Erin Anastasi, Coordinator, Campaign to End Fistula & Technical Specialist, Sexual & Reproductive Health/Fistula, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Erin Anastasi serves as Coordinator of the global Campaign to End Fistula, which was awarded the Women’s Empowerment Award from the UNFCU Foundation, for transformative action and leadership to bring the voices of marginalized women to the table. Erin is a champion of the United Nations Population Fund’s efforts to improve maternal/newborn survival and well-being in 55 countries worldwide. Before joining UNFPA, Erin served with Doctors Without Borders, leading maternal/newborn health projects in Africa. Erin is passionate about health, human rights, and dignity for all. She has 20+ years of experience in global health, development and human rights, working with non-governmental and humanitarian agencies in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the U.S., and served as a Fulbright Scholar with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Erin holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a Masters degree from the Johns Hopkins University.
Aamina Awan Khan, Chief Partnerships Officer, U.S. Department of State
Aamina Awan Khan serves as a Chief Partnerships Officer for the U.S. Department of State, specializing in international security affairs. She has over fifteen years of experience in cross-functional stakeholder partnerships, project development and management. Having successfully created and led programs in the areas of education, technology, and community engagement, Aamina brings a multi-sectoral perspective, leveraging prior experience working with governments, corporations, academic institutions, and civil partners in the U.S. and abroad. A term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. Fulbright to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Aamina holds a BA degree in International Relations and Political Science from Fairfield University and a MSc degree in Gender and International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Trisha Blackmar, VP, Internal Communications Manager, Morgan Stanley
Trisha Blackmar is now VP, Internal Communications Manager at Morgan Stanley. Prior to her role Trisha spent more than two decades at Sports Illustrated, an internationally recognized brand that reaches over 73 million consumers. Her most recent role was as a senior editor, leading SI’s content on college basketball, tennis and women’s sports across print and digital platforms. She directed the coverage of several major annual events, including the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Since 2014, Trisha has served as a Trustee of Mercy College, a four-year institution offering more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to over 11,000 students on seven campuses throughout the New York metropolitan area. The College is nationally recognized for providing innovative programs that help students achieve success. She graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Political Science and Japanese. In her free time, she helps coach a girls’ basketball team that competes nationally.
Melissa Bonnick, Senior Vice President, Client Results, Programmatic, Carat
Melissa Bonnick who majored in Journalism at St Johns University, is an experienced programmatic and ad operations executive with over 12+ years in the digital advertising space. Currently at Carat’s trading desk, she oversees the strategic process, efficiency, establishing new partnerships and creating the vision for programmatic for one of Carat’s top accounts. Prior to working at Dentsu (Carat), Melissa oversaw and managed programmatic and ad operations teams for multiple ad tech companies and agencies such as Havas Media.
Angela Borah, Head Chocolatier, Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate
Originally from South Korea, Angela Borah grew up in Spain, Ghana and Peru before calling New York her home. She garnered experience in the pastry field at the notable Del Posto restaurant, three-Michelin-starred Per Se as well as New York boutique MarieBelle Chocolate. Her trajectory led her to two Michelin-starred The Modern, where she managed the acclaimed pastry program under the guidance of Chef Marc Aumont. In 2014, Angela was awarded first place in the Plated Dessert category at the Pastry Live competition in Atlanta. In 2016, she was in the opening team of two-Michelin-starred Chef Gabriel Kreuther’s atelier, Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate. As Head Chocolatier, she oversees the chocolate program where more recently, Angela won silver medals for two signature chocolates from the chocolate shop in the 2018 and 2019 International Chocolate Awards World Final. Angela’s work has work has been featured in the New York Times, New York Post, Forbes, Time Out New York, and New York Magazine.
