Board of Engineers

Claire Meunier

Director, Michael J. Fox Foundation

Claire Meunier is the Director of Research Partnerships at the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) where she is responsible for the Foundation’s strategic priority to formally engage the Parkinson’s patient community to participate in clinical research. Claire began her tenure at MJFF on the Research Programs team where she managed a portfolio of grant programs totaling $5m per year. Prior to joining MJFF, Claire graduated with her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management where she focused on Social Enterprise, Finance, Strategy and Marketing. Prior to Kellogg, Claire was the Special Projects Manager in the Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. In this capacity, she managed a national, foundation-funded initiative in geriatric education, leading the collaborative activities of clinician-educators from 30 leading medical schools in the creation and dissemination of medical education materials. Claire holds a BS from Vanderbilt University in Human and Organizational Development with a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. Claire is a longtime believer in education reform and spent much of her business school career exploring business approaches to new innovation in the education sector. Claire is also proud to be a native of New Orleans, where her family still resides.

Khalida Ali

Manager, Morgan Stanley, Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Khalida Ali is a Manager at Morgan Stanley in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Ms. Ali specifically focuses on Diversity Recruiting for Morgan Stanley’s Associate Programs across all lines of the firm’s business. Prior to working in Diversity Recruiting, she worked in Global Capital Markets covering equity offerings for the Media and Communications sector. Khalida currently serves as a mentor-coach with New York Needs You, a high intensity mentoring program in New York. Ms. Ali received a BA in Economics from Spelman College.

Patrick O’Neil

Associate, Public Finance Group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Patrick O’Neil is an Associate in the Public Finance Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (or its predecessor) since graduating college in 2007. Patrick grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where he first became interested in education. As part of the Aim High program at his high school, he served as a Teaching Assistant for underprivileged youth from the inner city. In college, he continued his activity in the education sector by participating in the Sursum Corda Literacy Program in Washington, DC. Patrick is greatly inspired by his brother, Kevin, who is one of the original twelve BETAs. He holds a BSFS in International Political Economy from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Jenny Heller

Investment Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Jenny Heller currently works as an Investment Director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, where she is one of three people managing their $1.6bn endowment and founder of the Endowment & Foundation Young Professionals Network. Jenny earned her MBA and Public Management Certificate in 2007 from Stanford Business School. Prior to Stanford, she spent 6 months working as a volunteer finance consultant for an international development organization in Ahmedabad, India. She began her career as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Global Industries Group at Merrill Lynch. Jenny received her BA in Political Economy from Williams College.

Stefanie Lob

Westchester Director, Private Prep

Stefanie Lob is the Westchester Director of Private Prep, a distinctive tutoring service that offers individually customized lessons for a wide range of K-12 subjects and standardized test prep. Prior to joining Private Prep, she spent time as a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain in California and subsequently elected to forego medical school to pursue her lifelong passion for education. In 2005, Stefanie joined the New York City Teaching Fellows program and helped found the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics where she served as a cabinet member and math department head. With her tough-love approach in the classroom, Stefanie inspired and prepared students to surpass city and state achievement standards and continue their education at some of the best universities around the country. She also combined her passion for education with her love of travel and the outdoors by leading student trips to Vietnam with Global LAB and the Florida Everglades with Outward Bound. Stefanie earned her B.S. from Northwestern University and M.S.Ed from The City College of New York.

Sonali Muraka

Senior Research Associate, NYC Department of Education

Sonali Murarka is a Senior Research Associate with the NYC Department of Education in the Research and Policy Support division. Prior to moving to New York in 2010, she earned an advanced degree in Applied Economics during which she conducted research in the economics of education, both domestically and abroad. She worked on several projects as a research associate during graduate school with the Center for the Advanced Study of India, including most recently designing a rigorous evaluation of the Educate Girls Globally program in Rajasthan. She has previously worked as a Project Manager at the National Bureau of Economic Research, primarily focused on managing a randomized evaluation of NYC charter schools where her interest in NYC education reform first took root. Sonali also has extensive experience tutoring students of many ages, including literacy tutoring for low-income elementary school students and SAT tutoring for elite test preparation companies. She holds a BA in Public Policy from Stanford University and an MA in Applied Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Arneill

