and internationally on law firm innovation, the practice of law as a business, and forming partnering relationships with clients. Barton LLP was recently featured by Law360 in an article entitled Giving Big Law a Run for Its Money as one of “10 boutiques that have established brands on par with the biggest of firms” who are “capable of competing with – and beating – the best big firms at the highest level” and by Acquisition International as among “Ones to Watch: The Best Boutique Law Firms.” ​ Roger’s practice is mostly high-stakes commercial litigation, but he also enjoys his role as outside General Counsel and adviser to many of the entrepreneurial clients of his firm. He is rated by The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel Magazine and the National Law Journal as one of the Top Commercial Litigators in the United States. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, the invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to less than one-half of one percent of lawyers in America and has been selected as a Super Lawyer in Thompson Reuters’ annual survey of the top 5% of lawyers in the New York Metro Area every year since 2013. He holds an “AV Preeminent” rating, the highest rating in the legal profession for professional excellence and ethical standards, as determined by the peer review of judges and lawyers conducted by Martindale.​ Prior to founding Barton LLP, Roger was with Sidley Austin in New York. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, AB Honors College, and has a JD from Fordham University School of Law.
Courtney Bernabei
Director
Integrated Marketing Strategy-Partnerships
Silicon Valley Bank

Courtney Bernabei

Position: Director, Integrated Marketing Strategy-Partnerships, Silicon Valley Bank
Courtney is a marketing leader with over 18 years of experience. She's led accounts at various advertising agencies managing internal and external client marketing needs – from strategy evolution through to creative development and execution across all mediums. Some of her key clients include; Northrop Grumman, Amazon, Walmart, LEGO, ConAgra, Samsung, and NBA. In 2017 Courtney co-founded PAL, a childcare tech platform, which was acquired in 2019. In 2021 she joined the Techstars NY Accelerator as the Marketing Expert in Residence where she advised early-stage startups on branding and marketing. Courtney holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Denison University and is currently at Silicon Valley Bank as the Integrated Marketing Strategy Director for Partnerships.   Courtney has a career that spans contributing as a Marketing Expert in Residency at Techstars, founding a company that was acquired in 2019 and leading digital marketing engagements with clients while working on the agency-side.  Courtney graduated from Columbia Business School - attending business school part-time while juggling a full-time job and starting a company. She is currently at Silicon Valley Bank as the Integrated Marketing Strategy Director for Partnerships.
Carlton J. Charles
Senior Vice President
Treasury & Risk Management
Hearst

Carlton J. Charles

Position: Senior Vice President, Treasury & Risk Management, Hearst
Carlton Charles, Vice President, and Treasurer, Hearst, serves as global treasurer, oversees Risk Management and Insurance, leads the company’s Risk Working Group and is on the Board of Advisors of Hearst Labs, Hearst’s platform for nurturing and grooming early-stage, women-led companies. Carlton has demonstrated financial acumen through a 30-year career in treasury and risk management. Carlton was an early architect of the Enterprise Risk Management program for Moody’s Corporation, a SEC regulated company and one of the largest rating agencies in the world. Carlton regularly reported to the Moody’s board on treasury and enterprise risk topics.​ Carlton also developed the operational risk management program for Hearst and is chair of the company’s Risk Working Group. Among the focus areas for the group are cybersecurity and data privacy. Carlton has created an annual risk summit which is an annual convening of CFOs and CTOs from across Hearst’s businesses. Prior to Moody’s, Carlton held increasingly responsible positions in treasury and risk management for International Paper, Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Viacom and Philip Morris. ​ Carlton currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Hearst Lab, has been working with a group of professionals to establish a business accelerator in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx, was recently on the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College and previously served on The Board of the Bronx Preparatory Charter School.​ ​Carlton holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a Masters in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from SUNY at Stony Brook.
Megan DeCesaris
Audit Partner
Ernst & Young LLP

Megan DeCesaris

Position: Audit Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Matt Doherty
Co-Founder
ResoluteAI

Matt Doherty

Position: Co-Founder, ResoluteAI
Matt brings to BUILD NYC a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship and technology leadership. Matt is the founder of ResoluteAI, a venture-backed SaaS startup building enterprise search solutions for R&D organizations. Prior to Resolute, Matt founded ZergNet, an ad-tech startup currently serving over a billion ads daily. Earlier in his career, he was the VP of Engineering for Fina Technologies, where he built trading systems using machine learning. He has also lectured at NYU on machine learning and other computer science topics. Matt is passionate about advocating for children and underserved communities. He is a former board member of the Child Care Resource Center, a nonprofit helping families find and afford quality child care. Matt has also often served as a volunteer tutor for high school and middle school children in New York City through organizations such as New York Cares. Matt received his S.B. and M.Eng. degrees in computer science from MIT.  
John H. Lee
COO
Divvy Homes

John H. Lee

Position: COO, Divvy Homes
Alyssa Lim-Sweet
CAO
Global Business Manager
Wholesale Operations
Nomura

Alyssa Lim-Sweet

Position: CAO, Global Business Manager, Wholesale Operations, Nomura
Nicolas Lirette
Advisor

Nicolas Lirette

Position: Advisor
NICOLAS LIRETTEVice President, American Express Nic most recently served as President at American Express, serving as Chief of Staff for the head of the Consumer business. He was responsible for a range of business planning and strategic activities and partners with leaders across the organization, from country managers globally to c-suite partners. Prior to this role, Nic worked in the Merchant business where he played a central role in the launch of EMV chip cards and contactless payments and helped improve customer satisfaction globally. Prior to American Express, Nic worked in investment banking at UBS and investment management at Wellington Management. ​ Nic holds an MBA degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. Originally from Canada, Nic speaks French fluently. Nic lives in New York with his wife, son, and daughter.​ ​
Camille Peaks
Vice President
Integrated Sales and Marketing
Olympics and Paralympics
NBC

Camille Peaks

Position: Vice President, Integrated Sales and Marketing, Olympics and Paralympics, NBC
   
Zach Riedy
Partner
TCV

Zach Riedy

Position: Partner, TCV
Sean Robertson
Vice President
Direct to Scale
NBC

Sean Robertson

Position: Vice President, Direct to Scale, NBC
Scorpio Rogers
Vice President
Assistant Dean
Mercy College

Scorpio Rogers

Position: Vice President, Assistant Dean, Mercy College
Scorpio Rogers is an Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor at Mercy College in the School of Business on the Bronx Campus. He is the Director of Entrepreneurship for the School of Business across all campuses where amongst other things he manages the annual Student-Preneur Conference and Business Plan Competition. He is also the Executive Director of the Mercy Business Incubation Center (MIC) tasked with aiding in the growth of start-up and bourgeoning entrepreneurial businesses. Additionally, he is the advisor to the Mercy chapter of CEO, Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, a student-run organization that fosters entrepreneurship amongst college students.

Isai Serrano
Digital Media and Communications CTE teacher and BUILD Coordinator
Ralph McKee High School

Isai Serrano

Position: Digital Media and Communications CTE teacher and BUILD Coordinator, Ralph McKee High School
Isai started his career in the print industry going from an estimator to production/ outsourcing manager and later a production artist and Account specialist. After working with the top cosmetics, publishing, and entertainment companies, Isai shifted gears and became a CTE teacher in 2009. He has taught graphic arts, financial management and now entrepreneurship and digital marketing through BUILD. His goal is to impact students and help them achieve the potential they have yet to see in themselves. His claim to fame are his students' achievements many of which are now leaders in their respective industries. Currently Isai is a certified work-based learning coordinator providing all the students at Ralph McKee High School opportunities to engage in their career interest though field experiences. 

Naveen Shahani
Principal
Apollo Global Management

Naveen Shahani

Position: Principal, Apollo Global Management
Naveen Shahani is a Principal at Apollo Global Management, where he focuses on the firm’s private equity investments. Prior to Apollo, Naveen worked in the Financial Sponsors Group in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Naveen currently serves on the Board of Directors of CEC Entertainment, parent company to Chuck E. Cheese.
Katerina Sokolova
Head of Growth Initiatives
BNY Mellon

Katerina Sokolova

Position: Head of Growth Initiatives, BNY Mellon
Ram Vijayanathan
Head of Internal Audit
Pinterest

Ram Vijayanathan

Position: Head of Internal Audit, Pinterest
Ram Vijayanathan is the Head of Internal Audit at Pinterest, a visual discovery engine with the mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. His responsibilities include helping the organization manage strategic, operational, and financial risk by providing oversight to the internal audit team, developing and executing on the annual audit plan, and supporting the company's Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance efforts. Ram and his team evaluate Pinterest's systems of internal controls and operational efficiency and effectiveness. Before joining Pinterest, Ram was an Internal Audit Director at Facebook, Inc., where he was a part of the corporate audit function and led teams that supported the company's SOX efforts along with managing an operational audit plan. Prior to Facebook, Ram held various positions of increasing scope and responsibility in audit for QVC and American Standard. He has a background in public accounting from Deloitte. Ram has previously served as the President and a board member of the Philadelphia Institute of Internal Auditors and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Business Logistics. In his free time, he enjoys watching all Philadelphia sports teams, riding his Peloton, and traveling.  
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC
BUILD

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC, BUILD
Email: swells@build.org
Carlos Hernandez
Vice President
Technical Operations
NBCUniversalMedia

Carlos Hernandez

Position: Vice President, Technical Operations, NBCUniversalMedia
Bruce Sandys
Entrepeneur

Bruce Sandys

Position: Entrepeneur
Bruce has been an entrepreneur in New York City for more than 30 years. After graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he was the co-founder and president of Crescent Communications, which he helped grow into the largest privately-owned pay telephone company in New York City. After selling his payphone route, he attended Stanford Law School. During his time there, he assisted Suzanne McKechnie Klahr during BUILD’s formative stages and had the honor of being one of BUILD’s first mentors. Returning to New York after graduation, Bruce founded BAS Communications, through which he built and then sold one of the largest owner operated ATM portfolios in New York City. His most recent venture was as a co-founder and CFO of a litigation finance provider.
Natalia Villarmán
Founder and CEO
Seen@Work
Director of DEI
Danone NA

Natalia Villarmán

Position: Founder and CEO, Seen@Work, Director of DEI, Danone NA
Natalia is the Founder and CEO of Seen@Work.As Founder and CEO of Seen@Work (seenatwork.com), a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm, Natalia Eileen leverages the team she manages to support her clients with all their DEI needs. She develops and facilitates workshops, coaches senior leaders, and builds DEI initiatives related to employee resource groups, executive scorecards, inclusion councils, task forces, diversity reporting, metrics planning, and more. Prior to founding Seen@Work, Natalia worked as a diversity and inclusion strategist and human capital consultant for over seven years through organizations including Deloitte, Facebook, and Teach For America. Natalia graduated from University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School with an MBA in Organizational Effectiveness with an emphasis in Inclusion in the Workplace and from New York University with a BA in History, which included courses in critical race theory and oppressive political structures.