Anthe Maria Bova, General Counsel & Director of Pro Bono Programs, New York County Lawyers Association
Anthe Maria Bova is the General Counsel & Director of Pro Bono Programs of the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA), a non-profit bar association with several thousand members spanning the city, state and globe. Ms. Bova handles all corporate governance and contractual matters; she also develops and guides NYCLA’s pro bono projects and policy initiatives, focusing on the organization’s mission to apply its knowledge to the promotion of the public good, arrange for free legal services for the indigent and ensure access to justice for all. She also serves on NYCLA’s Justice Center Advisory Board. Prior to NYCLA, Ms. Bova was an Orison Marden Public Service fellow with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and practiced finance, securities and corporate law at White & Case LLP and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP. Ms. Bova also co-taught the Community Economic Development Clinic at Fordham Law School.
Abigail Feuer, SVP, Marketing & Community, DonorsChoose
Abby leads the Marketing & Community Team at DonorsChoose, the leading crowdfunding platform for U.S. public school teachers. In this role, Abby oversees initiatives that empower teachers to advocate for their classroom needs and individual donors to support them through relationship building, email and digital marketing. Her team is responsible for raising over $75M annually for classrooms across the country. Prior to this role, Abby led the Seller Retention and Engagement team at Etsy, helping sellers connect with one another and open and run their Etsy shops. She has her MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and her BA in Psychology from Harvard University.
Yaihara Fortis Santiago, Manager, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Yaihara is the manager of the Postdoctoral Affairs Office at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer (MSK) where she leads the implementation of several initiatives to support the development of scientists transitioning into independent careers. She has over a decade of experience working on developing and building the capacity of scientists through leadership and communication training, professional networks and inclusive excellence initiatives. Prior to joining MSK, she created the first leadership program in the U.S. for PhD students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields: The Science Alliance Leadership Training (SALT). In 2014 she completed the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation, where she worked on programs that provide international research opportunities for U.S. students around the world. She holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a PhD in Neuroscience from Brandeis University.
Jessica Glaser, Director of Patron Programs, World Monuments Fund
Jessica Glaser is Director of Patron Programs at World Monuments Fund, the world’s leading non-profit dedicated to heritage conservation. Some of WMF’s most visible restoration projects include Angkor Archeological Park in Cambodia, the Qianlong Garden at the Forbidden City, and the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia. Jessica is responsible for building the organization’s individual major gifts program, overseeing leadership giving circles, and patron travel. Previously, Jessica worked as Deputy Development Director at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and ran the Contemporary Arts Council at the Museum of Modern Art. Jessica received an MA in the History of Art and Architecture from the Universtiy of Pittsburgh (passing her PhD exams in 2007) and a BA in Art History from DePaul University in Chicago. Her area of focus was the politics industrial design in 20th century Germany. Alongside work, she serves on the Steering Committee of the Professional Organization for Women in the Arts (POWArts), a professional development and mentorship organization for women in the arts, among other service-oriented commitments.
Mariela Graham, Master Ambassador Principal, NYC Department of Education
Mariela Graham has dedicated her life’s work to improving academic outcomes for New York City’s children. She is currently a Master Ambassador Principal with the New York City Department of Education assigned to the HS of Arts and Technology. Previously, Mariela founded the Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice, a high-performing, all-girls’, 6-12 public school in Brooklyn in 2007, at the time becoming one of the youngest principals in the city. She began her career as a bilingual Social Studies teacher in Washington Heights. She has also served as a Master Principal mentoring new principals and in 2013 was recognized as a Cahn Fellow for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College. Mariela holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and masters’ degrees from the City College of New York and Teachers College. She and her family reside in Inwood, upper Manhattan.
Regan Hales, Vice President, Finance & Operations, DoSomething.org
Regan Hales, a native New Yorker from the Bronx NY, holds a M.S and B.S in Accounting from the University at Albany, SUNY and is a NYS CPA. After graduation, she spent three years at Ernst & Young, one of the top, global professional services firms, as an auditor serving clients in the media and entertainment industry. After her time at EY, Regan took her audit, accounting, and finance expertise in-house to one of the most critically acclaimed, premium cable and satellite television networks, Home Box Office. During her ten years at HBO, Regan created and managed the accounting close, reporting, and forecasting for ~$1B in Revenue for all of HBO’s International Networks, in Latin America, Asia and Europe; in addition to contributing towards purchase and acquisition transactions for further international expansion. After a year away from work and expanding her scope of volunteerism with her church, Regan returned to work in the non-profit sector. She is currently Vice President of Finance & Operations at DoSomething.org and is tasked with the ownership of the financial health and reporting of the org to promote sound business decisions, aligned with DoSomething’s strategic vision; among other things.
