MEET THE TEAM
OUR STAFF
Vidhya Kelly holds a BA from Lehigh University, an LMSW from NYU and is a recognized leader in the field of mentoring and youth development. As Deputy Executive Director at Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New York City, Ms. Kelly spent 15 years developing specialized programs for vulnerable youth, including teen mothers, new immigrants and children with disabilities, opening up satellite offices in the South Bronx, Jamaica, Queens and East New York and testifying extensively at government, corporate and professional conferences. As Chief Program Officer at Harlem RBI, she supervised kindergarten through college continuum programs in East Harlem and the South Bronx. Ms. Kelly is a first generation Indian American and lives in NYC with her husband and three kids.
Vidhya Kelly, LMSW
Chief Executive Officer
Susan Varghese, Chief Program Officer, joined Bigs & Littles NYC in 2012 and holds a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. An accomplished program and volunteer manager with extensive experience in developing and supporting mentoring programs that exceed national retention norms, Susan was previously the Director of Programs at Girls Quest, a youth development program for girls from lower-income families. She is a certified Mentoring Supervisor/JP Morgan Chase Fellow as well as a former co-chair of the Provider Council of the Mentoring Partnership of New York. Susan is a first generation Indian American and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
Susan Varghese, MSW
Chief Program Officer
Vidhi Mehta joined Bigs & Littles NYC in 2021 & is a Certified Investment Banking Operations Professional with a Masters in Accounting & Finance. Also having studied Chartered Accountancy with a specialization in Audit, Vidhi has extensive experience in the field of finance and audit. She was awarded "Employee of the Year" in 2017 for her excellent performance in bank audit & fraud detection for $3mn. She also attended the Global Economics & Finance Summer School by Kings College London to widen her knowledge and skill-sets. Besides numbers, Vidhi is also an active corporate blogger and loves to write blogs to keep up with market trends and news. Before joining Bigs & Littles, she was formerly employed as a Senior Finance Manager for a Florida based corporate which specialized in POS services. Vidhi is a first-generation Indian American who lives in New Jersey with her husband.
Vidhi Mehta
Director of Finance & Operations
Tamanna received her Bachelors in Social Work and Economics at NYU and her MSW in Community Organizing at Hunter College. A nonprofit leader at several esteemed youth development organizations since 2001, Tamanna launched the New American Partnership and oversaw programs for various at-risk populations as Senior Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, served as Senior Director of Girls Initiatives at the YWCA of the City of New York, Director of Teen Programs at Harlem RBI, and supervised Video Visiting programs for children of incarcerated parents at The Osborne Association. In addition, Tamanna has also consulted on human resource, finance and public relations project with LeadDog Marketing Group.
Tamanna Vaswani
Chief Development Officer
Jessica is a St. John’s University Graduate with her Bachelors in Biology, and is currently pursuing her MSW from Fordham University. She has been a part of the Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring family as both a former Little and now as Communications and Development Officer. Before joining Bigs & Littles NYC, she spent two years as a Medical Scribe in the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Hospitals in NYC and was an Administrative Assistant for the Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University. Jessica manages client and donor databases, oversees marketing and communications, leads the Bigs & Littles NYC Youth Board, and assists with program event planning as well as agency fundraisers.
Jessica Castillo
Communications and Development Officer
Ana joined Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring in 2016. In addition to making and supervising matches, Ana oversees the community engagement team. Previously Ana was Family Engagement Manager at Harlem RBI, now DREAM and prior, was Associate Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. Ana first moved to the United States to attend Oberlin College, where she obtained her Bachelor degree in Latin American Studies, then worked as a Program Coordinator for the non-profit Learning Leaders in New York, before receiving a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Ana is an immigrant from Ecuador and lives in Jackson Heights, Queens with her husband and two children.
