OUR TEAM
STAFF
Your favorite nonprofit professionals.
Click on a Team Member to learn more about them!
Alexis Underwood, she / her
Volunteer Outreach & Partnerships Strategist
Andrea Barreto, she / her
Community Engagement Strategist
Andrea Ohlsen-Esparza, she / her
Director of Volunteer Engagement & Secondary Education Programs
Ani Cooney, he / him
Program Director: Script to Stage, Collaborative Script to Stage, Day of Story
Emma Stotts, she / they
Scale Community Partners Strategist
Bill Thompson, he / him
President - Head of Growth
Damaris Escobar, she / her
Volunteer Support Specialist
Emilio Martinez, he / him
Volunteer Support Intern
Ethan Dunning, he / him
Data and Systems Strategist
Jaylene Benggon Chung, she / her
Managing Director
Jess Doss, they / them
Elementary Program Support Specialist
Jessie Yu, she / her
Database & Development Support Intern
Netta Most, she / her
Head Mentor Strategist
Pilar Alvarez, she / her
Education Director
Sophie Shapiro, she / her
Communications Specialist
Summer Ly, she / her
Development Strategist
Tiya Mengesha, she / her
Programs Support Intern
Yazmin Miles-Méndez, she / her
Operations and Systems Strategist
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Guiding our vision and securing the resources we need to reach it.
Click on a Board Member to learn more about them!
Ani Shehigian, she / her / hers
Board Chair
Chief Transformation Officer, International Data Group (IDG)
AJ Nseir, he / him / his
Board Secretary
Director - Home Entertainment Digital Client Services, Sony
Briar Darden, she / her / hers
Vice President Business Affairs, DC Comics
Carolyn Gan, she / her / hers
Executive Director, California Partners Project
David Stone, he / him / his
Co-Founder, TFC Management
David Yang, he / him / his
Global Head, Brand and Product Marketing, PMI
Eliana Pipes, she / her / hers
Playwright, Filmmaker, TV Writer, Actor
Gisele Roberts, she / her / hers
Director of Corporate Engagement, L.A. Works
Llisa Prater, she / her / hers
Board DEIB Officer
HR, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant
Matt Checkowski, he / him / his
Board Vice-Chair
Global Multisensory Brand Innovation, Mastercard
Michelle Paris, she / her / hers
Senior Vice President, Global Special Projects and Events, Universal Pictures
Patty (Patricia) Siqueiros, she / her / hers
Executive Director, Variety Boys & Girls Club
Pete Stein, he / him / his
Agent, Creative Artists Agency
FRIENDS OF YS
ANDREW BARRETT*
Founding Member & Chair Emeritus
BRAD FALCHUK*
Founding Member, Co-Creator GLEE, American Horror Story, Scream Queens
BRITTANY LITTLE*
Co-Founder, Little Bell Productions
CHRISTOPHER MACK*
Director, Creative Talent Investment, Netflix
CHRISTINA COLLINS*
VP, Integrated Planning & Synergy, The Walt Disney Company
DARREN BERNSTEIN
Attorney
DONNA ARKOFF ROTH*
Producer / Roth-Arnold
ELLEN GOLDSMITH-VEIN*
CEO, The Gotham Group
ERIC FRIEDMAN*
Executive Producer, Disney Channel’s Bizaardvarks
ERIC GARCETTI
Mayor of the City of Los Angeles
FRANKLIN LEONARD*
CEO, The Black List
GINA REYES*
Television Literary Agent, Verve
GREG HODES*
Partner, WME Entertainment
ILENE RESNICK*
Philanthropist
JAKE ZIM
SVP – Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment
JAMIE TARSES*
Producer
JAY GIBSON*
Writer / Producer
JOHN HALL*
VP, Commercial Banking, US Bank
JOHN IM*
Licensed Therapist,Curry Psychology Group
JOY FEHILY*
CEO, Prime PR
KARY ANTHOLIS*
President, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming, Chair Emeritus
KOKO ARCHIBONG*
Senior VP, Private Wealth Advisor, Capital Group Private Client Services
LANI MONOS*
VP, Global Corporate Social Responsibility, Sony Pictures Entertainment
MARIKA CAHN*
Writer
MATTHEW WEAVER
CEO, MediaWeaver
MAURÍCIO MOTA*
CEO, Wise Entertainment
MIKKEL BONDESEN*
Founding Member, President & CEO Fuse Entertainment
NATALIE FAIR*
Educator
NESS HAMAOUI*
Executive Managing Director, Studley
NORMAN LEAR
Writer & Producer
PAUL CUMMINS
CEO, Coalition for Engaged Education
PAUL LIEBERSTEIN*
Executive Producer, The Office & The Newsroom
PETER PRINCIPATO*
President & CEO, Artists First
RICHARD WEITZ*
Partner, WME Entertainment
ROB MANDEL*
Founding Partner, The Management Group
SAM ROGOWAY*
President & CPO, Modern Age
SAM BROWN*
President of Production, ErosSTX
SANDRA SIMS*
HR Specialist, Long Beach City College
SEBASTIAN BUCK*
Co-Founder, Enso Collaborative
SUSAN ARNOLD*
Producer, Roth-Arnold
RORY PULLENS*
Partner, Pull & Row Productions
RUDRAKSHI NAIR*
Founder, Bad Brain
TRACY AFTERGOOD*
Development Executive
TENDO NAGENDA*
Head of Production, Feature Films, Netflix
TERRI EDDA MILLER*
Co-Founder, MilMar Pictures
TROY WILLIAMS*
Owner, Simply Troy Events
VANESSA MORRISON*
President, Fox Animation
*DENOTES FORMER GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER