iMentor Staff

Dava Antoniotti joins iMentor with seven years of experience in international nonprofit recruitment, training, management and customer service.  She earned her B.A in Communications and Women’s Studies from Western Michigan University before traveling to Lima, Peru to volunteer with youth with disabilities through Cross-Cultural Solutions.  As the Director of Program Enrollment for Cross-Cultural Solutions she led a team of 14, empowering 3,000 individuals to volunteer internationally each year, and visited NGOs in Brazil, India, Thailand, South Africa and Morocco to better understand the positive impact of international volunteers.  Dava is passionate about promoting tolerance and understanding between people of different cultures and perspectives, as well as social and educational justice.  She recently completed her M.S. in Nonprofit Management at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.

Cleo Brooks Cavolo joins iMentor with a range of experience in the field of education, and has developed an expertise in collaborative partnerships, experiential learning and mentoring programs. In her most recent position as a Program Associate with The Blue Ridge Foundation, Cleo orchestrated strategic consulting projects with portfolio organizations. Cleo also worked with The Princeton Review, K-12 Services, where she helped develop and create an organizational marketing plan to improve outreach strategies and partnerships with school districts throughout the country. At Junior Achievement as the Director, Education Cleo was responsible for creating and sustaining partnerships between New York City public schools and corporate sponsors. Serving as a liaison between the public and private sectors she evaluated partnerships in search of strong models that increased experiential learning opportunities, enhanced program sustainability and provided ongoing financial support to New York City public schools. Cleo received her M.P.A. from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 2001.

May comes to iMentor with a passion for civic engagement and background in volunteer and program management, youth development, and education. Prior to joining iMentor, May was the program director at Quincy Asian Resources, Inc., a non-profit located in Quincy, Massachusetts, dedicated to improving the lives of Asian Americans and recent immigrants. May led youth mentorship programs focused on academic and career development, managed a rapidly growing volunteer program, and organized bilingual workshops and cultural celebrations for the community. Most recently, she received a Princeton-in-Asia teaching fellowship to Taiwan and Hong Kong, where she spent two years working closely with senior faculty and staff designing curricula and executing lesson plans for more than 550 high school and college students. May received a B.A. in psychology from Boston University and has studied Mandarin with CET Programs and indigenous issues with the International Honors Program.

Amy Cruz is a recent graduate from Columbia University where she earned a B.A. in Urban Studies with a concentration in Sociology. While earning her degree she coordinated numerous events while at CU including fundraising events for Camp Heartland (a camp for children infected/affected with HIV/AIDS), career panels, and university visits from local middle and high schools. Originally from Long Beach, California, she began her work experience in New York City as an intern for Senator Schumer and soon developed an interest in working within the urban community to improve the quality of life for its residents, adults and youth alike. From this first internship, she learned the importance of the non-profit sector and thus began the search for her niche within it. During her last academic semester, she simultaneously interned at the United Way of New York City and Aspira of New York where she further defined her interest in working in the non-profit sector to improve the life of urban youth and learned that a sustainable community can only be achieved through effective programming that targets the issues facing its youth.

Lindy Emerson comes to iMentor with experience in mentoring, student development and event planning. She is a graduate of Rochester College in Rochester Hills Michigan, which gave her the opportunity to spend three summers in East Africa working with youth and community development organizations in Kenya and Uganda. She came to New York to work with immigrant and refugee populations teaching conversational English. She then had the privilege to work with the United Nations Development Programme, where she gained experience in the international environmental sector with large scale event planning.  Working at Fordham University, she was able to connect her dedication to student development with local community initiatives.  During her time as a Program Coordinator at iMentor she gained rich experience in providing individualized pair support for mentors and mentees at a South Bronx school. She is taking these experiences to Miami, Florida where she is providing on the ground support to the MDC Single Stop Mentoring Program as a National Partnership Specialist.  She is thrilled to represent iMentor in this exciting new partnership.

