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.

About Our Student Program

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

We believe a college education empowers students to become informed citizens, achieve professional goals, and achieve financial stability.

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.

Our mission thrives when we embrace diverse backgrounds, build lasting connections through empathy and understanding, and honor each individual’s full identity.

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.”

-Steven, MMNYC Alum

Meet Our Staff

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About

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 

Chelsea Nelson

Events Committee Chair

Talent Acquisition, Kirkland & Ellis 

Christopher Attisani

Investment Analyst, LCN Capital Partners

Christy Dambleu

Content Operation Analyst, Goldman Sachs

Claire Chang

Strategy & Ops Associate, LinkedIn

Diana Somorjai

Culinary Insights Analyst, Shake Shack

Ellen Flax

Associate, Lumos Capital Group

Gena Banta-Long

Manager, PwC

Gia Nealy

Volunteer Engagement Committee Chair

Clinical Research Associate, Hackensack Meridian Health 

Hana Kim

Product Manager, American Express

Isabel Fulcher

Chief Scientific Officer, Delfina Care Inc.

Julia Caccavo

Private Equity Associate, Permira

Juliana Guzman

Talent Acquisition Manager, Equinox Holdings Group

Kade O’Reilly

Equity Research Associate, Morgan Stanley

Kailey Cavanaugh

Investment Banking Associate, J.P. Morgan

Kriti Vaish

Digital Payments Manager, Bank of America

Marisa Yang

Private Equity Associate, CD&R

Nadia Garcia

Clinical Research Coordinator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Oliver Knight

Private Equity Associate, LGT Capital Partners

Peter Noonan

Associate, Blackstone

Rujula Muralidhar

Senior Strategy Analyst, Accenture

Sarah Sliva

Co-Chair

Principal, Heidrick & Struggles 

Shreyas Gupta

Co-Chair

Software Engineer, Amazon 

Thomas Babiak

Private Equity Associate, Neuberger Berman

Tim McFarlane

Investment Professional, GIC

Reports

’26-’30 Strategic Plan

Previous Years

FY25 Impact Report

FY24 Impact Report

FY22 Impact Report

FY21 Impact Report

Financial Statements

2025:

• Audited Financial Report
• Form 990

2024:

• Audited Financial Report
• Form 990

2023:

• Audited Financial Report
• Form 990

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