Ana Melo, MA
Senior Program Officer
Bianca Arellano joined Bigs and Littles NYC as a Program Manager in September 2022 and is responsible for conducting family and volunteer intakes, supervising matches, and facilitating programming. Before joining Bigs & Littles NYC, Bianca was a Dual Language (Spanish) educator for 4 years in Title 1 schools in both Buffalo and the South Bronx. Her teaching career allowed her to work with students of all backgrounds and learning styles which made her realize she wants to assist youth in other capacities. She was the 2018 recipient of the Virginia E. Cardenas Student Advocacy award in Arizona for her work and advocacy with Undocumented and Latinx youth. Bianca is deeply passionate about community building and advancing equity access for underserved youth and their families. As a first-generation Mexican-American, Bianca has experienced first-hand the importance of a strong support system to encourage underrepresented youth to achieve their goals. Bianca is originally from Phoenix, Arizona where she received her Bachelors in Transborder Latino Studies from Arizona State University.
Bianca Arrellano
Program Manager
Sophie Behrend has joined the Bigs & Littles NYC staff as a Program Manager. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Sophie earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Communication. In her role, she will be responsible for intake interviews, supervising matches, and managing agency programming. With a diverse background in volunteering across community settings, Sophie is eager to utilize her experience to help lead meaningful and long-lasting matches. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Sophie is thrilled to be working with Bigs & Littles NYC, providing a support system to her matches and their families within the surrounding five boroughs.
Sophie Behrend
Program Manager
Kayla joined Bigs & Littles NYC in the fall of 2022. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Hispanic Studies and a minor in Creative Writing. After graduating, Kayla gained experience in nonprofit social media marketing and spent time living and working in Madrid, teaching English to children there. Kayla is enthusiastic about working with Bigs & Littles NYC and looks forward to witnessing the positive impact that mentoring can have; she is excited to be a part of making positive change! In her free time, Kayla enjoys being outside, appreciating public art, and writing music and poetry. Having grown up in the Philadelphia area, Kayla looks forward to getting to know members of the NYC community.
Kayla Bernstein
Community Engagement Coordinator
Thais joined Bigs & Littles NYC as a Program Coordinator in September 2022, after interning here and assisting with recruitment and intake. Thais received her degree in human services from Guttman college and currently attends Queens College, majoring in Woman and Gender studies and minoring in sociology. In the future Thais has plans to pursue social work to be able to continue to help children and families all around. She born and raised in Queens and feels privileged enough to be around so many cultures and so much diversity!
Thais Elizalde
Program Coordinator
Megan has over 18 years of non-profit experience, including 17 years as grant writer and foundation fundraising specialist, including 6 1/2 years at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City where she
learned from distinguished leaders in the fundraising and social service fields. Since 2011, she has worked on a contract basis working with a variety of non-profit organizations to establish or enhance their foundation and corporate fundraising programs, including youth services organizations, Catholic schools, international medical relief programs, transitional housing for the homeless, organizations for
youth with disabilities, programs for low-income populations, and alternative to incarceration programs. She has been working with Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring since 2018.
Megan Dowd
Grants Assistant
Justin Ifill is the founder and President of Ifill Events, LLC, an event planning company that provides services to private individuals, corporations and non-profit organizations. Justin began his career in event planning initially as a student at Columbia University; he worked with the administration to coordinate activities and events for the incoming student body. Raised in Queens, New York, Justin graduated from the Groton School in 2002 and from Columbia University in 2006. He was the recipient of the prestigious John Kluge Scholarship and the Amsterdam Scholarship. In addition, Justin is a teacher and practitioner of yoga.
Justin Ifill
Special Events Manager
Board of Trustees
Andrew is currently employed as a Portfolio Manager at MetaView Group, a platform company of Millennium Management, LLC. Andrew's experience in the financial sector is highlighted by his previously held positions at Capstone Investment Advisors, Diamondback Capital, LLC and Nomura Securities International, Inc. Mr. Bogart received a BS from Providence College in 1998 with a concentration in business management and finance. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife Elsa and their daughters Cleo and Stevie.
Andrew Bogart, President
MetaView Group
Joseph is a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank. He has served as a board member for 20 years in different roles including a term as President of Catholic Big Brothers, now Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the David Rockefeller Fellows Program. He and his wife Maureen live on Long Island with their two children.