Bridgette Ginyard comes to iMentor with experience in the consumer public relations and public affairs industry. Previously, she has worked for Hager Sharp, Edelman and the American Bible Society where she helped to lead strategic media relations campaigns for consumer brands and mission-oriented programming. Hailing from the San-Francisco Bay Area, she has a background in promoting volunteerism, community activism, and developing streamline messaging for various organizations. Bridgette graduated from Howard University in 2007 with a B.A. in Journalism. There she was active in the Howard University Red Cross and a classroom leader in Heads Up, a neighborhood initiative in the Washington D.C. where she gained experience in hands-on grassroots organization and after-school programming. Bridgette is thrilled to join the iMentor team and contribute to the overall impact of youth mentoring and the empowerment of NYC high school students.

Sarah comes to iMentor with experience in both international and domestic volunteer management and youth development.  Sarah attended the University of Florida, where she received both her bachelors and law degree.  During this time, she worked with the Alachua County School Board as both a legal intern for juvenile outreach and as a sports program coordinator.  Following law school, Sarah worked as a trial attorney for two years, representing court appointed clients in criminal proceedings.  In 2009, Sarah joined the US Peace Corps and served for two years in the Republic of Macedonia, where she developed interactive after school curriculum for street children, served as program director for a national women’s leadership association, and founded the Macedonian Model United Nations program.   Sarah is now looking forward to working with Mentee’s and Mentor’s as a coordinator with iMentor. 

Mitra is a graduate of both UC Berkeley’s Multicultural Urban Secondary English (MUSE) program as well as Columbia University’s Principals Academy. Mitra began her career in education as a teacher at John O’Connell High School in San Francisco’s Mission District. After moving to New York City in 2005, Mitra joined a small, new, public school, the Bronx Academy of Letters, located in the Morrisania section of the South Bronx. While the school expanded its reach to 100 new students each year through grades 6-12, Mitra joined the leadership team as an assistant principal and in 2008 Bronx Academy of Letters was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best public schools in the country. Mitra’s experience in both CA and NYC schools has given her a unique understanding of the challenges not only students, but also the educators who work with them face in large school systems. Mentoring, Mitra believes, is a critical part of the solution to these challenges.

Erica Hamilton joins iMentor with over ten years of experience managing programs and leading teams in the non-profit and private sectors. In her current role as the Chief Program Officer Erica will be responsible for defining and overseeing the growth, quality and innovation of iMentor programs both in New York City and nationally, including the development of external partnerships to increase iMentor's visibility and impact. Prior to joining the iMentor team Erica spent several years managing educational and professional development programs at several organizations including Prep for Prep, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and the Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship. She has also lead teams in the US and abroad to drive business strategy, develop sales and marketing programs and implement strategic initiatives at Goldman Sachs and Citi. After graduating from college Erica launched a college preparatory mentoring program for students at her high school alma mater in the Bronx. And while at Wharton, Erica launched the school's first ever Non Profit Board Leadership Program to motivate MBA students to contribute their time and knowledge to the community by joining local non-profit boards. Erica received her M.B.A from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, her M.P.A from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and her B.A. from Harvard University.

At iMentor, Kim oversees human capital strategy, and is responsible for hiring, developing, evaluating, and retaining iMentor’s team. Kim joined iMentor after 3 years as Executive Director of Princeton Project 55 (Now Princeton AlumiCorps).Prior to working for Project 55, Kim worked for El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she participated in a nonprofit leadership development fellowship program; directed a youth grant making program and supported the foundation's grant making. Kim was the Vice Chair of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network National Boardin 2008-10, has been an alumni interviewer for Brown University, and is a mentor with iMentor. She has run workshops on a variety of topics in leadership and nonprofit management for diverse groups including outdoor leadership programs, youth philanthropy initiatives, community volunteers, high school students, and young professionalsand is a contributor to the upcoming, Nonprofit Management 101: A Field Guide for Social Sector Professionals. Kim is committed to attracting talent to the nonprofit sector and making it a sustainable place to start and grow a career.

