Who We Are
Minds Matter NYC is the founding chapter of Minds Matter, a national nonprofit whose mission is to connect driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their futures, and change the world.
Founded in 1991 by six Wall Street professionals, today Minds Matter is a network of 14 affiliates nationwide that serves more than 1,000 students every year with over 2,500 volunteers.
We envision a world where every low-income student has the resources to not only attend their best-fit college but goes on to build meaningful, impactful careers.
Community
Our work is powered by a caring and dedicated community built on shared generosity and respect. We foster these values through compassion and openness, creating a supportive environment for all.
Commitment
We are deeply committed to our mission, our community, and the roles we each play in making a difference. We embrace responsibility and accountability to create a sense of connection and shared purpose.
Growth
We bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds to work toward the shared goal of helping every student find their best-fit college. We approach this with a readiness to learn and a commitment to listen.
Our Four Core Beliefs Define the Purpose of Our Work
Education
We believe a college education empowers students to become informed citizens, achieve professional goals, and achieve financial stability.
Support
We believe every student pursuing higher education deserves access to the support, resources, and networks needed to find their best-fit college and prepare for the challenges ahead.
Diversity
Our mission thrives when we embrace diverse backgrounds, build lasting connections through empathy and understanding, and honor each individual's full identity.
Students First
We believe that Minds Matter NYC is a collaborative space where student voices and needs drive our efforts.
“Minds Matter NYC is a life-changing community. It’ll do so much good for you. You’ll have an enormous network of people to help and support you.”
Meet Our Staff
Our Board
Adam Davies
Treasurer
Partner, Deloitte
Chaeri Tornay
Deputy General Counsel, The New York Foundling
Cristina Cignoli
Director, Corporate Sector Coverage, ING Bank
Jack Qian
Managing Director, New Mountain Capital
Jeff Burman
Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Fortitude Re Group
Jordan Foster
Partner, Head of Investor Relations - Americas, Marshall Wace
Justin Herridge
Managing Director, Permira
Keli Huang
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Maribel Ledezma-Williams
Global Business Partner, Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs
Mark Shpizner
Co-Chair
Managing Director, Citi Wealth
Michael Perloff
Partner, Human Capital, Apollo
Paul Humphreys
Partner, Freshfields US
Pete Becker
Early Careers Trading Program Director, Citadel Securities
Sanjeev Parlikar
Secretary
Senior Managing Director, Accordion Partners
Stephanie Teicher
Co-Chair
Of Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Stephen Pang
Chief Financial Officer, Airjoule Technologies
Tony Muñoz
Managing Director, Co-Head of Healthcare, Cantor Fitzgerald
Veronica Aguilar Hornig
Director of Special Programs & Engineering Admissions, Columbia University
Associate Board
Austin Meacham
Corporate Partnerships Committee Chair
Senior Associate, Sentinel Global
Christopher Attisani
Investment Analyst, LCN Capital Partners
Christy Dambleu
Content Operation Analyst, Goldman Sachs
Claire Chang
Strategy & Ops Associate, LinkedIn
Claudia Esteva
Senior Manager, User Experience, Basta
Diana Somorjai
Culinary Insights Analyst, Shake Shack
Ellen Flax
Events Co-Chair
Associate, Lumos Capital Group
Emi Park Cummings
Manager, Events & Partnerships, Asia Society and Museum
Evan Whitlock
Senior Associate, Deals Strategy, PwC
Gia Nealy
Volunteer Engagement Committee Chair
Clinical Trial Associate, Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Isabel Fulcher
Chief Scientific Officer, Delfina Care Inc.
Jonathan Lee
Private Credit Senior Associate, Goldman Sachs
Julia Caccavo
Senior Associate, Permira Advisers
Kade O'Reilly
Equity Research Senior Associate, Morgan Stanley
Kriti Vaish
Events Co-Chair
Vice President, Bank of America
Nadia Garcia
Clinical Research Coordinator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Oliver Knight
Private Equity Associate, LGT Capital Partners
Pat Marquet
Senior Manager, Strategy, Embecta
Rohan Arora
Principal, Infinedi Partners, LP
Rujula Muralidhar
Strategy Consultant, Accenture
Sarah Sliva
Co-Chair
Principal, Heidrick & Struggles
Sriram Ramakrishnan
Product Partnerships Adyen
Thomas Babiak
Co-Chair
Private Equity Associate, Neuberger Berman
Tim McFarlane
Assistant Vice President, GIC
