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Staff

BUILD Headquarters

Suzanne McKechnie Klahr: CEO and Founder

Suzanne McKechnie Klahr founded BUILD in 1999 with a public service fellowship from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Under Suzanne's leadership, BUILD has grown from an initial four students to serve more than six hundred students from twelve partner public high schools. BUILD currently operates two San Francisco Bay Area sites, one site in Washington, DC, and has plans for national expansion. BUILD maintains an incredible track record with 100 percent of its seniors having applied to and gone onto college.

For her accomplishments with BUILD, Suzanne has received numerous awards and been asked to speak nationally on such topics as education, social entrepreneurship, venture philanthropy, new models of providing legal services to the poor, and poverty alleviation strategies. In 2006 she was inducted as a lifetime member of Ashoka, a global fellowship of leading social entrepreneurs. In 2007, she was honored by CBS's Jefferson Award on television, on radio, and in print. In 2008, Suzanne was elected to the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame and in 2009, she was named as one of Silicon Valley’s Most Influential Women by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Times.

Suzanne serves as a trustee of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation and as a board member of the Bay Area Community Equity Fund, the Glow Scholarship Foundation, and is an Honorary Board Member of the Until There's A Cure Foundation. For the past six years, she has served as faculty adjunct at Stanford Law School teaching "Social Entrepreneurship," the first class of its kind at a Law School in the United States. She earned a dual degree from Brown University and a JD from Stanford Law School, and she has successfully completed the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management.

Christa Roth: Managing Director

In partnership with the CEO, Christa provides organizational leadership in program development and management, site support, finances and operations at BUILD. Christa brings 25 years of nonprofit management experience to this opportunity. Prior to coming to BUILD, Christa has worked in various leadership capacities with youth and educational nonprofits including Breakthrough Collaborative, Partners In School Innovation. In 1993, Christa created and managed Hands on Atlanta’s school-based programs, placing 75 AmeriCorps members and volunteers into six urban schools. Christa managed direct affiliate relationships at Hands on Network (formerly CityCares), supporting affiliates’ efforts to grow and deepen their impact by providing coaching staff and boards of 35 affiliates. Christa has a track record of leading through a dynamic period of expansion of programs, services and organizational capacity. Christa spent the first 8 years of her career working in marketing and finance in the financial services sector. Christa earned her B.S. in Marketing & Finance from the University of Oregon. When Christa is not working, she spends time taking advantage of all the Bay Area has to offer with her son, Miles.

Elizabeth Gardner: Director of Individual Giving

Elizabeth Gardner brings extensive experience as a fundraiser for youth-oriented organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to the development team at BUILD. Previously, Elizabeth served as Director of Capital Planning and Special Gifts at the YMCA of San Francisco, Director of Individual Giving with the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Individual Gifts Manager with Habitat for Humanity, East Bay and Associate Director, Annual Fund with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. Elizabeth holds a BA degree in English from Tufts University in Somerville, MA.

Michelle Heath: Human Resources Manager

As BUILD’s Human Resources Manager, Michelle manages all aspects of HR including staffing, benefits, employee relations and legal compliance. Prior to joining BUILD, Michelle worked in the Biotechnology industry where she learned the importance of a customer service approach to HR. Through this approach, Michelle plans to partner with all members of the BUILD team to ensure a positive and rewarding work environment. Michelle holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Larisa Marinas: Executive Assistant to the CEO

Larisa handles the day-to-day correspondence, scheduling, tasks and overall support to BUILD's CEO & Founder as well as assistance with special projects relating to all areas of BUILD. Prior to joining BUILD, Larisa had a long career with Robert Half International in the Bay Area. Her motivation to join BUILD was an overwhelming desire to contribute to the community, serve students and join an organization with strong principles.

Sarah Bloem: Program Excellence Specialist

Sarah began her career with BUILD in 2007 as the Academic Program Manager at the East Palo Alto office where she worked closely with 10th-12th grade students, leveraging their interest and success in entrepreneurship to get them invested in doing better in school and going to college. Beginning in August of 2010, she stepped into a new position as the Program Excellence Specialist. In this role, she is a member of the National Program Team, whose charge is to support the program team at all of our sites, nationwide, in formulating and executing the BUILD program with excellence. She is also charged with building bridges between program implementation and results and other areas of the organization, including development, finance, marketing, local and national boards and other stakeholders. She brings enthusiasm about entrepreneurship, education, and program development, and great experiences working with high school youth. Prior to BUILD, Sarah went to Baylor University for her Bachelor degree and then earned her Master in Social Work (MSW) Degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, focusing on macro-level social and educational policy, program development, and nonprofit administration. It was in her MSW program that she fell in love with social entrepreneurship, and first learned about BUILD through Ashoka:Innovators for the Public after Suzanne was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2006.