Joseph A. Pollicino Jr.,
Vice President
Senior Vice President,
Wells Fargo Bank
Linda, a founding member and the Senior Managing Partner of DeCorato Cohen Sheehan & Federico, is a strategic, incisive and a reassuring force when difficult legal conflicts arise. She combines the expertise of 20+ years defending claims in catastrophic injury litigation and an earlier career as a medical professional and hospital executive with the ability to distill and present complex issues persuasively. She specializing in Family Law including Matrimonial matters, Child Custody, Child Support and Child Protection. Counsel to hospitals, physicians and other health-care practitioners with professional liability and licensing matters.
Linda DeCorato Perrotta
Secretary
Partner,
Rawle & Henderson LLP
Sandra Addo, Associate Vice President, Corporate Audit and Assurance Services, at Merck is a risk and controls professional with over 18 years of experience in audit and risk management including Financial, Regulatory and IT risk. Her enterprise leadership covers a wide range of functional areas including Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, information technology, cybersecurity, regulatory frameworks and systems implementation. She also serves as an advisor on controls with a focus on digital transformation. Sandra is passionate about talent development and is committed to attracting, coaching and developing diverse talent to ensure each team member is able to achieve their fullest potential.
Prior to joining Merck, Sandra was at PricewaterhouseCoopers, advising clients across Fortune 100 companies in the Pharmaceutical and Technology industries. During this time, Sandra leveraged her information science education from the University of Pittsburgh and honed her technical skills in the areas of IT audit, business process transformation and the application of assurance and attest standards.
Sandra is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and holds a B.S. In Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Outside of Merck, Sandra is a proud mother of two and an active member of her community.
Sandra Addo
Associate Vice President, Corporate Audit and Assurance Services, Merck
Ziad, who was born and brought up in Dubai, UAE, visited his ethnic homeland Bangladesh every year, which shaped his current views on social movement - closing the endemic wealth gap and lack of social mobility in Bangladesh.
He calls Stamford, CT his home and splits his time between Dhaka, Bangladesh and Stamford, US. He
holds a degree in International Business & minor in Fashion Merchandizing. After spending almost a decade building his career in Branding @ Millward Brown, (WPP), he dived into the world of
entrepreneurship, to resolve bottlenecks in the world of data analytics and marketing science.
Mohammed Tamzid Alam (Ziad)
Founder & Managing Director, Adiva Graphics
Sean is a VP in Securitized Products Syndicate at Barclays in NYC, where he has worked for the past 8+ years. He graduated Georgetown University with a double major in Finance and Management in 2015. This is his first board experience, and he is very excited to bring his passion and dedication to the mission of Bigs and Littles NYC. Sean lives in NYC with his wife, Kate.
Sean Foley
VP in Securitized Products Syndicate, Barclays
Pasquale (Pat) Granieri is a talented and seasoned Business Banking Relationship Manager with over 15 years of experience in financial services advising business owners. He brings a wealth of expertise with strengths in areas such as business and commercial real estate acquisition, global trade, and managing payment process efficiencies. He has worked with a wide range of companies ranging from small scale start-ups to mid-size corporations, offering business advising services across an array of industries including manufacturing, distribution, transportation, real estate, technology, and professional services.
Pat joined Key Bank in 2020 with responsibilities for the New York, Westchester/Rockland County, and New Jersey area. In 2022, Pat was awarded the Key Signature Circle award as the #1 Business Development Officer in the country. Prior to joining Key, Pat has worked at other intuitions such as JP Morgan Chase and Capital One where he has built his personal brand in the marketplace as a credible banking and lending expert. Pat participates in organizations such as the Association for Corporate Growth, NJCPA, and NMHC. In addition, Pat is active in his local community and part of his local church’s fund-raising committee.
Pat lives in Bergen County, NJ with his wife Sara and his two boys Landon (5) and Logan (2). He enjoys entertaining and cooking for friends and family, is an avid golfer, and is a diehard Giants, Rangers, and Mets fan.
Pasquale Granieri III
Sr. Business Banking Relationship Manager, KeyBank
Blanche has a BA from Stony Brook University and a Masters in Social Work from Fordham University. She has worked in social work for over 29 years, with a focus on people with disabilities, children and public policy, including former Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities under the Dinkins Administration. She currently sits on several nonprofit boards. She is married to Peter Johnson Jr., President of Leahey and Johnson, and has two grown daughters.