Renaldo Webb
Founder
PetPlate

Renaldo Webb

Position: Founder, PetPlate
Renaldo Webb is Founder and Chief Product Officer at PetPlate. Inspired by his dog Winston, Renaldo founded PetPlate after deciding that he did not want to feed his dog anything less than real food. After making hundreds of batches of home-cooked dog food for Winston and his pup pals, Renaldo decided to launch a pet food brand that he could proudly call his own.  Renaldo graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Physics, and prior to starting PetPlate worked at LCatterton and McKinsey & Company. He launched PetPlate as a nationwide subscription service in early 2017, following an appearance on the hit TV show Shark Tank.
Andrea Atwell Emeritus
NYC Regional Board Chair
VP eCommerce
L’Oreal USA

Andrea Atwell

Position: NYC Regional Board Chair, VP eCommerce, L’Oreal USA
Andrea Atwell is the Vice President eCommerce for L’Oreal USA. Prior to this position, she was VP of US Market Supply Chain at L’Oreal’s Luxe Division. Her responsibilities included business, demand and supply planning, and customer care, with the vision of leveraging improved supply chain results to drive strategic relationships with L’Oreal’s US customers. Andrea has helped to lead significant planning process initiatives for L’Oreal which has transformed forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory results, including managing the supply chain and human transitions of 3 major acquisitions for L’Oreal USA. Andrea’s efforts helped to shape the partnership between the supply chain and brands in L’Oreal, shifting the culture to drive operational awareness, improved results and competitive advantage. Prior to her 10 years at L’Oreal, Andrea has worked in the medical device and food & beverage industries.​ Andrea has 15 years of supply chain experience and a true passion for leading and developing teams and recognizing and growing talent. She was recognized as a 2015 Visionary Leader by Consumer Goods Technology for her approach in prioritizing people and leadership to drive supply chain results. Andrea’s leadership has demonstrated that by focusing on people and creating a culture of change leaders, no business challenge is insurmountable. Andrea is also a frequent speaker on supply chain planning and talent development.​ ​ Andrea has a BA in Marketing from Michigan State University.
Dan Vallimarescu Emeritus
Founder
Sawtooth Mountain Partners
LLC

Dan Vallimarescu

Position: Founder, Sawtooth Mountain Partners, LLC
Dan is the CEO of an e-learning startup called Nardagani and is involved in a number of other investment and philanthropic activities.​ Prior to that, Dan ran the Americas Debt Capital Markets Group for Santander Investment Securities for 11 years and the Latin America Debt Capital Markets Group, among other businesses, at Merrill Lynch for 13 years. Early in his career, he worked at The World Bank and the Bank of Boston. ​ Dan received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his MBA from Insead.
Dora Gougoufkas *Chair*
Managing Vice President
Capital One

Dora Gougoufkas

Position: Managing Vice President, Capital One
Justin Bodner
Senior Manager
Strategy
Deloitte

Justin Bodner

Position: Senior Manager, Strategy, Deloitte
Michael Copty
Director
Silicon Valley Bank

Michael Copty

Position: Director, Silicon Valley Bank
Andrea Dimarco
CFO
Strivacity

Andrea Dimarco

Position: CFO, Strivacity
Timothy Garnett
Managing Director
The Avascent Group

Timothy Garnett

Position: Managing Director, The Avascent Group
Gregory Hendler
Partner
Assurance Services
Ernst & Young

Gregory Hendler

Position: Partner, Assurance Services, Ernst & Young
Adeleke Omitowoju
Principal
Groundwork

Adeleke Omitowoju

Position: Principal, Groundwork
Kevin Perry
Management Consultant - Advisory Senior Associate
Financial Services
PwC

Kevin Perry

Position: Management Consultant - Advisory Senior Associate, Financial Services, PwC
David Toney
Senior Vice President
Development
Akridge

David Toney

Position: Senior Vice President, Development, Akridge
Patrick Van den Bossche
Partner/Board Member
Kearney
Inc.

Patrick Van den Bossche

Position: Partner/Board Member, Kearney, Inc.
Grant Williams
Director
Business Development
Macro Solutions

Grant Williams

Position: Director, Business Development, Macro Solutions
Trish Walker *Chair*
Founder
My Daily Dash

Trish Walker

Position: Founder, My Daily Dash
Jamie Bader
Executive Advisor
EY-Parthenon

Jamie Bader

Position: Executive Advisor, EY-Parthenon
Tony Bordon
Managing Director
Spinnaker Analytics

Tony Bordon

Position: Managing Director, Spinnaker Analytics
Anthony Craigwell
Sales Development Representative
Lumafield

Anthony Craigwell

Position: Sales Development Representative, Lumafield
Matt Flanagan
Founding Partner
Fama PR

Matt Flanagan

Position: Founding Partner, Fama PR
Scott Friend
Managing Director
Bain Capital Ventures

Scott Friend

Position: Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jeff Glass
CEO
Hometap Equity Partners

Jeff Glass

Position: CEO, Hometap Equity Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Robert Glazer
Founder & CEO
Acceleration Partners

Robert Glazer

Position: Founder & CEO, Acceleration Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Frank Graziano
Partner
PwC

Frank Graziano

Position: Partner, PwC
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Keith Jackson
Manager
PBWM Trust & Fiduciary for SVB Financial Group

Keith Jackson

Position: Manager, PBWM Trust & Fiduciary for SVB Financial Group
Jon Kanter
CFO
Public Consulting Group

Jon Kanter

Position: CFO, Public Consulting Group
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Victoria Kinnealey
Portfolio Development
Ventures
Dell Technologies Capital

Victoria Kinnealey

Position: Portfolio Development, Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital
Jon Lang
Partner
EY

Jon Lang

Position: Partner, EY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Cendy Moliere
Search Engine Optimization Specialist
eGenerationMarketing

Cendy Moliere

Position: Search Engine Optimization Specialist, eGenerationMarketing
Christian Souza
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
Venkat Srinivasan
Managing Director
Innospark Ventures

Venkat Srinivasan

Position: Managing Director, Innospark Ventures
Donald Wright
Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion
City of Boston

Donald Wright

Position: Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, City of Boston
Ajay Menon
Analyst
Apax Digital

Ajay Menon

Position: Analyst, Apax Digital
Akene Farmer-Michos
Specialist
Adobe

Akene Farmer-Michos

Position: Specialist, Adobe
Alankrita Narang
Chief Administrative Officer
Boston Harbor Now

Alankrita Narang

Position: Chief Administrative Officer, Boston Harbor Now
Alex Eacker
Learning Designer
Multiverse

Alex Eacker

Position: Learning Designer, Multiverse
Amy Trutor
Portfolio Manager
State Street

Amy Trutor

Position: Portfolio Manager, State Street
Andrew Jasen
Finance and Operations Manager
FinLync

Andrew Jasen

Position: Finance and Operations Manager, FinLync
Anthony Craigwell
Sales Development Representative
Lumafield

Anthony Craigwell

Position: Sales Development Representative, Lumafield
Arushi Kewalramani
Analyst
Apax Digital

Arushi Kewalramani

Position: Analyst, Apax Digital
Brian Wei
Analyst
BMW i Ventures

Brian Wei

Position: Analyst, BMW i Ventures
Brianne Lucot
Senior Associate
PwC

Brianne Lucot

Position: Senior Associate, PwC
Brock Ballard
Investment Executive
CVC Capital Partners

Brock Ballard

Position: Investment Executive, CVC Capital Partners
Cameron Van
Chief Legal Counsel
Dahlia Collective and Founder
Victory Athletics Network

Cameron Van

Position: Chief Legal Counsel, Dahlia Collective and Founder, Victory Athletics Network
Camille Gray
Market Development & Insights Professional
IBM

Camille Gray

Position: Market Development & Insights Professional, IBM
Carrie Miller
Global Trade Associate
Goodwin Procter

Carrie Miller

Position: Global Trade Associate, Goodwin Procter
Catherine Lee *Chair*
Senior Network Engineer
Okta

Catherine Lee *Chair*

Position: Senior Network Engineer, Okta
Christian Souza
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
Claire Storement
GM
Nogin

Claire Storement

Position: GM, Nogin
Cornell Yarbrough
DJ
iHeartRadio

Cornell Yarbrough

Position: DJ, iHeartRadio
Cristen Koufakis
Global Marketing
Executive Office
Goldman Sachs

Cristen Koufakis

Position: Global Marketing, Executive Office, Goldman Sachs
Dan Siegel
Head of Customer Success
Paladin Cyber

Dan Siegel

Position: Head of Customer Success, Paladin Cyber
Daniel Iglesias
Technology Investor
APAX

Daniel Iglesias

Position: Technology Investor, APAX
Deshawn Ross
Software Engineer
Etsy

Deshawn Ross

Position: Software Engineer, Etsy
Donovan Tyson
Real Estate Agent
Compass Real Estate

Donovan Tyson

Position: Real Estate Agent, Compass Real Estate
Ethan Kessinger
Senior Product Manager
Real World

Ethan Kessinger

Position: Senior Product Manager, Real World
Gifty Boakye
Entrepreneur
Afrofuture

Gifty Boakye

Position: Entrepreneur, Afrofuture
Gira Wieczorek
Founder
Aleberry

Gira Wieczorek

Position: Founder, Aleberry
Greg Minetti
Director of Corporate Development
Togetherwork LLC

Greg Minetti

Position: Director of Corporate Development, Togetherwork LLC
Greg Minetti is an Associate on Togetherwork’s Corporate Development team where he works on the Company’s Mergers & Acquisitions strategy. Specifically, Greg is involved with deal sourcing, modeling and financial analysis, market research and deal diligence. Prior to joining Togetherwork, Greg worked in Advertising Sales at AMC Networks. Greg is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History. In his spare time, Greg enjoys going to the movies, running, reading and watching sports.
Haley Baron
Vice President
JP Morgan Asset Management

Haley Baron

Position: Vice President, JP Morgan Asset Management
Hayden Broberg
Director of Partnerships
Capital One

Hayden Broberg

Position: Director of Partnerships, Capital One
Ian Mabie
Senior Product Manager
Current

Ian Mabie

Position: Senior Product Manager, Current
Ike Oji
Strategic Analysis
Oncology at Regeneron

Ike Oji

Position: Strategic Analysis, Oncology at Regeneron
Jai Toor
Product Manager
Datafold

Jai Toor

Position: Product Manager, Datafold
Jake Bohenko
Account Manager
Botkeeper

Jake Bohenko

Position: Account Manager, Botkeeper
Jake Wieseneck
Principal at Maniv Mobility

Jake Wieseneck

Position: Principal at Maniv Mobility
James Evans
Principal
Gladstone Capital LLC

James Evans

Position: Principal, Gladstone Capital LLC
Jason Yen
Vice President
Mergers & Acquisitions
Citi

Jason Yen

Position: Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Citi
Jessie Goldman
Partnerships
Cofertility

Jessie Goldman

Position: Partnerships, Cofertility
Jose Gallo Alvarado
Coordinator
Santa Clara Law

Jose Gallo Alvarado

Position: Coordinator, Santa Clara Law
Joseph Chang
Senior Program Manager
Cisco

Joseph Chang

Position: Senior Program Manager, Cisco
JP Giannini
Vice President of Early Stage Practices
Silicon Valley Bank