Mandë Holford, Associate Professor / Co-Founder, Hunter College / Killer Snails
Dr. Mandë Holford is an Associate Professor in Chemistry at Hunter College and CUNY-Graduate Center, with scientific appointments at The American Museum of Natural History and Weill Cornell Medicine. Her joint appointments reflect her interdisciplinary research from mollusks to medicine which aims to discover, characterize, and deliver novel peptides from venomous marine snails for manipulating cellular physiology in pain and cancer. Dr. Holford is actively involved in science education, advancing the public understanding of science, and science diplomacy. She co-founded Killer Snails, an award winning EdTech XR learning games company with the mission to rethink education by creating science games and immersive experiences tailored to local environments and cultures to advance STEM learning and teaching worldwide. She has received several awards including being named a New Champion Young Scientist by the World Economic Forum, the prestigious Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, an NSF CAREER Award, named a Breakthrough Women in Science by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and NPR’s Science Friday, and a Wings WorldQuest Women of Discovery Fellow. Dr. Holford received her PhD in Synthetic Protein Chemistry from The Rockefeller University.
Laura Kavanagh, First Deputy Commissioner, New York City Fire Department
Laura Kavanagh is the First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Fire Department. In this role, she is second in command and the highest-ranking woman, overseeing the day-to-day administration of a $2 billion-dollar budget and advocating for the over 15,000 uniform members who risk their lives every day. At the agency she has led diversification efforts, recruiting the most diverse group of candidates in the agency’s history, and graduating the most women in over 30 years. Prior to entering government, she served as a Senior Advisor on Mayor de Blasio’s Mayoral campaign and as a Deputy Director in Pennsylvania on President Obama’s campaign. Prior to that, she worked in management and campaign consulting. She is a graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School Center for Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program, and she is current enrolled at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Zsuzsanna Lippai, Director, Strategy & Impact for the Human Rights Initiative, Open Society Foundations
Zsuzsanna Lippai is the director of strategy and impact for the Human Rights Initiative, a large global program of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), where she oversees strategic planning, evaluation, and operations after having filled a similar role at OSF’s Women’s Rights Program. Prior to that Lippai was the evaluation & learning manager at the Institute for Inclusive Security in Washington, D.C., where she developed and managed an organization-wide metrics and a learning system for advocacy and capacity-building efforts to increase women’s participation in the security sector and in peace processes. She advised Bosnia’s Agency for Gender Equality on the design and monitoring of the country’s women, peace, and security policy. She is an active member of the American Evaluation Association, a guest lecturer at Rutgers University, and a strong advocate for reproductive health issues. Lippai holds an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University and a BA/MA in international relations from Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary.
Rakeen Mabud, Director of Research and Strategy, TIME'S UP
Rakeen Mabud is the Director of Research and Strategy at TIME’S UP. In this role, she is responsible for developing a strategic research agenda that generates inclusive, innovative and effective solutions for creating safe, fair and dignified work for women of all kinds. Rakeen has a deep background in economic policy and is an expert on the 21st century workplace, including how the policy choices we make intersect with gender, race, and other social and economic inequalities. She was previously a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and the Director of Roosevelt’s 21st Century Economy and Economic Inclusion programs. She also served as a political appointee in the Obama administration, where she worked on domestic policy in the Treasury Department. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Hill, Ms. Magazine and Teen Vogue, and she is a regular contributor at Forbes. Rakeen received her B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley College. She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University.