Blanche Johnson
Social Worker for Children & Families
Nicole Lawrence is a Director at Moody’s Investor Services, bringing more than 15 years of experience in ABS investments, analytics, and structuring to her role. She has expertise in commercial and residential property assessed clean energy (PACE), as well as across other ABS markets, including timeshare, unsecured consumer, small business, subprime autos, aircraft, CLO, and equipment. Prior to joining T-REX, Nicole was a portfolio manager at B Asset Manager (BAM), focusing on investing in esoteric and consumer ABS markets. Before BAM, Nicole spent eleven years at PPMAmerica, most recently as a vice president in the structured finance department. She started her career as an analyst for Moody’s Investor Services, where she analyzed and rated various ABS transactions. Nicole is actively involved in the Structured Finance Industry Group (SFIG). In addition to key speaking engagements, she also represents T-REX in the Issuer Committee, driving thought leadership via targeted events and workshops. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.
Nicole Lawrence
Senior Director - Strategist,
Moody’s Analytics
Trecia Pessoa, Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel at Mastercard is an attorney with expertise in the payments, hospitality and financial services industries, with experience executing strategic initiatives, exemplary negotiation, communication and problem solving skills & attention to detail, paired with a passion for mentoring, community uplifting and pro bono legal services. Trecia holds a BA from Tufts University and a JD from George Washington University Law School. Trecia has dedicated her professional and personal career to being a mentor to high school students and young professionals, and believes that mentoring can change the trajectory of young person’s life. As a first generation American and first in her family to reach numerous benchmarks, she was the fortunate beneficiary of one on one mentoring, that helped her become the person she is today.
Trecia Pessoa
Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel,
Mastercard
Jessica Riggins is the Treasury Sales Executive for Government Banking across the Mid-Atlantic region at J.P. Morgan. With over 13 years of financial services experience, Jessica has spent her last 6 years with JPMorgan Chase, working across State and Local Government clients in a wide array of consultative engagements. Her specialty is on the pay-in and pay-out processes for organizations and the efficiencies and controls necessary to drive modernization.
Jessica has degrees in Business and Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte where she ran Cross County and Track and a Master’s in Business from Wake Forest University. Jessica and her husband reside in Manhattan with their two cats.
Jessica Riggins
Executive Director, Sr. Treasury Officer – Government Banking,
JPMorgan Chase
Krishan Singh, Chief Revenue Officer at ION Analytics, is an innovative leader in Financial Technology. Previous to the formation of ION Analytics, through the merger of Dealogic and Acuris, Krishan was the Chief Operating Officer & Head of Distribution of Dealogic. Krishan has helped accelerate innovation in key parts of capital markets through his roles at Noble (in Crypto) and the Intercontinental Exchange - ICE (one of the largest exchange and data providers in the world). Krishan is originally from India and holds a Bachelor’s degree from NYU Stern School of Business where he played on the Men’s Golf team. He has enjoyed being back in New York City since 2014 and lives in SOHO with his wife Danai and three children.
Krishan Singh
Chief Revenue Officer, ION Analytics
Trip is a Director in the Securitization Group at RBC Capital Markets, responsible for the Auto and Equipment ABS vertical, and previously worked at both Deutsche Bank and Barclays Capital. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Trip is also a member of the Executive Leadership Committee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. Trip lives in New York City with his wife Lottie and son Henry.
Donald ‘Trip’ Sivick
Managing Director,
RBC Capital Markets
Monsignor Sullivan was appointed the Executive Director of The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York in 2001, after serving as Chief Operating Officer for five years and in other leadership positions for more than 17 years. During the 1970's and 1980s, he served as a parish priest at St. Elizabeth's Church and co-founded the Washington Heights-Inwood Coalition and the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation. Monsignor Sullivan has served as a Board member of many non-profit agencies, including: St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, the Carmel Richmond Housing Corporation, and the St. Vincent de Paul Residence. He also served as Co-chair of the Partnership for the Homeless. He studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary, was ordained in 1976 by Terence Cardinal Cooke, and named Monsignor in 1999. Monsignor Sullivan completed a Masters degree in Public Administration at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University, and a doctorate in Public Administration at New York University. He graduated cum laude from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception. Monsignor Sullivan frequently teaches financial management and grantsmanship at the Mendoza College of Business, the University of Notre Dame, where he was a consultant to the Dean regarding the College's Masters program in nonprofit management. He has taught at New York University and the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy of the New School University. Monsignor Sullivan was born in the Bronx and raised in Yonkers.