Founder and CEO, Pinkdingo.com

Scott is the founder and CEO of Pinkdingo.com, a web startup focused on bringing significant innovation to online charitable giving. Before starting work on Pinkdingo, Scott worked in the Technology and Media Investment Banking group at Goldman, Sachs & Co. During his time at Goldman, Scott invented and developed plans for a company-wide philanthropic initiative called Project Impact, which he proposed directly to CEO Lloyd Blankfein and subsequently worked with the head of the firm’s charitable services group and COO of the executive office to advance. While living in New York, Scott was a Youth Venture advisor for several years. In that role, he helped advise young social entrepreneurs (ages 12-20) craft business plans and win grants to start their small businesses. Scott holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an avid skier and off-road motorcycling enthusiast.

Nayan Behal

Vice President, Business Development, Sitara Skincare

Nayan is currently the Vice President of Business Development at Sitara Skincare based in St. Louis, MO.   He is primarily responsible for new business and revenue generation, utilizing various sales channels, corporate partnerships, and social media platforms.  Prior to his role at Sitara Skincare, he was an Associate in the Global Transaction Services division at Citigroup in New York City.  At Citigroup, he was primarily focused on providing sales coverage on global liquidity & short-term investment solutions for Citi¹s institutional clients with revenues in excess of $1 billion.  He has been actively involved with various volunteer organizations in New York City including Junior Achievement of New York, StreetWise Partners, and The Posse Foundation. Nayan is from St. Louis, MO and also lived in London, England for 6 years, Los Angeles, CA for 7 years, and New York City for a year; he holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance from the University of Southern California.

Jonah Berman

Assistant Director, Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics

Jonah Berman is the Assistant Director of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. Jonah oversees the center’s dual mission: conducting compelling research of interest and offering programs that engage scholars, executives and students in an intellectual exploration of leadership and ethics. Prior to this role, Jonah gained extensive non-profit experience in both development and program management, having worked for a variety of agencies including Action for Children in Chicago, IL, United Way of Massachusetts Bay in Boston, MA, and SFJAZZ in San Francisco, CA. Jonah holds a bachelor of arts in sociology and a bachelor of music in jazz performance, saxophone, from the Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio. Jonah also sits on the board of directors for VE Global and the Better Tomorrow Education Fund. He will complete his Masters in Business Administration at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in 2011.

Kunal Bhatia

Analyst in Investment Banking, Credit Suisse

Kunal Bhatia is an Analyst in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse, where he focuses on Leveraged Finance and executes transactions for clients across all major industries. Having joined Wall Street during a challenging economy, Kunal has experienced the importance of a solid education and knowledge-base first-hand. His efforts to equip high school and undergraduate students with the adequate skill-set to succeed, both in class, and after graduation resonate with the mission and initiatives at Blue Engine. Kunal graduated from The College of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance in 2009. He lives in New York City.

Rob Buesing

Analyst, Barclays Capital

Rob Buesing is an analyst at Barclays Capital in the Enterprise Risk Management group, a quantitative analytics group focused on providing holistic risk management advisory services to the corporate clients of the investment bank. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Rob graduated from Williams College in 2009 with a BA in Mathematics and Economics, receiving departmental highest honors in Economics. He was a four-year member of the rowing team, serving as a co-captain during his senior year. He successfully competed at national and international regattas, and continues to row and compete through the New York Rowing Association and the North Adams Rowing Club. While at Williams, Rob performed research for the Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education, focusing on the characteristics of the public schools that sent students to Williams, which helped to spark a passion for reducing inequality in education.

Chris Chowaniec

Project Management Office Director, Synovate

Chris Chowaniec is the Project Management Office (PMO) Director for Synovate, a global market research firm. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Within Synovate, Chris specializes in online market research, web development, and process improvement. His project management knowledge is complemented by a strong talent for leading diverse teams, training other project managers, organization, and his communications and psychology background at Northwestern University. Since joining Synovate, he has taken the initiative to standardize and improve processes, automate quality into the production life-cycle, embrace innovation, improve communication via web-based systems, and mentor departmental staff to deliver on time the first time and within specifications. He now is recognized as a company-wide project management expert.

