Aaron is the Founder and CEO of Milestone Development LLC. Milestone and its affiliates have developed over 2,500 affordable and sustainable homes with another 2,000 units in the pipeline. Prior to founding Milestone, Aaron was President of The Hudson Companies where he led its strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations while heading its award-winning affordable housing arm totaling over 9,000 units and $5 billion in costs during his 15-year tenure. Aaron was the team lead on several transformational affordable housing/mixed-use new construction developments including: the 1,673 NYCHA PACT Boulevard Houses rehabilitation in Brooklyn, the 1,060-unit La Central development in the South Bronx, the 740-unit Spofford Detention Center Redevelopment in Hunts Point. Through Aaron’s leadership, Hudson became an industry leader in sustainable affordable housing development, including the installation of over 1,000,000 watts of solar photovoltaics on several sites in East New York, which was the largest for a multifamily array in New York State.
Prior to joining Hudson, Aaron was a Project Manager with Forest City Ratner Companies focusing on the 6,400-unit Atlantic Yards (now Pacific Park) development. Aaron started his housing career in New York as a Senior Project Manager at the New York City Housing Development Corporation where he helped HDC become the nationwide leader in multifamily bond issuances in 2004 and 2005. In 2023, Aaron was named as an inaugural member of the Brooklyn Power 100 by Schneps Media and won several project awards from the Urban Land Institute, Citizens Housing and Planning Council and New York Housing Conference.
Aaron is a certified New York State Firefighter who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC Berkeley and his Master of City Planning from MIT. Aaron also serves on the Boards of the NYU Furman Center, Hivewild Dance Company, NYSAFAH and Coro Leadership New York.
Alana Pilar Cantillo is Deputy Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. In this role, she oversees, communicates and develops legislative and budgetary strategy with a specific focus on impacts to the financial plan. Alana supports the Federal, State, and City agenda with analysis and activities in coordination with Administration and agency partners.
Prior to this, Alana served as Vice President of Advocacy of the New York Immigration Coalition where she led the planning, implementation, and execution of policy campaigns. She also managed member, political, civic and community engagement programs across seven NYS regions. Additionally, Alana was Director of Government Affairs for Charter Communications where she advanced community investment and municipal compliance and supported national initiatives to expand digital access and diversity and inclusion with local stakeholders. Ms. Cantillo has previously worked at the NYC City Council and Board of Education.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia and raised in New Jersey, Alana has a BA in Anthropology and Spanish Literature and Culture from Rutgers University and a MS in Bilingual Special Education from City College, City University of New York. She is a proud alumna of the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs and Public Leadership Education Network, the latter of which she serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary. Ms. Cantillo is the recipient of City and State Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars, New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Community Engagement Award and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s Hispanic Heritage Award.
NYU School of Professional Studies Dean Angie Kamath has had a distinguished career in higher education and government. Exemplified by her deep expertise in partnering with industries on skills-based education and workforce development, Kamath is a champion for fostering equal opportunities through higher education and workforce programs that provide immediately applicable skills in hospitality, real estate, publishing, global affairs, sports management, AI technology, and functional business leadership, among other growing and emerging fields.
Grounded in research, Kamath is an expert on workforce development and skills-based training, providing foresight into the future of work. Passionate about developing programs with industry leaders, she has created partnerships with national and local organizations to innovate academic initiatives and advance access to education. Under her leadership, NYU SPS has been ranked as a top higher education institution with its career-connected, industry-focused degrees and courses. Kamath was also instrumental in having NYU SPS endorsed as a talent development partner by OneTen, a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies, committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and upskilling, hiring, and advancing one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years.
Committed to talent upskilling and reskilling, Kamath has broadened her influence beyond NYU SPS, making a significant impact on New York City’s labor market and economy. As a member of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, she was appointed to the The Future of Workers Task Force (FWTF) in 2022, dedicated to addressing the future of work and bettering the job market in New York City. Additionally, Kamath sits on the “New” New York Panel. Launched by Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, the panel focuses on the future of jobs centers, neighborhoods, the way people work, key industries, infrastructure, talent development and more. Serving as its blue-ribbon panelist, she represents a cross-section of those who call New York home, and who have demonstrated their ability to develop the innovative policies and initiatives required to jumpstart the City’s economy and to drive growth across business sectors in the five boroughs and beyond.
While in her role as dean at the nation’s largest urban public university, City University of New York (CUNY), Kamath oversaw grant-funded opportunities that sought to improve the skills, career prospects, and outcomes of targeted industries such as IT, finance, healthcare, and municipal government.
Before her role at CUNY, Kamath served as an executive vice president and executive director at Per Scholas, a national IT job training nonprofit in the South Bronx. There, she oversaw the New York training operation that trained and placed over 500 individuals each year in middle-skills jobs in the IT field.
Prior to Per Scholas, Kamath worked as deputy commissioner at the NYC Department of Small Business Services for seven years, overseeing adult workforce programs that served more than 100,000 New Yorkers each year during the Bloomberg administration.
