• Board of Directors
• Advisory Board
• Leadership Council

 

Leadership Council

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  Kritika Bansal,
  Communications Assistant, Open Society Foundations

  Kritika Bansal works on communications at the Open Society Foundations. Active in more than 70 countries around the world, the Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. Kritika's nonprofit experience spans five years and includes communications and marketing efforts at Housing Works, Women's Media Center, Harlem Children's Zone, and the American Red Cross. She also serves on the Junior Council of Safe Horizon, the largest victims’ services agency in the United States. Kritika graduated from New York University in 2009 with a degree in economics. Born in India and raised in New York, she resides in Manhattan and in her free time enjoys travel, yoga, and attending live concerts. She is fluent in English and Hindi.

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  Travis Batty,
  Associate, Sidley Austin LLP

  Travis Batty is an Associate at Sidley Austin LLP’s New York office and practices in the firm’s Capital Markets group. Travis is a graduate of Harvard College in 2002 with a degree in economics and attended the University of Virginia School of Law, graduating in 2005. He has spent his legal career at Sidley as both a Summer Associate and Associate. Travis practices in the areas of corporate and securities law, focusing on structured transactions and liability management. Prior to joining Sidley Austin, Travis worked in a number of roles in the national security sphere. He has also authored an economics primer for high school students.

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  Bianca M. Caban,
  Associate, BlackRock

  Bianca M. Caban is a Business Management & Analytics Associate of the Global Client Group at BlackRock where she reports to the executive team. Prior to joining BlackRock, Bianca was a Research Analyst at Credit Suisse since earning her BA degree from Harvard College in June 2009. During her time at Harvard, she served as president of Latinas Unidas where she founded the Latina Empowerment and Development Conference (LEAD). LEAD organizes trans–institutional, cultural, and continental networks for the academic, political, and economic empowerment of the global Latino community. She currently serves on the admissions committee of the Harvard Club of New York and volunteers as a high school interviewer for the Harvard Admissions Office. Bianca, a Yankees fan, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and has traveled and studied throughout Latin America.

• 

  Casey Calhoun,
  Associate, Latham & Watkins

  Casey Calhoun is a Law Clerk with Latham & Watkins LLP, an international law firm, focusing on transactional matters in the Banking and Real Estate Practices. Prior to joining Latham, Casey was a Risk Manager for NYU Langone Medical Center, a Consultant for the New York State Department of Health in the New York City Health and Hospitals Program, and a Registered Nurse specializing in Pediatric Transplant and the Intensive Care Unit. Casey received her BSN from Georgetown University and her JD from Fordham University School of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif, with high honors and served as the Notes and Articles Editor on Urban Law Journal.

• 

  Christopher Conlon,
  Assistant Professor, Columbia University

  Chris Conlon is an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Columbia University, where he specializes in Industrial Organization. His research focuses on the role that technological innovation plays in competition among firms; and the role of contracts and incentives among manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. His work involves both developing new methodological tools, and conducting experiments with real-world firms. He holds a Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. in Economics from Yale University; and an A.M. in Statistics, and A.B. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Chris was the Secretary-General of the 50th Session of Harvard National Model United Nations.

• 

  Renee DiResta,
  Associate, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures

  Renee DiResta is an Associate at O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV), where she evaluates seed-stage investment opportunities in technology. Prior to joining OATV, Renee was an international equity & ETF trader at Jane Street Capital. She received her B.S. from the Honors College of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, completing a double major in Computer Science and Political Science and a minor in Globalization Studies. Renee has also worked as a technology specialist and developer for the federal government. In her spare time, she is an avid swing and blues dancer and plays the piano.

• 

  Verdi DiSesa,
  Analyst, Securities Division, Goldman Sachs & Co.

  Verdi DiSesa is an Analyst in the Securities Division at Goldman Sachs in San Francisco, trading investment grade corporate bonds. Before moving to San Francisco, Verdi spent 2 years in the Private Wealth Management Division in New York City. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Verdi earned his AB from Harvard College, where he concentrated in History and the study of International Financial History. He spent four years as a member of the Men’s Varsity Squash team there, and sang with the Harvard LowKeys, a student-run a cappella group. Additionally, Verdi served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Harvard College Consulting Group, which sought to advise local and student-run businesses and projects on ways to help them grow and succeed. In the year before matriculating at Harvard and after graduating from The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, Verdi spent the summer and fall working with the non-profit SquashSmarts, an after-school program aimed at mentoring students from underserved middle schools in inner-city Philadelphia in their academic studies while also teaching the game of squash and the value of sports and teamwork. For the remainder of the year, he lived in South Africa, attending the University of KwaZulu-Natal and taking courses on South African culture, law, history and IsiZulu language. When not in the office or playing squash, Verdi is working on a new project, RecipeBox, which strives to bring fresh food and ingredients from community farms to everyday kitchens.

• 

  Erin Dillard,
  Strategy Consultant, Beyond 12

  Erin Dillard is a consultant to Beyond 12, a national non-profit based in San Francisco whose mission is to increase the number of minority, low-income and first generation students who graduate from our nation's colleges and universities. Prior to joining Beyond 12, Erin worked for over four years as an Admissions Officer at the Harvard College Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. Erin also lived in Hong Kong where she worked at Li & Fung, a global trading group, and the International Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the Associate Councils of Prep for Prep and the Children’s Aid Society, as well as the Admissions Committee of the Harvard Club of New York City. Erin received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, a masters in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

• 

  Tom Dow,
  Major Gifts Officer, The Trevor Project

  Tom has several years of experience in development and board management services. He currently serves as Major Gifts Officer for The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. Prior to joining Trevor, Tom was a development consultant at CCS, an international fundraising consultancy firm and provided council to clients in various industries, conducting Campaign Feasibility and Planning Studies, designing and implementing major gifts fund-raising programs, refined case statements, and expanding prospective donor lists for capital campaigns. In his years with Capital Giving at Harvard University Development, Tom worked extensively on the strategy of effectively identifying new prospects, cultivating and stewarding major donors, and developing six- and seven-figure solicitation plans for University leadership, which culminated in annual campaign goals surpassing $100 million. Tom has spent three years with the Harvard College Fund in volunteer management and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Harvard Alumni Association. Tom received his bachelors with honors from Harvard College and has completed a graduate course in non-profit management. A native of Boston, Tom resides in Manhattan. In his free time, Tom enjoys learning about other languages and cultures, and traveling abroad. Before beginning his career in philanthropy, Tom lived in Rome and taught at the Anglo American International School.

• 

  Samantha Fink,
  Contracts Administrator, Google, Inc.

  Samantha Fink is no stranger to the nonprofit world, having founded the Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, Inc. (FFAWN) shortly after graduating from Harvard College in 2007. She served as the organization's sole employee for the first two years, later transitioning to the position of Director of Operations and overseeing financial and legal activities, website maintenance and development, program development, event planning, marketing and community outreach, and developing key strategic relationships for the fledgling foundation. While at FFAWN, Samantha helped design and implement the foundation's inaugural programs, including opening the Mary J. Blige Center for Women in Yonkers, NY (Mary's hometown).

  In the spring of 2010, Samantha decided to take her career in a new direction and started at Google, Inc., where she is currently a Contracts Administrator on the legal team in New York City. She currently serves on advisory boards for the Resolution Project, FFAWN, and SemiPerm (a temporary housing facility based in NYC that offers wraparound services to women transitioning out of the homeless shelter system). She is thrilled to be a part of the Resolution Project team, and looks forward to helping the organization thrive and become a driving force for entrepreneurs across the globe.

• 

  Michael De Guzman,
  Analyst, Pension Boards - United Church of Christ

  Michael de Guzman is the Analyst at the Pension Boards – UCC. The PBUCC manages and invests approximately $3.6bn on behalf of the clergy and lay people of the United Church of Christ as well as for the churches themselves. Michael received his MBA from Columbia Business School, achieving Dean’s Honors. While at Columbia, Michael authored and co-authored several Case Studies concerning turn around and distressed acquisitions and was a Guest Lecturer for the Core Corporate Finance class. Michael graduated in 1999 from Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, Michael was the Services Representative for his fraternity, Chi Heorot. Michael was a walk-on to the Dartmouth Men’s Varsity Lacrosse team and eventually earned Senior All-New England All Star honors as a starter on the 2003 Ivy League Championship team. Michael has previously served on the Executive Committee of Operation Smile and regularly tutors exceptional, underprivileged middle school students for the NY SHSAT entrance exam.

• 

  Robert Hamlin,
  Analyst, Marlin & Co.

  Bob Hamlin graduated from Harvard College in 2010 and began his career with Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Investment Banking Division in Los Angeles, California where he covered state and local government entities. While an undergraduate at Harvard, he attended three sessions of Harvard World Model United Nations and worked closely with the Resolutions staff to support the staging of the Social Venture Challenge in Taipei. In 2012, he relocated to New York City and joined Marlin & Associates, a technology-focused boutique investment bank. This is his second year as a member of the Resolution Leadership Council.

• 

  Kouki Harasaki,
  Director, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics

  Healthcare has been the driving passion of Kouki’s life. Since winning a UK national biotech competition, he has been focused on developing technologies that impact patients. After earning his PhD, Kouki spent three years as a senior R&D scientist at Novartis. He has since held positions at Sofinnova Ventures, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and iPierian. Kouki is currently Director/Head of Finance in Business Development & Licensing at Novartis. Kouki earned a BA in Molecular/Cell Biology from Cornell, a PhD in Clinical Biochemistry (Wellcome Trust fellow) from Cambridge, and an MBA from Harvard (Robert S. Kaplan Life Sciences fellow).

