As Seen on
Our Team
Skilled Team
Our volunteer-based team includes award-winning principals and teachers, parents, non-profit leaders and other relevant professionals, working particularly in public schools and the public sector. Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling leaders and team members have done non-profit educational work together for twenty years. (Aside from the listings below, we will continue to post bios of more Bright Mind team members, so keep checking back).
Community Collaborating
From healing arts non-profits to civic and community groups, Bright Mind collaborates with – and always seeks to collaborate further with a diversity of individuals and groups.
Join us!
New team members are often sought, including those with educational, operational, financial, administrative and other types of experience. Let us know how you would like to contribute.
Board Members
Bright Mind’s board has wide-ranging experience, with lifelong commitments to community-oriented work. We attended and send our own children to public schools. Our board has always been led by people of color, and our organization works closely with the communities we serve.
Claudia Kang, Chairperson
Claudia Kang is a Principal Director at Accenture, where she has worked for 15 years. She works with organizations across industries, helping to transform their customer and employee experiences, within workforce management across industries. She has extensive experience in retail operations management with over 17 years in the field, best known for multi-site operations, training and development, workforce management, merchandising, and budget administration. She has been a major part of Bright Mind for over three years, lives in Chicago, and enjoys traveling across the world, experiencing different cultures, histories and cuisines.
Jennifer Griffin, Vice Chairperson
Jennifer serves as our primary leader for educational and curriculum matters. She represents Bright Mind to all communities, notably Latino/a communities. Having taught special education full-time since 2006, Jennifer is currently the Head of Special Education at a large high school in Montgomery County (greater Washington DC area), overseeing 200 individuals.
Recently, Jennifer has twice been a full-time summer school assistant principal for the Arlington (VA) Public Schools, for the High School Summer School program: responsible for overseeing the special education department, state tests (SOLs), interactive achievement testing, computer labs, cafeteria, and students – as one of four assistant principals overseeing 1,500 high school students.
From 2012-2013, she served as Inter-Assistant Principal at Washington-Lee High School, Arlington. In Summer 2012, she also served as Intern Assistant Principal at Arlington Traditional School. She has additional experience within the Arlington Public Schools as a Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representative, a member of the Aspiring Leaders group, and a Facilitator for Cultural Competency.
She has been licensed in multiple areas as a teacher (Administration and Supervision Pre-K – 12, Early Childhood Special Education, Early / Primary Education Pre-K – 3 and Specific Learning Disabilities K – 12). She teaches high school special education in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Studies and a Master’s degree in General and Special Education Children Birth-2nd Grade, both from Syracuse University, and a Master’s degree from George Mason University in Education Leadership. She has earned multiple relevant certifications and awards.
Terrence Calhoun, Vice-Chairperson / Treasurer
Terrence oversees Bright Mind finances, promotes Bright Mind to funders, guides grant submissions, and works on fundraising campaigns. He represents Bright Mind to all communities, with particular emphasis on African-American communities. Terrence is a non-profit professional, as well as a diversity educator. As Conference and Events Manager for HealthHIV, he serves as Project Manager for HealthHIV’s annual SYNChronicity conference. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Conferences and Meeting Services (CMS) with the National Minority AIDS Council for over fifteen years. In this work, his responsibilities encompassed logistical planning for conferences, developing marketing collateral and conference promotional materials; developing RFPs for conference related activities; and negotiating contracts for national and regional conferences. Terrence has served as the Director for the United States Conference on AIDS and as the point of contact for CDC’s HIV Prevention Leadership Summit. In addition, he has received numerous awards and accolades for his service to the HIV community.
Terrence has also spent years doing director-level diversity education work, with a focus on working with and teaching students. He did his undergraduate studies at Cornell University (NY) and is both a foster and adoptive father. He is highly involved in fostering networks.
Martin Brooks, Board Secretary / Manager
Martin is responsible for Bright Mind board matters, raising funds, cultivating relationships with institutions, implementing and providing oversight of overall goals of the organization.
Martin is deeply committed to assisting young people, and for veterans’ issues, having served in the National Guard. He was Dean of Peer Education at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY, where he taught for six years in the field of Peer Education in Human Relations, conducting research and instructing students on how to work together across difference.