Kamath holds a BS in Business Management from Cornell University and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Arlenis serves as Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York. She leads the Finance, Human Resources, and Operations teams and supports Make the Road’s sister organizations in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Arlenis immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in the 90s. In 2003, she started at Make the Road New York as a part-time receptionist in the Bushwick, Brooklyn office, working her way up to become Director of Operations and then Chief of Staff, where she oversaw the overhaul of the organization’s infrastructure and the development and execution of MRNY’s strategic plan. Arlenis has trained at Coro’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program and Columbia University’s Senior Leaders Program for Non-Profit Professionals. She represented District 24 in Queens on the Community Education Council for two years. She holds an Associate’s Degree from Kingsborough Community College.
Ayo Aruleba is a proud product of Bronx public schools and was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council. He went on to Georgetown University where he studied Government with minors in Economics and African-American studies. Ayo was a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting in Washington D.C. serving the firm’s public sector clients for three years prior to attending law school. While at Harvard, Ayo interned at the Racial Justice Program of the ACLU, Cravath, Swaine, & Moore LLP, and served as a Student Attorney and Vice President of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, the nation’s oldest student-run legal services organization. Ayo is currently a Law Clerk in Cravath’s litigation department.
Barika X Williams is the Executive Director of the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development Inc. (ANHD), a leading nonprofit focused on creating housing and economic justice for all New Yorkers. She is a leader and a national voice on how community development in marginalized neighborhoods can advance racial justice.
Previously, Ms. Williams held the position of Assistant Secretary for Housing under the Governor of New York State. In this role, she oversaw pivotal housing initiatives for the state, including the management of a $20 billion housing plan and expanding tenant protections throughout New York.
Her professional journey also took her along the path of Real Estate development.
At the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, and later at NYU’s Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, she pioneered novel projects and published on topics including affordable housing practices, foreclosure prevention, disaster recovery, and the links between health, education, and housing.
Currently, Ms. Williams is a member of the US Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity. She is also a member of various financial institutions’ advisory committees including Capital One and sits on the Board of Urban Design Forum.
Barika earned a Master’s Degree in City Planning from MIT and a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
In 2020, the American Planning Association of New York honored her with the Robert W. Ponte Award, recognizing her dedication to creating a more equitable built environment in NYC, that understands systemic racism’s intersection with place and community.
Furthermore, in 2022, she was listed among the top 100 nonprofit executives in City & State New York magazine, showcasing her leadership in the sector.
In another highlight, in 2023, City & State New York magazine identified Barika as one of the most influential individuals working in New York real estate.
In addition, in March 2024, Barika was featured on the ‘Power Players in Real Estate’ list by Politics NY and amNY Metro.”
Beatriz (Bea) de la Torre serves as the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Trinity Church Wall Street. Bea oversees all of Trinity’s philanthropic work across four initiatives supporting New York City and the Anglican Communion. Bea most recently served as Managing Director for Housing and Homelessness at Trinity, securing and implementing high-impact interventions to break the cycle of mass homelessness in New York City. Before joining Trinity, Bea managed the housing and homelessness portfolio at Robin Hood and previously worked for the New York City government for eight years, including various positions at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Bea graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received her master’s in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She serves on various boards, including on the board of CUNY’s School of Professional Studies Foundation and The Clemente Soto Velez Center, and is frequently called on to advise government and community-based groups on homelessness and affordable housing. A native Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico, she currently lives in Pelham, New York, with her husband and their three kids.
Cordelia Persen is a Coro champion after benefiting from being a participant in two Coro programs, Leadership New York ’04 and Neighborhood Leadership ’18. By day, she is the Executive Director of the NoHo Business Improvement District, working to promote economic development in one of New York’s many neighborhoods and to help New York flourish. Prior to this, Cordelia ran a number of small nonprofits, including the NYC Wholesale Flower Market Association and Princeton in Africa. Cordelia is committed to mentorship, building community, and helping people reach their potential. Whenever she gets a chance, Cordelia likes to explore every nook of New York City. She is also an avid traveler who has been to 73 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Cordelia has a BA from Lehigh University and an EMPA from NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
On behalf of management, Darrell handles employee-related issues, including
hiring/discharge, discrimination matters, traditional labor/management relations, diversity, internal investigations, workplace training, privacy, restrictive covenants, wage and hour, and issues related to international labor and employment concerns.
Darrell focuses his practice on assisting his clients with compliance with national
and local labor/employment laws, and the institution of management best practices to proactively avoid operational problems. Darrell has developed and provided training to the management teams of his clients on issues ranging from “Management Techniques – Enhancing Employee Performance,” “Conducting Internal Investigations,” “Navigating Leave Laws,” and “Sexual Harassment Training.” Darrell’s extensive work for clients with regard to traditional labor matters includes union negotiations, assistance during union organizing, including the development and management of neutrality agreements and elections, arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges. In addition, he serves as chief negotiator for his clients during collective-bargaining sessions and has negotiated several agreements spanning a host of industries.
Darrell has also led several internal investigations of senior level executives,
including several C-Suite level matters, on behalf of his corporate clients, frequently being retained by the entities’ Corporate Board of Directors. Darrell uses his experience working with the City, State and Federal Governments and as a New York State Commissioner in helping his clients navigate claims before governmental agencies.