Ryan Howell joins the team with a wide range of experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to iMentor Interactive, he lent his talents to a web-based startup called Gazelle.com, where he conducted large amounts of research, assisted in the training of new hires, and worked with outsourcing partners across the country. He has also worked extensively in both educational and recreational roles throughout New England. While earning his BFA at the University of New Hampshire, he worked as a Teaching Assistant at a high school in southern Maine. He also acted as the Artistic Designer for a middle school theater program on the New Hampshire seacoast, while simultaneously working as the Summer Program Coordinator for the town of Exeter, NH. There he supervised the operation of a program that included over 200 elementary-aged children and more than 20 young adults. Throughout all of these experiences, Ryan learned the incredible value of a strong mentor- mentee relationship. He is thrilled to be in a position where he can promote and support the benefits of such relationships alongside the rest of the iMentor Interactive team.

James Jacobsen comes to iMentor with a strong background in development, outreach and technology.   He previously worked as both a Social Media Consultant and Outreach Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC and started his career as a Manager at NYCharities.org.  He earned his B.S. in Black Studies from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and is currently finishing up a Masters in Fundraising and Grantmaking at New York University.  In October of 2010, seeing a huge disconnect between technology and nonprofits, he beta launched The Grassroot Movement, a site dedicated to bridging the technological gaps in the sector.   In the past he has served on the National Council of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., a national community service oriented organization and on the board of New York University’s Fundraising Student Association.   When not working, James is a long time slam poet and often performs at fundraising events to help promote awareness on various different issues.  He has wanted to work for iMentor for 3 years and is extremely excited to have this opportunity!

Kristen joined iMentor in 2011 as its first Managing Director of Communications and oversees the organization’s press and marketing efforts. Prior to joining iMentor, Kristen was the Deputy Director of Marketing for the William J. Clinton Foundation, managing the creation of print, web, video, and social media content to market the Foundation’s domestic and international initiatives and President Clinton’s Haiti disaster relief efforts. Previously, she was the Marketing Manager for the Clinton Global Initiative, creating communications and event materials for CGI, CGI University, and CGI Asia. Kristen began her career at Penguin Group as a nonfiction book editor and has also worked as a news editor and freelance writer. Since an early age, Kristen has volunteered and worked with youth development programs in Michigan and New York. She attended the University of Michigan and New York University, studying English literature and critical theory. 

Elizabeth Kennedy comes to iMentor with experience in education, youth development, and community empowerment.  A graduate of Trinity College, Elizabeth earned her B.A. with high honors in American Studies and double minor in Hispanic Studies and Human Rights Studies. In that time, she engaged her Hartford community on and off campus in many leadership roles such as fundraising chair of the Trinity Chapter of Habitat for Humanity as well as co-organizer of the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival, which aims to use all five elements of hip-hop as a tool for community building. Prior to iMentor, she gained experience with small non-profits in Uruguay, Chile, and Spain around personal, academic, and career development with recent immigrant youth.  Selected as a Trinity College Human Rights fellow, she also developed human rights curricula with Amnesty International within their Human Rights Education Program in New York City.  She’s excited to continue connecting NYC youth and volunteers through meaningful relationships and opportunities in mentoring.

Adrienne joins iMentor after having spent over a decade working with students and teachers both in the classroom and through many of New York’s premiere cultural institutions. As a teaching artist and program administrator, Adrienne has worked for several theatre and media companies, including The New Victory Theater, Blue Heron Arts Center, and No Limits Theatre Group. She also has classroom experience, having been an English and writing teacher at All Hallows High School in the Bronx.  As a Master Teacher for Channel 13/WNET’s National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI), she has written print and online curriculum materials and presented numerous professional development workshops. Adrienne was the Vice President of Education at the New-York Historical Society, New York City’s oldest museum. She oversaw all aspects of the Society's education programming, education resources, and professional development efforts for over 100,000 students, teachers, and adult learners each year. After leaving the N-YHS she was the Director of Programs for the Eastern Region of Resources for Indispensible Schools and Educators (RISE) and Senior Manager of Program Operations for Vision Education & Media.  Adrienne is a graduate of New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education and she is currently pursuing a MS in Information Design and Technology from the State University of New York Institute of Technology.