JP Giannini

Position: Vice President of Early Stage Practices, Silicon Valley Bank
Kaela Schram
Manager
Sales Development
BeyondTrust

Kaela Schram

Position: Manager, Sales Development, BeyondTrust
Kaitlin Moroney
Senior Manager
Attorney Development
Goodwin

Kaitlin Moroney

Position: Senior Manager, Attorney Development, Goodwin
Katie Ambrose
Business Marketing
Reddit

Katie Ambrose

Position: Business Marketing, Reddit
Katie Hurley
VP of Marketing
unitQ

Katie Hurley

Position: VP of Marketing, unitQ
Kelly Augustine
Entrepreneur
KellyAugustine.com

Kelly Augustine

Position: Entrepreneur, KellyAugustine.com
Loretta Alderman
Director of Strategic Engagement
Office of the CHRO Product Strategy
Workday

Loretta Alderman

Position: Director of Strategic Engagement, Office of the CHRO Product Strategy, Workday
Magaly Perez
Enterprise Security Architect
Intel Corporation

Magaly Perez

Position: Enterprise Security Architect, Intel Corporation
Matthew Barton
Associate Creative Director
Mullen Lowe

Matthew Barton

Position: Associate Creative Director, Mullen Lowe
Michael Cianciotta
Director of Strategy and Transactions
EY-Parthenon

Michael Cianciotta

Position: Director of Strategy and Transactions, EY-Parthenon
Michael Cianciotta is a Senior Associate at EY where he consults financial institutions on growth, integration, and business planning through mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. He previously worked as a consultant at Capco focusing on the Capital Markets space. Michael is passionate about entrepreneurship and utilizing his experience to enhance the education of young entrepreneurs. Michael studied Finance and Economics at the Boston University Questrom School of Business.
Nicholine Bach
Manager
Hubspot

Nicholine Bach

Position: Manager, Hubspot
Pete Van Oot
Director
Dasher Retention Marketing
DoorDash

Pete Van Oot

Position: Director, Dasher Retention Marketing, DoorDash
Priya Krishnan
Manager
Something New

Priya Krishnan

Position: Manager, Something New
Rachel Vas
Global Production and Logistics Director
GrainPro

Rachel Vas

Position: Global Production and Logistics Director, GrainPro
Rameen Rama
Investor
Samsung Next

Rameen Rama

Position: Investor, Samsung Next
Raquel Scott
Investment Consultant
The Social Entrepreneurs’ Fund

Raquel Scott

Position: Investment Consultant, The Social Entrepreneurs’ Fund
Rashan Brown
Founder + Product Manager
poetry me
please + Disney/ESPN

Rashan Brown

Position: Founder + Product Manager, poetry me, please + Disney/ESPN
Rena Ferrara
Research Coordinator
NYU Langone Health

Rena Ferrara

Position: Research Coordinator, NYU Langone Health
Rosie Johnson Conneely
Vice President
Marketing
Blackstone

Rosie Johnson Conneely

Position: Vice President, Marketing, Blackstone
Sami Soma
Strategic Partnerships
Google

Sami Soma

Position: Strategic Partnerships, Google
Sami Soma is a Partner Lead at Google, working on Advertising and Marketing strategies for large clients within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. Prior to her role at Google, Sami worked at L’Oreal on digital media efforts across the Luxury product division. She has also held roles in Finance and Marketing across L’Oreal Paris, Active Cosmetics Division and Lancome. Sami graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with an emphasis in Finance and Marketing where her passion for supporting under-resourced schools began. Since graduating she has volunteered with various organizations such as The Posse Foundation, The Exodus Foundation and iMentor.
Sarah Allaire
Founder
Click Learning

Sarah Allaire

Position: Founder, Click Learning
Sebastian Hooker
Senior Customer Engineer
Google Cloud at Google

Sebastian Hooker

Position: Senior Customer Engineer, Google Cloud at Google
Shannon Sloss
Assistant Director
EY

Shannon Sloss

Position: Assistant Director, EY
Shantu Jain
Lead Technical Product Manager
Venmo

Shantu Jain

Position: Lead Technical Product Manager, Venmo
Stephanie Salzman
Account Executive
Wander

Stephanie Salzman

Position: Account Executive, Wander
Tchad Cort
Transportation Specialist
Boston Public Schools

Tchad Cort

Position: Transportation Specialist, Boston Public Schools
Phone: Associate Board Member
Wanda Lee
Assistant Vice President
Temasek

Wanda Lee

Position: Assistant Vice President, Temasek
Wickel Titalom
Head of Partnerships
Grailed

Wickel Titalom

Position: Head of Partnerships, Grailed
Yash Jain
Co-founder
ForagerOne

Yash Jain

Position: Co-founder, ForagerOne
Katie Ambrose *Co-Chair*
Business Marketing
Reddit

Katie Ambrose

Position: Business Marketing, Reddit
Ian Mabie *Co-Chair*
Senior Product Manager
Current

Ian Mabie

Position: Senior Product Manager, Current
Kelly Augustine
Entrepreneur
KellyAugustine.com

Kelly Augustine

Position: Entrepreneur, KellyAugustine.com
Brock Ballard
Investment Executive
CVC Capital Partners

Brock Ballard

Position: Investment Executive, CVC Capital Partners
Haley Baron
Vice President
JP Morgan Asset Management

Haley Baron

Position: Vice President, JP Morgan Asset Management
Matthew Barton
Associate Creative Director
Mullen Lowe

Matthew Barton

Position: Associate Creative Director, Mullen Lowe
Nicholine Bach
Manager
Hubspot

Nicholine Bach

Position: Manager, Hubspot
Gifty Boakye
Entrepreneur
Afrofuture

Gifty Boakye

Position: Entrepreneur, Afrofuture
Rashan Brown
Founder + Product Manager
poetry me
please + Disney/ESPN

Rashan Brown

Position: Founder + Product Manager, poetry me, please + Disney/ESPN
Michael Cianciotta
Director of Strategy and Transactions
EY-Parthenon

Michael Cianciotta

Position: Director of Strategy and Transactions, EY-Parthenon
Michael Cianciotta is a Senior Associate at EY where he consults financial institutions on growth, integration, and business planning through mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. He previously worked as a consultant at Capco focusing on the Capital Markets space. Michael is passionate about entrepreneurship and utilizing his experience to enhance the education of young entrepreneurs. Michael studied Finance and Economics at the Boston University Questrom School of Business.
Rosie Johnson Conneely
Vice President
Marketing
Blackstone

Rosie Johnson Conneely

Position: Vice President, Marketing, Blackstone
Alex Eacker
Learning Designer
Multiverse

Alex Eacker

Position: Learning Designer, Multiverse
Akene Farmer-Michos
Specialist
Adobe

Akene Farmer-Michos

Position: Specialist, Adobe
Rena Ferrara
Research Coordinator
NYU Langone Health

Rena Ferrara

Position: Research Coordinator, NYU Langone Health
Jessie Goldman
Partnerships
Cofertility

Jessie Goldman

Position: Partnerships, Cofertility
Yash Jain
Co-founder
ForagerOne

Yash Jain

Position: Co-founder, ForagerOne
Camille Gray
Market Development & Insights Professional
IBM

Camille Gray

Position: Market Development & Insights Professional, IBM
Sebastian Hooker
Senior Customer Engineer
Google Cloud at Google

Sebastian Hooker

Position: Senior Customer Engineer, Google Cloud at Google
Daniel Iglesias
Technology Investor
APAX

Daniel Iglesias

Position: Technology Investor, APAX
Andrew Jasen
Finance and Operations Manager
FinLync

Andrew Jasen

Position: Finance and Operations Manager, FinLync
Ethan Kessinger
Senior Product Manager
Real World

Ethan Kessinger

Position: Senior Product Manager, Real World
Arushi Kewalramani
Analyst
Apax Digital

Arushi Kewalramani

Position: Analyst, Apax Digital
Cristen Koufakis
Global Marketing
Executive Office
Goldman Sachs

Cristen Koufakis

Position: Global Marketing, Executive Office, Goldman Sachs
Priya Krishnan
Manager
Something New

Priya Krishnan

Position: Manager, Something New
Ajay Menon
Analyst
Apax Digital

Ajay Menon

Position: Analyst, Apax Digital
Greg Minetti
Director of Corporate Development
Togetherwork LLC

Greg Minetti

Position: Director of Corporate Development, Togetherwork LLC
Greg Minetti is an Associate on Togetherwork’s Corporate Development team where he works on the Company’s Mergers & Acquisitions strategy. Specifically, Greg is involved with deal sourcing, modeling and financial analysis, market research and deal diligence. Prior to joining Togetherwork, Greg worked in Advertising Sales at AMC Networks. Greg is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History. In his spare time, Greg enjoys going to the movies, running, reading and watching sports.
Ike Oji
Strategic Analysis
Oncology at Regeneron

Ike Oji

Position: Strategic Analysis, Oncology at Regeneron
Rameen Rama
Investor
Samsung Next

Rameen Rama

Position: Investor, Samsung Next
Deshawn Ross
Software Engineer
Etsy

Deshawn Ross

Position: Software Engineer, Etsy
Raquel Scott
Investment Consultant
The Social Entrepreneurs’ Fund

Raquel Scott

Position: Investment Consultant, The Social Entrepreneurs’ Fund
Sami Soma
Strategic Partnerships
Google

Sami Soma

Position: Strategic Partnerships, Google
Sami Soma is a Partner Lead at Google, working on Advertising and Marketing strategies for large clients within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. Prior to her role at Google, Sami worked at L’Oreal on digital media efforts across the Luxury product division. She has also held roles in Finance and Marketing across L’Oreal Paris, Active Cosmetics Division and Lancome. Sami graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with an emphasis in Finance and Marketing where her passion for supporting under-resourced schools began. Since graduating she has volunteered with various organizations such as The Posse Foundation, The Exodus Foundation and iMentor.
Claire Storement
GM
Nogin

Claire Storement

Position: GM, Nogin
Wickel Titalom
Head of Partnerships
Grailed

Wickel Titalom

Position: Head of Partnerships, Grailed
Jai Toor
Product Manager
Datafold

Jai Toor

Position: Product Manager, Datafold
Pete Van Oot
Director
Dasher Retention Marketing
DoorDash

Pete Van Oot

Position: Director, Dasher Retention Marketing, DoorDash
Jake Wieseneck
Principal at Maniv Mobility

Jake Wieseneck

Position: Principal at Maniv Mobility
Cornell Yarbrough
DJ
iHeartRadio

Cornell Yarbrough

Position: DJ, iHeartRadio
Jason Yen
Vice President
Mergers & Acquisitions
Citi

Jason Yen

Position: Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Citi
Donovan Tyson *Chair*
Real Estate Agent
Compass Real Estate

Donovan Tyson

Position: Real Estate Agent, Compass Real Estate
Brianne Lucot
Senior Associate
PwC

Brianne Lucot

Position: Senior Associate, PwC
Carrie Miller
Global Trade Associate
Goodwin Procter

Carrie Miller

Position: Global Trade Associate, Goodwin Procter
Rachel Vas
Global Production and Logistics Director
GrainPro