Eddie Shiomi is the Chief Operating Officer at the Asian Pacific American Leadership Foundation (APALF). With over 20 years of experience in New York City, including with the Coro NY Leadership Center as director of the Fellows Program in Public Affairs and the Immigrant Civic Leadership Program, Eddie has been instrumental in leadership development and community engagement. He served as Executive Director and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Apex for Youth and is currently spearheading the creation of AAPI LEAD, a national membership organization for AAPI elected and appointed officials. He is a Los Angeles native and calls Brooklyn his home.
Emily Miles serves as the Executive Director of the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. In this role, she oversees the organization’s efforts to prevent sexual violence and reduce the harm it causes through public education, prevention programming, training and technical assistance, and the pursuit of legal and policy changes. Prior to joining the Alliance, Emily was the Chief Policy and Program Officer at FPWA, where she managed the development and implementation of programmatic and policy initiatives seeking to promote upward economic mobility for all New Yorkers, and in the Obama Administration in the Office of the Vice President and the U.S. Department of Education managing gender-based violence initiatives. She currently serves as the board chair of Together for Youth and as a Commissioner on the New York City Commission on Gender Equity.
Emily has been honored as a Next Generation Leader by the Human Services Council and a Top 40 Under 40 Rising Star by New York Nonprofit Media. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Georgia.”
Grace C. Bonilla, Esq. is a distinguished leader with extensive experience in the nonprofit and public sectors. She has served as the President and CEO of United Way of New York City (UWNYC) since July 2022. In her role, Grace is dedicated to advancing the organization’s mission to support the diverse communities of New York City, actively working to ensure that low-income and underinsured New Yorkers have access to preventative healthcare, educational resources, and community support.
Prior to her role at UWNYC, Grace held leadership positions across the nonprofit sector, including Senior Vice President for Latin America at Covenant House International (CHI), where she addressed the root causes of child homelessness across multiple countries. Grace’s impressive career also includes serving as the Executive Director of New York City’s first Task Force on Racial Equity and Inclusion, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She made significant contributions to New York City’s social services landscape as the Administrator of the Human Resources Administration (HRA).
Grace has garnered prestigious awards and honors, including induction into the City Limits Hall of Fame in 2023, being named in the City and State Power 100 2023, receiving the City and State 2023 Above & Beyond: Women award and delivering the keynote address at this year’s Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Annual Not-For-Profit Summit. She is a lifelong New Yorker, holding a JD from Brooklyn Law School, and remains deeply committed to shaping policies that address the challenges to achieving economic justice and equity for all New Yorkers.
Bishop has made a name for himself investing in low to moderate-income communities, growing the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s), implementing sectoral workforce strategies, and building resilient technology infrastructure for media companies.
He is currently the Executive Director of the Social Justice Fund, an initiative funded by The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation. The Social Justice Fund centers its work around racial justice and economic mobility for BlPOC populations in Brooklyn.
Before this role, Bishop served as the Interim Executive Director of Coro New York, an organization that believes meaningful change comes from collaboration: people in business and communities, schools and unions, government and nonprofits, working together to find creative solutions, and strengthen our democracy. Bishop has over 13 years of government experience, serving under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio. From 2015-2020, he served as the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), where he was charged with running a dynamic City agency focused on equity of opportunity, leading to economic self-sufficiency and mobility for New York City diverse communities. During his tenure, he connected small businesses to over $200 million in capital, certified a record 9,000 Minority and Women business enterprises, connected over 100,000 New Yorkers to good-paying jobs, and invested over $10 million in capacity-building programs across the five boroughs. In addition, over 10,000 city residents were trained with new skills in the technology, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, and hospitality sectors. He also developed and launched several initiatives aimed at structural barriers minorities face, including Black Entrepreneurs NYC (BE NYC) and Women Entrepreneurs NYC (WE NYC).
Bishop has a strong track record in the nonprofit and private sectors. He served as the Senior Manager of Workforce Development at NPower, where he was responsible for doubling the capacity of Technology Service Corps, a nationally recognized technology training program for young adults aged 18-25. He has worked at several startups, including TheStreet.com, Oxygen Media, and VIBE Magazine.
Born in Grenada and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, Bishop received a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing and Management Communication from Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida A&M University. He studied International Management and Marketing in Tokyo, Japan, and is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, and Coro Leadership New York.
Bishop is an adjunct professor at Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs and serves on several boards including Red Hook Initiative, , Pursuit (formerly New York Business Development Corporation), The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and The Association for a Better New York (ABNY). He also serves on the Hebrew Free Loan Society Microenterpirse Committee, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Local Advisory Committee and is the Past President of the Alpha Gamma Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “
Emily Miles serves as the Executive Director of the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. In this role, she oversees the organization’s efforts to prevent sexual violence and reduce the harm it causes through public education, prevention programming, training and technical assistance, and the pursuit of legal and policy changes. Prior to joining the Alliance, Emily was the Chief Policy and Program Officer at FPWA, where she managed the development and implementation of programmatic and policy initiatives seeking to promote upward economic mobility for all New Yorkers, and in the Obama Administration in the Office of the Vice President and the U.S. Department of Education managing gender-based violence initiatives. She currently serves as the board chair of Together for Youth and as a Commissioner on the New York City Commission on Gender Equity.