Julia Love joins iMentor with a wide range of experience in the nonprofit sector, including corporate partnership development, strategic planning, fundraising and communication initiatives. Prior to iMentor, Julia was the Director of Philanthropy at The Resource Foundation, where she advised corporate, foundation and individual donors on their charitable investments to Latin America and the Caribbean and was responsible for orchestrating online communication materials and strategies. Julia also worked as a research analyst at Euromonitor International in London and for Pro Mujer in New York and Bolivia. She has produced and directed five documentary films which have been shown nationwide. Julia currently serves on the Board of Directors for Behind the Book and is on the Advisory Board of the Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice. Julia received an M.P.A. from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an M.P.A. from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. from Duke University. During 2002-2003, Julia was a Fulbright scholar in Bolivia.

Ellen Mahoney's ten years of work in adolescent education has been driven by the belief that all children can succeed with the right community support and equal access to opportunities. She received her BA in English from the University of Oregon in 1999. Previously to her position at iMentor, she worked at The Arthur Ashe Educational Guidance Program in Queens, where she provided guidance counseling and educational assistance to teenagers and their families and trained guidance counselors and coaches on adolescent development and high school and college admissions. Prior to her experience in New York, she spent six years working in Washington DC's public and alternative schools and worked towards her Masters in Counseling at George Washington University. She taught Humanities and Media Literacy, counseled teens and their families, developed and implemented transition programs for incoming high school freshmen, and developed a guidance program to increase the academic achievement of students of color. Ellen has enjoyed 8 years of volunteer experience as a mentor and tutor for The Lab School of Washington, The Latin American Youth Center in DC, and Girls, Inc in Oregon.

Courtney joined iMentor in July 2010 with a wide range of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.  After graduating from Fordham University with her B.A. in psychology and philosophy, she served as an AmeriCorps stipended volunteer with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in Minneapolis, MN.  Courtney then returned to New York City where she developed a diverse and invaluable skill-set as an event planner, production coordinator and administrative assistant at top firms in the financial services and fashion industries.  Aligning with her desire to pursue her passion for social justice and change, Courtney earned her M.S.W. at the New York University Silver School of Social Work.  She has worked with homeless and formerly homeless individuals and families, aging adults with dementia and, most recently, with HIV/AIDS infected and affected adults and children.  As a social worker addressing the needs of underserved populations, she worked toward creating equal access to opportunity in these communities.  Courtney firmly believes that quality education and youth development are crucial facets of building such opportunity and that positive mentor-mentee relationships have the power to change lives.  She is extremely excited to be working with the smart, talented and driven staff here at iMentor and to be part of such an innovative, impactful organization. Courtney is currently working with our iMentor partner, Admission Possible, in Minneapolis, MN.

Hamna joins the iMentor team as a recent graduate of New York University, where she graduated as class marshal with a B.A. in environmental studies and urban studies. Over the past five years, Hamna has worked on various environmental and social issues in the non-profit and government sectors, including public health, food policy, and clean energy. Prior to joining iMentor, Hamna managed the Sustainable Education Initiative for Scholars for Students to provide need-based scholarships to students for college preparation services. She has also worked as an environmental advocate, leading campaigns to organize civic participation around environmental and social justice issues. When she is not working, Hamna enjoys cooking, rock-climbing, kick-boxing and exploring the city. Hamna is excited to bring her rewarding experiences working with volunteer groups, particularly high school volunteers, to the Program Coordinator position.