Rachel Vas

Position: Global Production and Logistics Director, GrainPro
Anthony Craigwell *Co-Chair*
Sales Development Representative
Lumafield

Anthony Craigwell

Position: Sales Development Representative, Lumafield
Christian Souza *Co-Chair*
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
Loretta Alderman
Director of Strategic Engagement
Office of the CHRO Product Strategy
Workday

Loretta Alderman

Position: Director of Strategic Engagement, Office of the CHRO Product Strategy, Workday
Sarah Allaire
Founder
Click Learning

Sarah Allaire

Position: Founder, Click Learning
Hayden Broberg
Director of Partnerships
Capital One

Hayden Broberg

Position: Director of Partnerships, Capital One
Tchad Cort
Transportation Specialist
Boston Public Schools

Tchad Cort

Position: Transportation Specialist, Boston Public Schools
Phone: Associate Board Member
James Evans
Principal
Gladstone Capital LLC

James Evans

Position: Principal, Gladstone Capital LLC
Kaitlin Moroney
Senior Manager
Attorney Development
Goodwin

Kaitlin Moroney

Position: Senior Manager, Attorney Development, Goodwin
Alankrita Narang
Chief Administrative Officer
Boston Harbor Now

Alankrita Narang

Position: Chief Administrative Officer, Boston Harbor Now
Stephanie Salzman
Account Executive
Wander

Stephanie Salzman

Position: Account Executive, Wander
Kaela Schram
Manager
Sales Development
BeyondTrust

Kaela Schram

Position: Manager, Sales Development, BeyondTrust
Amy Trutor
Portfolio Manager
State Street

Amy Trutor

Position: Portfolio Manager, State Street
Gira Wieczorek
Founder
Aleberry

Gira Wieczorek

Position: Founder, Aleberry
Catherine Lee *Chair*
Senior Network Engineer
Okta

Catherine Lee *Chair*

Position: Senior Network Engineer, Okta
Joseph Chang
Senior Program Manager
Cisco

Joseph Chang

Position: Senior Program Manager, Cisco
Jose Gallo Alvarado
Coordinator
Santa Clara Law

Jose Gallo Alvarado

Position: Coordinator, Santa Clara Law
JP Giannini
Vice President of Early Stage Practices
Silicon Valley Bank

JP Giannini

Position: Vice President of Early Stage Practices, Silicon Valley Bank
Katie Hurley
VP of Marketing
unitQ

Katie Hurley

Position: VP of Marketing, unitQ
Shantu Jain
Lead Technical Product Manager
Venmo

Shantu Jain

Position: Lead Technical Product Manager, Venmo
Wanda Lee
Assistant Vice President
Temasek

Wanda Lee

Position: Assistant Vice President, Temasek
Magaly Perez
Enterprise Security Architect
Intel Corporation

Magaly Perez

Position: Enterprise Security Architect, Intel Corporation
Dan Siegel
Head of Customer Success
Paladin Cyber

Dan Siegel

Position: Head of Customer Success, Paladin Cyber
Shannon Sloss
Assistant Director
EY

Shannon Sloss

Position: Assistant Director, EY
Cameron Van
Chief Legal Counsel
Dahlia Collective and Founder
Victory Athletics Network

Cameron Van

Position: Chief Legal Counsel, Dahlia Collective and Founder, Victory Athletics Network
Brian Wei
Analyst
BMW i Ventures

Brian Wei

Position: Analyst, BMW i Ventures
Alex Laser
Senior Program Manager Yr 3+

Alex Laser

Position: Senior Program Manager Yr 3+
Email: alaser@build.org
Alex Laser joins the BUILD Greater Boston team with over 12 years of experience in secondary education and project management in high schools around the country, including DC, Chicago and Greater Boston. It was during his early tenure teaching English in DC that Alex became a Year 1 BUILD teacher, igniting an enduring passion for community building and project-based learning. At every opportunity, he opened the four walls of his English classroom to guest speakers and field trips, partnering with an array of local teaching artists, theater companies, recording studios, even public television and radio programs. True to the BUILD spirit, Alex loves to provide students platforms to share their stories, topple dominant narratives about their communities, and pitch their vision of a better world. In his most recent roles, Alex co-founded and facilitated the Boston-based group PARC (Practicing Anti-Racist Collegiality), a coalition of White educator allies and BIPOC educators engaging in tough conversations on race, matching community activism with rigorous inner work. He has several years of experience writing anti-bias curriculum and training educators in DEI and culturally responsive teaching practices. During COVID, he also organized Edubabble, an eZine showcasing the creative voices of educators outside the classroom, and Coffee House, a virtual monthly meetup and writing space for educators seeking self-care and community through communal art and storytelling. Alex holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from George Washington University. He is excited to serve BUILD Greater Boston students and teachers in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams!
Angela Stokes
Director of Mentor & Community Engagement

Angela Stokes

Position: Director of Mentor & Community Engagement
Email: astokes@build.org
Angela Stokes joins BUILD with varied non-profit experience across education, mentoring and corporate engagement. She is also a proponent of National Service, having served two years in AmeriCorps, solidifying her desire to give back to the community. Moving to Boston over a decade ago, Angela hoped to connect better to the community by becoming a mentor and pursued being a Big Sister. This experience has now helped her call Boston home. She is excited to join the BUILD team to continue connecting with students, maximizing their potential and engaging awesome mentors to do so too. In her spare time, Angela enjoys music, cooking and exploring parks with her toddler.
Anthony Walker
Senior Program Manager
Bay Area

Anthony Walker

Position: Senior Program Manager, Bay Area
Email: awalker@build.org
Anthony Walker is an entrepreneur from San Diego, CA. He is a Licensed Life Insurance Agent based in Oakland, CA and the founder of Finance Friday, a financial literacy platform. Anthony has been an educator, as well as the Founder and Director of National Elite LLC, an organization focused on summer football camps for youth in Oakland and San Diego. Anthony received a bachelor's degree from Whittier College and a master's from Saint Mary’s College in Sports Management.
Bethany Thomas
Executive Assistant
Boston

Bethany Thomas

Position: Executive Assistant, Boston
Email: bthomas@build.org
Bethany Thomas is the Executive Operations Manager of BUILD Boston. Before coming to BUILD she worked as the Director of Sales of Taste Buds Kitchen which helped her strengthen the multi-tasking, calendar organizing, and team-leading skills she now brings to BUILD. Although she has over 10+ years of volunteer experience, working for BUILD Boston fulfills her lifelong dream of working professionally in the Nonprofit world. Bethany has a B.A in both Journalism and Philosophy from The University of Massachusetts Amherst. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones, traveling the world, and hiking with her rescue pup, Moose. "I BUILD because I know firsthand the powerful effect the right help can make for under-resourced youth. I believe in the ability of one single, caring person to help change the course of multiple lives."
Betsy Neptune
Regional Executive Director
Boston

Betsy Neptune

Position: Regional Executive Director, Boston
Email: bneptune@build.org
Betsy Neptune comes to BUILD with over 15 years of experience in community economic development in Latin America and the U.S. She is passionate about creating a world in which everyone can have a job that they love and one through which they can grow and develop in order to have a positive impact. In her most recent role as the Chief of Economic Development for the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, she led economic recovery and resilience efforts for 101 cities and towns in Greater Boston. During her tenure, she expanded the work of the team beyond traditional economic development efforts, to include workforce development, digital access, and other strategies to advance wealth creation with a focus on reducing the racial wealth gap. Over the past year, her team played a key role in COVID response and recovery efforts throughout the Greater Boston region. Prior to that role, she led the Small Business Technical Assistance program for the City of Boston, after serving as the Executive Director of Egleston Square Main Street, an organization in Jamaica Plain/Roxbury whose mission is to support small businesses. This work was shaped by her experiences working in community economic development for several years in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Betsy has a heart for teaching, coaching, and entrepreneurship, so BUILD is a perfect fit. She has taught high school and graduate-level classes and also coaches existing and emerging entrepreneurs through her coaching business. She is a graduate of Trinity College with a degree in Anthropology and has certificates in Nonprofit Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. She received her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and lives in Boston.
Danielle Staggs
Development and Operations Manager

Danielle Staggs

Position: Development and Operations Manager
Email: dstaggs@build.org
Danielle joined BUILD Metro DC in the Fall of 2020 and serves as the hub of all development operations for the Metro DC team. This includes, but is not limited to helping to manage fundraising, coordinating social media/communication, and supporting the Executive Director. Danielle’s background is in events and fundraising, having worked both for political agencies and education nonprofits. She has always had a passion for youth empowerment and an entrepreneurial mindset, believing in the power of education as a pathway to closing the opportunity gap in underserved communities. Danielle graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in International Relations, with a focus in diplomacy and political communication.
Decota Letman
Director of Strategic Partnerships

Decota Letman

Position: Director of Strategic Partnerships
Email: dletman@build.org
A graduate of Howard University with a background in Communications. Decota was born and raised in the Bronx by way of Jamaica. Hailing from a single parent home and growing up in one of the most disenfranchised communities in New York City, Decota has experienced the affects of living and surviving in an under served community. Working with students that look like her and live in the same area she grew up in brings joy to Decota's heart knowing she can share her experience with others. It is for this very reason she BUILDS. Combining nine years of experience in communications in the entertainment, arts, and lifestyle space and five years in community engagement. Decota joined the BUILD NYC team as its Community Engagement Manager, and is now the Director of Strategic Partnerships, NYC .  In her spare time she enjoys listening to music, grounding, traveling and experiencing all the world has to offer. She would ultimately like to create safe spaces for students in under-resourced communities to fully exercise their potential and be given the same opportunities as their counterparts.
Elia Hernandez
Development and Operations Manager

Elia Hernandez

Position: Development and Operations Manager
Emily Donato
Senior Program Manager

Emily Donato

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: edonato@build.org
Emily joins BUILD with experience as Manager of Career Development Programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania and a former Career Coach serving high school students placed in corporate internships in the greater Pittsburgh area. With expertise in personalized learning, program development, and youth and volunteer recruitment, Emily’s tools workforce development includes Project Based Learning and Human Centered Design. Emily is an AmeriCorps Public Ally Pittsburgh Alum and a yoga instructor. She received her RYT-200 Certification from YogaRoots on Location’s Anti-Racist Yoga Teacher Training in 2018. Emily’s yoga and career-mentorship practices utilize trauma-informed care and restorative practices. Emily believes that engaging, real-world workforce development training for young people is the key to social, economic, and educational equity. For fun she enjoys travel, food, music, reading, playing with dogs, laughing with friends, and encouraging self-compassion and accountability. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Theatre Dance from the College of Wooster.
Felipe Duran
Community Engagement Manager
LA

Felipe Duran

Position: Community Engagement Manager, LA
Email: forozco@build.org
Felipe Duran is excited to join BUILD Los Angeles as the Community Engagement Manager. Felipe is an experienced non-profit professional having worked with disconnected youth and youth experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. In his prior experience designing and leading holistic youth programs, Felipe has applied research-based mentoring tools and developed various community partnerships to support youth in their personal and professional development. Having grown up and still currently living in Northeast Los Angeles, it is his mission to support youth in his community. He looks forward to leveraging his experience to support a network of mentors for student entrepreneurs. In his spare time, Felipe enjoys watching professional football, playing golf, and going on walks with his wife and daughter.
Grace Karr
Senior Community Engagement Manager
Bay Area

