The Board

Development Committee; Strategy, Partnerships, Alliances

Hugo joined the YANA Board in 2021.  Since 2017 Hugo has pivoted full-time to the education sector. Hugo worked at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, where Hugo was SEO’s Vice President responsible for their top-of-class college program and, later he became SEO’s first Chief Operating Officer. Now at Autentike Advisors he works on a range of projects with organizations focused on higher education access, completion, and early career readiness, from hands-on instruction and direct service with students to strategy advisory consulting.

Prior to focusing on education, Hugo worked for three decades in financial markets. Hugo started his financial career at Citibank and went on to hold leadership positions at other top-tier, internationally active banks. At these firms Hugo either built, or turned-around, derivatives marketing and structured trading businesses. As a Managing Director in global and regional, analytical, transactional, and managerial roles, his career includes on the ground experience in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Development; Marketing; Program Committees

Joellyn Gray is a strategic marketing professional with a track record of repeated success. An original thinker and idea generator, Joellyn is skilled at creating marketing strategies and implementing campaigns that generate millions of dollars for both businesses and non-profits. Specific skills include strategic planning, creative and data-driven marketing plans, lead generation and conversion, and integrated program execution – all designed to advance an organization’s goals while generating profitable returns.

Secretary; Executive Committee; Governance; University Connections

Molly is an ordained Episcopal priest. She currently works at The Episcopal Church Center in NY as the Deputy Executive Officer of General Convention. Previously, she has served as a hospital chaplain, a parish priest, and as Dean of Formation for the Episcopal Church in CT. Molly is a previous co-chair of Young Clergy Women International (an ecumenical organization of clergy women under 40), and has served as a board member for the Society of Scholar Priests. Molly previously served on the leadership committee for the YANA New England chapter.

Governance

James has more than three decades of experience leading high-impact nonprofit organizations focused on children’s health, learning and literacy. He has worked extensively with boards, funders, teams and consultants to build programs, partnerships and financial resources to meet ambitious goals. He currently serves as Executive Director of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, an 8,000 member professional society. He previously served as Senior Advisor at the Poses Family Foundation. For 17 years he led the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), where he directed NCLD’s strategic initiatives to empower parents and young adults, transform schools and advocate for equal rights and opportunities. He has also served as: Vice Chair of the Congressionally authorized Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities; as a member of the Director’s Council of Public Representatives at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); as a member of the NIH Chimpanzee Research Usage Panel; and as an advisor to several education organizations. As Principal of JHW Advising, he also provides consulting services to social impact organizations on strategic planning, partnerships and board, talent and fund development.

An accomplished executive with demonstrated success in the non-profit sector, Shruti Adhar has a proven track record in grantmaking, fundraising, management, and program development. Prior to joining MCA in June 2019, Shruti served as the Executive Director of The Knights, a Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra. In this role, she led strategic direction, oversaw operations, and managed artistic, human, and financial resources, growing the annual budget from $1.2 million to $2 million in just three years. She expanded the organization’s full-time staff from 1 to 4, increased artist compensation, grew contributed income by 40%, and established the orchestra’s first Home Season in New York City.

Prior to joining The Knights, Shruti served as Director of Development & Engagement at Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, where she increased individual fundraising and the orchestra’s school programs. As a grant maker, she has worked as a Program Officer with both the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Music Fund, providing technical assistance to organizations from a range of disciplines and budget sizes, led panel evaluations, and monitored grant programs. Shruti was also the first full-time employee for Buglisi/Foreman Dance, serving as the company’s Managing Director from 2001-2004. Shruti earned a master’s degree in arts administration at Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in history at Yale University.

Finance Committee

Stewart is a retired financial executive who now devotes his time to Board of Director/Advisor activities. After a career on Wall Street, first as an investment banker and then a sell-side equity research analyst, he transitioned to CFO roles, first for Rush Communications (the holding company for Def Jam Records, Phat Fashions, Def Comedy Jam, and other business interests of Russell Simmons), then videogame developer Rockstar Games and, lastly, consumer electronics company Mad Catz Interactive. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of four nonprofits and also serves on the Audit Committees for the City of San Diego and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).