Katie Darius

Senior Associate, The Frankel Group

Katie Darius is a Senior Associate with The Frankel Group, a life sciences strategy consulting firm. Prior to joining The Frankel Group, she was a consultant for Sg2, a healthcare intelligence and strategy consulting firm. She completed her PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where she focused on defining relationships between injury biomechanics and pathologic sequelae that lead to chronic neck pain following whiplash. While in Philadelphia, Katie served as a high school mentor through Philadelphia Futures. Prior to graduate school, she completed a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health where she was involved in research investigating neural mechanisms of multisensory integration. She holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and is an invited member of the Northwestern University Council of 100, a mentoring organization for women students and young alumnae, and past president of the Northwestern University Alumni Club of Philadelphia.

Lauren Grafer

Vice President, Guggenheim Partners LLC, Corporate Access & Events

Lauren Grafer is a Vice President, Corporate Access & Events for Guggenheim Partners, LLC. Prior to Guggenheim, Lauren ran the events team at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) and spent 5 years in Corporate Events at Bear Stearns. She has done pro bono event planning/fundraising work for numerous non-for-profit organizations through her company, Madison Events. Lauren graduated from Villanova University in 2000 with a B.A. in Communications and minor in Psychology.

Anne Heuer

Anne Heuer is an advertising executive who has developed global communications strategy for some of the worlds leading brands such as Starbucks, Nike, and Dove. Through her affiliation with various advertising education programs she has developed youth workshops and speaks at universities around the country, inspiring students in brand planning and advertising careers. She comes from a family of educators and has served as a classroom volunteer, substitute teacher, and continues as a high school mentor to college bound students. After obtaining a degree in English Literature from the University of Montana, Anne traveled throughout Europe and Asia as a journalist for an international media company. She is a new resident of NYC.

Avi Karnani

Co-Head and Lead Strategist, Churnless

Avi is the Co-Head and Lead Strategist of Churnless (churnless.com), a digital strategy consultancy. Churnless builds web products that drive behavioral change and incubates promising early-stage startup companies, with the belief that being able to make informed choices with good information can help people lead fuller, more satisfying lives. Prior to launching Churnless, Avi co-founded Thrive (justthrive.com), a free personal finance management site. As CEO, he built a team dedicated to helping twenty- and thirty-somethings save more, spend less and improve their financial health. Median-income active Thrive users reduced their discretionary spending by an average of 3.28 percent of their income; added nearly $1,000 more to their savings account than non-Thrive users; and paid off almost $3,500 more of their debt than non-Thrive users. Avi’s experience prior to launching Thrive and Churnless includes institutional finance, specifically arbitrage strategies at hedge funds, investment banking with Citigroup and venture work with MSD Capital, Michael Dell’s private investment vehicle. He is passionate about building things, whether they’re new products or exciting partnerships. A graduate of New York University’s Stern School of Business, Avi will use virtually any surface as a whiteboard… but his first and true love will always be graph paper.

Kevin Kelleher

Product and Merchandising Manager, Bonobos

Kevin Kelleher is a product and merchandising manager at Bonobos. Starting with the company in late summer of 2008, Kevin has seen this e-commerce men’s retailer grow from a team of 5 to 25. As Bonobos has transitioned from pant specialist to menswear retail platform, Kevin has found a niche sitting in the middle of the product team, working on both Bonobos brand product development as well as the partner brand merchandising. He is a Princeton University alum, graduating in 2008 with a degree in Economics. Kevin spent 4 years in the Football program, highlighted by a 2006 Ivy League championship. New York has become Kevin’s home away from home. While living in the West Village is a little different from his Ann Arbor, MI roots, he is loving all that New York has to offer.

Nick Kim

Analyst, Global Markets, HSBC

Nick Kim is an Analyst on the Global Markets Corporate Sales team at HSBC, where he advises multinational US corporations on risk management strategies for foreign exchange, interest rate, and other global markets exposures. Prior to joining HSBC, Nick was a Sales Executive for the front office of the LA Clippers and helped launch a retail pilot uniform manufacturing company in his hometown of Santa Monica, CA. He graduated with a BA in Economics in 2009 from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a four-year member and two-year captain of the Cal Ice Hockey team. Benefitting from a wealth of inspiring teachers and mentors, Nick has paid it forward with tutoring, mentoring, and other service in the education sector since 2003. He joined the BoE believing Blue Engine has the visionary leadership and innovative teaching model to transform the traditional classroom and shift the education landscape in NYC and beyond. Nick currently resides in New York City.

Kaitlin Konkel

Legal Assistant, Chin & Curtis, LLP

Kaitlin Konkel, a 2010 graduate of Williams College, is currently working as a Legal Assistant at Chin & Curtis, LLP, an immigration law firm in Boston. At Williams, she majored in English and Political Science, tutored, and was a four-year member of the Williams women’s crew team, including three National Championship-winning squads. Kaitlin has participated in educational and service initiatives for more than eight years. Through various projects, she has worked with juvenile defendants in Kentucky, middle- and high-school students in rural Massachusetts, 10th-graders in South Africa, and fellow students at Williams. In the spring of 2010, Kaitlin was awarded departmental honors for the Political Science thesis “The Politics of Words: Governments, NGOs, and the Language of Human Rights,” which explored the opportunities and constraints that arise from framing social problems in certain ways.

Bethany Lampland

Attorney, The New York Foundling

Bethany Lampland currently works as an attorney and administrator at The New York Foundling, a widely acclaimed not-for-profit organization serving New York’s needy families since 1869. The Foundling provides an array of community-based services which protect and support society’s most vulnerable members–disadvantaged children. Prior to joining the Foundling, Bethany spent numerous years working at law firms in Manhattan. She began her legal career as a commercial litigator and spent the last five years of her years in private practice focusing on tax and estate planning matters. Throughout her career, Bethany has provided pro bono legal advice to numerous private foundations and public charities. Since 2009, Bethany has had the honor of serving as a mentor to a terrific junior high student through Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York. Bethany earned a B.A. from Northwestern University, where she successfully petitioned to create her own major in Latin American Political and Economic Development. Bethany earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago School of Law.

Lauren Logan

Manager of Business Development, OMD

Lauren Logan is the US Manager of Business Development at OMD, a global media communications agency. As part of the Business Development team, she is responsible for all client acquisition and internal marketing and communications for the agency. Prior to joining the Business Development team, Lauren worked on the Showtime media strategy team, specializing in client service and project management across all mediums, especially digital and outdoor. Lauren began her career in media and advertising in account management at Ogilvy, where she worked on brand and direct response campaigns for DHL, Thomson Reuters and Kaplan University. Lauren studied marketing and Spanish at Tulane University and never misses New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Cynthia Loh

Vice President and Account Manager, PIMCO

Ms. Loh is a vice president and account manager in the New York office of PIMCO, focusing on institutional client servicing for the non-profit community, specifically foundations, endowments and hospitals. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2008, she worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch in New York and San Francisco, providing advisory services in financings and acquisitions in the healthcare and technology sectors. She has seven years of investment experience and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Nicole Lussow

Actress, Model

A native of Rochester, New York, Nicole graduated from Tufts University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and received her Masters in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport in June 2010. A strong believer in a “back to basics” approach to nutrition, Nicole focuses on simple, whole foods to promote optimum health. Since no two people are alike, Nicole believes in a focused and individualized nutrition program for her clients. Her approach is designed to be a straightforward but comprehensive. Prior to her work as a nutritionist, Nicole worked in a variety of capacities as an actress and model. Of note, Nicole guest starred as Isabel Coates on the first two seasons of the hit television show Gossip Girl. A sample of Nicole’s modeling engagements include national campaigns for GAP, GAP Body, and Banana Republic.

Paul Lussow

Director in investment banking, Credit Suisse NY

J. Paul Lussow graduated from the Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and received his M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. Prior to business school, Paul worked in strategy and operations consulting and currently works as a Director in investment banking at Credit Suisse in New York, focusing on leveraged / distressed finance and restructuring transactions across a wide range of industries. Paul served as Chairman of his 10-year Northwestern reunion in 2008 and is a currently a member of Northwestern’s New York Regional Council and Weinberg College’s Board of Visitors.