Grace Karr

Position: Senior Community Engagement Manager, Bay Area
Email: gkarr@build.org
Grace Karr joins BUILD Bay Area with years of experience leading programs across K12 and higher education, and teaching in K-8 bilingual classrooms. She has worked on private sector corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and led community engagement initiatives to bring more public art to the Bay Area. Her favorite aspect of past roles is creating meaningful partnerships and collaborations between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in order to strengthen education programs.
At Stanford University, she oversaw education programs in partnership with urban school districts, served as a STEM Education Program Director at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and worked on CSR projects for Billtrust and Cisco. She is looking forward to building a dynamic and high performing volunteer workforce to serve BUILD students!
Grace loves spending time with her family and three dogs, building a habitat-friendly garden, hiking, and travel. Grace holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MA in Education and a teaching credential from San Francisco State University.
Greg Williams
Program Manager

Greg Williams

Position: Program Manager
Email: gwilliams@build.org
Gregory Williams joins the Build Metro DC team with years of experience as a Special Educator in the Washington D.C area. As a former Program Coordinator with the College Steps Program, Greg provided customized college support for students with learning and social challenges. He is excited to join BUILD DC and transition back into High School Programming. Greg is most excited to continue to make a positive impact on the empowerment of our students. He often enjoys spending time with his family and friends and serving his community as a local Football coach in his spare time. Greg holds a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Johnson C. Smith University.
Jaren Sorkow
Director of Strategic Partnerships
California

Jaren Sorkow

Position: Director of Strategic Partnerships, California
Email: jsorkow@build.org
A Los Angeles native, Jaren has dedicated his career to community engagement and working with disenfranchised populations. Prior to joining BUILD, Jaren served as the Director of Casa Esperanza, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on gang intervention and prevention activities for Latinx youth and their families. He has also held senior positions at Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles, CASA of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Animal Services, and Union Station Homeless Services. He earned a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, and a Master of Public Administration, with a focus on public policy, from California State University, Northridge.
Jasmine Ochoa
Senior Program Manager
Bay Area

Jasmine Ochoa

Position: Senior Program Manager, Bay Area
Raised in East Oakland, Jasmine graduated from Lionel Wilson Prep High School as a BUILD student. Throughout high school, Jasmine spent a lot of her time volunteering at a variety of organizations, such as OUSD and The Red Cross. Jasmine attended Holy Names University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Business Marketing in 2018 and her Master’s in business administration in 2019. Throughout her college experience, she continued volunteering with different organizations and often remembered BUILD for the knowledge and benefits it brought her. As an alum, Jasmine greatly believes in the BUILD program and the doors it can open for students, which is why she decided to come back to the organization and work with high school freshmen and sophomores. As the Bay Area Program Manager, Jasmine is regularly visiting our partner schools. She attends class sessions to work directly with our 9th and 10th grade students preparing them for showcases and ensuring they are receiving the most from the BUILD program. Jasmine strives to provide students with the same benefits BUILD provided for her. She loves to get to know our BUILD students closely and aspires to be a positive influence in their lives.
Jazmin Moreno
Entrepreneurship Program Manager

Jazmin Moreno

Position: Entrepreneurship Program Manager
Jennie Woo
Director of Philanthropy
Boston

Jennie Woo

Position: Director of Philanthropy, Boston
Email: jwoo@build.org
Jennie Woo is a nonprofit fundraising professional with over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. In her various roles at Bottom Line, she has developed the organization's individual giving program, deepened relationships with key corporate partners, supported the implementation of cross-regional communications and giving campaigns, and executed signature annual events for the Massachusetts region. Before Bottom Line, Jennie has supported donor communications, major gift cultivation and stewardship, and donor database management. Jennie is passionate about increasing access to opportunities for the next generation and is excited to join the team at BUILD Boston to connect the visions of young entrepreneurs with supporters in Greater Boston. As an active member in her community, Jennie also serves as a Town Meeting member for the town of Norwood and a member of Progress Norwood, a community action group that informs, organizes, and participates in events that are aligned with progressive and inclusive values. In her spare time, she likes to cook and be active with her family, including Bobby Furmino, their energetic lab mix. Jennie graduated cum laude from Rutgers University with honors in Art History.
Justin Lokossou
STUDENT EXPERIENCE PROGRAM MANAGER (E2)

Justin Lokossou

Position: STUDENT EXPERIENCE PROGRAM MANAGER (E2)
Residing in Harlem, New York by way of Benin, West Africa. Justin Lokossou has spent the majority of his life in the service to students. As a curriculum designer, educator, academic advisor, and fencing instructor, Justin has worked with students from grades K through 12, and has since focused his passion towards working with high school students. He enjoys long walks on the beach, riding his bicycle, judo, lying about enjoying walks on the beach (he and sand do not get along, the sand knows what it did), and writing amusing biographies about himself. This is amusing bio #8. Justin hopes to bring his love of writing, poetry, fantasy fiction, music and comic culture into designing an engaging curriculum for BUILD that will help students not only see themselves in their lesson, but fulfill and exceed their own expectations of how great they can become. 
Kenya George
Program Director

Kenya George

Position: Program Director
Email: kgeorge@build.org
Kenya is a dynamic community organizer and youth developer committed to the transformation and upliftment of youth, young adults and their families.  She currently serves as Program Director with BUILD NYC. Prior to build, Kenya spent over a decade with University Settlement,  a nonprofit that provides services throughout University Settlement. As Community School Director, Kenya led a team of professionals in planning and implementing enrichment programs for youth, young adults and families, building relationships with stakeholders in the community, and raising funding to sustain and propel youth development forward. Kenya holds a B.A. in psychology from Barnard College, a Masters of Social Work from Hunter College.
Lamar Blackwell
Founding Director
Pittsburgh

Lamar Blackwell

Position: Founding Director, Pittsburgh
Email: lblackwell@build.org
As a former Political candidate, Criminal Justice Reform Program Director & CEO, Educational Administrator, and also an established transformational leader in both the private and public sector, Lamar Blackwell joins BUILD as the Founding Director with a plethora of relevant relationships and invaluable experience. Lamar has had an amazing track record of reforming broken communities through administrative duties. He attended the 9th-ranked dual-degree graduate and law school program in the United States, Georgia State University. Lamar also received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 2016. Lamar has mastered the ability to maximize equity through creating, influencing, and operating policy that justly allocates resources to under-served residents, students, and communities. He is an accomplished professional with extensive experience advocating and campaigning to mitigate injustice for individuals by leading social justice organizations, schools, and social service agencies. The unmatched ability to connect community partners, potential funders, and regular people to a product has helped Lamar Blackwell establish himself as a "widely-recognized" dynamic leader throughout the region. Mr. Blackwell was born and raised in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the Northeast; at one point he attended one of the lowest-performing schools in Pennsylvania, Peabody High School. He states "of all the friends I grew up around, I'm the only one who is currently walking the streets free. Half are dead, half are incarcerated, but it started from the time we were students." Lamar realized that being born into an unsatisfactory environment, with little resources would lead many to a life of self-destruction. He noticed that many of the friends he grew up with were struggling due to the fact that they were not connected to the work they were doing and didn't have a chance to create opportunities for themselves. At that point, Lamar dedicated himself to fighting for equity and opportunity for those who are unable to fight for themselves. Lamar has served numerous low-income communities and transformed the minds of many speaking professionally to over 900,000 people and raising millions of dollars for low-income residents and nonprofit organizations. Lamar has created strong networks, working alongside diverse groups of people, ranging from troubled minority students to formerly incarcerated individuals. Lamar looks forward to serving BUILD and helping change the trajectory of the lives of students through informal education.
Lenworth A. Williamson
Program Director

Lenworth A. Williamson

Position: Program Director
Email: lwilliamson@build.org
Len joins the BUILD Boston team with nine years of experience in education and youth development work. He has most recently worked at the Pingree School outside of Boston, as the Dean of Students for six years. In addition to his role overseeing student life, Len has taught social studies and coached basketball at Pingree. He also serves as a workshop presenter and conference facilitator on the topics of social justice in education and student motivation. He offers professional development webinars for educators in school districts across the state through the Massachusetts Partnership for Youth and works alongside a diverse group of educators from around the country to deliver social justice curricula for high schoolers at the annual NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. As a volunteer, Len supports nonprofit organizations around Greater Boston, including serving on the board of directors of Aaron’s Presents, a service-learning program for kids in under-resourced communities on the north shore. His joy in working with young people was sparked after college, while playing pro basketball overseas and coaching local youth teams. Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom, or in life, Len is excited by the process of experiential learning and believes wholeheartedly in the power of a growth mindset. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Amherst College and an M.Ed. in K-12 Learning and Instruction from Northeastern University.
Maria Raftelis
Grant Writer
New York City and California

Maria Raftelis

Position: Grant Writer, New York City and California
Email: mraftelis@build.org
Maria Raftelis has more than a decade of fundraising experience in education. Before joining BUILD, Maria served as Associate Director of Foundation Relations at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In this role, she oversaw fundraising for the Center of Radiological Research (CRR) and worked with medical faculty across the College to raise funds for research. Prior to Columbia University, Maria served as Grant Writer at the City College Fund, the fundraising organization of the City College of New York (CCNY). During my nine year tenure at the City College Fund, Maria expanded the College’s portfolio of institutional donors to double institutional giving.  Maria resides in the Bronx with her husband and son. A graduate of the New York City public school system, Maria believed every student should have access to an excellent education that inspires them to dream and achieve their full potential. Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Individualized Studies from New York University and a Master’s degree in Social Science from the University of Chicago.
Mariana Lopez-Sutherland
Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
Bay Area

Mariana Lopez-Sutherland

Position: Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, Bay Area
Email: mlopezsutherland@build.org
Mariana Lopez-Sutherland joins the BUILD Bay Area team with experience working in the education sector, primarily in economically disadvantaged communities. Through her work as a tutor and substitute teacher Mariana has helped several students reach their academic goals. As a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela, she is very passionate about social justice and education equity. She is excited to join BUILD Bay Area to start her career in the nonprofit sector, and to further her work helping the youth thrive. Mariana also loves arts and crafts, being a dog parent to a little Chiweenie called Maya, travelling, and finding new spots to eat. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from UC San Diego.
Michael Arellano
Program Director
Los Angeles

Michael Arellano

Position: Program Director, Los Angeles

Michael holds the Senior Program Manager role for the Los Angeles region.  He brings with him over 15 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations dedicated to youth development.  Having grown up in a Boys & Girls Club, he understands the importance of empowering young people through quality programs and engaging mentors.  His personal mission is to support the creation of collaborative communities that generate opportunities for youth to thrive.