He has presented at three national AIDS conferences on effective management skills. He has worked as a social worker with disabled people and was a founding director of the ARCH, a non-profit
focused on community, cultural, and diversity education in schools and workplaces. He regularly conducts street outreach and programming to aid victims of sex trafficking, including as a focus of his work as a senior pastor, where he works to bring diverse faith communities and human services organizations together to aid poor and under-served communities. He is an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church. Since 2008, he has served as a pastor in the Baltimore Washington Annual Conference. He holds Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, DC) and currently serves as senior pastor at Magothy United Methodist Church in Pasadena, Maryland.
Martin received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and an Honorable Discharge after serving in the US Army National Guard (Washington, DC). He and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter.
Giovanna Mingarelli, Member
Giovanna Mingarelli is a Bright Mind board member and prior to that served as a founding senior advisor. She is a crowdsourcing expert, public speaker and writer. As the CEO and Co-Founder of M&C Consulting, she brings critical solutions to how companies, organizations and governments can fuse traditional communications with new media. To this effect, she has worked with organizations and companies in Ottawa, New York, Birmingham, Seattle and Helsinki in developing innovative digital communications strategies.
Throughout her career, Giovanna has worked with several federal government agencies as well as for a former Prime Minister of Canada. She has been a Parliamentary witness, a guest lecturer and a keynote speaker at events and conferences relating to women in politics and digital democracy.
She has contributed to and has been interviewed by: Harvard Business School, The Huffington Post, CBC/Radio-Canada, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star for her contributions to various social entrepreneurship and youth engagement initiatives, including Global Dignity Canada. In 2011, Giovanna was named a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the WXN in the year 2015. She holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton University.
Jamila Harris, Member
Jamila Harris, a seasoned Instructional Designer at the Veterans Health Administration’s Institute for Learning, Education and Development, brings nearly 15 years of expertise in national training programs and VISN level initiatives. Aside from her leadership work in veterans affairs, she recently earned a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. From her wide experience, she recognizes the critical role of effective project management in organizational success.
Jamila excels in project coordination, resource management, and cultivating collaborative partnerships. Holding a Master’s Certificate in Project Management and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, she possesses a diverse skill set, including training, leadership development, and effective communication. She has contributed her expertise as a project manager to Bright Mind since Fall 2022, showcasing her dedication to helping empower others through education and community support.
Craig Kaufman, Executive Director
Craig guides Bright Mind’s growing team and network of dozens of professionals, from executing content to developing capacity as both a grassroots-based non-profit and an educational organization. He oversees all operations and operational strategies for Bright Mind, working with our excellent team and allied resource people. He guides Bright Mind’s public profile, including building relationships with non-profit, civic, and other organizations.
Craig has directed non-profit and socially-engaged efforts focused on education for over twenty years. He has also taught low-income children, including in a Harlem (NYC) public school and a Tijuana squatter community. As the executive director of Pennsylvania Action, a statewide advocacy organization, where he hired and managed a large team and organized campaigns that affected the entire state, he ran campaigns with a particular emphasis on kids and education; Progressive Action, LLC, where he negotiated contracts and alliances with national organizations; the ARCH, where he executed over 300 events for a 501(c)(3) New York City-based agency; and Bright Mind. He was founding director of Trilogy Leadership Training, as well as a Senior Writer and Project Coordinator at Garrison Institute, where he brought exponential
funding growth (on projects with a focus on education and at-risk groups) and long-term institutional support. He has worked on social-action efforts in California, New York, and the Southwest.
The New York Times, CNN, and NPR have covered Craig’s work. His op-eds have appeared with top-ten U.S.newspapers, KQED (the largest NPR station), and other leading newspapers. He graduated
with distinction from Cornell University and speaks Spanish fluently.
Team Members
Adjei Kwesi Boateng, Literacy Director
Adjei Kwesi Boateng, Literacy Director of Bright Mind, is a passionate advocate for literacy and education. During his tenure of an MS degree in Publishing at Pace University, he served as a Graduate Assistant at Pace University Press, where he played a pivotal role in the publication of numerous academic journals and books. His collaborative efforts extended to working closely with professors from universities across the United States. Beyond his important contributions to education and publishing, Adjei is a published novelist under the pen name J.K. Knowlife. He is best known as the founder of Reader Publishing, Ghana. With a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference in the lives of underprivileged children, Adjei established ReaderCares, a non-governmental organization in Ghana, in 2015. “Empowering young minds through the magic of books is my lifelong mission, because in my journey, the joy of reading ignited a transformative spark within me.”
