about : team

Erika Halstead is the Executive Director at Minds Matter NYC. She has been involved with the organization since 2009, first as a Writing & Critical Thinking adviser and then as a member of the Board of Directors, serving as Vice Chair from 2013 to 2015, and became Executive Director in 2015. Erika has spent her entire career in education, as a bilingual teacher, university lecturer in multi-ethnic/multicultural literature, and most recently as the Senior Program Officer at Humanities New York where she directed education and community engagement programs, and created programming for Latinx and American Muslim communities used nationwide. She is also an expert facilitator and master trainer in facilitation, with experience training hundreds of people in best practice. She comes to Minds Matter with a wealth of experience in program development and evaluation and a deep knowledge of programming for underserved youth. She holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University. A proud Colombian-American, she was named a 40 Under 40 Rising Star by the Hispanic Coalition of New York in 2018.

L'Toya Jones is the Director of Programs at Minds Matter NYC. Her desire is to help students tap into their strengths and empower them to become influencers in their local and global communities. L’Toya believes that all students have the potential to define and attain success when provided with the resources they need. L’Toya joins Minds Matter NYC with over 7 years in education and program management. Most recently, she served as Director of Middle School programming with the Harlem Educational Activities Fund. L’Toya holds a B.A in Social Science from New York University.

Colin P. Delaney has over fifteen years of experience in fundraising, communications, and program design. He began his career in arts education, working at High 5 Tickets to the Arts, a small nonprofit that worked with under-served youth. As  Director of Marketing & Communications, Colin shepherded the merger between High 5 and ArtsConnection, New York City's largest in-school arts education program. Most recently, Colin served as the development officer for the international peace and security think tank, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, where he secured more than 3 million dollars in funding. He has also acted as a development consultant for the New School, Gay Men's Health Crisis and Waterwell.

Rachel Greenburg Geller is the Director of Volunteers & Community Engagement at Minds Matter NYC. She is a trained social worker with over a decade of experience in community engagement, programming, policy, and partnerships across the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Minds Matter NYC, Rachel worked in sexual violence prevention, corporate social responsibility at NBCUniversal, and in citizen engagement at Cities of Service. Rachel is passionate about the power of volunteering to create meaningful connections and drive positive social change. As a committed volunteer herself, Rachel coaches figure skating for the youth leadership nonprofit, Figure Skating in Harlem. She holds a BA from Colgate University and a MSW from Columbia University. 

Ashley Camacho is the Senior Development Manager at Minds Matter NYC. She joins Minds Matter NYC with nearly a decade of experience in youth development, programming, and operations. As a native New Yorker and first-generation college student, Ashley is passionate about equity in education and social change. Prior to joining Minds Matter, Ashley worked as a Program Manager in the EdTech sector, where she managed the delivery to hundreds of students and multiple partnerships. Additionally, Ashley has experience as a Community Relations Manager at one of the largest charter systems in NY, where she cultivated relationships between the school, students, and families. She holds a B.A. from Long Island University in Psychology with a minor in Gender Studies.

Wanufi Teshome is the Community Engagement Manager at Minds Matter NYC. Wanufi is passionate about empowering young people and supporting their growth. She has experience working in government, non-profits, and political campaigns. Most recently, Wanufi served as the Youth Liaison in the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. While there, she developed external partnerships, advocated for student-driven policy changes, and managed civic engagement and volunteer programs. Wanufi holds a B.A. in Sociology from Kenyon College.

Daniel "Dan" Gonzalez is a 2020 graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences. As a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, Dan majored in Health and Societies with a concentration in Public Health and a minor in Fine Arts. Dan identifies as a First-Generation, Low-Income (FGLI) college student and has made it his career to ensure equity and access for marginalized identities. During his time at Penn, he advocated and supported his FGLI peers through his work with Penn First, Penn First Plus, and the Greenfield Intercultural Center. His leadership and service led him to be recognized as the inaugural recipient of the James Brister Society Penn First Plus Alumni Student Leadership Award, the Ivy Day Cane Award, and the Makuu Black Cultural Center Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Dan is also a recipient of the Shah Family Named Scholarship, a Questbridge Scholar, and an alumnus of Minds Matter Cleveland.

Leo D. Martinez is a Development Assistant at Minds Matter NYC. A Minds Matter alum in the Class of 2016, she is now a 2020 graduate from Williams College with a bachelor’s in English and concentration in Latina/x Studies. During her time at Williams, she was the Treasurer and later Historian for the Williams Black Student Union and earned the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship to study queerness and Afro-Latinx literary traditions.