Anu Malipatil

Director of Science Achievement, Achievement First

Anu Malipatil is the Director of Science Achievement of Achievement First. Since she began the role in July of 2010, she has helped to re-design the vision and structure of the science program by integrating the work of the high schools and middle schools. Between 2006-2010, Anu served the math/science team at Teach for America in a variety of roles ranging from coaching teachers, managing curriculum design to managing teacher preparation sequences. Prior to her work at Achievement First, Anu led the Math/Science team at Teach for America, designing teacher preparation sequences for 6-12 math/science teachers as well as managing a team of five program directors to effectively coach and develop approximately 200 teachers to achieve significant student achievement results. Anu began her career in education as a Teach for America corps member at PS/MS 95 in the North Bronx. She holds a BA in Economics from Emory University and a MA in Teaching from Pace University.

Kim Marsh

Senior Recruitment Associate, Teach For America

Kim Marsh is a senior recruitment associate at Teach For America. She currently works with a team of ten recruitment directors and associates who recruit college students and professionals from the Northeast. Prior to joining the national staff, Kim was a Teach For America corps member in Brooklyn, NY. She taught 1st and 3rd grade during her time at P.S. 165 in Brownsville. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Gender Studies from Ithaca College and an M.A. in Teaching from Pace University in NYC.

Stevem Martinez

Risk and Control Analytics analyst, Merrill Lynch

Steven Martinez is a Risk and Control Analytics analyst within Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth and Investment Management Division, where he develops metrics and strategies to mitigate operational business risk on behalf of all Lines of Business. His additional professional experiences include other internships at Merrill Lynch and Pershing LLC. He is an alumnus of non-profit development organizations Management Leadership for Tomorrow and INROADS. Steven, is a Big Brother and supporter of the Big Brother/Big Sisters program in Essex County, NJ. He is also a brother of Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. As a first-generation college student, Steven graduated from The College of New Jersey with a B.S. in Finance and studied abroad at Oxford University. He was raised in Jersey City, NJ, where he currently resides.

Jeff Miller

Director of Business Development, Better Place

Jeff leads business-development efforts for Better Place (www.betterplace.com), a clean-tech start up whose mission is to end the world’s addiction to oil. In this capacity, he is responsible for evaluating and prioritizing potential markets for Better Place. He works with governments, energy companies, investors, and other key stakeholders with the ultimate goal of creating charging networks to support the mass adoption of electric vehicles. Prior to joining Better Place, Miller worked for the Boston Consulting Group out of its Los Angeles office, where he focused primarily on Media and Entertainment industry clients. He has also spent considerable time in the field of international development, and specialized in financial services for the poor through work with a variety of organizations, including the United Nations. Miller holds joint masters degrees, receiving a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. He also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Economics and Mathematics from Northwestern University.

Michael Miller

Associate, Investment Banking Division, Barclays Capital

Michael Miller is an Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Barclays Capital. Michael works on the Debt Capital Markets team, covering Real Estate and Industrial clients. Growing up, he was actively involved in community service both in his hometown and as a member of the Stanford Football Team in college. Since arriving in the city in 2008, Michael has actively expanded his involvement in the community through programs such as Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), the Beginning with Children Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York. As an alumnus of the Boys and Girls Club and SEO, Michael is committed to giving back to the next generation and is very grateful and excited to be a member Blue Engine’s inaugural Board of Engineers. Michael began his career with Lehman Brothers in July 2008. He holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in Sociology from Stanford University.