BUILD Peninsula

Amber Bundy: Incubator Manager

Amber Bundy is from East Palo Alto, CA. and a member of BUILD’s 2003 class. She was the founder of Khinde and Ndosi Fashion Consulting, winning first in the 2001 BUILD Business Plan Competition. She recently graduated from The University of California Berkeley with a degree in Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. While at Cal she was an IDEAL scholar and received many other scholarships for stellar grades and community service. During her time at Berkeley, she served as the Executive Internal Director of the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, as well as the Activities Coordinator of African American Student Development Office and the vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Rho Chapter. She was also active in NCNW. Amber’s long term career goal is to direct musicals on Broadway. She would also like to give youth the opportunity to gain exposure to theatre through her own theatre arts program. She likes performing, working with children, and decorating.

Nicole Huguenin: E1 Program Manager

As Peninsula E1 Program Manger, Nicole is responsible for ensuring that first year Peninsula BUILD students, E1 teachers and E1 mentors have a positive and successful first year experience with BUILD. Nicole comes to BUILD with several years of diverse teaching experience under her belt. Most recently she taught English in Quito, Ecuador through Harvards WorldTeach program. Prior to that she taught several Social Studies courses at Branham High School in San Jose where she focused on bringing real world experiences and student involvement into the classroom. Outside of the classroom she was a district Teacher Leader, softball coach and Key Club adviser.
Prior to teaching she spent several years working with national nonprofits. She is most proud of her role as the Director of Youth Services at the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter. There she launched several successful youth leadership programs and integrated youth and adult volunteership. Nicole obtained her MA in Education from UC Santa Cruz and BA's in Psychology and Social Science from CSU, Chico. As a Bay Area native Nicole enjoys running the local trails, yoga and cooking a big meal for her friends

Nicole Oppenheim: Entrepreneurs 1 Program Manager

As Peninsula E1 Program Manger, Nicole is responsible for ensuring that first year Peninsula BUILD students, E1 teachers and E1 mentors have a positive and successful first year experience with BUILD. Nicole holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a BA in Psychology, both earned at the University of Michigan. Nicole most recently worked as a Program Director/Projects Manager at a non-profit agency, Migrant Health Promotion. In that role, Nicole directed programs with migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Michigan and with women living in the border region of South Texas-Mexico. Additionally, Nicole developed a curriculum which was certified by the State of Texas to train Community Health Workers to serve as leaders and advocates within their communities. Prior to working at Migrant Health Promotion, Nicole taught high school students at The Clonlara School in Ann Arbor for two years. During both of these prior experiences, Nicole developed expertise in Popular Education, a method of teaching that empowers learners to become community leaders. Originally from metro-Detroit, Michigan, Nicole enjoys gardening and cooking.

Lori McCormick: College Advisor

Lori has devoted her professional life to post-secondary education, career counseling, and professional development. Her philosophy is to provide tools for students to build their path toward academic, vocational, and personal success. She began her career in Organizational Development and Training for a medical device company and in Marketing as a Corporate Events Planner. Ultimately she knew she wanted to devote herself to students and refocused her career path. Since 2005 she has been working in College Admissions offices, College Career Centers and College Advising. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Career Counseling from Antioch University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara. She holds professional memberships with HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association), NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling), WACAC (Western Association for College Admissions Counseling), and NCDA (National Career Development Association).

Lily Tapia: Incubator Coordinator

Lily has been part of the BUILD family in different capacities, beginning as a Public Alley of Silicon Valley in 2009 where she was placed at BUILD as an E1 Program Assistant. Currently, she serves as an Incubator Coordinator at our Peninsula site. Lily graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a major in Latin American and Latino Studies with emphasis on Immigration, and a Minor in Education. Her work in community and grassroots organizations has provided her with the opportunity to devote herself to youth empowerment and higher education. In the past, she has worked with organizations such as the Migrant Education Program and GEAR UP to help promote youth advancement.

BUILD Oakland

Lyndsey Ballinger: Incubator Manager

Lyndsey Ballinger is the Business Incubator Manager at the North Oakland BUILD site. She came to BUILD in 2007 as an Americorps VISTA Volunteer, where she worked as the E1 Program Assistant. She then transitioned into the role of Academic & Business Program Manager in East Oakland. Lyndsey graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice, after which she was commissioned with the Air Force and served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She is currently a Traditional Reservist at Travis Air Force Base in California.