Alex comes to iMentor excited to continue working in the non-profit sector. He recently completed a year of service with Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program focused on professional development, civic engagement, and empowering non-profit organizations. He worked at United Way of Coastal Fairfield County in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a program coordinator for Wi-mentor, an iMentor Interactive (iMi) program that mirrors the work done at iMentor NYC. He also worked on a city-wide initiative to empower Bridgeport youth to beautify their city, resulting in almost 300 youth participating to create and install city murals and community gardens. Alex graduated from University of New Hampshire (UNH) with a B.A. in philosophy and spent three years as an editor for UNH’s undergraduate research journal. Hoping that it will become an annual trend, Alex spent two weeks this summer in Feira Nova, Brazil, with Habitat for Humanity, where he and his teammates constructed three homes for families in need of adequate housing.

Mary Ellen Miller comes to iMentor after practicing as an attorney in New York City for over six years. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she began her career in the nonprofit world as a Medical Missions Coordinator for Operation Smile International, where she recruited and managed teams on medical missions to Colombia, Thailand, Nicaragua, the West Bank, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brazil.  Her other prior experience includes working as a legal intern at the State Department and conducting a democracy assessment in Zimbabwe as a Ford Foundation grantee.  Mary Ellen received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Colby College.

Will received his undergraduate from SUNY Plattsburgh in upstate New York. His exposure to mentoring began during his time in college, as mentor for a local agency. Immediately, Will was intrigued by the power of mentoring, and wasted no time engaging more deeply in the non-profit community. Will joins the iMentor team with over five years of experience in the field of mentoring. Over the years, Will has been engaged with various programs including Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., Drug Treatment Services, and most recently, Big Brothers Big Sisters in Buffalo, New York. Over the years, Will has seen that mentoring is a highly effective intervention for youth in need of direction and is excited to bring apply his experience to the iMentor model.

Paul Nehring comes to iMentor through the Princeton Project ’55 Fellowship program which seeks to develop a thorough commitment to civic engagement in recent graduates. He recently earned his B.A. in Politics from Princeton University, where he completed a thesis on the American juvenile justice system and independent projects on education policy. In addition, Paul was deeply involved in the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network through which he moderated year-long peer dialogue groups on issues of identity. Paul also brings many years of experience in outdoor and experiential education to iMentor. He served as a leader trainer and trip coordinator for Outdoor Action, Princeton’s freshman outdoor orientation program. Professionally, Paul acted as assistant camp director for the Triangle YMCA Camp in Minot, North Dakota, and more recently, as director of the Adventure Program at Camp Heartland, a camp committed to serving children affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS. Committed to service, Paul volunteered as a supervisor with the Red Cross for two months following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005. A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Paul is excited to engage in new challenges and adventures as a member of the iMentor team.

Mike O'Brien came to iMentor in 2003, after three years of working with New York City's at-risk youth in academic, athletic, and community-based settings. After graduating from Bucknell University with B.A.'s in both English and Psychology, Mike began teaching at William H. Maxwell Career and Technology High School in East New York, Brooklyn. In addition to teaching English and coaching the boys' basketball team, Mike launched after-school programs that included poetry workshops, literary magazines, tutoring programs, and borough-wide basketball tournaments. He has also worked with underserved communities and schools in Cape Town, South Africa.

Talya brings a range of experience in youth development, community engagement and building sustainable partnerships to iMentor. Most recently, she served as Manager of Programs and Community Connector at Building Impact, a non-profit social enterprise in Boston that breaks down barriers to civic engagement by delivering volunteer and donation opportunities to the buildings where people work and live. At Building Impact, Talya cultivated strategic partnerships with non-profit organizations and for-profit companies, while leading overall program design and implementation to increase resources for local organizations, including mentoring  programs. Beforehand, Talya was a Citizen Schools Teaching Fellow, where she served as a team leader for middle school students in Mattapan, taught early college awareness workshops, and recruited and trained volunteers to teach all sorts of professional skills to students through Citizen Schools' apprenticeship program. Before returning to New York in the summer of 2010, she participated in an apprenticeship program herself on an Organic Farm and Education Center in Israel. Talya earned her BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and a Masters in Education from Lesley University. Originally from Queens, Talya is an avid ultimate frisbee player and is thrilled to be joining the iMi team!