Emily has been honored as a Next Generation Leader by the Human Services Council and a Top 40 Under 40 Rising Star by New York Nonprofit Media. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Georgia.”
James Dean Ellis is an urban planner with over a decade of experience in community economic development, and place management. James has spent years managing commercial revitalization programs that had him working in over a dozen of NYC’s diverse neighborhoods including Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Downtown Far Rockaway, South Williamsburg, Park Slope, Cypress Hills and Red Hook. James currently manages the portfolio of neighborhood-based community economic development projects for Perch Advisors, including business engagement and community projects as the Executive Director for the North Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District in Prospect Heights/Park Slope. James also head’s up our team’s BID development portfolio that supports communities in pursuing formal Business District formations.
A proud Master’s graduate of CUNY-Hunter College’s esteemed Urban Planning program, James is also an active alum of the Coro NY Neighborhood Leadership 2012 program. James is keen on identifying and making connections, strengthening networks, managing diverse stakeholders, and providing opportunities for positive change.
Jeffrey Plaut began his public affairs career on the wrong side of a 19-2 vote in his fourth-grade class. Since then, however, he has racked up far more wins than losses in applying his political, research and public affairs chops on behalf of elected officials, businesses, labor unions and major non-profits.
At GSG, Jeff helps clients win elections, high stake fights and major advocacy efforts. His view is that if you don’t know where you are heading, then you are unlikely to get there. He encourages his clients to figure out their opponent’s strategy, and then go out and beat them!
Jeff graduated with an B.S. in Psychology from Brown University. When he steps away from guiding his clients through public affairs battles, Jeff teaches the next generation of public affairs consultants at Fordham University’s Lowenstein Graduate Center. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Coro New York and Newark Day Center, as well as lending his expertise to the Board of Trustees for United Way of Greater Newark. He lives in Montclair, NJ with his wife Amy, their three children, and their dog Benji.
Jeff’s clients include many members of Congress, national committees like the House Majority PAC, national labor unions, major foundations, and top corporations. Some of Jeff’s current and former clients include the IBM Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, SEIU 32BJ, Columbia University, and General Electric.
Kim Nauer is the founder of Understandingfafsa.org, a website focused on helping first-generation students and their counselors navigate the FAFSA and financial aid system. She is also a higher education policy expert at the Center for New York City Affairs, an applied research think tank based at The New School. She founded the Center’s public education research initiative and published groundbreaking work on chronic absenteeism, school poverty impacts, district management, and early college access initiatives.
Ligia Guallpa, the daughter of a former day laborer and garment worker, is the Co-Executive Director of Workers Justice Project (WJP), a community-based building, workers’ rights organization that is winning better working conditions for low-wage immigrant workers. At WJP, Ms. Guallpa has spearheaded efforts to ensure safe and dignified jobs for NYC’s 2,000 day laborers, construction workers, and domestic workers. Through her leadership, WJP played a key role in the creation of two Brooklyn-based worker centers, a new union, Laborers’ Local 10 and alternative economic models to transform the culture of exploitation by enforcing higher wages and safety standards for construction and domestic workers who live and work in New York City. Ms. Guallpa’s work has been covered on Univision and in publications like The Nation, New York Daily News, and The New York Times.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Hollis, Queens, Malik James is a New Yorker through and through. From his youth, he was surrounded by loving communities, be it his family, his neighborhood, or his church. The lessons of care that were passed down to him then were amplified by his Coro New York community, the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, 2013-15. Guiding him see vulnerable, young New Yorkers wholistically while teaching him how to be an inclusive leader, Coro’s instruction informs his compassionate advocacy for New York City to this day.
During his time at the New York Immigration Coalition as Political Associate, Malik was instrumental to the passage of Local Law 11 of 2022, more commonly known as the ‘Our City, Our Vote’ municipal voting bill, granting municipal voting rights to non-citizen permanent residents, and those with work authorization. Beyond the bill’s positive implications for noncitizen members of his own immigrant family, Malik’s advocacy was driven by the same ideals espoused by Coro almost a decade prior: inclusive leadership. With the firm belief that immigrants are the backbone of New York, Malik knew early on that the legislation would create a more inclusive, representative New York for all.
Now serving as Executive Director of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus of the New York City Council, every lesson Malik learned on compassion, inclusion and intersectionality converge daily as he works with his caucus members to create a healthier, fairer and more accessible New York. Following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malik is keenly aware that the city’s recovery has not been equitable for communities of color, those with accessibility needs, and the homeless population. It’s why he helped pass and continues to prioritize legislation with his membership that creates pathways to stable, affordable housing for low-income and homeless New Yorkers; and that establishes and maintains long-term workforce development pipelines for youth and minority communities. New York’s successful recovery is contingent upon minority communities being seen, remembered and advocated for.
Malik’s Coro community helped him understand that to address any issue in New York, one must firmly grasp who is being adversely affected, how and if it is part of a systemic pattern. With compassion, inclusion, an intersectional lens and intention, harmful patterns can be undone.