• 

  Brittany Harrison,
  Clinical Research Assistant, UCSF Medical Center

  Brittany is currently a Clinical Research Assistant at the UCSF Breast Care Center, for which she coordinates clinical trials and conducts independent research projects, such as cost-effectiveness analyses of cancer treatment options. Brittany's professional experiences span from scientific research to strategic communications. Research endeavors include working with the UCSF Fetal Treatment Center, UCLA Social Cognitive Neuroscience lab, and PositScience. Based on her experiences as Digital Strategy Coordinator at ID-PR (a strategic communications firm in West Hollywood), Brittany is particularly interested in the utility of digital technology in the healthcare field. Brittany graduated with honors from UCLA as a Psychology major and Spanish minor. She also completed Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program at Bryn Mawr College. She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

• 

  Meagan Hill,
  Financial Analyst, Morgan Stanley

  Meagan Hill is a recent graduate of Harvard College Class of 2011. While at Harvard, she was President of Harvard Student Agencies, the largest student-run corporation in the world. She managed over 400 students operating nine businesses in the consumer products and services, retail, publishing and technology industries. Meagan is from Toronto, Ontario and is half Native American, specifically of the Mohawk tribe. Currently, she serves as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley in the Commercial Real Estate Lending group.

• 

  Elizabeth D. Kaeser,
  Manager of Youth Leadership, generationOn

  Elizabeth Kaeser is the Manager of Youth Leadership and Recognition at generationOn, the youth service enterprise of Points of Light. At generationOn, a global movement that inspires, mobilizes and equips young people to make their mark on the world, Elizabeth creates opportunities for youth leadership development by providing institutional resources and support for young socially conscious innovators and entrepreneurs. Prior to joining generationOn, Elizabeth worked in development and in education at several New York museums, including the Hudson River Museum, the Merchant’s House Museum, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a Master’s degree from New York University.

• 

  Kristin Kramer,
  Capital Introductions, Goldman Sachs

  Kristin Kramer is an analyst in the Capital Introduction group at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where she manages relationships with hedge fund managers and investors. Kristin graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in History. She has served on the Columbia College Young Alumni Fund Development Council since 2009 and is also a member of the SocEnt Network for young professionals interested in social enterprise.

• 

  Christian Lerch,
  Founder & Creative Director, Group 113, LLC

  As a founder and Creative Director of Group 113, LLC, a brand management firm, Christian helps small to mid-sized businesses in all industries develop authentic brands and then communicate them to their audiences through an integrated outreach strategy. Christian's path to brand management took him through studies in multidisciplinary design at Harvard and residential architecture at Sowinski Sullivan Architects. He has worked with non-profits such as New Partners for Community Revitalization and FourthSector.net, and volunteers with several ministries at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and The Village Church. Christian pursues creative breadth by designing theatrical sets, making art, singing and dabbling in mandolin.

• 

  Gary Leuis,
  Associate Counsel, Talon Air, Inc.

  Gary Leuis is Associate Counsel for Talon Air, Inc., a full service private aviation company based in New York. Previously, Gary served as a Legal Analyst for Adecco USA, Inc., an employment solutions company with global headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Gary earned his JD from St. John's University School of Law and studied human rights law at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace, in Costa Rica. Gary graduated with honors with a BA in Philosophy and minor in Peace and Justice Studies from Fordham University. At Fordham, Gary participated in an internship at the UN’s Department of Public Information.

• 

  Jonathan J. Li,
  Vice Preisent - Legal, Prospect Capital Managment LLC

  Jonathan J. Li is a practicing attorney and currently Vice President - Legal of Prospect Administration, LLC, an affiliate of Prospect Capital Management LLC, an investment advisor with a 23-year history of investing in middle-market companies and managing private, high-yielding debt and equity investments. Previously, Jon was a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Prior to entering private practice, Jon clerked for the Honorable D. Michael Fisher and the Honorable Thomas M. Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Jon received his law degree with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Georgetown Law Journal and Appellate Litigation Clinic. Jon graduated with high honors from Harvard University, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Romance Languages and Literatures. While at Harvard, Jon served as the Secretary-General of Harvard National Model United Nations, a conference in Boston attended by over 2,000 university delegates from around the world. Jon also devoted much of his time to the Harvard International Relations Council, for which he was a member of the Board of Directors, Board of Strategy, and Vice President for Operations, as well as the Harvard Intercollegiate Model United Nations team, Harvard Program for International Education, Harvard Model Congress, Harvard Model Congress Europe, and Harvard World Model United Nations ("WorldMUN").