Erin Brannan: Oakland Site Director

Erin manages the programs and staff in North/West Oakland by bringing her deep passion for creating opportunities for young people to reach their potential, and experience managing programs and organizations for impact. Erin began her career in the nonprofit and youth development field during college, leading a student-run volunteer service agency that engaged over 1000 university students annually. After college, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in St. Vincent & the Grenadines developing the capacity of youth-serving programs and organizations. Subsequently, the Peace Corps contracted with her to design and implement a new community-based pre-service volunteer training program for the entire Eastern Caribbean region. She has also been instrumental in designing and running domestic and international youth development programs for City Year and Global Citizen Year. Erin holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.P.A. in Public Policy & Nonprofit Management from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Adriana Garcia: East Oakland Site Director 

Adriana joined the BUILD team in 2006 and worked as BUILD Oakland’s first Academic/Business Program Manager. She then transitioned as Oakland’s Business Incubator Manager and guided over 15 student-led businesses through the start-up phase. As of July 2009, Adriana has been the College Advisor and is guiding BUILD Oakland’s senior class through the college application process. Prior to joining BUILD, Adriana was a recruitment director for Teach For America and led four marketing campaigns at different universities in Southern California. In addition, she taught second grade for two years in New Orleans, LA, as a Teach For America corps member. Adriana was named Teacher of the Year for the 2004-2005 school year. In her spare time during the spring, she is an interviewer for the Oakland Teaching Fellows program and enjoys welcoming the new wave of amazing teachers into the Oakland Unified School District. Adriana graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business.

Shannon Cofrin Gaggero: Oakland College Advisor

Shannon is Oakland’s College Advisor, responsible for guiding Seniors through the college search, application and selection process. She is passionate about providing students with access to resources so they can obtain post-secondary success. Shannon began her career in corporate communications where she worked as a PR practitioner and later as a recruiter. Her active involvement with San Francisco School Volunteers led her to pursue a career in education. For the past two years, Shannon worked for the San Francisco Unified School District as a school counseling intern where she provided academic, social and emotional counseling to middle and high school students. Shannon holds a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in School Counseling and Pupil Personnel Service credential from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell University. She holds professional memberships with NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling), WACAC (Western Association for College Admissions Counseling) and ASCA (American School Counseling Association). She is thrilled to be part of the BUILD

BUILD Northern California

Kamba Tshionyi: Regional Executive Director, Bay Area

Kamba is BUILD's first Regional Executive Director, overseeing the Oakland and Peninsula site programs to ensure program excellence and impact. In addition, he works closely with the Local Advisory Board members and other supporters. Before joining BUILD, Kamba was founding executive director at Summer Search Silicon Valley, a leadership development program for low-income high school students. He helped expand the San Jose-based office from serving 18 students to 103 students in four years. Prior to that he was a Peace Corps health education volunteer in the central African country of Gabon, as well as later working with an information technology company in London for two years. Kamba received an AB in Human Biology from Stanford University, where he played basketball and was captain of the Final Four team his senior year. He also has an MSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics.

Hillary Aitken Fernandes: Volunteer Coordinator

Hillary is the Volunteer Coordinator for BUILD, responsible for recruiting and ensuring a rewarding experience for all of the mentors for the East Palo Alto and Oakland offices. Prior to serving as Volunteer Coordinator, Hillary served as the Site Director for the Palo Alto office. Prior to joining BUILD, Hillary worked as a Campus Director for InsideTrack, coaching college students to be academically successful and graduate. Hillary also spent time at the Princeton Review as Director of Graduate Programs, overseeing all aspects of course operations and teacher management. Hillary holds a BA in English from the University of Oregon, and an MA in Education from Stanford.

BUILD Metro D.C.

Ajuah Helton: East Coast Regional Program Director

Ajuah Helton began her career with BUILD in 2001 as entrepreneurship instructor. Though she relocated to Philadelphia in 2002 to pursue graduate studies in education, Ajuah stayed connected with BUILD as an advisor, mentor educator and facilitator and served as interim Director of Education in 2004. Ajuah has since rejoined the organization to spearhead BUILD’s expansion to the East Coast, beginning in Washington, DC. Prior to joining BUILD, Ajuah managed youth entrepreneurship programs at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and at The Enterprise Center in Philadelphia, where she was later promoted to Chief of Staff. Ajuah is a Certified Entrepreneurship Instructor through the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). She is also an alumna of Teach For America and taught two years in the Greater New Orleans area. Ajuah holds a BA in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University and did her graduate work in Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Maria Meredith: Entrepreneurs 1 Program Manager

As BUILD Metro DC’s 9th-Grade Program Manager, Maria is responsible for ensuring that first-year Metro DC students, teachers, and mentors have a positive and successful experience with BUILD. Maria has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University and a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University. She taught elementary and middle school for five years in the Atlanta area and developed curriculum and taught English to elementary, middle, and high school students at Raul Pavon Bilingue School in Otavalo, Ecuador. For the last five years, Maria has enjoyed living and working in DC. Prior to working with BUILD, Maria was Parent Involvement Coordinator at the National PTA and has also served as a summer and after-school program manager in the Anacostia area of DC. Her volunteer activities include co-founding Supporting Our Sisters, a young women’s empowerment program and serving on the steering committee for an annual arts festival at Howard University.