Monsignor Kevin Sullivan
Executive Director,
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of NY
Anne Sullivan graduated from Connecticut College before enjoying a wide-ranging career in advertising, marketing and film production. She joined Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring after graduating from Fordham University in 2013 with a Masters in Social Work. Her work at Bigs & Littles quickly became a family affair. Anne worked on the front lines as a Social Worker, interviewing families and mentors during intake for over three years. She is passionate about our agency and given her experience in advertising and branding, felt it might be time for a new look. She joined the Board of Trustees and assisted with the agency rebrand in 2018. Anne’s passion, along with the stories of our underserved population, inspired her family and ignited a call to action.
Anne Sullivan
Founder and CEO,
Copperline Creative
Lillian (Lily) Tillman is a Director in the legal department at Barclays. Her principal practice involves the representation of Barclays in all aspects of securitization, including the financing, structuring, underwriting and issuance of securitized products. Prior to joining Barclays, Lily practiced at Mayer Brown LLP, where she represented issuers and underwriters in asset-backed securitizations. Lily is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School. She resides in Manhattan with her husband.
Lillian ‘Lilly’ Tillman
Director,
Legal Department, Barclays
Shari Verschell is a Partner and Senior Tax Counsel at Apollo Global Management where she focuses on tax structuring for the Firm's Yield business. At Apollo, Shari also serves on the steering committee for Apollo Women Empower (AWE) and as the Corporate Secretary for the Apollo Opportunity Foundation. Prior to joining Apollo in 2012, she was Tax Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and a tax associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP before that. Shari graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Political Science and received her JD magna cum laude from Cornell Law School. She currently lives in New York City with her husband Mike and son Jack.
Shari Verschell
Partner, Senior Tax Counsel, Apollo Global Management
Erin Wright is a Director Equity Research Analyst at Credit Suisse Securities. Ms. Wright received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and previously held the position of Equity Research Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. As an Equity Research Analyst for the past 14 years, covering a broad universe of healthcare companies, Erin hopes to leverage her extensive financial experience for the greater good. She wholeheartedly believes in the value of mentorship programs as both a mentee at the beginning of her career and now a mentor and more broadly an advocate for women in finance. She resides in New York City and is happy to join our Board and contribute more to the broader community.
Erin Wright
Executive Director in Equity Research, Morgan Stanley
leadership council
Chris has a BS and JD from the University of Missouri and is a partner at the Cahill Gordon law firm in New York City. He joined the Board in 2008. He works extensively in the pharmaceutical industry, representing clients in public and private acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring and all aspects of corporate finance. He lives in New York with his wife, Sarah, and their two children.
Christopher Cox
Partner,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cathy is a graduate of Stonehill College and worked in the Equity Division of Morgan Stanley until 1993. She has been a member of the Junior League and is on the Board of the Quogue Junior Theatre Troupe. She is an active volunteer at Sacred Heart and Saint David’s school in New York City. She lives in New York with her husband, John, and their three children.
Cathy Dougherty
Equity Division of Morgan Stanley (retired)
Bio coming soon…
Margaret Grace
Attorney, Founder & Chair of Grace Outreach
Mary Claire (Bonner) Lagno is a retired Aetna executive. Mary Claire has been named to Crain's NY Top 100 Women in Business. She serves on Loyola School’s Board of Trustees as Chair and on Gettysburg College Board as Vice-Chair. She is a graduate of Penn State University. Mary Claire and her husband are the parents of two children and have resided in New York City for the past 30 years.
