Let's Talk Impact!

Abbie Evans is Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer for MENTOR. In this role, she oversees the organization’s policy and advocacy agenda before Congress and the Administration and works to build and strengthen the coalition of mentoring organizations and advocates working on behalf of expanding quality youth mentoring opportunities in local, state, and federal policy.

Prior to joining MENTOR in 2013, Evans served as a federal lobbyis...

ABOUT DANIEL RANDELL:

Danny is lifelong New Yorker, currently serving as the Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations for the MTA, where he supports legislative operations, advises on community outreach strategies, and is a liaison between public sector entities and the MTA. Prior to that he was a staffer in the New York State Assembly for 5 years starting out as a part time caseworker and leaving after being Chief ...

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Mr. Byrd is the founder, President, and CEO of CEIG, Inc., whose primary line of business is New Breed w (“NBW”). New Breed w, based in New York City, is a Talent Optimization and Retention company that helps companies maximize the performance of each of their employees through a platform which enables systematic recognition and customized rewards. Clients use the service to create an appreciation culture which inc...

ABOUT KELLY FAIR:

Kelly Fair is the Founder and Executive Director of Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program, an Illinois Gold Star rated mentoring program that enhances the life skills, career readiness, and leadership ability of girls and young women. She is the author of They’re All the Same Girl and Every Girl Is a CEO. Kelly is 

an award-winning social entrepreneur and sought-after speaker who advocates for girls, women, men...

Jermaine Myrie joined MENTOR in April 2023 as the organization’s CEO. Jermaine is an innovative and mission-driven leader with 20+ years of leadership experience across the nonprofit, for-profit and education sectors.

Prior to joining MENTOR, Jermaine served as the chief external affairs officer for uAspire, a national nonprofit focused on college access and affordability, where he set the vision and strategy for organization-wide ...

Michelle D. Tucker Bio 

Michelle D. Tucker is recognized as one of the Top Influential Women in Business in St. Louis. With over  25 years of experience, she has successfully driven positive change in both the corporate and nonprofit  sectors. Michelle has made significant contributions in areas such as Corporate Social Responsibility,  grant-making, fundraising, cross-sector partnering, and community collaboration. 

In just seven ...

ABOUT MARIELLA BORSCHOW:

Mariella is the founder and lead facilitator of Coaching by Mariella. She has spent the last nine years studying stress management techniques and the mind-body connection to help others find and function in their zone of genius. Her desire to follow this path came from personal challenges that arose from a lack of stress management tools.

Mariella spent three years as an investment consultant and four year...

ABOUT ALLEN:

Allen is a highly experienced IT&T professional, business manager and business developer, who has achieved a lot within 20+ years of professional working experience, including vast experience in the Mobile Communications industry. In recent years Allen has lead the complete build and launch of the Vodafone 4G network, including much of the media and social media coverage. Through a diverse career of exposure to pro...

ABOUT RUTHE FARMER:

​Ruthe Farmer is a talent entrepreneur laser-focused on inclusion and leveraging existing infrastructures to scale change. She is the founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund and chief evangelist at CSforALL. Focusing her efforts on systems-level change for tech inclusion since 2001, she served as senior policy advisor for tech inclusion at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy​ where...

ABOUT CHINEDU: Chinedu Echeruo is a visionary serial entrepreneur and founder of the Beloved Ecosystem, a startup builder focused on creating AI-powered companies to generate inclusive wealth globally. 

At its core is DICE, a model combining human and artificial intelligence for collective problem-solving and innovation. Through DICE, Echeruo seeks to empower economically distressed communities and drive inclusive, sustainable grow...

ABOUT CYNDI COURT:

As CEO of TGR Foundation, Cyndi Court has executive  responsibility for the Foundation’s programs and  outreach, leading the nonprofit organization as it carries  out its mission to empower students to pursue their  passions through education.  

Court is a seasoned nonprofit professional with more than  25 years of experience in education, youth development,  marketing and fundraising with individuals, foundation...

ABOUT ERIC:

Eric Osiakwan is an investor and developer of new businesses with 25 years of experience spanning 32 countries in Africa gained through a number of successful tech start-ups. Eric is a leading pioneer of internet in Africa having worked in multiple countries building internet service providers (“ISP”) and ICT businesses. Some of his successful exits include iBurst in South Africa, One2Net in Uganda, BusyInternet in Ghan...

ABOUT EZINMA:

Meredith Ezinma Ramsay, professionally known as Ezinma [Eh-zeen-mah], is a film composer, violinist and advocate for music education. As a performer, Ramsay has worked with renowned artists including Beyonce, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Joshua Bell, Yo Yo Ma and Clean Bandit, to name a few. As a composer, Meredith scored the Oscar nominated documentary short, “Stranger At The Gate” (2022), HBO Spo...

ABOUT:

One text, one Christmas tree, and two lives forever altered.

Rewind five years. Julia was a college sophomore starting a brand new internship at a nonprofit, and Cat was her supervisor. The first time their stars would cross at a significant transition point in their lives. 

Both high achievers quickly ascended the professional ladder, securing six-figure salaries at 22 and 24 due to their relentless drive and commitment to...

ABOUT ARTIS:

Artis Stevens is President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) – the nation’s foremost one-to-one youth mentoring organization. As the first Black CEO in BBBSA’s 100+ year history, Artis is spearheading a powerful mission to leverage mentorship as a transformative solution to society’s greatest challenges – from equity and access to justice and opportunity.

Driven by a bold vision to engage one mi...

ABOUT ZACH:

Zach Gotlib is an attorney and the Founder of BandHealth. Zach underwent successful open-heart surgery at the age of 20. Following surgery, Zach became a champion for heart disease awareness, serving as the 2017 American Heart Association Survivor of the Year and as a member of the American Heart Association Young Professional Board of Directors. In addition, Zach has run several marathons in support of heart health, ra...

In this episode of the New School's Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative podcast, in collaboration with WERULE, host Justyna Kedra interviews Gloria Felt, co-founder of Take the Lead. They discuss Gloria's early life, her career progression, and her dedication to women's rights and leadership. Gloria shares her experiences growing up in Texas, her pivotal role with Planned Parenthood, and her eventual founding of Take the...

ABOUT YASEEN ELDIK:

Yaseen is an educator and diversity practitioner whose influence extends from public television to higher education to global luxury brands. Formerly a corporate attorney at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Yaseen now leads DE&I programs and initiatives with numerous organizations and companies. He is Co-Chair of the Gucci Changemakers Council, where he leads the company's effort...

ABOUT DAVID ERICKSON:

David J. Erickson is senior vice president and head of Outreach and Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His areas of research include community development finance, affordable housing, economic development, and institutional changes that benefit low-income communities. Erickson has a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on economic history and public policy...