Jia-Ming Tuan is a Programs Assistant at Minds Matter NYC. She graduated in May 2021 from Haverford College with a BA in Political Science. She also fulfilled two concentrations in Latin American, Iberian, and Latinx Studies and in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Within these studies Jia-Ming focused on causes and effects of Latin American immigration and on grassroots organizations. She was also a part of the Womxn of Color Club and the Haverford Democrats Club.

Abdul “Abs” Zamerli is a Director at Accenture, within the Accenture Strategy's consulting business, where he has worked for over a decade. Within his role, Abs works with c-level executives to solve their organizations’ most pressing issues and harness their most promising opportunities at the intersection of business and technology - he is known to help organization leadership teams drive innovative, profitable growth across Financial Services and Media & High-Tech, among other industries. Prior to moving to NY, Abs was based in Sydney, Australia and focused on solving critical problems for organizations across the APAC region, Australia and New Zealand. He also was responsible for the Growth Strategy Portfolio of work for Australia and New Zealand Abs is passionate about innovation, data and new tech, and the opportunities this not only provides organizations and people, but the possibilities this could open up to make a purposeful impact on the world. He is a big believer in new schools of leadership, promoting (and empowering) multi-disciplinary teams in a new age of business. Abdul has a background in International Business, Accounting and Marketing from The University of Sydney, Australia and, Business Studies with INSEAD University.

Adam Davies is a partner in Deloitte’s Financial Services Audit and Enterprise Risk Services practice with more than fifteen years of experience in public accounting. He has served a number of Deloitte’s largest clients in New York and Connecticut within the financial services industry, including institutional securities, investment banking, and investment management firms. Adam earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and a Certified Public Accountant in New York and Connecticut.

Christina Lopez is currently the Dean of Admissions at Barnard College, where she has served for five years. Prior to her time at Barnard, she was the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at New York University where she managed the undergraduate admissions process for Tisch School of the Arts. During her 13 year career in admissions, she has served on the Executive Boards of New York State Association of College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC), Go to College NYC, and as Co-Chair of the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools (ABAFAOILSS). In addition, she is currently being nominated for an advisory position on the National Counseling and Admission Assembly Council for The College Board to advise on programmatic initiatives. Christina was a mentor for Minds Matter from 2009-2012 and has conducted the annual College Essay Writing workshop for mentees and writing mentors for the past three years. She has a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a MA in Higher Education Administration from NYU Steinhardt.

David Brisske is a Principal at Permira Advisers LLC, where he focuses on private equity transactions in the consumer sector. Prior to joining Permira in 2014, David spent four years at Irving Place Capital, a middle market private equity firm based in New York where he was a Vice President. Before that, David was an Associate at Thoma Bravo, and he started his career at Goldman Sachs in the firm’s Investment Banking Division. David earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He resides with his wife and daughter in Brooklyn Heights, New York.

Deborah Beckmann is a partner in the Human Capital Management Division at Goldman Sachs with oversight for Reward , technology and metrics. She is also head of Human Capital Management for the Americas. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Deborah was an executive with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company managing Global Executive and Healthcare Compensation. Deborah serves on the Board of the Tuxedo Park School and the Deloitte Global Employer Executive Advisory Board. Deborah earned a JD from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, and a BA in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. She lives in Tuxedo with her husband, Brian, and their two daughters.

Diana Lee is a Managing Director in Corporate Banking at RBC Capital Markets. In this role, she is responsible for corporate lending and coverage of healthcare banking clients, including the origination and execution of debt financings, cross-sell of treasury products, and loan portfolio management. Prior to joining RBC in 2011, Diana held roles in corporate restructuring and turnarounds, leveraged loan investing, and leveraged lending at other firms. At RBC, Diana is actively involved in talent recruitment, diversity initiatives, mentoring and giving back to the community. She has served as NYU Recruiting Team Captain, RBC Race for the Kids Co-Captain, and Women’s Advisory Program Senior Leader. Diana is also a member of the RBC Foundation U.S. Capital Markets Donations Committee. Diana received her B.S. in Finance and Accounting from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Jamaal McDell is a Vice President and Senior Analyst at Cohen & Steers, where he focuses on investments in the commodities sector. He previously spent eight years as a Senior Analyst and Director of Research at the commodity hedge fund Lubben Capital Management, where he covered grains and oilseeds, metals, soft commodities, livestock, and energy. Prior to that, Jamaal was a Basic Materials Equity Research Analyst at Suffolk Capital Management. He started his career in finance as an Analyst at Morgan Stanley. Jamaal graduated from Princeton University, cum laude, with a B.S.E. in Operations Research & Financial Engineering and a Certificate in Applied & Computational Mathematics, where he was elected to Sigma Xi. He received an A.M. in Psychology from Harvard University. Jamaal lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children.