Andra Brill, Ph.D., Wellness Director
Andra is an education consultant specializing in language acquisition, mindfulness and literacy and the interaction between these three. She works with public school teachers and parents to turn down the noise of the world outside and focus on creating safe, caring environments. Andra began her career as an early childhood teacher and has taught grades K-5 in the Denver Public Schools and surrounding districts. Andra believes nurturing our children with inspiration and clear boundaries is the most important work we can do as adults. As the Director of the Boettcher Teacher Residency, Andra helped to create a national model for teacher residency. She has been published in the Huffington Post and various parenting magazines, and has taught at University of Denver, Metro State University and the University of Colorado. Andra has practiced mindfulness since 2003. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado.
Sydney Ford and Karen Pancho, Designers
Dr. Jack R. Garrow, Curriculum Director
Dr. Jack R. Garrow is a seasoned educational professional with a distinguished background in both teaching and administration. A proud alumnus of Pitt, Dr. Garrow holds a Ph.D. in Education. His teaching journey has spanned elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education settings, but it is his extensive experience in Educationa Administration that truly sets him apart.
Dr. Garrow has held prominent roles such as the Director of Teacher Evaluation, where he pioneered initiatives to harness assessment data to refine instructional practices, training over 5,000 educators and administrators in more than 120 schools. His prior roles also include serving as the Coordinator of Student Information Management in Pittsburgh Public School, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the district’s strategic plans, assessment systems, and stakeholder training initiatives. Currently, as a consultant, Dr. Garrow’s expertise is sought after for topics like Data Literacy, Assessment, and Evaluation. His recent endeavors include designing an assessment course at High Point University in NC and offering insights on assessment issues at Guilford County Schools. Apart from his professional roles, Dr. Garrow is committed to community service and has been recognized for his contributions, notably receiving the Margaret McNamara Award for Commitment to Children and Reading. With a career anchored in the interplay of education and research, Dr. Garrow is passionate about bringing meaningful change and ensuring the success of educational efforts. His rich background of experiences, combined with his technical acumen and dedication, makes him an invaluable asset to Bright Mind Enrichment as we grow our educational and curricular work.
Julie Hui, Finance Coordinator
Julie Hui is a seasoned financial professional. With a rich background in distribution, service, and manufacturing industries, she has expertise in Business Process Design, Balanced Scorecard, and Managerial Finance. Her roles involve contributing to building enterprise value through executive and board services on an interim, project, and advisory basis. Companies she has worked for have offered a spectrum of strategic, operational, and financial management services delivered by an expert team with an average of two decades of experience in C-suite and board leadership.
As a Finance/Accounting Consultant at JCH Consulting, LLC since October 2014, she has provided valuable insights to small to medium-sized enterprises, specializing in hi-tech manufacturing, consumer products, and distribution. Her roles have included serving as Interim CFO or Controller, overseeing the revamping of internal controls, and managing projects such as corporate planning software roll-outs. Julie’s career journey includes significant leadership roles, such as CFO and VP of Administration at VersaLogic Corporation and VP of Finance at Menlo Worldwide Logistics, where she strengthened finance resources, automated forecasting processes, and improved internal controls. Julie’s diverse skill set, including Business Process Design and Internal Controls, has earned her endorsements from colleagues at Oregon Scientific and XPO. Beyond her professional endeavors, Julie actively engages in volunteering, contributing her services to organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Oregon Money Management Program, and Store to Door.
She advises and guides Bright Mind’s team on a wide variety of on extensive array of financial matter
Sloka Iyengar PhD, PMP, Director of Programming
Sloka Iyengar PhD, PMP is a neuroscientist, science educator and science advocate, passionate about using her science and dance training for the public good. As an educator, she has developed curricula and taught neuroscience and forensic science to middle-school and high-school students. Presently, she teaches neuroscience and evolution to educators at the American Museum of Natural History.
She developed the Basic Science section of www.epilepsy.com to communicate advances in basic epilepsy research to patients and caregivers globally. Her most recent projects focus on science and science communications. She is involved in neuroscience outreach and advocacy, having visited Capitol Hill several times to lobby for basic neuroscience funding to elected officials.
Sloka is also a professional dancer and performer of the 2000-year-old classical Indian dance form known as Bharatanatyam. Among other programming, she teaches dance and has started a program to bring dance to residents of New York City nursing homes. Passionate about combining the arts and sciences, Sloka has developed “Neuronatyam” – a production to explore dance through the lens of neuroscience. She worked at a shelter for stray animals, as well.