Margaret Magnarelli, Executive Director, Audience Acquisition & Growth Marketing, Morgan Stanley
Margaret Magnarelli is executive director of audience acquisition and growth marketing at Morgan Stanley, where she oversees social media, SEO, and conversion optimization for the corporate marketing team. She was previously VP of marketing at job site Monster.com, where she led B2B and B2C content marketing and PR. She was one of Brand Innovators’ Women To Watch In Brand Marketing in 2018 and has won four awards from the Content Marketing Institute, including Best Blog and Best Content Strategy; she also was a finalist for CMI’s Content Marketer Of The Year in 2016. Margaret writes on marketing strategy for Forbes CMO Network, and has presented at Content Marketing World, SXSW, Brightedge Share, and NewsCred ThinkContent, as well as events hosted by ANA, PR News and Ragan. Prior to becoming a marketer, she worked as a magazine journalist—and most recently served as executive editor at Money magazine and Money.com.
Randi Mason, Partner & Co-Chair, Corporate Department, Morrison Cohen LLP
Randi Mason is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Corporate Department of Morrison Cohen LLP, a New York City-based law firm. Her practice focuses on private investment fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, equity finance and general corporate counseling. She has worked with businesses of all sizes and in a broad range of industries. Prior to joining Morrison Cohen she was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. She holds a J.D. from New York Unitversity School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Stacey McMath, Director, Programs, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Stacey Cooper McMath is the Director of the Programs Unit in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. She has over a decade of experience as a grantmaker and is an expert in cross-sector collaboration between arts organizations and community stakeholders to improve wellbeing in neighborhoods and communities. In 2018 she launched the Mayor’s Grant for Cultural Impact, which supports dynamic partnerships between city government and arts organizations. She directs programs that place artists in residence in 250 senior centers citywide and is a thought leader in the field of Creative Aging. She has taught in the theater departments at Barnard College and Marymount Manhattan College and holds an MFA in Theater Management and Producing from Columbia University and a BA in American History from Barnard College.
Kathryn Muccino, Patient Care Director of Pediatrics, Hospital for Special Surgery
Kathryn Muccino, MBA, MSN, RN, CPNP, is currently the Patient Care Director for Pediatrics at the Hospital for Special Surgery, where she is accountable for managing efficient, cost-effective operations, while ensuring optimal patient care delivery. Kathryn currently holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Nursing, a Master of Science degree in Nursing as a Nurse Practitioner from NYU, and a MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Yale University. Throughout her career, Kathryn has worked in a range of clinical and administrative settings in both Boston, Connecticut, and New York; to include the Burn ICU and Hyperbaric Chamber Unit at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, as faculty for both NYU and the Hillman Scholars Program at UPENN, and as the first Nurse Practitioner at NYPH-Weill Cornell in the Pediatric ED. During this time Kathryn began her current tenure as the Nursing Director of BASE Camp, a national Pediatric Emergency Medicine Simulation Conference. Prior to her current position, Kathryn served as a clinical Nurse Practitioner, the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Fellowship program, and was an active member of the Medical Leadership team at PM Pediatrics. In addition to her current role at HSS, Kathryn maintains clinical appointments at both PM Pediatrics and Connecticut Children’s Hospital, and serves as a Clinical Instructor for Sacred Heart University, where she travels to Guatemala to teach undergraduate and graduate level students and provide clinical care to the native population.
Monisha Nariani, Chief Operating Officer, Citi Global Consumer Bank Strategy and Business Development, Citigroup
Ms. Nariani is a banking executive with two decades of experience. Her management expertise spans retail banking, credit cards, secured and unsecured lending, and investment businesses.
As the Global Head of Consumer Business Practices and Responsible Banking for Citigroup, Ms. Nariani drives the institution to establish heightened consumer protection and business standards. She is a decision-making member of the business team, a counselor to bank leaders, and a champion for consumers in the financial marketplace. Her responsibility extends to 19 global markets, with oversight for 142 million accounts, $499 billion in annual purchase sales, and 2,450 retail branches.