Born and raised in Southern California Michael is excited to expand BUILD’s programs in the Los Angeles area and to bring Spark Skills to the area’s diverse student population.
Naya Samuel
Community Engagement Manager
NYC

Naya Samuel

Position: Community Engagement Manager, NYC
Email: nsamuel@build.org
Naya Samuel is a native New Yorker, experienced community organizer and writer. She joins the Build NYC team with over a decade of experience working across performing arts and digital media industries, including positions at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Intercept, Field of Vision, TOPIC Studios, and more. She's regularly contributed to Sports Illustrated via Empower Onyx, covering the stories of Black women in sports; and manages the community music collective CORPUS Family, focusing on free community programming, youth initiatives, local artist support, and overall fundraising, through the lens of music education in NYC. She works with a vested interest in the intersections of Black culture and liberation locally and globally; hyper-local community organizing and amplifying the next generation of New Yorkers; and emergent strategies that mobilize and empower marginalized groups, especially Black femmes, and trans and queer youth. She's excited to join BUILD to provide tangible access and resources, help young people re-imagine and refine their own skill sets; and to create truly intersectional, intentional spaces for young folks to foster their own communities. She also loves traveling, reading, cooking Trinidadian food, and spending time with her dog Roti.
Pamela Minetti
DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Pamela Minetti

Position: DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY
Email: pMinetti@build.org
Pam has spent the majority of her career in the financial services sector where she worked at a range of boutique and bulge bracket firms including Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Mogavero, Lee. Her diverse experience encompasses investment banking, institutional sales and marketing. She has always been passionate about educational equity and child and family welfare and has served as a mentor and nonprofit board member for over twenty years. In 2017, Pam joined the BUILD NYC team where she is responsible for all fundraising activities. Pam graduated from the University of Virginia with Highest Distinction and received her MBA from Columbia Business School.
Ryan Oliver
Regional Director
California

Ryan Oliver

Position: Regional Director, California
Email: rOliver@build.org
Ryan Oliver serves as Regional Executive Director for BUILD Bay Area and Los Angeles, holding primary responsibility for leading growth initiatives and directing strategy. Ryan brings twenty years of experience as an innovative educator, leader, and program designer in urban schools, from Boston and Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and East Oakland. Previously, Ryan served as Founding Program Director for BUILD Boston. A Bay Area native, Ryan has lived, learned, and worked on both coasts. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Education from California State University Monterey Bay, and Principal Certification from University of Pittsburgh.
Sarah Malonda
Program Associate

Sarah Malonda

Position: Program Associate
Email: smalonda@build.org
Sarah Malonda was born and raised in Queens, New York, and was the daughter of Indonesian immigrants. She graduated from CUNY Hunter College with a degree in Political Science. She's interested in local politics and community organizing  — and has been participating in outreach events like getting people registered to vote, informing folks about upcoming elections, and visiting local businesses to pass out PPE and other resources. She is committed to helping under-resourced communities such as her own and she is a strong advocate of student engagement in school, so she truly believes in the work BUILD NYC is doing.
Shannon Hayes
Senior Program Manager

Shannon Hayes

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: shayes@build.org
Shannon Hayes joins the BUILD Boston team with years of experience in youth development and K-12 education in Boston. As former Interim Executive Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities & Partnerships and Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities at Boston Public Schools, Shannon worked with community-based organizations and school leaders to plan and execute summer and vacation week programs across the city that offered students academic support and enrichment opportunities. Prior to that, she was the Afterschool & Summer Learning Program Manager at Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), overseeing the implementation of arts-integrated, experiential learning programs for English Learners in Boston's South End. Shannon is excited to join the team at BUILD Boston to support and develop strong school partnerships and high quality teacher and volunteer training for our school partners in Boston. Shannon is a licensed educator and holds a master's degree in Elementary Education and Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University and a bachelor's in Critical Social Thought from Mount Holyoke College. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, yoga and cooking, and is currently learning ASL.
Stephanie Calderon
Senior Program Manager
LA

Stephanie Calderon

Position: Senior Program Manager, LA
Email: scalderon@build.org
Stephanie comes to BUILD with almost a decade of experience as a college access and success practitioner across several schools in her hometown of Los Angeles. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants. As a college success practitioner, she helped develop programs to support predominantly first-generation BIPOC youth in Los Angeles to prepare for their postsecondary education and careers. She is excited to join the LA team to support teachers and students in becoming the CEO of their own life. Stephanie is also an entrepreneur supporting digital media and the operations of her family business. She enjoys traveling, dancing, and event planning in her free time. She holds a bachelor's degree from UCLA in Women's Studies with a Minor in Education Studies and a master's from California State University, Long Beach.
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC
Email: swells@build.org
Timothy Ruffin
Senior Program Manager

Timothy Ruffin

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: truffin@build.org
Timothy Ruffin joins the BUILD NYC team after years of classroom and curriculum writing experience at the high school, college and non-profit levels. As an entrepreneur and educator himself, Timothy believes that success in the 21st century will be achieved by those students who have learned the essential skills to develop their own businesses, while constantly pursuing academic achievement because they will be able to adapt to life's challenges regardless of any societal issues. As a person who was able to overcome the many pitfalls of growing up in an underserved community, Timothy is committed to ensuring that every BUILD student has the opportunity to grow, prosper and make systemic changes in their communities. Timothy holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in African American history and two master's degrees, one in the social sciences and the other in education.
Toiell Washington
Program Manager

Toiell Washington

Position: Program Manager
Email: twashington@build.org
Toiell Washington joins Build with several years of experience in the nonprofit sector. As a Boston native, she has worked with a number of different organizations in the city doing violence prevention work, such as Casa Myrna and Mothers for Justice and Equality. While working with this demographic, she found a love for community building.  In more recent years, she has become involved in education-based organizations centered around mentoring and empowerment, including Strong Women Strong Girls Boston. Outside of her work as a nonprofit leader, she is the founder and creator of The Master Tools, a game company that starts conversations around systems of oppression. Toiell is committed to exploring and introducing topics in social justice education in a non-traditional way. Both her experience in the nonprofit field and work as a social entrepreneur make her a great fit for BUILD. She believes it is important that we, as a collective, are accommodating all different kinds of learning styles and encouraging the younger generation to be creative. Toiell also runs a community organization and digital platform called Black Boston to keep young Black people in the city politically engaged. As someone heavily involved in her community, she has been recognized for her leadership in many different capacities. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Award. She was also awarded Best Social Justice Advocate of the year by Boston Magazine in 2021.
Lamar Blackwell
Founding Director
Pittsburgh

Lamar Blackwell

Position: Founding Director, Pittsburgh
Email: lblackwell@build.org
As a former Political candidate, Criminal Justice Reform Program Director & CEO, Educational Administrator, and also an established transformational leader in both the private and public sector, Lamar Blackwell joins BUILD as the Founding Director with a plethora of relevant relationships and invaluable experience. Lamar has had an amazing track record of reforming broken communities through administrative duties. He attended the 9th-ranked dual-degree graduate and law school program in the United States, Georgia State University. Lamar also received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 2016. Lamar has mastered the ability to maximize equity through creating, influencing, and operating policy that justly allocates resources to under-served residents, students, and communities. He is an accomplished professional with extensive experience advocating and campaigning to mitigate injustice for individuals by leading social justice organizations, schools, and social service agencies. The unmatched ability to connect community partners, potential funders, and regular people to a product has helped Lamar Blackwell establish himself as a "widely-recognized" dynamic leader throughout the region. Mr. Blackwell was born and raised in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the Northeast; at one point he attended one of the lowest-performing schools in Pennsylvania, Peabody High School. He states "of all the friends I grew up around, I'm the only one who is currently walking the streets free. Half are dead, half are incarcerated, but it started from the time we were students." Lamar realized that being born into an unsatisfactory environment, with little resources would lead many to a life of self-destruction. He noticed that many of the friends he grew up with were struggling due to the fact that they were not connected to the work they were doing and didn't have a chance to create opportunities for themselves. At that point, Lamar dedicated himself to fighting for equity and opportunity for those who are unable to fight for themselves. Lamar has served numerous low-income communities and transformed the minds of many speaking professionally to over 900,000 people and raising millions of dollars for low-income residents and nonprofit organizations. Lamar has created strong networks, working alongside diverse groups of people, ranging from troubled minority students to formerly incarcerated individuals. Lamar looks forward to serving BUILD and helping change the trajectory of the lives of students through informal education.
Emily Donato
Senior Program Manager

Emily Donato

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: edonato@build.org
Emily joins BUILD with experience as Manager of Career Development Programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania and a former Career Coach serving high school students placed in corporate internships in the greater Pittsburgh area. With expertise in personalized learning, program development, and youth and volunteer recruitment, Emily’s tools workforce development includes Project Based Learning and Human Centered Design. Emily is an AmeriCorps Public Ally Pittsburgh Alum and a yoga instructor. She received her RYT-200 Certification from YogaRoots on Location’s Anti-Racist Yoga Teacher Training in 2018. Emily’s yoga and career-mentorship practices utilize trauma-informed care and restorative practices. Emily believes that engaging, real-world workforce development training for young people is the key to social, economic, and educational equity. For fun she enjoys travel, food, music, reading, playing with dogs, laughing with friends, and encouraging self-compassion and accountability. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Theatre Dance from the College of Wooster.
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC
Email: swells@build.org
Kenya George
Program Director

Kenya George

Position: Program Director
Email: kgeorge@build.org
Kenya is a dynamic community organizer and youth developer committed to the transformation and upliftment of youth, young adults and their families.  She currently serves as Program Director with BUILD NYC. Prior to build, Kenya spent over a decade with University Settlement,  a nonprofit that provides services throughout University Settlement. As Community School Director, Kenya led a team of professionals in planning and implementing enrichment programs for youth, young adults and families, building relationships with stakeholders in the community, and raising funding to sustain and propel youth development forward. Kenya holds a B.A. in psychology from Barnard College, a Masters of Social Work from Hunter College.
Pamela Minetti
DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Pamela Minetti

Position: DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY
Email: pMinetti@build.org
Pam has spent the majority of her career in the financial services sector where she worked at a range of boutique and bulge bracket firms including Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Mogavero, Lee. Her diverse experience encompasses investment banking, institutional sales and marketing. She has always been passionate about educational equity and child and family welfare and has served as a mentor and nonprofit board member for over twenty years. In 2017, Pam joined the BUILD NYC team where she is responsible for all fundraising activities. Pam graduated from the University of Virginia with Highest Distinction and received her MBA from Columbia Business School.
Decota Letman
Director of Strategic Partnerships

Decota Letman

Position: Director of Strategic Partnerships
Email: dletman@build.org
A graduate of Howard University with a background in Communications. Decota was born and raised in the Bronx by way of Jamaica. Hailing from a single parent home and growing up in one of the most disenfranchised communities in New York City, Decota has experienced the affects of living and surviving in an under served community. Working with students that look like her and live in the same area she grew up in brings joy to Decota's heart knowing she can share her experience with others. It is for this very reason she BUILDS. Combining nine years of experience in communications in the entertainment, arts, and lifestyle space and five years in community engagement. Decota joined the BUILD NYC team as its Community Engagement Manager, and is now the Director of Strategic Partnerships, NYC .  In her spare time she enjoys listening to music, grounding, traveling and experiencing all the world has to offer. She would ultimately like to create safe spaces for students in under-resourced communities to fully exercise their potential and be given the same opportunities as their counterparts.
Timothy Ruffin
Senior Program Manager