Jeff Vogel is a Partner at Court Square Capital, a middle market private equity investment firm. Prior to joining Court Square in 2004, Jeff was an analyst at Morgan Stanley in their Technology Investment Banking Group. Jeff has been involved with Minds Matter since 2004 and has served in a variety of roles including Co-Director of Mentees in the Senior Program, Team Leader and Mentor in the Junior and Senior Programs. Jeff received his B.S.E. in Operations Research and Financial Engineering, a Certificate in Finance, and a Certificate in Engineering Management Systems from Princeton University. Jeff also serves on the boards of AFS Technologies, ANCILE Solutions, Inc., Encompass Digital Media, , Rocket Software, and Strategic Products & Services. He previously served on the board of Auto Europe Group, CompuCom Systems, Newmarket International and as a board observer of NTELOS Holdings Corp.

Jonathan Williams joined the admissions office at New York University in the summer of 2016. He has over 30 years of professional experience in the field of college access and success. Throughout his career, Jonathan has specialized in creating pathways to mainstream opportunities for under-resourced youth and adult populations.  Through such organizations as Reach for College! and Heads Up of Washington, DC; and college admissions offices at Oberlin College, the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College, Jonathan has helped thousands of young people and their families along their educational journeys. Jonathan served as a political appointee at The Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that provides individual educational grants in exchange for long term volunteering and service. Under his strategic leadership, the Corporation experienced record-breaking gains in volunteer and donor participation in high profile programs such as the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, AmeriCorps Week, the AmeriCorps Diversity Recruitment Program and the Corporate Pro Bono Summit. Jonathan is a founding partner of Kirtan Business Solutions, a management consulting firm specializing helping organizations find unique business solutions that transform cultures. Some of his work includes the University of Missouri Diversity Education Program, "Getting Together", and the inaugural NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. Jonathan has degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Maryland at College Park. He and his wife are the proud parents of two adult children who reside in New York and Los Angeles.

Laura McCane is a Consultant with Heidrick Consulting. Laura advises clients on leadership, team and organizational effectiveness. Prior to Hedrick, Laura was the Head of Recruiting at Moelis & Company. She began her career in attorney recruiting at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Laura has a B.A. in Art History from Sewanee: The University of the South and a M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University Teachers College. Originally from South Carolina, Laura now lives in NYC with her husband, Bryan. Laura has been a Minds Matter board member since 2016.

Maggie McCormick is the President of A&E Real Estate, a vertically-integrated real estate management and investment firm. As President, she is actively involved in the strategic direction of the firm and managing all areas of the firm including operations, investments, financings, capital programs, and dispositions. She is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Investment Committee. Prior to her time at A&E Real Estate, Ms McCormick worked as part of the acquisitions group at Greenfield Partners, a 2.6 billion fund where her responsibilities included identification, pursuit and underwriting of investment opportunities. Ms. McCormick obtained her BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. She has been actively involved in Minds Matter, a college-focused program for underprivileged high school students, for over 10 years.

Maribel Ledezma-Williams is the Global Business Partner for the Engineering Division. She is responsible for driving engineering’s talent strategy with divisional leadership. Prior to her current role, she was the global business partner for the Risk and Consumer and Commercial Banking (Marcus) divisions. Maribel was previously global co-head of Talent Development and responsible for ensuring diversity priorities were fully integrated across all talent assessment and management initiatives. Earlier in her career, she was head of Diversity Recruiting and developed outreach programs and partnerships to cultivate a diverse talent pipeline into the firm. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2004 as a Campus Recruiter.  Prior to joining the firm, Maribel worked at Bear Stearns and Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises. Maribel earned her BA in Spanish and Chicana/o Studies from Stanford University. She is originally from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and has lived in New York for over twenty years.

Mark Shpizner is a Director at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, where he leads US and Canada institutional product strategy. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2014, Mark worked in the Global Client Management division of BNY Mellon, where he was responsible for developing mutual, strategic partnerships with a subset of the company’s most complex, global financial institution clients. Mark earned a BA degree in American Studies and English, magna cum laude, from Northwestern University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Mark lives in New York City, where he was born and raised. Mark has been involved with Minds Matter since 2010, first as a Writing & Critical Thinking adviser and then co-head of the Senior W&CT program before joining the Board of Directors.

Minhaj Patel is Senior Portfolio Manager for LFG, the investment business of the Lowy Family Group, where he is focused on investing in publicly listed equities. Prior to LFG, Minhaj was a Director at Citi Principal Strategies, a hedge fund affiliate of Citigroup, and has also served in Senior Investment Analyst roles at Magnetar Capital and Highline Capital Management. He started his career at Wasserstein Perella Merchant Banking where he focused on private equity and venture capital investments. Minhaj graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a double major in Economics and Psychology and a minor in Applied Mathematics. He spent 3 years as a mentor with Minds Matter, prior to joining the Board. He is also actively involved with the Association for Development of Pakistan, a US-based non-profit focused on engaged philanthropy in Pakistan. Minhaj is originally from Karachi, Pakistan.

Namrita Puri has over a decade of management consulting experience in which she has advised clients on growth initiatives, operational improvement and digital solution implementation.  She began her consulting career in Silicon Valley with Trianz Inc. and subsequently held a global advisory role with PriceWaterhoouse Coopers (PwC). Most recently, Namrita was a member of PwC's Management and Technology Consulting Leadership program, where she was responsible for driving the sustainable growth of PwC's Salesforce and Customer Impact practices - working to define strategy, execute on enabling priorities, and bring consistency and innovation to every day business functions.Namrita earned a Bachelors degree in Business from the University of Delhi and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. Namrita lives in NYC with her husband and two children.

Nic Zhou joined Boston Consulting Group's Singapore office as an Associate in 2010 and transferred to the New York office in 2012. He is a Managing Director and Partner in the New York office focused on the Consumer and People and Operations practice areas. He leads the NYC chapter of BCG's Asian Diversity Network. He is an active Amherst College alumnus and is an incoming advisory board member for the Loeb Career Center. Before joining the firm, Nic earned his BA (Magna Cum Laude) from Amherst College, and spent time at Morgan Stanley's investment banking division in Hong Kong.

Ravi Chopra is the CIO and Founder of Azora Capital, a financial services focused hedge fund. Prior to founding Azora Capital, Ravi was Sector Head of U.S. Financial Services at Samlyn Capital from its inception in 2007 to 2016. Previous to that he was a Financial Services Analyst at Sigma Capital from 2003 to 2006 and an Investment Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs from 2001 to 2003. Ravi graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with an A.B. in Economics from Dartmouth College in 2001 and is a CFA Charterholder. Ravi spent three years as a mentor with Minds Matter, prior to joining the Board in 2016. Ravi is also a trustee of his alma mater, the Morristown-Beard School, in Morristown, NJ.

Sanjeev Parlikar is a Managing Director with Accordion, a financial consulting firm focused on working with private equity-backed companies. Prior to joining Accordion, Sanjeev was an Executive Director in Investment Banking at UBS. He started his career at Wasserstein Perella, an M&A advisory boutique. Sanjeev graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a double major in Engineering Sciences and Economics. Sanjeev spent three years as a mentor with Minds Matter, prior to joining the Board in 2016. Sanjeev grew up in Nairobi, Kenya and is an avid traveler who enjoys exploring global cuisines.

Sarah Tanner is the Vice President of Strategy and Media in the Marketing group at NBC News. In her role, Sarah is responsible for the planning and execution of media plans for all NBC News properties. She is also responsible for managing all promotional media inventory. Sarah collaborates closely with agencies, internal and external research partners as well as key stakeholders to develop effective cross-platform campaigns that connect with news viewers. Prior to joining NBC Universal, Sarah had been with ESPN for 12 years working across the domestic Marketing and international divisions of the company. Sarah received her Bachelor's degree in Economics from Colgate University. She is an active alumna and participates in fundraising, mentoring and networking efforts. Sarah is also an active volunteer with the Junior League of the City of New York having previously served on their Board of Directors and as Treasurer. She resides in New York City.

Stephen Pang is currently a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Tortoise Capital Advisors, a firm which specializes in investments that serve essential needs in the economy and society. Prior to joining Tortoise in 2014, Stephen held roles at Credit Suisse and Citigroup’s Investment Banking Division, where he focused on equity underwriting and corporate finance in the energy sector. Stephen has served in various volunteer roles at Minds Matter including Co-Director of the Junior Program, Team Leader and Mentor in the Junior and Senior Programs. Stephen currently serves on the Board of Directors of Tortoise Acquisition Corp (NYSE: SHLL.U), a special purpose acquisition company focused on the energy sector in North America. Stephen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Richmond. He is a CFA® charterholder. Stephen lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three-year-old son.

Tony Muñoz is a Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald. He helps lead Healthcare Services Investment Banking Coverage. He joined the firm in 2016. Mr. Muñoz directs the firm’s relationships with a wide array of healthcare services clients across the care continuum and led a number of prominent transactions on behalf of clients. Mr. Muñoz has over 20 years of experience in investment banking. Prior to joining Cantor he led Healthcare Services Investment Banking at Stephens and RBC Capital Markets. Prior to RBC, Mr. Muñoz was a senior healthcare coverage banker at UBS Investment Bank. Mr. Muñoz was raised in The Bronx, NY. He graduated from Columbia University and currently resides in New York City with his wife and two kids.