Meet the Team

Staff and Interns

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling, wearing a green top with white stripe pattern, and hoop earrings, against a white background.

    Christine O'Connell

    Executive Director

  • A woman with long, wavy blond hair, smiling, wearing a black textured jacket with a zipper and a black scarf, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

    Lauren Shenkman

    Director of Partnerships and Programs

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a denim shirt, indoors near a large window.

    Laura Kikuchi Dunn

    Director of Operations

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling and standing by a window with snow outside.

    Stephanie Dore Kingston

    Development Director

  • A person with short dark hair, glasses, and a dark collared shirt smiling in front of a brick wall with dried vines.

    Cheyenne Rosado

    Program Director

  • A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress, sits on a beige armchair with a colorfully patterned pillow, gesturing with her hands while speaking at an event. A dark screen behind her displays logos and text related to the Los Angeles Local News Initiative and other organizations.

    Ava Mateo

    Communications Director

  • A woman with curly black hair smiling in an outdoor setting with trees and a white fence in the background.

    Naya Houchen

    Program Manager

  • A young woman with blonde hair, smiling, standing next to engraved stone plaques in an indoor setting with natural light.

    Thais Salas

    Senior Program Coordinator

  • A woman with long dark hair, wearing a black dress, standing in front of a purple background with American Express logos, smiling at the camera.

    Destany Story

    Program and Community Coordinator

  • Christina Alvarez

    Digital Coordinator

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a gray sweater, smiling and standing against a plain white wall.

    Kate Sinclair

    Development and Operations Coordinator

  • Young woman smiling in front of the Washington Monument and reflecting pool in Washington D.C., during dusk.

    Chelsea Osei

    Call For Kindness Intern

  • Close-up of a young woman with long dark hair, wearing a pink top, black blazer with pins, and a gold necklace, smiling against a blue background.

    Eleanor Koh

    Marketing Intern

  • A woman with long black hair in a business suit smiling outdoors against a concrete wall with greenery in the background.

    Ermina Chowdhury

    Club Intern

  • A woman with braided hair and glasses standing outdoors with her arms crossed, smiling, in front of greenery and steps.

    Kiersten Johnson

    Alumni and Community Intern

Board of Directors

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair, wearing a polo shirt and a smartwatch, with crossed arms, standing against a plain background.

    Ian Sandler

    Co-Founder and Board Chair

  • A woman with long dark hair smiling at the camera.

    Mackenzie Sandler

    Co-Founder

  • A woman with long, wavy brown hair and blue eyes smiling at the camera, wearing a black top, standing against a plain white wall.

    Amy Bersh

    Secretary

  • Close-up of a smiling man with gray hair, wearing a black zip-up jacket and a red shirt, standing against a plain gray wall.

    Brian Potash

    Treasurer, Finance Chair

  • A man with short dark hair and light skin, wearing a black Patagonia jacket, sitting in a vehicle with a city street seen through the window in the background.

    Eric Frank

    Board Member

  • A young woman with long brown hair, smiling, wearing a white shirt and layered necklaces against a blue textured background.

    Gia Gambino

    Board Member

  • A smiling man dressed in a dark suit, light blue shirt, and a patterned red tie, standing outdoors with a cityscape of tall office buildings in the background.

    John Horner

    Board Member, Governance Chair

  • Smiling man in a suit and tie against a plain white background.

    Jordan Freundlich

    Board Member

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling, wearing a black long-sleeve top and a gold chain necklace, standing against a plain beige background.

    Katie Leonberger

    Board Member

  • A woman with curly brown hair smiling, wearing a red dress with a keyhole neckline and gold earrings, against a black background.

    Laura Rebell Gross

    Board Member

  • A woman with blonde hair, wearing a black top, smiling subtly, against a plain light background.

    Lindsey Kupferman

    Board Member

  • A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes smiling at the camera, wearing a pink zip-up athletic jacket.

    Mindy Jacobs

    Board Member

  • A professional man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a blue checkered blazer and light blue collared shirt.

    Morgan Elwyn

    Board Member

  • A woman with blonde wavy hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, smiling, wearing a blue top and earrings.

    Natalie Silverstein

    Board Member, Development Chair

  • A smiling man with a bald head wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie against a gray background.

    Noah Heller

    Board Member

  • Close-up of a smiling man with dark, curly hair wearing a light gray suit, white shirt, and black and white patterned tie.

    Oseloka Idigbe

    Board Member, Program Chair

  • A man in a suit smiling against a plain white background.

    Paul Burke

    Board Member

  • Black man smiling in a suit and white shirt, posing for a professional portrait, in black and white.

    Rob Robinson

    Board Member

  • A smiling woman with long, straight blonde hair wearing a black blazer, white blouse, and pearl necklace, standing with arms crossed in front of a glass window.

    Sarah Schwarzschild

    Board Member

  • Portrait of a smiling man with short gray hair, wearing a blue checkered shirt and a dark blazer, against a light gray background.

    Scott Eisenberg

    Board Member

  • A woman with long brown hair and bangs, wearing a white jacket, smiling in an indoor setting with white walls and a sloped ceiling.

    Terry Kaplan

    Board Member

  • Close-up portrait of a smiling African American woman with long black hair, wearing a sleeveless blouse with black, white, and blue patterns, against a dark background.

    Yolonda Marshall

    Board Member

  • A circular abstract design with concentric dark blue and light purple rings.

    Lauren Dillard

    Board Member

  • A graphic illustration featuring concentric circles with varying shades of purple and blue.

    Nadia Weinstein

    Board Member

  • Professional headshot of a smiling man in business attire with a cityscape background.

    David Kerstein

    Emeritus Board Member

  • Black and white photo of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing earrings and a necklace, smiling at the camera.

    Lauren Hyman Kaplan

    Emeritus Board Member

“The Riley’s Way Youth Leadership Retreat was truly transformative for me. I walked in with excitement but also some nerves, and I left feeling empowered, connected, and inspired. Meeting youth leaders from across the country opened my eyes to the power of kindness as a foundation for leadership.”

— Isabella, age 16

A young woman is speaking on stage, holding a microphone in her right hand and some papers in her left, wearing a purple sweatshirt and jeans, standing in front of a red curtain.