Mary Claire Lagno
Aetna, Inc. (retired)
Judy received her BSFS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and her MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. She is a retired Senior Generalist Salesperson in the Fixed Income Currency and Commodities Division at Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. Judy currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents for Georgetown University, where she is Chair of the Career Committee, a member of the Student Affairs Committee, and is Class Chair for the Georgetown Scholarship Program. Previously she served on the Fundraising Committees of Saint David's School in New York City.
Judith Donahue Lafranchi
Goldman Sachs (retired)
Bio coming soon….
Laurie Lapeyre
Goldman Sachs (retired)
Patricia Moran is the Chief Legal Officer of Vroom, Inc., an e-commerce company in the automobile sector. She previously served as Managing Director and Chief Legal Officer of Greenhill & Co. Inc., a global independent investment bank, and is a retired partner at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. Pat also serves on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and is a former Trustee and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Scranton.
Patricia Moran
Chief Legal Officer,
Vroom, Inc.
Terence S. Meehan is Chairman & CEO of Azimuth Investment Management, LLC, a fund of hedge funds, as well as the Chairman of the Board of SupplyPro, an inventory management solutions company.
Terence S. Meehan
CEO & Chairman,
Azimuth Trust
Bio coming soon….
Camila Pastor
Bilingual Family Therapist,
Roberto Clemente Center
Marie has worked with The New York City Board of Education, and as a real estate broker with William B. May. She received her BA from Marymount College and her MA from Columbia University. In addition to serving on the Board of Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring, Marie's civic and charitable associations include: Former Member of the Board of Trustees of Marymount College; Chair of Fiesta Ball & other committees of Casita Maria; Member & Former Chair of several committees of the Junior League of the City of NY; Volunteer and Eucharistic Minister at Memorial Sloan Kettering; Executive Member & Former President of Buck Hill Falls Women's Golf Club (Pa.); Executive Committee Member and Former President of Auxiliary at St.Vincent's Hospital; and Former Member of Board of NY Ear & Ear Infirmary. Marie is also a member of the Dames of Malta, City Gardens Club, Colony Club, and the Doubles Club. Marie and her late husband, William, have two sons.
Marie Powers
Former Board Trustee
John is a Managing Director at Brand New Matter, a strategic advisory and venture capital firm. Prior to BNM, he was COO and Co-Founder at 14th & Boom, a digital marketing agency for consumer brands. He's also held positions at JP Morgan and Booz & Company. John received a B.S. from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Virginia. He's been an active Bigs & Littles NYC mentor for eight years. His Little, Sergio, is a junior at City College, majoring in engineering.
John Shaughnessy
RVP, Data Marketplace,
LiveRamp
Junior BoarD
Molly Vannucci is an IBM Executive responsible for the Global Strategy of IBM iX as well as head of the NY office. She also services as the Chief of Staff for the Global Managing Partner of IBM's consulting business, which includes strategy, creative, process transformation, exponential technologies (cognitive, AI, blockchain, IoT, etc.) and business process outsourcing. Responsibilities span strategic and operational programs to support the growth of the business, both organic and inorganic.Molly is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is an alumni board member at W.O.M.E.N. in America and is also the Co-Leader of the Women at IBM NYC group. She led the creation and rollout of the IBM Menstrual Support Policy which offers free tampons and pads in all female and gender neutral bathrooms in IBM offices around the world.Prior to IBM, Molly worked at JPMorgan Chase and GE. She holds an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management, a BBA in International Business and Finance from Loyola University Maryland and completed Executive Education Programs at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. She also serves on Loyola's Management & International Business Advisory Board.When she isn’t traveling--as much for fun as for work--Molly lives in New York City, and is drawn to the outdoors, whether she’s exploring the city with her "little sister", on the golf course, or spending time with friends and family.
Molly Vannucci,
Junior Board Chair, Executive Member
Alvaro Marrero is an immigrant from Uruguay. He received a scholarship to attend school in Minnesota and, following that experience, he relocated to New York City in 2000, where he began working at the United Nations headquarters. As part of his work experience, Alvaro lived in Sudan, working with the international community and local populations impacted by war-ravaged Darfur. Drawing from work assignments and personal trips to various parts of the world and related to his own experience as an immigrant, he developed strong interest in mentoring youth and volunteering in general, and he was among the recipients of the “Mentor New York’s 2022, Mentor of the Year Awards”. Alvaro attended the “Instituto de Psicología de la Universidad de la Republica” in his native Montevideo, Uruguay, continuing his studies at Empire’s SUNY (State University of New York), where he earned a BA in Human Development with a concentration in Psychology. In his free time, Alvaro enjoys traveling and learning more from diverse cultures, as well as spending quality time with family and friends.