Kim Nauer is the founder of Understandingfafsa.org, a website focused on helping first-generation students and their counselors navigate the FAFSA and financial aid system. She is also a higher education policy expert at the Center for New York City Affairs, an applied research think tank based at The New School. She founded the Center’s public education research initiative and published groundbreaking work on chronic absenteeism, school poverty impacts, district management, and early college access initiatives.
Mehul J. Patel has enjoyed a career in real estate and economic development spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors over the past two decades.
Mehul is currently a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, a Board Member of the Coro New York Leadership Center, and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University teaching Public-Private Partnerships in Real Estate Development. He also serves as a Director on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Moynihan Station Development Corporation. Previously, Mehul served as President of the Columbia Real Estate Development Alumni Association, co-chair of the Yale Alumni Real Estate Association, and co-chair of the ULI New York Young Leaders Group. Mehul received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.
Melissa Román Burch is the Chief Operating Officer for the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). She leads major economic development transactions, initiates investments that grow NYC’s innovation sectors, structures tax incentives and spearheads real estate development on city-owned land. Managing to a double bottom line of financial returns and measured social impact, Melissa mobilizes public and private investment across a portfolio of 64 million sf and 230 assets comprised of ports, green energy infrastructure, life sciences, film & entertainment, advanced manufacturing, and green economy businesses.
Melissa joined the NYCEDC in 2022, after two decades in the private sector as a leading business executive and property developer. In her Executive leadership roles at Lendlease and Forest City, she led teams and businesses that assembled, entitled, capitalized and constructed millions of square feet of mixed-use office, housing and entertainment developments. Melissa managed key negotiations with capital partners and government entities; oversaw the development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, anchored by the Barclays Center, new transit infrastructure and thousands of units of affordable and market-rate housing; and pioneered the use of modular housing for high-rise urban development.
A committed civic leader, Melissa proudly serves as a Trustee of the Henry Street Settlement. She previously served as a trustee for the Coro New York Leadership Center, and the Citizens Budget Commission.
Michelle Henry is the East Region Executive for Community Engagement in the Office of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase. In this role, Michelle leads a team that builds enduring, authentic relationships with key stakeholders to support the firm’s long-term success and drive positive, lasting community-centered impact.
Previously, Michelle held roles in Global Philanthropy – first managing a national portfolio of workforce investments; and then transitioning to a position where she engaged nonprofits involved in advocacy, thought leadership and service to support underserved communities. She also built out local and national capacity building efforts.
Prior to joining the firm, Michelle was Vice President of Workforce Services at MAXIMUS, a global government services contractor. Additionally, she led an innovative, national benefits access initiative at an economic development nonprofit and worked to strengthen the capacity of community based organizations to provide strong workforce and asset building programming. Michelle has also held management positions at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services, an alternative to incarceration program which provides youth and adult services in NYC’s criminal and family courts.
Michelle served as a board member for over ten years at the Center for Community Alternatives, a leader in the field of community-based alternatives to incarceration. She also recently served on the board of directors for Nonprofit New York, a membership organization which strengthens and unites New York’s nonprofits through a range of training, policy and program initiatives. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland at College Park, where she was a Benjamin Banneker Scholar; then she went on to earn an MPA from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, where she was a Public Service Scholar. She is a Coro alum, having completed Leadership New York, and she earned the Corporate Social Responsibility Award in Banking, Finance and Insurance from City and State New York.
Midori (she/her/ella) is a transportation and urban planning leader committed to expanding mobility options for people. She is the Founder + Principal of Midori Valdivia Consulting LLC, providing policy advisory services at the intersection of transportation, climate change, and equity. Midori serves as a Mayoral Appointee and Board Member of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the largest transportation organization in North America running New York City’s subways, buses, and commuter railroads. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Plan Association and is a Trustee of the Transit Center, a philanthropy devoted to the expansion of public transit. She is part of communities that work to increase representation and build the power of women and people of color across the urban planning sector. Midori has led a career in the public sector, holding senior roles at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the MTA, and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. At the MTA, she was Chief of Staff to the Chair & CEO and led efforts for the successful legislative passage of congestion pricing in the State of New York. At the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, she was Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration running Finance, People, IT, Procurement, Facilities functions during a time of immense change in the for-hire vehicle industry. At the Port Authority, she was Senior Advisor to the Executive Director. She is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. Midori received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Penn State University and a joint Master of Public Affairs and Urban & Regional Planning from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Monisha Nariani leads U.S. Bank’s Retail and Small Business Banking Transformation, Sales Enablement, and Strategy. She identifies and elevates best practices for 12.1MM consumers and businesses while amplifying the business impact of the 2,200 branches and 13,000 employees that represent $10BN in revenue.
Monisha served as the Chief Operating Officer of Citi’s Global Business Development and Strategy organization and, also, the Global Head of Citi’s Consumer Fairness and Reputation Risk discipline. During her professional tenure, she established herself as a forward-thinking leader and banking executive with expertise that spans consumer banking and wealth management, delivering positive economic returns and championing consumers and businesses in the financial marketplace. She is a catalyst for scalable transformation and has skillfully navigated shifts in technology, regulation, and customer expectation to identify new opportunities for customer value and franchise growth.