Ms. Nariani evaluates strategies taking into consideration Citi’s external constituents including consumer advocates, regulators, and the media. She works alongside her counterparts in the business and operations to build new product capabilities, develop customer insights, and re-engineer targeted customer experiences. Throughout the prioritization, planning, and development cycle, Ms. Nariani provides independent and credible challenge to the business to ensure it is operating responsibly and is rooting out unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices. Further, Ms. Nariani advises Citi’s executive team on emerging risk areas, potential conflicts of interest, and other regulatory and consumer operating issues.
Ms. Nariani both anticipates and responds to the challenges of the evolving regulatory environment in order to meet growing expectations driven by the expanding state of enforcement activity and ever- increasing financial penalties. She presided over the creation and implementation of Citi’s industry- leading Customer Fairness Program, a firm-wide compliance and risk management framework that enables the standardized assessment of products and services for transparency, value, and dependability. Under her leadership, the program expanded to over 100,000 bank staff. The discipline that Ms. Nariani instituted has mitigated material risk for the firm and averted potential violations of federal consumer financial laws.
Ms. Nariani started as a Management Associate in the U.S. Cards organization, and has held multiple roles across Citi businesses and functions – Community Development, Finance, and Product Development. An advocate for economic and social progress in her community, Ms. Nariani is an active member of the Manhattan Community Board, the New York City Public School Leadership Team, and the Board of Directors for the Center for an Urban Future – a preeminent public policy think tank. She is an alum of the Coro New York Leadership Program, a fellowship program focused on civic leadership critical to influencing change within New York City. Ms. Nariani received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wesleyan University and graduated as a Phi Beta Kappa Scholar.
Leigh O'Neill, Chief of Staff, Government Innovation, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Leigh O’Neill is the Chief of Staff for the Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Previously, she was Managing Director for Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Truman National Security Project where she oversaw the development and implementation of national security policy initiatives and served as the chief liaison to Congress and the Executive branch. Prior to that role, Leigh served in the Majority Office of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, assisting the Professional Staffer for the Middle East. Leigh has worked on local, state, congressional, and Presidential campaigns, and served as Assistant to the State Director in the Boston office of Senator John Kerry. She has worked as an Election Specialist with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) parliamentary election observation mission in Jordan, and was a Short-Term Observer on The Carter Center election monitoring delegation to Lebanon in 2009 parliamentary elections. Leigh was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study the impact of free trade on sustainable economic development in Jordan, where she worked as a research assistant at the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy. She holds a B.A. in Classical Studies from Boston College, as well as an M.A. in American Foreign Policy and International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Leigh is a proud native of Boston, Massachusetts.
Sarah Doolin Roy, Director, Marketing, Communications, & Partnerships at American Ballet Theatre
Sarah Doolin Roy is Director, Marketing, Communications, & Partnerships at American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where she’s on a mission to bring classical ballet to the widest possible audience. Prior to ABT, she served as Communications Director at New American Economy, a bipartisan research and advocacy group that makes the economic case for immigration reform. Sarah spent eight years managing media relations for the president and scholars of the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as the organization’s brand identity. In 2013, she acted as communications director for a negotiation process to maintain peace in Northern Ireland after the ‘Troubles’ conflict from 1969-2003, and tackle the most divisive disputes between the country’s five political parties. Sarah holds an MPA from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and graduated summa cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BA in International Studies.