Governance Committee; Yale Community Connect

Astrid joined the YANA Board in 2021. She has an extensive background in affordable housing and economic development, having worked at an attorney with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. She currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. focusing in large part on affordable housing for seniors, and is an adjunct professor at New York Law School. Astrid previously served as a board member and co-chair of the Public Service & Social Justice Committee of the Yale Alumni Association of New York (yale.NYC) and remains interested in volunteer activities focused on creating and sustaining positive social impact

Executive Committee; Finance

Demetris Giannoulias is a founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Spring Bank, a US Treasury designated CDFI, and New York’s first B Corp Bank. Spring Bank was created in 2007 with a mission to promote financial inclusion and is the only bank to open its doors and establish headquarters in the Bronx, New York in over thirty years. Demetris has worked closely with numerous non-profits both personally and professionally throughout his career.

Lauren is the Managing Partner of the New York and Connecticut offices of Commonlight Legal LLP, where she represents several tax-exempt entities, including public charities, private foundations, and social welfare organizations. She advises her clients on
a wide range of matters as their outside general counsel. Lauren also manages direct representation and systemic legal advocacy on behalf of charter schools and charter management organizations.

Throughout her legal career, Lauren has merged various interests, ranging from litigation to transactional law, in service of the public good. She clerked in the United District Court for the District of New Hampshire and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial
Court. Lauren also served as a Skadden Fellow, prior to the law firm’s capitulation to the Trump Administration, representing children as a court-appointed advocate in juvenile rights matters, such as special education and truancy cases and abuse and neglect
petitions in the Essex County Juvenile Courts of Massachusetts.

Prior to law school, Lauren was a public-school teacher and education policy advocate in New Haven, Connecticut. She has worked with several nonprofit entities throughout her entire career.

Ed is a nonprofit executive, fundraiser and strategic advisor.  His consulting firm Spitzberg Advisors, brings a team of experts to draw upon for each project, which include leadership advisory and coaching, board development, transition planning and interim leadership, fundraising planning, program development, retreat facilitation, and strategic planning.  Previously, Ed served as executive director and senior development leader of nonprofit organizations in arts and education. Ed has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School, where he is an Impact Fellow; and a BA in Ethics, Politics and Economics from Yale University, where he was a member of the Whiffenpoofs. Ed is Adjunct Faculty at both The Fundraising School of Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy and the University of Maryland.

Nonprofit Pro Bono Consulting; Finance; Marketing

Merle is a leader, producer, financial expert and fundraiser with over 45 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors. Prior to launching her own production company, she was Executive Director of The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, Managing Director at Thirteen/WNET, VP and COO/CFO of Globalvision, Inc.  Currently President of the Board of Directors of The Literacy Network of South Berkshire she has served as Chair of the Board of the Cherry Lane Theatre and Soho Rep, as Treasurer of New York Women in Film and Television, as VP of the Board of En Garde Arts and Chair of the Sponsorship Committee of the Board of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts New York. Additionally, she has served on the Board of The Lark International Theater Laboratory and The University at Buffalo College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council. At SOM, she was the first recipient of funding from the Internship Fund.  

Stephanie Rocío Brandon is an educator, actor, and writer based in Los Angeles who is deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality education and the arts for underserved communities. She is the founder of Act & Achieve, a tutoring and performance-coaching business that blends academic support with creative skill-building, serving students across K–12 with a focus on literacy, test preparation, and executive function. Early in her career, Stephanie launched an SAT prep class for students from under-resourced backgrounds and continues to seek ways to make academic and artistic opportunities more accessible today.

As a professional actor and writer, Stephanie has appeared in television and film projects for networks including CBS, NBC, FX, and Amazon, and she continues to develop original creative work that explores identity, community, and social impact. Her artistic background informs her educational approach, emphasizing confidence, communication, and self-expression as essential tools for student success.

In addition to her educational work, Stephanie volunteers with organizations such as The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company and Inner-City Arts, helping bring theater, storytelling, and creative expression to youth in Los Angeles who might not otherwise have access to the arts. A Yale alumna and lifelong advocate for equity, she is passionate about using education and creativity as tools for empowerment, community-building, and social change.

Public Health Committee

Patrice is a family physician and HIV specialist who has been committed throughout her career to working with underserved communities. She has worked in settings including community health centers, county hospital systems, Indian Health Service and relief organizations. Patrice has worked globally in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders), Haiti, India and Burkina Faso (Peace Corps). She has also held faculty positions teaching residents and medical students. Patrice currently practices at a nonprofit FQHC that is a leader in LGBTQ care in South Florida.