Monisha has a strong commitment to strengthening the community around her. She co-chaired Citi’s 3,000-member Asian Diversity and Inclusion Network. As an advocate for economic and social progress, she serves on the Board of Directors for both the Center for an Urban Future, a preeminent public policy think tank, and the Coro New York Leadership Center, and counsels not-for-profit and government leaders. A proud native of New York City, Monisha lives in Manhattan with her husband and two teenage sons – Zubin and Yash.
Nancy Youman is a philanthropic advisor and has also worked in NYC government and campaigns. She’s a Leadership NY alum and serves on the Board of Coro New York.
Philip Li is the President & CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation which invests in leadership to create a more equitable, livable, and vibrant New York City.
Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer at The Century Foundation, a public policy think tank, and at Brooklyn Org, which he helped convert from a corporate entity to a community foundation. Earlier, he led the philanthropic advisory group and managed nonprofit engagements at Changing Our World, a consultancy. He served for four years as Executive Director of the Coro New York Leadership Center, an organization that develops individuals interested in public affairs. His transformative experience in Coro’s Leadership New York program prompted him to jump to the nonprofit sector from Wall Street, where he spent the first half of his career, beginning at Merrill Lynch and finishing at Moody’s Investors Service rating high yield bonds.
Phil is a member of the Steering Committee of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and co-chair of the Leadership Funders Group. He serves on the boards of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, United Philanthropy Forum, and two family foundations, and is a past board chair of Philanthropy New York, the regional association of grantmakers in the city.
Phil has a BA in Biology and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Planning from The Wharton School.
Raquel Olivares is a Lower East Side resident who has a passion for social justice and a demonstrated record of strengthening commercial districts. She holds an associate degree in office management from ASA, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from St. Joseph’s College and is a 2019 CORO Neighborhood Leadership Program alum. As an immigrant herself, Raquel understands the challenges of learning a new culture and the many public systems necessary to achieve success. She is grateful for the trust she has established with local merchants, most of whom are also immigrants, and she is committed to working with the diverse residents and stakeholders of New York City to make all communities a great place to work and live.
As Assistant Commissioner of the Neighborhood Development
Division at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Raquel assists
with the daily supervision and management of the division to ensure successful
delivery and fulfillment of program objectives and outcomes. The division works
with community partners to identify local commercial district needs and plan
targeted, customized solutions offering training, tools, and one-on-one
assistance to build the capacity of local community-based organizations
administering grant programs to revitalize, strengthen, and support commercial
districts.
Previously, Raquel served as the Executive Director of the
Woodhaven Business Improvement District (BID), where she was responsible for
the day-to-day functions of the organization and executed programming and
services for commercial tenants and residents along a 25-block stretch of
Jamaica Avenue that includes 369 ground floor storefronts. Raquel advocated to
City agencies and elected officials for services to support and enhance the
district and to encourage capital projects.
Raquel also previously worked at Cypress Hills Local Development
Corporation as a Program Director. While at Cypress Hills, she conducted a
Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA) in partnership with SBS and
implemented a multitude of organizing, marketing, and revitalization
programming based on the needs identified through the CDNA. As part of her
work, Raquel organized dozens of local merchants to not only report on their
needs but provided them with the tools and support needed to develop into
leaders that would later guide the future of their commercial district. As a
result of this effort, Raquel spearheaded the development of a merchant’s
association with more than 50 active members. She is proud to have implemented several initiatives that have strengthened the Fulton Street corridor and is excited about many more successes that will soon come as a result of its
dedicated merchants.
Rebecca Karp is Founding Principal and CEO of Karp Strategies. Utilizing a data-driven, qualitative and place-based approach to planning, Rebecca has grown her WBE-, SBE- and DBE- certified company into one of the leading women-owned urban planning businesses in New York. With extensive experience in planning, analysis and stakeholder development, Rebecca is a trusted advisor to real estate developers, energy companies, community organizations, and government agencies across the nation. She is a board member for the Center for Urban Pedagogy and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of Preservation, Architecture, and Planning. Rebecca is an alumna of Interise’s Strategic Steps for Growth MBA at NYU Stern, MIT DUSP, Bowdoin College and Coro Leadership New York. Rebecca began her career as a policy advisor on workforce and economic development, resiliency and transportation at city and regional agencies. A Hudson Valley native, Rebecca lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jason and dog Quincy.
Rob Walsh serves as President of the Bronx Economic Development Corporation and is an Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Walsh previously served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) from January 2002 to December 2013. During his twelve-year tenure, he reshaped SBS to become one of the city’s most innovative agencies in serving the needs of its 200,000 small businesses. Walsh re-energized the City’s 69 business improvement districts and created an award-winning commercial revitalization and neighborhood leadership program in partnership with the Coro Foundation. He also built a new business-focused approach to the workforce system that secured job placement for nearly 200,000 people through 17 workforce centers.
Walsh also led the Union Square Partnership from 1989 to 1997, where he played an instrumental role in the neighborhood’s revitalization. During the 1980s, he worked in the administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch. He began his career in public service as a New York City Urban Fellow, a program he later directed.