Her studies include at the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine, where her research focused on understanding how neuronal circuits generate and sustain epileptic seizures. After her postdoctoral study in an academic setting, Sloka transitioned to clinical research, where she worked closely with adults and children with refractory epilepsies. One of the trials led to the eventual approval of cannabidiol in subjects with specific epilepsy syndromes by the FDA.
Poorva Juneja, Medical/Wellness Advisory Board
Poorva completed her bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy and has extensive experience as a physical therapist, including developing personalized treatment plans for patients. Her responsibilities included conducting gait and transfer training for post-surgical and chemotherapy patients in an acute hospital setting. She also conducted weekly rounds in departments such as Neurology, Orthopaedics, ICU, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, and Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Recognizing the potential of genetic mapping in the early identification and prevention of certain conditions, Poorva pursued a master’s program in bioinformatics at Boston University. She believes that the field of bioinformatics, with its advancements in sequencing technology and vast genomic data sets, can provide valuable insights and practical applications. With their comprehensive medical background and hands on experience in experimental work, they aim to contribute fresh perspectives to bioinformatics research, integrating patient care with analytical approaches for improved well-being.
Ronald Matovu, Web Developer and Designer
Ronald Matovu is an experienced, focused, mission-driven, creative thinker and web developer and designer. He has made a global difference for 9+ years through his inspirational website designs, social media strategies, Google Ads expertise, and IT support. He brings to the team seasoned knowledge of all the tools and best practices for the modern nonprofit, combined with flexibility and empathy for the limitations we face in both time and resources.
Erica Miller: Florida Coordinator
Erica Miller is one of the most versatile members of the Bright Mind team. Erica is part of Bright Mind’s team in Florida. Her ability to navigate and execute projects has done wonders in helping Bright Mind flourish.
She works for the US Department of Labor as a Worker’s Compensation Claims Examiner. Her list of experience goes beyond her current duties including working for the US Air Force as a Security Forces Specialist and volunteering for various organizations.
Ryan Miller: Florida Coordinator, National Street Care Spokesperson
Ryan possesses a unique combination of visual and linguistic abilities, which enables him to effectively assist others in need. His diversified experience is unparalleled, given his proficiency in several disciplines such as video production services, writing, filming and directing, editing, copywriting, podcast production, and acting.
And sometimes a nonprofit needs exactly someone like this—someone who sees it on both sides of the camera, giving it a unique take on what’s needed to help the community.
He also cofounded and codirects all of our Florida programming.
Many organizations have used his talents: Little Boy Workaholic Productions (as the founder), First Command Financial Services, Inc. and Vitaleo. Also, he served in the Navy for 11 years as a helicopter pilot in Hawaii, Pensacola, and Jacksonville (he is currently medically retired due to a service-connected disability).
Along with his BME duties, he runs the communications wing of Vitalleo Health, a clinical-grade nutritional supplement company featuring advanced, non-invasive diagnostic testing.
Folarin Olabisi, Project Manager
Folarin is of Nigerian Descent who resides in Nigeria. Folarin studied Law in Nigeria and has been called to the Nigerian Bar. Folarin is a qualified Legal Practitioner but nonetheless, he is on our team as a Project Manager. Folarin is vast in Project Management as he has undergone various online and live classes on Project Management and his interest in Project Management has seen him succeed in handling various projects for Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling. Apart from carrying out his duties as a Project Manager, he also helps in giving legal opinion on trivial legal issues as a result of his background in law.
Folarin is passionate about volunteering and has volunteered for various non-profit organizations and Start-ups in Nigeria such as, Centre for 21st Century Issues, Lexlam Nigeria, Law and Tech amongst others. He is also the pioneer volunteer for The Health-Wise Foundation.
Folarin has achieved remarkable feat through volunteering as a result of
his desire and passion to help others and this has led to him being one of the Delegates at the International Model United Nations on three occasions (IMUN 37.0, 35.0 and 34.0). He participated fully in the conference and he submitted position papers in the three conferences.
Folarin sees himself volunteering more for Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling and ensuring that his impact is felt and ultimately, joining minds to helping Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling achieve its mission, aim and objectives.
Meet Panjwani, Medical/Wellness Advisory Board
Meet is a dedicated dentist located in Boston. He has worked as an Associate Dentist and Clinical Research Associate. Driven by a passion for public health, he pursued a Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialization in epidemiology and biostatistics at Boston University. This program empowered him with advanced analytical tools and techniques to analyze public health data and identify disease patterns.
With a keen focus on evidence-based practices, Meet aspires to leverage his expertise in dentistry and his training in public health to contribute to non-profit initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access and community well-being.