Puja Mohindra

Actress, Writer

A Chicago native, Puja Mohindra is an actor and writer based out of Los Angeles. On stage, her favorite credits include: Belle in the American Conservatory Theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” the title role in Jean Anouilh’s “Antigone,” & Mary Warren in “The Crucible.” TV Credits include: “Undercovers,” “CSI: Miami ,” “Three Rivers,” “Miami Medical,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “All My Children,” “Valentine,” and the HBO pilot, “1%.” Her recent film work includes the comedic feature, “I’m Not Like That No More,” where she played alongside comedians Paul Rodriguez and Felipe Esparza, the winner of “Last Comic Standing.” The comedy was selected to screen at more than 25 film festivals this year. Puja’s dramatic work can be seen in the films, “Foreign” and “Second Best,” which are currently on the festival circuit. She is a former dance company member of Natya Dance Theatre in Chicago and has toured across the U.S. and India performing the classical Indian dance, Bharata Natyam. Puja is currently developing a one-woman show for the stage. When she’s not on set or stage, she has a passion for being in the audience.

James Nouss

Senior Consultant, IBM

James Nouss is a Senior Consultant with IBM. Since joining the company in 2007, he has been in the Supply Chain Management practice within Global Business Services. James specializes in industrial operations and has worked on multiple technology implementation projects for international corporations. He has played a pivotal role in streamlining business procedures and improving operations efficiency on initiatives that involve mergers, acquisitions and legacy application retirement. His professional expertise revolves around materials management, strategic project planning and understanding data/dependencies. James holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Business from Lehigh University.

Ritu Pancholy

Attorney, New York City Department of Education

Ritu Pancholy is an attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel at the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”). Since joining DOE in August of 2010, she has defended the DOE against claims filed by individuals and has advised the DOE on new legislation impacting education law. As an attorney at DOE, she has also assisted with charter school legal issues related to opening new charter schools and accountability, as well as on implementing other education reforms, such as tenure reform and closing failing schools. Prior to joining the DOE, Ritu served as a litigation associate at the law firm of Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP in New York City. There she worked on large complex commercial litigations that involved among other things responding to federal government agencies’ investigative requests, and defending the confirmation plan for one of the largest producers of ethanol in bankruptcy court. At Weil, she was also active in the pro-bono program through which she successfully submitted an amicus brief to the D.C. Circuit of Appeals on behalf of a Guantanamo Bay detainee, and represented several asylum applicants in court. She holds a B.A. in English and Political Science from Rutgers University and a J.D. in law from Duke University School of Law.

Vignesh Ravi

Associate, Barclays Capital

Vignesh is an Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Barclays Capital. He works with corporates to help manage their interest rate, credit, and fx risks by structuring and executing derivative transactions. Coming from a family of educators, Vignesh is passionate about utilizing innovative techniques to improve educational outcomes. He has worked with TeachingMatters, and co-founded Edusophy, a free learning management system for Indian schools. Vignesh received a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He is an alumnus of the United World College.

Adama Sall

Partner, Global Planning Director, Ogilvy & Mather

Adama started her advertising adventure at Discovery Channel working in the Design Group as a jack-of-all-trades. She immediately fell in love with the creative & independent spirit that embodied the group of misfits, and set out to replicate that experience throughout her career. She moved to San Francisco at the height of the dot.com boom and landed at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for 5 years (unheard of in advertising!) After working on HP, Adobe, Elizabeth Arden and twice earning the dubious award of “GSP People Who Don’t Suck,” she followed her mentor to TBWA/Chiat/Day where she helped launch the Never Hide campaign for Ray-Ban. In 2007, Adama journeyed to Wieden + Kennedy where she continued building strong global brands for EA and Nike Women. One of her proudest moments in advertising came to fruition in Portland when The Nike Foundation launched The Girl Effect – a cause that is dear to her heart. After a year and half in “cozy” Portland, the bustling city life beckoned. Adama packed up once more and headed to NYC, where she currently resides, soaking up all the city has to offer. And although advertising has been a fantastic ride, she is still holding out for her dream job: working for The Killers.