• 

  Melissa Mayers,
  Public Policy Coordinator, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

  Melissa Mayers is the Public Policy Associate at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), an organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. In that role, she conducts research and analysis to make the case for sustained investment in AIDS vaccine research through evidence-based policies that support and accelerate innovation in research and development. She also coordinates policy advocacy efforts for the organization, in order to communicate those results to ensure the adoption of appropriate policies. She received her B.A. in Global Studies with a regional focus on Africa and minor in Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

• 

  Will Morrison,
  Program Manager, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

  Will has spent the last five years working at the intersection of business, sustainability and social enterprise. As program manager at the Center for Responsible Business at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Will lead’s the Center’s internal programs serving students and its external programs influencing companies such as Goldman Sachs, Levi’s, Dow, and HP to become more sustainable. Before the CRB Will worked at Net Impact, a nonprofit social enterprise, managing its global network of chapters and leading its international expansion efforts. Will studied economics at Dartmouth College and currently lives in San Francisco where he enjoys skiing, surfing, and eating.

• 

  Sara Nadel,
  Ph.D. Candidate, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard

  Sara Nadel is a Doctoral Student in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, with a focus on poverty alleviation in poor countries. Prior to coming to Harvard, she was the Country Director in Peru for Innovations for Poverty Action, an organization dedicated to rigorous research about development programs. She has conducted economic research in fifteen countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia about financial access for the poor, particularly informal moneylenders. She is the CEO and Founder of Servicios Farolito, which helps firms in developing countries identify the best candidates for their personnel needs through testing and background verification.

• 

  Gayathri Narayan,
  Customer Segment Manager, Thomson Reuters

  Gayathri Narayan is a Certified Accountant from India and MBA from Columbia Business School. She has worked across three continents and has experience in the fields of Strategy, Product Management, Finance, Auditing and Compliance. She has worked in various functions at Thomson Reuters including M&A, Product Strategy, Corporate Finance and Strategic Talent and is currently in the Product Management field supporting Corporate customers. Prior to Thomson Reuters, Gayathri worked in Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland and in the US where she was responsible for Global Consolidation, Reporting and Compliance for the 65 countries where Novartis had its presence. At Columbia Business School, she was consistently on the Deans List and won several case competitions on behalf of her school. She was also a Vice President of the Social Enterprise Club and her social venture business plan was one of the top 10 of 500 plans submitted globally. She also holds her Bachelors in Commerce and Economics degree from India. She is fluent in English, Hindi, French, Tamil and Marathi.

• 

  Remen Okoruwa,
  Consultant, McKinsey & Co.

  Remen Okoruwa is a Business Analyst with McKinsey & Company, a global management consultant firm. At McKinsey, he has served clients across multiple industries including health insurance, airlines, consumer goods, and medical products, tackling issues ranging from sales force excellence and organizational design to loyalty marketing and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining to McKinsey, he graduated cum laude with an AB in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University in 2011. During his time at Harvard, Remen served as a chair with World Model United Nations during the 2010 conference in Taipei, and acted as Director-General for the 2011 conference in Singapore.

• 

  Nicholas P. Pellicani,
  Associate, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

  Nicholas P. Pellicani is an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where he practices in the firm’s Securities and Capital Markets group, and is a member of the NY State Bar Association. From 2005-2008, Nicholas was an Analyst at the American Stock Exchange in the listing qualifications department, and from 2004-2005, he was a Sales Executive at the sports managements company IMG-TWI, Inc. in both its London and New York offices. Nicholas received a JD from St. John’s School of Law with high honors in 2011, where he also served as Editor-in-Chief of the St. John’s Law Review. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in finance with honors from Boston College in 2004. At Boston College, Nicholas earned first place in the Sophomore Year Business Plan Competition, and was active in the Investment Club of Boston College and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. With his wife Fabiana, Nicholas is a resident of Brooklyn, New York, where he has resided since 2005.

• 

  Matt Saunders,
  Associate, Brock Capital Group

  Matt is an associate at Brock Capital Group, a boutique investment bank and strategy consulting firm. Prior to joining Brock in 2010, Matt was a corporate associate in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Matt received his JD from Harvard Law School and holds and B.Eng. in Metallurgical Engineering from McGill University.

• 

  Laura Vickers,
  Ophthalmology Resident, Duke Medical Center

  Laura Vickers is a medical resident in ophthalmology at the Duke Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina. She became interested in international work during high school when she visited Belize on a humanitarian house building project, and then revisited the same area on a mission as a medical student at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She later traveled to Liberia and initiated a successful mission to Mongolia with an eye care and reconstructive surgery team which is now in its fourth year, and expanding. While traveling to Rwanda with the Millennium Village Project, she was impressed by the interdependence of public health and local economies. She is particularly interested in the applications of technology to medicine in the third world, and simple, scalable interventions. Her future aspirations are to work internationally as an eye surgeon and to mobilize other physicians and students to be involved in public health.