Before returning to New York, Walsh served as President of Charlotte Center City Partners in North Carolina, an organization dedicated to improving and growing Charlotte’s central business district. In Charlotte, he led the Center City 2010 Master Plan that laid the groundwork for significant private and public investments, including additional housing, retail development, an NBA basketball arena, a minor league baseball stadium, and other public facilities and infrastructure.
Walsh holds a Bachelors in Political Science and Masters in Public Affairs from Fordham University. He also participated in the Senior Executive Program in State and Local Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. His weekly radio segments “The Bottom Line for Small Business,” and “The Business Spotlight can be heard on 1010 WINS and 880 WCBS News
Council Member Shahana Hanif is a Brooklyn-lifer and represents Little Bangladesh, Kensington, where she was born and raised, Park Slope, Gowanus, and more. She is the first Muslim woman and the first Bangladeshi elected, and the first woman to represent District 39 in the City Council! Council Member Shahana is known for championing NYC’s Universal Mandatory Composting legislation. She has also passed critical legislation to protect and expand rights for those receiving abortion in NYC, create a first-in-the-nation Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights, and allow survivors of domestic violence access to free lock changes, personal safety alarms, and door and window repairs.
Council Member Shahana has been the Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus since taking office in 2022 and alongside Caucus members, led the robust work to end solitary confinement in NYC jails and pass the How Many Stops Act for greater police transparency. In her first term, she served as the Chair of the Immigration Committee and established Promise NYC, a child care program for undocumented immigrant families. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Task Force to Combat Hate. She’s a proud CORO alum of the Immigrant Civic Leadership Program (2017). You can follow Council Member Shahana on X and Instagram: @CMShahanaHanif.
Steven Raga proudly serves as Assemblymember for District 30, encompassing the neighborhoods of Woodside, Elmhurst, Maspeth, Middle Village, Jackson Heights, and Astoria.
With two decades of public service experience, Steven has served as Executive Director of the non-profit organization Woodside on the Move, as the Northeast Regional Manager for Policy & Advocacy for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Chief of Staff for Assemblymember Brian Barnwell, and Senior Strategist for Multicultural Leadership at AARP.
He has previously sat on the boards of the Western Queens Community Land Trust, Queens LGBT Pride, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Urban Fellows Alumni, and Pilipino-American Unity for Progress (UniPro) which he founded in Woodside. Steven also served as a Member of Queens Community Board 2 and the Queens District Attorney’s Advisory Commission for Asian American Affairs.
Currently, Steven is also a NY State Advisory Committee Member for the U.S. Federal Commission on Civil Rights and a Board Member of Cornell University’s New York City Alumni Association.
Steven has completed programs at the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, New American Leaders, National Urban Fellows, We Are All New York-Queens Fellowship, Cornell Law School, the Cornell University Emerging Markets Institute, and Coro New York’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program.
Steven holds an MBA from Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, an MS in Healthcare Leadership from Weill Cornell Medicine, an MPA from CUNY Baruch, a Graduate Diploma in International Human Rights Law from the American University in Cairo, and an MPP and BA in Political Science from SUNY Stony Brook. He also holds a Professional Certificate in Global Affairs from the NYU Institute for Global Affairs, a Certificate in Philippines Studies from the University of the Philippines, and graduated from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State & Local Government program.
Thomas Regan is practice group leader of Brown Rudnick’s Real Estate and Energy & Environmental Practice Groups. Tom practices in the areas of real estate, energy, telecommunications, land use, health care, and administrative law. Tom represents major corporations, private developers, institutions, and not-for-profits in the development, leasing, and financing of commercial real estate projects and energy and telecommunications facilities. He also represents national clients on permitting, administrative law, and real estate litigation matters. Tom is recognized by The Legal 500 US and The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate. He was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as Real Estate Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in 2016 and 2020.
Tom served as the senior vice president of economic development and governmental affairs for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, where he was responsible for the leadership and management of those departments. Tom also has extensive experience in legislative and public affairs.
Tom Harris is President at the Times Square Alliance, a Business Improvement District that works to improve and promote Times Square – cultivating the creativity energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture, and urban life for over a century. Since 2008, he has overseen the Alliance’s operations, including its public safety and sanitation services, managing a staff of more than 120 employees.
Prior to joining the Alliance, he spent 23 years at the New York City Police Department rising from patrolman to inspector. By the time he retired from the force, he was in command of three precincts in Brooklyn. Tom has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from St. Joseph’s College and a Master of Public Administration degree from Marist College and is a graduate of the CORO Neighborhood Leadership Program. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, the Board of Directors for NYC & Company, and the Board of Directors for Broadway Association. When Tom is not in Times Square, he enjoys long hikes.
Travis is the driving force behind Immortal Strategies, a boutique strategy consulting firm he founded in 2024 and currently leads as the CEO. The firm specializes in public-private partnerships and scaling organizations in New York, a testament to Travis’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the success of cities.