Caroline Kim Oh joined the iMentor team in 2000 as its first Director of Programs, and was named Executive Director in 2002. In her current role as iMentor's President, Caroline focuses on Board and leadership group development and strategic, special projects. Prior to iMentor, Caroline was with the Small Business Congress of New York City, a federation of over 60 small business associations advocating the rights of small enterprises. Caroline also managed student-computing facilities for New York University and was a consultant to the Documentary Heritage Program for the NYS Department of Education and Korean American Small Business Center. Caroline currently serves on the Board of Directors for Row New York (an after-school rowing, academic, and self-esteem building program), Nonprofit Coordinating Committee (NPCC) and Youth Improving Nonprofits for Children (Youth I.N.C.). Caroline is a frequent speaker on the issues of youth mentoring, nonprofit management and leadership development. Caroline received her M.P.A. from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and her B.A. from Cornell University.

Rossd’Lyn is a native New Yorker currently residing in the Bronx. After graduating college with a B. S. in Exercise Science, she interned for Harlem RBI, where as a softball coach, teaching assistant and camp counselor for NYC youth, facilitated a safe learning environment and taught the values of positive competition.  Rossd’Lynthen worked as a family service specialist at the Young Adult Institute (YAI) / National Institute for People with Disabilities (NIPD) where she advocated for individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. As the Site Director for Edison Learning, at a school in the south Bronx, Rossd’Lyn also implemented the academic and operational components of an after school tutoring program. Next Rossd’Lyn became an inaugural member of the NYC Civic Corps, where she developed sustainable volunteer and emergency food programs for Mid-Bronx Council Services. After successfully completing her year of service with NYC Civic Corps / AmeriCorps VISTA, she now proudly joins the iMentor team and brings her passion for youth development and empowerment with her!

Alicia joins the iMentor team as its first Director of Evaluation & Research and brings over twelve years of experience evaluating education policy and educational programs. She has worked with various organizations including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Children’s Defense Fund and Urban Institute.  At the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, DC, Alicia served as the Senior Specialist for Evaluation where she created a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation protocol for a national summer and after-school literacy-based program. She has also been an independent consultant for the past few years, consulting to non-profits and small businesses on strategy and evaluation.  Alicia received her doctorate degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and her bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Cognitive Science from Rice University.  Alicia is excited to be a part of a dynamic organization that fosters meaningful connections between adults and at-risk youth.

Nicole Rothwell is a 2010 graduate of Seattle University, where she double-majored in International Studies and Spanish. After graduating, she moved to the East Coast to volunteer through the New York City Civic Corps. Through this program she was placed at iMentor as a Volunteer Coordinator. In this role she recruited and managed over 60 one-off volunteers as well as spearheading iMentor’s first annual Impacto Latino iConnect. Nicole is pleased to continue supporting the iMentor mission as a Program Coordinator. Prior to moving to the New York City, she volunteered with the grassroots organization Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center. Here she worked with a group of homeless and low-income women to empower positive changes in their communities. She also interned for the International Visitor Program of the World Affairs Council where she created travel itineraries for the international representatives. Nicole is excited to be involved with iMentor’s innovative approach to youth development.

Romana comes to iMentor from various out-of-school time organizations, most recently working with D.C. public schools to help prepare for afterschool programming. Previously, Romana worked with other youth-centered organizations such as The Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula, Higher Achievement, and SPARK as an out-of-school time facilitator and mentor. Her involvement with programs like these have strengthened Romana’s beliefs in the abilities of innovative youth programs that go above and beyond the traditional school day. Romana is excited about the work of iMentor and its surrounding mentor, mentee, and school communities because she feels that with the right guidance, encouragement, and availability of options all youth can succeed.