Alvaro Marrero,
Junior Board Vice Chair, Executive Member
Annie is currently a Senior Consultant with HRC Retail Advisory, a leading retail strategic advisory firm focused on assisting retailers optimize shareholder value and secure future profitable growth. She has previous Merchandising experience at both Coach and Abercrombie & Fitch. Annie has been a mentor since 2017 and joined the Junior Board in 2018. She is a graduate of Miami University with a BS in Marketing and currently resides in Brooklyn.
Annie Casciani,
Executive Member
Neha Kothari is an Associate at Bank of America. Prior to BOA, she was at Deutsche Bank and also previously was a Healthcare M&A Analyst at Cain Brothers. She has resided in NYC since graduating from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018, where she received a BSBA with a double emphasis in multinational finance and investment banking. Neha is also a member of WOWS (Women on Wall Street) and is extremely passionate about female mentorship and collegiate recruitment within her firm. When she's not traveling, Neha loves to enlighten her mind with new hobbies such as flying trapeze, ice skating, salsa dancing, and more. She is incredibly excited to mentor with Bigs & Littles NYC and introduce more women to the field of high finance!
Neha Kothari,
Executive Member
Brian Lafranchi holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Georgetown University and is currently Senior Vice President- Event Driven Strategies at BTIG. He resides in New York City with wife Rachelle and daughter Charlotte. Brian is a former mentor and October Ball Committee member with Bigs & Littles NYC.
Brian Lafranchi,
Executive Member
Karen Leiton has been a mentor to Evangeline and volunteer at Bigs & Littles NYC since 2018. She grew up in Bogota, Colombia where she volunteered at Un Techo para mi Pais. Karen currently works for the Emerging Markets team at Blackrock and previously worked at Morgan Stanley. She holds a Master in Finance from Princeton University and a dual degree in Finance and Economics from the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia.
Karen Leiton,
Executive Member
Riley Lewis is a Senior Manager at TG Therapeutics, a Biotechnology company focused on leveraging scientific advances in B-cell biology to develop novel treatments for patients with chronic diseases. He joined TG in 2019 after graduating from Vanderbilt University with an honors degree in Chemistry. In his free time, Riley enjoys travelling, spending time with friends and family, and exploring NYC with his little, Logan.
Riley Lewis
Executive Member
Vaishali is Senior Vice President at Publicis Health Group, a world's largest Healthcare Communication Company. As part of her work, she has led several projects to improve patient health outcomes in some 30+ countries across the world. As a leading expert in human behavior analysis, she consults major pharmaceutical companies to help reduce healthcare disparity across vulnerable populations and to help those living with difficult conditions manage and cope with their disease.
Vaishali Mokashi,
Executive Member
Joe Petti is an Associate at BMO Capital Markets in its Industrials Investment Banking Group. He joined BMO Capital Markets as an Analyst in 2015 after graduating from Fairfield University with a B.S. in Accounting. Joe has served as a mentor with Bigs & Littles since September 2018, and was Co-Chair of the 2019 and 2020 Mentoring Matters Run/Walk.
Joseph Petti,
Executive Member
Justin works in corporate finance at NERA Economic Consulting. A Michigan native, he holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and moved to New York in 2017. He currently resides in Chelsea.
Justin Rakowicz
Executive Member
Tiffany is a First Vice President and Business Development Director with the Beyer Stein Group at Morgan Stanley. She leverages over a decade of Wealth Management experience in providing concierge level service to clients and oversees all aspects of the team’s operational controls and administrative procedures. She successfully cultivates new and existing relationships through her diligent approach to managing client accounts.