Tanaya Parab, Medical/Wellness Advisory Board
Tanaya is a motivated microbiologist who lives in Boston. She has a master’s degree from the University of Mumbai, India. She has also worked in the clinical research field as a Clinical Data Manager, working on phase III clinical trial studies. Her experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device sector as a Quality Assurance Specialist has fueled her passion for the regulatory approval process. Through her close involvement in the healthcare industry, Tanaya has developed a strong desire to contribute to the regulatory field, which plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of healthcare products for consumers. Motivated by this, she received a second master’s degree in Regulatory Affairs from Northeastern University in Boston. Currently, Tanaya works as a Regulatory Specialist at a leading medical device manufacturing company, where she continues to advance her work in the healthcare industry.
Angel R Reynolds, Finance Director
Angel has been providing business management and financial services to nonprofits, government contractors and private firms for nearly 20 years. She brings to the BME team an MBA with a focus in Accounting. She is a Certified Bookkeeper (CB), member of the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and a Notary Public for multiple states. Angel owns and runs Financially Sane Services, assisting multiple agencies across the US. “My goal is to keep the foundation of business and accounting solid, so others can expand their vision and awesome social impact. Teamwork makes the dream work!”
Sridhar Shanmugam, New York Co-Director
Sridhar co-coordinates Bright Mind’s New York team. His creative skills make him passionate about community building.
Sridhar has been working within the performance art field as an executive director and manager for decades. His expertise lies within administration & finance.
Sridhar is also an artist and performer himself. He has mastered various forms of art and wishes to spread his knowledge across the globe.
Lynette Slape, Web and Graphic Designer
Lynette is Bright Mind’s Web and Graphic designer, designing print material for events including frequently updating our websites, compiling content design for newsletters with Mailchimp and working with programs like Google Slides to enhance Bright Mind campaigns.
She has over 5 years of experience as a freelance graphic designer designing promotional material for both web and print clients.
Her degrees include an Associate of Applied Science in graphic design and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon in art, plus a certificate in UX/UI, a 24-week Bootcamp program with the University of Oregon.
Roopa Sridhar, New York Co-Director
Roopa co-coordinates Bright Mind’s New York team. Additionally, Roopa has founded and run different community organizations.
Roopa has a graduate degree in Botany and Zoology. After graduating, Roopa started a career in health and social services, which she continued after moving to the US in the early 2000s.
Alecia Summers, Director of Mentoring
Alecia Summers, Director of Mentoring, is in charge of mentoring and professional development services at Bright Mind. She also serves as the coordinator for both our California and Texas chapters and contributes her expertise to our Education team. Alecia holds impressive academic credentials, with master’s degrees in both Special Education and Business Administration. With over two decades of professional experience, Alecia’s heart beats for service. She has played various roles throughout her career, including special education teacher, certified career coach, autism advocate, and project manager. Her diverse professional and academic journey showcases her outstanding leadership abilities and her commitment to serving and helping empower others.
Michael Thornton, Mobile App Development Lead
Mobile app development is essential for nonprofit organizations just as engaging volunteers and donors is crucial to success. Michael knows this and he brings his stellar background to the table with this in mind.
As an iOS Development Manager he led the development teams responsible for the initial launch of the Chase iPhone and iPad apps while managing the iOS development team, creating iOS mobile strategy roadmaps, budgeting, vendor management and capacity planning. Not only this but he also won three Webby awards.
There is no doubt that app development has changed the way we do business and Michael’s experience puts him at the forefront of this. He has held various titles such as Vice President of Payment Technology and Adjunct Professor.
Jack Trent, Video Editor/Cinematographer
Jack Trent is a documentary and commercial filmmaker with a special
inclination for cinematography and camera operating. Jack’s directorial debut short documentary, “Ramak Niakan Safi: This is Life,” is being judged at film festivals across the country. Along with this Jack continually works with small businesses and nonprofit organizations by not only producing and filming content but by editing together media to help promote an idea or story. Currently enrolled in Florida State University studying Video Production, he has been trained under two former BBC and National Geographic editors and producers.
Tuqa Youssef, Operations Director
Tuqa has extensive work experience in the non-profit, technology and education sectors. After serving two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, she recently began a career in educational technology. Growing up in a family of educators has increased her drive to advocate for and inspire students who want to pursue a career in the field. Tuqa graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a BA in Public Relations and is currently pursuing her Masters in Information Systems – Technology Leadership at Touro College.
