Our members create jobs and connect underserved New Yorkers — primarily New Yorkers of color, New Yorkers with low- or moderate-incomes, New Yorkers with multiple barriers to employment, and New Yorkers who have been left out of the growing economy due to systemic and historic marginalization — to opportunities so they can support their families and give back to their communities.
Team Members
Staff
Annie Garneva
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie Birmingham
Director of Community and Operations
Lena Bhise
Senior Manager of Policy and Campaigns
MJ Delgado Ureche
Coordinator of Events and Operations
Fellows
James Parrott
Senior Fellow
Melina Moe
Fellow
Board of Directors
Officers + Executive Committee
Kathleen Culhane (Chair), President, Nontraditional Employment for Women
Jennifer Mitchell (Vice-Chair), Executive Director, The HOPE Program
David Garza (Secretary), President and CEO, Henry Street Settlement
Valerie Payne (Treasurer), Executive Director, Rebuilding Together NYC
Christopher Bloodworth, National Director, The Career Center, Entertainment Community Fund
Aaron Shiffman, Executive Director, Brooklyn Workforce Innovations
Directors
Ben Thomases, Executive Director, Queens Community House
Christopher Watler, Chief External Affairs Officer, Center for Employment Opportunities
David Meade*, Executive Director, Building Skills NY
Eileen Reilly, Vice President, Economic Development & Refugee Services, CAMBA
Faith Wiggins, Director, Homecare Education Fund, 1199SEIU Training & Employment Funds
Hannah Weinstock, Senior Director of Workforce Development, LaGuardia Community College
Helen Kogan, Executive Director, Metro, NPower
Janelle Farris, President and Executive Director, Brooklyn Community Services
Jerelyn Rodriguez, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Knowledge House
Katy Gaul-Stigge, CEO, Goodwill Industries of New York and Northern New Jersey
Keith Rasmussen, Executive Director, Seedco
Lakythia Ferby, Executive Vice President of Programs & Impact, STRIVE NY
Mike Dunne, Northeast Director, Equus Workforce Solutions
Paula Bailey*, Executive Vice President, Grant Associates
Shari Krull, Executive Director, StreetWise Partners
Wayne Ho*, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chinese-American Planning Council
*Chair of a Board Committee
Past Board Chairs
Julie Shapiro, The Door
Kelly Richardson, Per Scholas
Phil Weinberg, Strive
Randy Peers, Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow
Strategic Advisors
Kenneth Adams, President, LaGuardia Community College
Ben Branham, Chief Communications Officer, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Rasmia Kirmani Frye, Consultant
Larry Irving, Founder and President, The Irving Group
Arva Rice, President, New York Urban League
NYC Workforce Business Council
Linda Baran, President and CEO, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Laura Colacurcio, Vice President, Association for a Better New York
Tavonia Davis, Regional Director For Government Affairs and Public Policy, Verizon
Carley Graham Garcia, Senior Manager for Public Policy and Head of External Affairs, Amazon NYC
Thomas Grech, President and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce
Matthew Harrigan, Co-Founder, Company; Partner, CEO, Company Ventures
Jake Hirsch-Allen, North America Workforce Development and Higher Education System Lead, LinkedIn
Debbie Kenyon, Vice Chairman and Senior Partner, L&M Development Partners
Jenna LaPietra, New York Metro Local Market Development Lead, Accenture
Elizabeth Lusskin, President, Long Island City Partnership
Sabina Mehmood, Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Bloomberg LP
Randy Peers, President and CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Angela Pinsky, Senior Government Affairs Manager of New York and New Jersey, Google
Merrill Pond, Executive Vice President, Partnership for NYC
Andrew Rasiej, Founder and CEO, Civic Hall
Andrew Rigie, Executive Director, New York City Hospitality Alliance
Kate Slevin, Senior Vice President of State Programs and Advocacy, Regional Plan Association
Lisa Sorin, President, Bronx Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Edward Summers, CEO and Founder, The Thinkubator
Jessica Walker, President and CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Eric Westphal, Senior Director of Global Corporate Affairs, Cognizant
Kate Wittels, Partner, HR&A Advisors
Partners
Investors
Funders
Robin Hood Foundation
Robin Hood Power Fund
Ford Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
Amazon
Verizon
Ira de Camp Foundation
Altman Foundation
NYC Workforce Funders
GoVoteNYC
Pinkerton Foundation
NYC Council
Fund for the City of NY
Event Sponsors
1199SEIU Training & Employment Funds
ABNY
Amazon
Brooklyn Community Services
Brooklyn Navy Yard Corporation
Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI)
Building Skills NY
CAMBA
Capalino & Company
Center for Employment Opportunities
Chinese-American Planning Council
Civic Hall
Cognizant
Commonpoint Queens
Company
Equus Workforce Solutions
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
General Assembly
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey
Grant Associates
Henry Street Settlement
Hot Bread Kitchen
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Knowledge House
Meta
New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC)
Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW)
NPower
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT)
Per Scholas
Ponce Bank
Queens Community House (QCH)
Verizon
Business Partners
Accenture
Association for a Better New York
Amazon
Bloomberg LP
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
Civic Hall
Cognizant
Company
Company Ventures
HR&A Advisors
L&M Development Partners
Long Island City Partnership
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Queens Chamber of Commerce
Regional Plan Association
Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Tech:NYC
The Thinkubator
Verizon
Workforce Partners
Center for NYC Affairs at The New School (CNYCA)
Center for an Urban Future (CUF)
City University of New York (CUNY)
Consortium for Worker Education (CWE)
Invest in Skills NY/C
JobsFirstNYC
Literacy Assistance Center (LAC)
New York Association for Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP)
Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI)
Inclusive Growth Partners
Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development (ANHD)
NYC Inclusive Growth Initiative (IGI)
Regional Plan Association (RPA)
Human Services Partners
Asian American Federation
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
Hispanic Federation
Human Services Council (HSC)
National Urban League
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Urban League
Nonprofit New York
United Neighborhood Houses (UNH)