Sadie joins the iMentor Development Team with more than 13 years of non-profit development experience. Prior to joining iMentor, Sadie was the chief development officer at Groundwork Inc., a community based organization serving residents of East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Sadie served as the organization’s first development staff member and played a key role in the strategic growth of the organization as part of the senior leadership team. During her six years at Groundwork the organization’s annual operating budget grew from $1.5 million to over $5 million and now serves more than 3,000 families annually. Prior to Groundwork, Sadie was the vice president at J.C. Geever, a fundraising-consulting firm based in New York City. During her five years at J.C. Geever, Sadie had the pleasure of assisting many non-profit organizations throughout the tri-state area with their fundraising needs. Sadie holds a B.A. in History from the University of Delaware and is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

Kate comes to iMentor with experience in non-profit organizations, volunteer management, and youth development. During her time at Gettysburg College, Kate worked as a program coordinator with the Center for Public Service where she deepened her understanding of the underlying systemic issues that have made social justice work necessary. She has a strong passion for social justice and for youth in particular to know their intrinsic value and potential. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Latin American studies/ Spanish, Kate served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Seattle, Washington, where she worked with immigrant and refugee children in an afterschool enrichment program. As a mentor herself to a 13 year old girl, Kate knows firsthand the powerful impact mentoring can have on the mentee as well as the mentor. Kate is excited to be a part of the mentor-mentee relationship development for many others through her role as a Program Coordinator at iMentor.

Waine Tam joined iMentor as Chief Operating Officer in 2010. Most recently, Waine co-founded Sunridge Capital, a hedge fund based in New York City, in 2006. Prior to Sunridge Capital, Waine was employed at Goldman Sachs in various capacities in Investment Banking and Equity Capital Markets. He has served as a mentor at iMentor since 2003 and served on the iMentor Young Executive Board for six years prior to joining iMentor as COO. Waine graduated from Princeton University in 2001 with a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering and a Certificate in Finance.

Hanh Tran joins iMentor with experience in communications, consulting and non-profit program management. Formerly, Hanh worked at the Morgan Stanley Foundation, where she created communications aimed at increasing the visibility of philanthropic initiatives. As a Community Outreach Manager at New York Cares, she managed partnerships and implemented a series of outreach strategies to expand volunteer opportunities in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Hanh’s interest in social entrepreneurship motivated her to serve as a Kiva Fellow in Vietnam where she used video to document the lives of women entrepreneurs. She has also worked with communities of refugee women and children in Tanzania through WomenCraft, a social enterprise that connects rural artisans with international fair-trade markets. Hanh is passionate about the potential of uniting organizations across sectors to achieve social impact. She believes that all youth have the potential to succeed if given adequate opportunity and support and is thrilled to contribute to iMentor’s efforts to expand the mentoring movement. Hanh received her M.P.A. from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and her B.A. in Journalism and Marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Vania is originally from Peru, where she attended law school and worked for a human rights organization. She is currently studying sociology at Brooklyn College-CUNY. Vania has completed an internship at Bushwick Impact, where she worked on family literacy programs that support children, parents, and caregivers and assisted with referrals and support for parents seeking educational opportunities or assistance for themselves and their children. Through her work at Bushwick Impact, she became highly interested on programs that assist underserved communities with better educational prospects, and is happy to join in iMentor’s efforts.

Esther joins iMentor after spending two years in Southern Africa managing community development volunteering programs with African Impact.  Her experience with African Impact began when she volunteered as an elementary school teacher with their project in Livingstone, Zambia.  She then went on to work for the organization as the Manager of their project in Mozambique, where she trained and supported volunteers from all over the world as they taught at a rural preschool, a TEFL school, and in HIV Education workshops.  Esther feels privileged to have played a role in developing projects that brought education and opportunity to so many underserved individuals.  She was also deeply affected by witnessing the way that volunteers were often profoundly changed by their experiences.  Before living in Africa, Esther graduated from Colby College in 2007 with a B.A. in English Literature.  As a born and bred New Yorker, she looks forward to facilitating many more inspiring experiences for volunteers on this side of the Atlantic through iMentor’s fantastic program.