Tiffany graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management from The University of California – San Diego and currently lives in New York City. She has been a mentor with Bigs & Littles since 2018 and loves exploring NYC with her little, Kim. Tiffany has previously served on the Catholic Charities Junior Board and enjoys spending time with her family and travelling.
Tiffany Riady
Executive Member
Berenice Belizaire is an experienced Senior Manager in EY FSO Advisory and holds a MBA degree from the Yale School of Management. She has over 10+ years of experience working on Business Transformation engagements with executive clients across North America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. She is also currently leading the Business Analyst Program for her practice at EY where she coaches and trains young professionals to develop core consulting skills to be successful within the practice.
Outside of the work environment, Berenice has actively been engaged in several non-profit organizations. Her focus has been empowering women and girls with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in life. She is currently a mentor at Bigs and Littles NYC organization where she is providing support, guidance, and opportunities to help her mentee meet academic, wellness, and personal goals. She is also addressing inequities faced by women entrepreneurs in Africa through mentorship and coaching. Finally, she is serving as an Educational Counselor in her alma mater to recruit underrepresented minorities into the science and engineering field.
In her free time, Berenice enjoys learning about different cultures and have visited over 40+ countries.
Berenice Belizaire
Gabriella is a licensed attorney in Brazil. She holds a Bachelor of Laws — L.L.B. from Mackenzie University School of Law in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Currently, Gabriella is pursuing her JD at Rutgers Law School and serving as an SEO Law Fellow at Otterbourg P.C. in New York City.
Working in various programs for youth, she discovered a passion and vital aspect of her life: mentoring. At the New York City Bar Association where she serves as a member of the Diversity Pipeline Initiatives Committee, she guides and supports first-generation aspirants, students of color, students whose English is not their first language, low-income students, and underrepresented individuals in the legal community.
She has been a mentor and friend to her little sister at Bigs & Littles NYC since 2019. Gabriella considers her little sister as part of her family, and their favorite activities are drawing and eating macaroons in the Upper West Side.
Gabriella Ferreira
Skyler is a dedicated Provider Growth Associate at Headway, who moved to New York City two years ago. His role involves empowering therapists to thrive through their work and build out their practices. Passionate about fostering connections, Skyler has a history of engaging with volunteer organizations like Best Buddies and Camp Harmony. These experiences have solidified his belief in the transformative potential of genuine relationships. Currently, Skyler serves and has been grateful for every minute of the program. Beyond his professional and mentoring roles, Skyler finds joy in cooking and playing music during his free time.
Skyler Hauck
Daniel Kasman is a Product Manager for Deloitte Consulting. He graduated from Tulane University in 2014 with a B.S. In Psychology before returning to NYC where he was born and raised. Daniel has served as a mentor to Derell through Bigs & Littles NYC since May of 2019 and in 2021 he was awarded Mentor of the Year. In his free time he enjoys playing basketball, hanging out with Derell and exploring all of the food NYC has to offer. Daniel is very excited to continue working with Bigs & Littles NYC to help transform the lives of children through mentorship!
Daniel Kasman
A NYC native, AnnaMaria joined Bigs & Littles NYC in the Winter of 2018. She earned her undergraduate degree from Geneseo in International Relations & Sociology and an MS in Early Childhood Special Education from Hunter College. She is currently the Associate Dean of Instruction at Success Academy Charter Schools. In her free time, AnnaMaria enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
AnnaMaria Smeraldi
Bio coming soon….
Jamelah Lewis
Darsh is an experienced Management Consultant at Ericsson. Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2019, he has since worked with major clients in the TMT industry to help bring high-speed internet connectivity to the US at scale. After his move to NYC in 2022, and noticing the disparate impact of the pandemic on historically disadvantaged populations, Darsh decided to leverage his one-to-one mentorship skills gained from his time at Penn. He soon began to volunteer at StreetWise Partners, advising underrepresented college students on how to develop essential professional skills. More recently, he happily joined Bigs & Littles NYC and discovered the transformative effects of mentorship – not only on his Little and Little's family, but surprisingly on himself too. Outside of work and volunteering, Darsh greatly enjoys creative writing, meditation, exploring NYC, and traveling abroad.
Darsh Shah
Interested in joining our team? Please contact info@bigslittlesnyc.org