Timothy Ruffin

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: truffin@build.org
Timothy Ruffin joins the BUILD NYC team after years of classroom and curriculum writing experience at the high school, college and non-profit levels. As an entrepreneur and educator himself, Timothy believes that success in the 21st century will be achieved by those students who have learned the essential skills to develop their own businesses, while constantly pursuing academic achievement because they will be able to adapt to life's challenges regardless of any societal issues. As a person who was able to overcome the many pitfalls of growing up in an underserved community, Timothy is committed to ensuring that every BUILD student has the opportunity to grow, prosper and make systemic changes in their communities. Timothy holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in African American history and two master's degrees, one in the social sciences and the other in education.
Jazmin Moreno
Entrepreneurship Program Manager

Jazmin Moreno

Position: Entrepreneurship Program Manager
Justin Lokossou
STUDENT EXPERIENCE PROGRAM MANAGER (E2)

Justin Lokossou

Position: STUDENT EXPERIENCE PROGRAM MANAGER (E2)
Residing in Harlem, New York by way of Benin, West Africa. Justin Lokossou has spent the majority of his life in the service to students. As a curriculum designer, educator, academic advisor, and fencing instructor, Justin has worked with students from grades K through 12, and has since focused his passion towards working with high school students. He enjoys long walks on the beach, riding his bicycle, judo, lying about enjoying walks on the beach (he and sand do not get along, the sand knows what it did), and writing amusing biographies about himself. This is amusing bio #8. Justin hopes to bring his love of writing, poetry, fantasy fiction, music and comic culture into designing an engaging curriculum for BUILD that will help students not only see themselves in their lesson, but fulfill and exceed their own expectations of how great they can become. 
Naya Samuel
Community Engagement Manager
NYC

Naya Samuel

Position: Community Engagement Manager, NYC
Email: nsamuel@build.org
Naya Samuel is a native New Yorker, experienced community organizer and writer. She joins the Build NYC team with over a decade of experience working across performing arts and digital media industries, including positions at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Intercept, Field of Vision, TOPIC Studios, and more. She's regularly contributed to Sports Illustrated via Empower Onyx, covering the stories of Black women in sports; and manages the community music collective CORPUS Family, focusing on free community programming, youth initiatives, local artist support, and overall fundraising, through the lens of music education in NYC. She works with a vested interest in the intersections of Black culture and liberation locally and globally; hyper-local community organizing and amplifying the next generation of New Yorkers; and emergent strategies that mobilize and empower marginalized groups, especially Black femmes, and trans and queer youth. She's excited to join BUILD to provide tangible access and resources, help young people re-imagine and refine their own skill sets; and to create truly intersectional, intentional spaces for young folks to foster their own communities. She also loves traveling, reading, cooking Trinidadian food, and spending time with her dog Roti.
Sarah Malonda
Program Associate

Sarah Malonda

Position: Program Associate
Email: smalonda@build.org
Sarah Malonda was born and raised in Queens, New York, and was the daughter of Indonesian immigrants. She graduated from CUNY Hunter College with a degree in Political Science. She's interested in local politics and community organizing  — and has been participating in outreach events like getting people registered to vote, informing folks about upcoming elections, and visiting local businesses to pass out PPE and other resources. She is committed to helping under-resourced communities such as her own and she is a strong advocate of student engagement in school, so she truly believes in the work BUILD NYC is doing.
Maria Raftelis
Grant Writer
New York City and California

Maria Raftelis

Position: Grant Writer, New York City and California
Email: mraftelis@build.org
Maria Raftelis has more than a decade of fundraising experience in education. Before joining BUILD, Maria served as Associate Director of Foundation Relations at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In this role, she oversaw fundraising for the Center of Radiological Research (CRR) and worked with medical faculty across the College to raise funds for research. Prior to Columbia University, Maria served as Grant Writer at the City College Fund, the fundraising organization of the City College of New York (CCNY). During my nine year tenure at the City College Fund, Maria expanded the College’s portfolio of institutional donors to double institutional giving.  Maria resides in the Bronx with her husband and son. A graduate of the New York City public school system, Maria believed every student should have access to an excellent education that inspires them to dream and achieve their full potential. Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Individualized Studies from New York University and a Master’s degree in Social Science from the University of Chicago.
Sybil Mimy Wells
Regional Executive Director
NYC and Metro DC

Sybil Mimy Wells

Position: Regional Executive Director, NYC and Metro DC
Email: swells@build.org
Danielle Staggs
Development and Operations Manager

Danielle Staggs

Position: Development and Operations Manager
Email: dstaggs@build.org
Danielle joined BUILD Metro DC in the Fall of 2020 and serves as the hub of all development operations for the Metro DC team. This includes, but is not limited to helping to manage fundraising, coordinating social media/communication, and supporting the Executive Director. Danielle’s background is in events and fundraising, having worked both for political agencies and education nonprofits. She has always had a passion for youth empowerment and an entrepreneurial mindset, believing in the power of education as a pathway to closing the opportunity gap in underserved communities. Danielle graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in International Relations, with a focus in diplomacy and political communication.
Greg Williams
Program Manager

Greg Williams

Position: Program Manager
Email: gwilliams@build.org
Gregory Williams joins the Build Metro DC team with years of experience as a Special Educator in the Washington D.C area. As a former Program Coordinator with the College Steps Program, Greg provided customized college support for students with learning and social challenges. He is excited to join BUILD DC and transition back into High School Programming. Greg is most excited to continue to make a positive impact on the empowerment of our students. He often enjoys spending time with his family and friends and serving his community as a local Football coach in his spare time. Greg holds a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Johnson C. Smith University.
Alex Laser
Senior Program Manager Yr 3+

Alex Laser

Position: Senior Program Manager Yr 3+
Email: alaser@build.org
Alex Laser joins the BUILD Greater Boston team with over 12 years of experience in secondary education and project management in high schools around the country, including DC, Chicago and Greater Boston. It was during his early tenure teaching English in DC that Alex became a Year 1 BUILD teacher, igniting an enduring passion for community building and project-based learning. At every opportunity, he opened the four walls of his English classroom to guest speakers and field trips, partnering with an array of local teaching artists, theater companies, recording studios, even public television and radio programs. True to the BUILD spirit, Alex loves to provide students platforms to share their stories, topple dominant narratives about their communities, and pitch their vision of a better world. In his most recent roles, Alex co-founded and facilitated the Boston-based group PARC (Practicing Anti-Racist Collegiality), a coalition of White educator allies and BIPOC educators engaging in tough conversations on race, matching community activism with rigorous inner work. He has several years of experience writing anti-bias curriculum and training educators in DEI and culturally responsive teaching practices. During COVID, he also organized Edubabble, an eZine showcasing the creative voices of educators outside the classroom, and Coffee House, a virtual monthly meetup and writing space for educators seeking self-care and community through communal art and storytelling. Alex holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from George Washington University. He is excited to serve BUILD Greater Boston students and teachers in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams!
Angela Stokes
Director of Mentor & Community Engagement

Angela Stokes

Position: Director of Mentor & Community Engagement
Email: astokes@build.org
Angela Stokes joins BUILD with varied non-profit experience across education, mentoring and corporate engagement. She is also a proponent of National Service, having served two years in AmeriCorps, solidifying her desire to give back to the community. Moving to Boston over a decade ago, Angela hoped to connect better to the community by becoming a mentor and pursued being a Big Sister. This experience has now helped her call Boston home. She is excited to join the BUILD team to continue connecting with students, maximizing their potential and engaging awesome mentors to do so too. In her spare time, Angela enjoys music, cooking and exploring parks with her toddler.
Bethany Thomas
Executive Assistant
Boston

Bethany Thomas

Position: Executive Assistant, Boston
Email: bthomas@build.org
Bethany Thomas is the Executive Operations Manager of BUILD Boston. Before coming to BUILD she worked as the Director of Sales of Taste Buds Kitchen which helped her strengthen the multi-tasking, calendar organizing, and team-leading skills she now brings to BUILD. Although she has over 10+ years of volunteer experience, working for BUILD Boston fulfills her lifelong dream of working professionally in the Nonprofit world. Bethany has a B.A in both Journalism and Philosophy from The University of Massachusetts Amherst. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones, traveling the world, and hiking with her rescue pup, Moose. "I BUILD because I know firsthand the powerful effect the right help can make for under-resourced youth. I believe in the ability of one single, caring person to help change the course of multiple lives."
Betsy Neptune
Regional Executive Director
Boston

Betsy Neptune

Position: Regional Executive Director, Boston
Email: bneptune@build.org
Betsy Neptune comes to BUILD with over 15 years of experience in community economic development in Latin America and the U.S. She is passionate about creating a world in which everyone can have a job that they love and one through which they can grow and develop in order to have a positive impact. In her most recent role as the Chief of Economic Development for the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, she led economic recovery and resilience efforts for 101 cities and towns in Greater Boston. During her tenure, she expanded the work of the team beyond traditional economic development efforts, to include workforce development, digital access, and other strategies to advance wealth creation with a focus on reducing the racial wealth gap. Over the past year, her team played a key role in COVID response and recovery efforts throughout the Greater Boston region. Prior to that role, she led the Small Business Technical Assistance program for the City of Boston, after serving as the Executive Director of Egleston Square Main Street, an organization in Jamaica Plain/Roxbury whose mission is to support small businesses. This work was shaped by her experiences working in community economic development for several years in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Betsy has a heart for teaching, coaching, and entrepreneurship, so BUILD is a perfect fit. She has taught high school and graduate-level classes and also coaches existing and emerging entrepreneurs through her coaching business. She is a graduate of Trinity College with a degree in Anthropology and has certificates in Nonprofit Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. She received her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and lives in Boston.
Jennie Woo
Director of Philanthropy
Boston

Jennie Woo

Position: Director of Philanthropy, Boston
Email: jwoo@build.org
Jennie Woo is a nonprofit fundraising professional with over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. In her various roles at Bottom Line, she has developed the organization's individual giving program, deepened relationships with key corporate partners, supported the implementation of cross-regional communications and giving campaigns, and executed signature annual events for the Massachusetts region. Before Bottom Line, Jennie has supported donor communications, major gift cultivation and stewardship, and donor database management. Jennie is passionate about increasing access to opportunities for the next generation and is excited to join the team at BUILD Boston to connect the visions of young entrepreneurs with supporters in Greater Boston. As an active member in her community, Jennie also serves as a Town Meeting member for the town of Norwood and a member of Progress Norwood, a community action group that informs, organizes, and participates in events that are aligned with progressive and inclusive values. In her spare time, she likes to cook and be active with her family, including Bobby Furmino, their energetic lab mix. Jennie graduated cum laude from Rutgers University with honors in Art History.
Lenworth A. Williamson
Program Director