For over 25 years, Travis has been at the forefront of change in New York City, creating billions of dollars of value for his clients by providing expert advice on public affairs, government relations, branding, and business strategy. He has been a vital strategic advisor to some of New York City’s most recognized corporate and non-profit brands, such as Macy’s, UPS, Times Square Alliance, Rudin Management, Industry City, Friends of the High Line, and the Museum of the Moving Image. His efforts have changed the landscape of NYC—creating public parks, raising hundreds of millions of dollars in public-sector financing, creating impactful laws, and securing project approvals for significant land use projects. Travis has also worked closely with hundreds of businesses to help them successfully expand or enter the New York City market.
Travis sits on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the QueensWay which recently received $154 million in City and Federal funds to build a new, 3.5 mile linear park in Central Queens, Coro New York, Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Foundation, Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park and is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Regional Plan Association. He also is the Chair of the NYC Board of Advisors of PowerMyLearning and has contributed to a variety of committees, including the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Queens Chamber of Commerce Tech Council, and the Executive Leadership Forum of BritishAmerican Business. He has won numerous awards and is quoted frequently in the media.
He has a B.S. in Business Management and Marketing from Cornell University and is a graduate of Coro Leadership New York. Travis lives in Forest Hills, Queens with his wife and three kids and is a passionate sports fan.
Wayne Ho is the President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), the nation’s largest Asian American social services agency. With a mission to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities, CPC serves over 80,000 community members in the areas of education, family support, and community and economic empowerment at 35 locations throughout New York City. During his tenure, CPC has opened a new mixed-use building with over 205 affordable housing residences and a community center for expanded services to over 15,000 community members in Manhattan, co-led successful advocacy efforts to secure $30 million from the State and $5 million from the City to promote Asian American recovery and safety, overseen campaigns to promote living wages for human services and home care workers, and been quoted in over 500 news stories. Previously, Wayne served as Chief Strategy and Program Officer for the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), an association of 200 community and faith-based member agencies aiming to promote upward mobility of underserved New Yorkers, from 2013-2017, and was the Executive Director of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, from 2004-2013. Wayne has been recognized by City and State in the inaugural Asian Power 100 in 2020, in the inaugural Nonprofit Power 50 in 2018, and as a 40 Under 40 New York City Rising Star in 2014. He was one of 10 leaders invited to meet with President Obama during the White House’s Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in 2011. Wayne serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including Coro New York Leadership Center and Human Services Council, and is appointed to several New York City and State advisory boards, including the NYC Independent Budget Office and NYS Not-for-Profit Contracting Advisory Council. Wayne received his Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and his Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Wellington Chen is a first-generation Asian American with a lifelong interest in community resuscitation. He is leading the Chinatown BID and the Chinatown Partnership, two non-profits working on repositioning the area for the future.
Wellington is a highly respected public servant and long-time community advocate. He has worked on many community campaigns, including the Downtown Flushing revitalization efforts. Wellington is the first Asian American to serve on a community board in Queens and a local LDC. The Chinese American to serve on NYC Board of Standards and Appeals. He co-founded an affordable housing company in 1989 to rehab and help to alleviate the housing crisis.
An architect by training, Wellington worked for I.M. Pei Architects and Planners from 1980 to 1985. He began as a member of Community Board 7Q serving for 13 years and over a decade on CUNY and Queens County Traffic Safety Board, and is currently on the boards of the Bowne House Historical Society; Coro NY Leadership Center; DASNY; Governor’s Island Community Advisory Board; GrowNYC: The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC); the Lower Manhattan Historical Association; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the NYC Regional Economic Development Council; YMCA of Greater NY, etc. Wellington was born in Taiwan and grew up in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brazil before coming to America to complete his architectural and environmental studies.
As one of the co-authors and pioneers of the Adaptive Leadership methodology, Zander has made it his mission to give everyone, everywhere the ability to evolve their life and life’s work.
For the past 25 years, Zander has been a confidential advisor, leadership strategist, and organizational consultant to presidents, CEOs, entrepreneurs, activists, and change agents in their most transformative moments.
Zander has shaped the leadership and trajectory of organizations like Google, TED, HBO, IBM, Rockefeller Foundation, and multiple Presidential administrations. He has lectured at Harvard Kennedy School, New York University, Duke Corporate Education, Georgetown, and many other institutions across the country. Zander’s impact and recognized authority as a leadership practitioner reaches across global business, philanthropic, entrepreneurial and creative communities.
In 2009, Zander co-authored the renowned book The Practice of Adaptive Leadership and the Harvard Business Review article “Leadership in a (Permanent Crisis).” He founded Adaptive Leadership+ with a deep commitment to sharing this renowned change framework with those who need it most.
Known for his delivery of truth and grace, Zander is a master facilitator whose genre-defining programs blend creativity, pragmatism, and experiential learning. The ability to hold and navigate the complexity facing audiences within themselves and in their contexts requires a dexterity, improvisation, and fortitude that matches the needs and ambitions present.
An artist at heart, Zander treats music as medicine and has been prescribing and self-medicating for years. He is usually the first to laugh and the last to leave the dance floor.
Zander is a champion for the unfinished, a fountain of creative goodness, and is always willing to follow a great idea wherever it takes him.