Hugo Santillan

Associate, Investment Banking Division, Barclays Capital

Hugo Santillan is an Associate in the Investment Banking Division of Barclays Capital where he currently focuses on the execution of high-yield financings within Leveraged Finance. Prior to his current role, Hugo worked as an investment banking analyst in Communications and Media and Equity Capital Markets. He joined Lehman Brothers in 2007 after working as a Summer Analyst with Citigroup in Equity Research. In the non-profit sector Hugo sits on the Young Leadership Board of New York Needs You, an organization that provides career-development and leadership training to first-generation college students in New York City. He has also served as a mentor/career-coach for various other non-profits, including the Harlem Children Zone, Citizens Schools, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). Hugo graduated in 2007, magna cum laude with a B.B.A in Finance and minors in Law and Economics from Pace University. While at Pace University, Hugo was part of the Lubin Leaders and Scholars Program, Treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi and 1 of 10 national recipients of the Citigroup Fellows Scholarship, awarded by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Saad Siddiqui

Assistant Vice President, Merrill Lynch, Global Wealth Management

Saad Siddiqui is an Assistant Vice President at Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management division, where he is part of a specialist team that develops pricing strategy focusing on Institutional clients. Prior to this role, he is the co-founder and Co-CEO of LS & Co, a strategic advisory firm that he started with a college friend, before beginning his full-time assignment at Merrill Lynch in 2008. He had an opportunity to pitch a $25 million acquisition to the board of Pakistani based conglomerate as part of their ongoing global expansion. Saad currently serves on the Young Leadership Board of New York Needs You, Young Leadership Board of the Pakistan Rehabilitation of the Disabled Foundation, an organization that provides education to disabled lower income children of Pakistan and Muslim Urban Professionals. Saad volunteers much of his spare time planning and coordinating numerous fundraising events for various other organizations. Saad migrated to the United States at the age of 14 for his education. While working over 40 hours a week to finance his education and serving as the co-president of his graduating class, Saad earned a BS in Finance with a minor in Statistics from Rutgers University in 2008. He is a 2008 recipient of the Rutgers Business School Alumni Leadership Recognition Award, and one of 15 to receive the University’s Diverse Business Leadership Award. That same year, Saad also received the Ben Sopranzetti Alumni of the year award.

Sean Sullivan

Manager, Accenture

Sean is a Manager in the Consulting practice of Accenture. He specializes in both Financial Planning and Systems Integration while also working toward a Project Management Professional certification. He is based out of New York and has worked for variety of Fortune 500 clients, resulting in extensive international travel. His clients are cross-industry and cross-technology, leading to a breadth and depth of knowledge in the Planning area. Sean is originally from Philadelphia, PA. He received a BS in Integrated Business and Engineering – Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University and now resides in New York. His involvement in Blue Engine began due to ties with one of the original BETAs and continues due to the mutual passion of ensuring the educational readiness of today’s students.

Chris Tracy

Vice-President, Chef Geoff’s

Since 2006, Chris Tracy has served as the Vice-President of Chef Geoff’s, a company that owns and operates four upscale casual restaurants in the greater Greater Metropolitan Washington area. In addition, he is an equal partner in 2 Tees LLC, a restaurant management company he co-founded with his brother Geoff in 2008. Chris began his career as a Teach for America corps member at Garnet-Patterson Middle School in Washington, DC where he taught English as a Second Language from 2000-2003. After teaching, Chris co-authored a series of reports on teacher quality issues while working for the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and later pursued doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins in the Sociology of Education. Chris holds a BA in English from Colby College.

Daniel Zeitler

Otologist/Neurotologist, Denver Ear Associates

Daniel is an Otologist/Neurotologist (ear and skull base surgeon) with Denver Ear Associates in Denver, Colorado. Originally from North Carolina, Daniel graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A in Psychology and a minor in History. Daniel earned his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine where he graduated first in his class and as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. During medical school, Daniel was one of the founding members of a free NYC medical clinic staffed for the treatment of indigent and uninsured patients. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (i.e. ENT) at New York University, and a two year fellowship in otology & neurotology at the University of Miami. Daniel has engaged in numerous clinical and basic science research projects, has published over 25 articles in a variety of medical journals, and has presented his work at national and international meetings. Daniel’s volunteer work includes surgical mission trips to Eastern Africa, his role as Medical Director of The Listen Foundation, providing auditory-verbal therapy to children with hearing loss, and as a clinical instructor at the University of Colorado where he teaches and mentors ENT residents. Daniel is a die-hard Carolina Tarheels basketball fan, and should be avoided the day after any loss.