Lenworth A. Williamson

Position: Program Director
Email: lwilliamson@build.org
Len joins the BUILD Boston team with nine years of experience in education and youth development work. He has most recently worked at the Pingree School outside of Boston, as the Dean of Students for six years. In addition to his role overseeing student life, Len has taught social studies and coached basketball at Pingree. He also serves as a workshop presenter and conference facilitator on the topics of social justice in education and student motivation. He offers professional development webinars for educators in school districts across the state through the Massachusetts Partnership for Youth and works alongside a diverse group of educators from around the country to deliver social justice curricula for high schoolers at the annual NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. As a volunteer, Len supports nonprofit organizations around Greater Boston, including serving on the board of directors of Aaron’s Presents, a service-learning program for kids in under-resourced communities on the north shore. His joy in working with young people was sparked after college, while playing pro basketball overseas and coaching local youth teams. Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom, or in life, Len is excited by the process of experiential learning and believes wholeheartedly in the power of a growth mindset. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Amherst College and an M.Ed. in K-12 Learning and Instruction from Northeastern University.
Shannon Hayes
Senior Program Manager

Shannon Hayes

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: shayes@build.org
Shannon Hayes joins the BUILD Boston team with years of experience in youth development and K-12 education in Boston. As former Interim Executive Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities & Partnerships and Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities at Boston Public Schools, Shannon worked with community-based organizations and school leaders to plan and execute summer and vacation week programs across the city that offered students academic support and enrichment opportunities. Prior to that, she was the Afterschool & Summer Learning Program Manager at Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), overseeing the implementation of arts-integrated, experiential learning programs for English Learners in Boston's South End. Shannon is excited to join the team at BUILD Boston to support and develop strong school partnerships and high quality teacher and volunteer training for our school partners in Boston. Shannon is a licensed educator and holds a master's degree in Elementary Education and Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University and a bachelor's in Critical Social Thought from Mount Holyoke College. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, yoga and cooking, and is currently learning ASL.
Toiell Washington
Program Manager

Toiell Washington

Position: Program Manager
Email: twashington@build.org
Toiell Washington joins Build with several years of experience in the nonprofit sector. As a Boston native, she has worked with a number of different organizations in the city doing violence prevention work, such as Casa Myrna and Mothers for Justice and Equality. While working with this demographic, she found a love for community building.  In more recent years, she has become involved in education-based organizations centered around mentoring and empowerment, including Strong Women Strong Girls Boston. Outside of her work as a nonprofit leader, she is the founder and creator of The Master Tools, a game company that starts conversations around systems of oppression. Toiell is committed to exploring and introducing topics in social justice education in a non-traditional way. Both her experience in the nonprofit field and work as a social entrepreneur make her a great fit for BUILD. She believes it is important that we, as a collective, are accommodating all different kinds of learning styles and encouraging the younger generation to be creative. Toiell also runs a community organization and digital platform called Black Boston to keep young Black people in the city politically engaged. As someone heavily involved in her community, she has been recognized for her leadership in many different capacities. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Award. She was also awarded Best Social Justice Advocate of the year by Boston Magazine in 2021.
Ryan Oliver
Regional Director
California

Ryan Oliver

Position: Regional Director, California
Email: rOliver@build.org
Ryan Oliver serves as Regional Executive Director for BUILD Bay Area and Los Angeles, holding primary responsibility for leading growth initiatives and directing strategy. Ryan brings twenty years of experience as an innovative educator, leader, and program designer in urban schools, from Boston and Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and East Oakland. Previously, Ryan served as Founding Program Director for BUILD Boston. A Bay Area native, Ryan has lived, learned, and worked on both coasts. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Education from California State University Monterey Bay, and Principal Certification from University of Pittsburgh.
Michael Arellano
Program Director
Los Angeles

Michael Arellano

Position: Program Director, Los Angeles

Michael holds the Senior Program Manager role for the Los Angeles region.  He brings with him over 15 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations dedicated to youth development.  Having grown up in a Boys & Girls Club, he understands the importance of empowering young people through quality programs and engaging mentors.  His personal mission is to support the creation of collaborative communities that generate opportunities for youth to thrive.

Born and raised in Southern California Michael is excited to expand BUILD’s programs in the Los Angeles area and to bring Spark Skills to the area’s diverse student population.
Jaren Sorkow
Director of Strategic Partnerships
California

Jaren Sorkow

Position: Director of Strategic Partnerships, California
Email: jsorkow@build.org
A Los Angeles native, Jaren has dedicated his career to community engagement and working with disenfranchised populations. Prior to joining BUILD, Jaren served as the Director of Casa Esperanza, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on gang intervention and prevention activities for Latinx youth and their families. He has also held senior positions at Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles, CASA of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Animal Services, and Union Station Homeless Services. He earned a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, and a Master of Public Administration, with a focus on public policy, from California State University, Northridge.
Grace Karr
Senior Community Engagement Manager
Bay Area

Grace Karr

Position: Senior Community Engagement Manager, Bay Area
Email: gkarr@build.org
Grace Karr joins BUILD Bay Area with years of experience leading programs across K12 and higher education, and teaching in K-8 bilingual classrooms. She has worked on private sector corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and led community engagement initiatives to bring more public art to the Bay Area. Her favorite aspect of past roles is creating meaningful partnerships and collaborations between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in order to strengthen education programs.
At Stanford University, she oversaw education programs in partnership with urban school districts, served as a STEM Education Program Director at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and worked on CSR projects for Billtrust and Cisco. She is looking forward to building a dynamic and high performing volunteer workforce to serve BUILD students!
Grace loves spending time with her family and three dogs, building a habitat-friendly garden, hiking, and travel. Grace holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MA in Education and a teaching credential from San Francisco State University.
Jasmine Ochoa
Senior Program Manager
Bay Area

Jasmine Ochoa

Position: Senior Program Manager, Bay Area
Raised in East Oakland, Jasmine graduated from Lionel Wilson Prep High School as a BUILD student. Throughout high school, Jasmine spent a lot of her time volunteering at a variety of organizations, such as OUSD and The Red Cross. Jasmine attended Holy Names University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Business Marketing in 2018 and her Master’s in business administration in 2019. Throughout her college experience, she continued volunteering with different organizations and often remembered BUILD for the knowledge and benefits it brought her. As an alum, Jasmine greatly believes in the BUILD program and the doors it can open for students, which is why she decided to come back to the organization and work with high school freshmen and sophomores. As the Bay Area Program Manager, Jasmine is regularly visiting our partner schools. She attends class sessions to work directly with our 9th and 10th grade students preparing them for showcases and ensuring they are receiving the most from the BUILD program. Jasmine strives to provide students with the same benefits BUILD provided for her. She loves to get to know our BUILD students closely and aspires to be a positive influence in their lives.
Anthony Walker
Senior Program Manager
Bay Area

Anthony Walker

Position: Senior Program Manager, Bay Area
Email: awalker@build.org
Anthony Walker is an entrepreneur from San Diego, CA. He is a Licensed Life Insurance Agent based in Oakland, CA and the founder of Finance Friday, a financial literacy platform. Anthony has been an educator, as well as the Founder and Director of National Elite LLC, an organization focused on summer football camps for youth in Oakland and San Diego. Anthony received a bachelor's degree from Whittier College and a master's from Saint Mary’s College in Sports Management.
Stephanie Calderon
Senior Program Manager
LA

Stephanie Calderon

Position: Senior Program Manager, LA
Email: scalderon@build.org
Stephanie comes to BUILD with almost a decade of experience as a college access and success practitioner across several schools in her hometown of Los Angeles. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants. As a college success practitioner, she helped develop programs to support predominantly first-generation BIPOC youth in Los Angeles to prepare for their postsecondary education and careers. She is excited to join the LA team to support teachers and students in becoming the CEO of their own life. Stephanie is also an entrepreneur supporting digital media and the operations of her family business. She enjoys traveling, dancing, and event planning in her free time. She holds a bachelor's degree from UCLA in Women's Studies with a Minor in Education Studies and a master's from California State University, Long Beach.
Felipe Duran
Community Engagement Manager
LA

Felipe Duran

Position: Community Engagement Manager, LA
Email: forozco@build.org
Felipe Duran is excited to join BUILD Los Angeles as the Community Engagement Manager. Felipe is an experienced non-profit professional having worked with disconnected youth and youth experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. In his prior experience designing and leading holistic youth programs, Felipe has applied research-based mentoring tools and developed various community partnerships to support youth in their personal and professional development. Having grown up and still currently living in Northeast Los Angeles, it is his mission to support youth in his community. He looks forward to leveraging his experience to support a network of mentors for student entrepreneurs. In his spare time, Felipe enjoys watching professional football, playing golf, and going on walks with his wife and daughter.
Elia Hernandez
Development and Operations Manager

Elia Hernandez

Position: Development and Operations Manager
Mariana Lopez-Sutherland
Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
Bay Area

Mariana Lopez-Sutherland

Position: Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, Bay Area
Email: mlopezsutherland@build.org
Mariana Lopez-Sutherland joins the BUILD Bay Area team with experience working in the education sector, primarily in economically disadvantaged communities. Through her work as a tutor and substitute teacher Mariana has helped several students reach their academic goals. As a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela, she is very passionate about social justice and education equity. She is excited to join BUILD Bay Area to start her career in the nonprofit sector, and to further her work helping the youth thrive. Mariana also loves arts and crafts, being a dog parent to a little Chiweenie called Maya, travelling, and finding new spots to eat. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics from UC San Diego.
Maria Raftelis
Grant Writer
New York City and California

Maria Raftelis

Position: Grant Writer, New York City and California
Email: mraftelis@build.org
Maria Raftelis has more than a decade of fundraising experience in education. Before joining BUILD, Maria served as Associate Director of Foundation Relations at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In this role, she oversaw fundraising for the Center of Radiological Research (CRR) and worked with medical faculty across the College to raise funds for research. Prior to Columbia University, Maria served as Grant Writer at the City College Fund, the fundraising organization of the City College of New York (CCNY). During my nine year tenure at the City College Fund, Maria expanded the College’s portfolio of institutional donors to double institutional giving.  Maria resides in the Bronx with her husband and son. A graduate of the New York City public school system, Maria believed every student should have access to an excellent education that inspires them to dream and achieve their full potential. Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Individualized Studies from New York University and a Master’s degree in Social Science from the University of Chicago.

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VIDEO PREPARATION GUIDELINES

HOW TO RECORD

1. iPhone, iPad, Zoom and Loom are all choices of recording tools for their video presentation 
2. Record with both students and their presentation in view
3. Record horizontally for the best view of the students and their presentation
4. Follow Presentation Diagram to the Right

PRESENTATION TIPS.

- Make eye contact with the camera
- Notecards may be used as cue cards
•Pro Tip: Notecards should avoid having a full script
- Even when you are not speaking, don’t forget the camera is still recording!
•Be aware of your body language while you and your business partners are speaking
- Everyone has an opportunity to speak
- Professional dress is encouraged
- Practice makes perfect
•Practice how you will transition from each speaker
•Project your voice when you speak​

Follow positioning format Above

Download a Sample of Our Curriculum

Fill out this form to receive a free sample of our curriculum and to receive occasional email updates on how to bring BUILD to your community.