Stasha Santifort, Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Leader, Deloitte Global
Stasha is passionate about the potential of business to make a positive impact in society. As Deloitte Global’s leader for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Stasha works at the heart of business strategy, purpose, and social impact. She is responsible for setting Deloitte’s global strategy to make an impact that matters in the communities worldwide where Deloitte operates. Stasha leads Deloitte’s WorldClass initiative—a global ambition to support 50 million people to gain access to education and skills development opportunities. Stasha has designed a variety of social impact programs in the areas of social innovation, refugee support, and humanitarian action. Stasha plays a key role in eminence building, creating partnerships, and leading relationships with global civil society organizations. Stasha earned both her B.A. and master’s degree in public policy and administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
Friederike Schüür, Director of Machine Learning and Research, Cityblock Health
Friederike Schüür is a data and machine learning scientist. She is currently the Director of Machine Learning and Research at Cityblock where she uses data and algorithms to bring quality healthcare to underserved communities. Prior to Cityblock, Friederike was a research engineer at Cloudera Fast Forward Labs (CFFL) where she led applied machine learning research initiatives and established CFFL’s data strategy consulting practice. She was a 2019 Assembly Fellow at the MIT Media Lab and Harvard Berkman Klein Center and she continues to address the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence forging new collaborations for comprehensive data ethics. Friederike is a member of the USA for UNHCR Data Advisory Board and a DataKind Data Science for Social Good volunteer. She earned a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London (UK), an MA and BA in philosophy and an MSc and BSc in Cognitive Psychology from Radboud University Nijmegen (NL).
Alana St. Aude, Director, Assistant General Counsel, Capital One
A native New Yorker, Alana C. St. Aude is Director, Assistant General Counsel in the Capital One Commercial Bank, where she provides legal advice to finance private equity sponsor-backed and other corporate borrowers in leveraged finance, investment grade and other capital structures. Alana advises as to market terms and risks, provides regulatory advice and implements strategic bank initiatives. Prior to joining Capital One, Alana was a Senior Associate in the Banking & Finance Group of Weil Gotshal. Alana is the Co-Founder/Co-Chair of the Advancement Initiative, a network geared toward female lawyers of color who are mid-level in career in law firm practice and in-house. In her spare time, Alana can be found trying boutique exercise classes such as Barry’s Bootcamp, Zumba and yoga. Alana obtained her law degree from Harvard Law School and her B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
Erika Stallings, Attorney, Broadcast Music, Inc.
Erika Stallings is an attorney at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), where she handles legal matters relating to songwriters and publishers including song disputes, pre-litigation claims, copyright terminations and royalty transfers. She is also a frequent speaker on issues relating to the music industry and has spoken at the New York State Bar Association and Mondo.NYC. Prior to joining BMI she worked in private practice for six years with a focus on intellectual property litigation. She currently serves as the founding co-chair for the Basser Center for BRCA Young Leadership Council, which to date, has raised over $75,000 to support research into cancers caused by BRCA mutations. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she was the recipient of a Morehead Cain scholarship.
Leezel Tanglao, Senior Editor, Membership and Innovation, HuffPost
Leezel Tanglao is a New York-based bridge journalist at the intersection of editorial, product, business development and sales. She currently leads membership and innovation at HuffPost. She consults with companies through her company, StatFury. She is currently a Reynolds Journalism Institute Non-Residential Fellow and is workng on development a tool to measure impact. Leezel has also worked at CNNMoney (now CNNBusiness) as Assistant Managing Editor of Programming where she led a global team and launched properitary products. Leezel’s other previous stints include: Associated Press, CBSNews.com, VICE News, NowThis, ABCNews.com, KCBS/KCAL and Press-Enterprise. She received her BA at Loyola Marymount University and MA at UCLA. She was named 2018 Member of the Year by the Asian American Journalists Associate. She is 2019 Young Filipino Leaders Program delegate. If you’re wondering how to say her name, it’s pronounced LEE-ZEL (NOT Liesel from “The Sound of Music”).
Gila Ward Menda, Leadership Development and Education Manager, JDC
Originally from Denver, Colorado and Haifa, Israel, Gila Ward Menda currently serves as a Leadership Development and Education Manager at JDC, a leading global Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. In this role she develops and executes leadership development and educational opportunities for JDC’s globe-spanning Board Members and staff. Previously at JDC, she developed global service and leadership opportunities for young professionals, which included leading trips to locations like Kazakhstan. She completed her B.A. from Brandeis University in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, and her M.P.A. from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, where she was a Lisa Goldberg Fellow in Service and Philanthropy. An alumnus of three service programs, she served for one year in India, and completed long-term placements in Honduras, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. An avid traveler and reader, she’s visited 30+ countries and has a well-used library card. She lives in Manhattan with her family.