Our Team

Geri Licurse

Chief Executive Officer

Nancy Lewson Kurz​

Senior Advisor

Esosa Ogbahon

President, Education Network

Amy Kolz

Executive Director, Initiatives

Keisha Rattray

Network Chief Academic Officer

Pascale Artamin

Network Chief Operations Officer

Brian Stemmer

Network Chief Financial Officer

Alyssa Kelly

Chief of Staff

Sonia Ortiz-Gulardo

Network Director of Parent Engagement and Community Outreach

Nella Mupier

Initiatives Director, Legacy Network

Leslie Montalvo

Development Director

Jennella Young

Initiatives Director, Community Connections

Jessica Sadev

Network Director of School Support Services

Andrea Hill

Network Director of Grants and Research

Wendy Silva

Network Human Resources Manager

Daniela Lerma

Initiatives Program Manager, Legacy Network

Anadely Ortiz

Network Purchasing Coordinator

Andres Lema

Network Accounts Payable Specialist

Anthony Bhimsain

Network Manager of Data Systems and Compliance

Alex Lam

Network Senior Data Associate

Renato Muguercia

Network Technology Support Specialist

Board

Nancy Lewson Kurz, Chair
Beginning with Children Foundation

Michelle Brooks, Vice Chair
Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

Chris Gaulin, Treasurer
Ashler Capital

Travis Baird
Maverick Capital Foundation

Rebecca Baneman
Advance

David Becker
Barclays (Retired)

Deborah Goldfarb
Barclays Capital

Kofi N. Kankam
TRANSFRVR

Erasmo Montalván
Microsoft

Sonia Ortiz-Gulardo
Beginning with Children Foundation

Leneil Roderique
Condé Nast

Kiasia Truluck
TIME

Founders Joe and Carol Reich

The principles we were building our school on, presented something potentially huge in education reform. These principles-parental choice, freedom to operate in a manner consistent with the needs of specific children, parent involvement, longer school days and a longer school year, merit compensation for teachers-could be a game changer for children of poverty. It was the growing sense of this possibility that re-energized us and gave us the strength to push on, for as long as necessary.

We both shared a common and basic belief: families of means can afford to send their children to private schools or relocate to an affluent neighborhood where public schools have greater resources. The poor cannot. We recoiled against this injustice. We made it our own struggle.

Joe and Carol Reich

Geri Licurse

Chief Executive Officer

Geri provides overall strategic direction and leadership to BwC. Previously, she was the Chief Financial Officer, managing the financial operations, accounting, and reporting across the organization. Having served BwC for over two decades, she brings deep institutional knowledge. Prior to BwC, Geri was a manager with Goldstein Golub Kessler, LLP certified public accountants and consultants. She oversaw audits and performed compliance and consulting services for not-for-profit organizations nationwide. Geri received her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Information Systems from City University of New York, Queens College.

Nancy Lewson Kurz​

Senior Advisor

Nancy provides overall strategy and leads special projects as Senior Advisor and Chair of the Board. Previously, Nancy was an advisor in the New York City Mayor’s Office and a Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Environmental Protection. She also practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, founded the Urban Environmental Law Foundation and was a fellow at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany. Nancy graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and New York University School of Law. She also received an Ed.M. in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Esosa Ogbahon

President, Education Network

Esosa leads BwC Education Network, ensuring operational excellence and academic achievement. He is the founding Principal of Beginning with Children Charter School 2 and Community High School and has taught and led at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He previously served on the founding team at Achievement First Crown Heights. In addition, he has worked as an adjunct in Lehigh University’s Urban Principals Leadership program. Esosa earned degrees from Bucknell, Brooklyn College, and Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a founding and executive member of his neighborhood block association.

Amy Kolz

Executive Director, Initiatives

Amy leads programs that advance educational equity beyond the classroom through alumni support, community engagement, leadership development, and fundraising. She previously served as Chief Schools Officer, guiding the strategy, operations, and growth of BwC schools, and earlier was Chair of the Board of Trustees for Community Partnership Charter Schools. Before that, Amy worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and in business journalism at The American Lawyer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Duke University and is deeply committed to creating lifelong pathways of opportunity for young people.

Keisha Rattray

Network Chief Academic Officer

Keisha provides leadership support and technical assistance to district and school staff across BwC. Her 20-year education career began in New York City Public Schools. She later held instructional leadership roles in both district and charter schools. Before joining BwC, Keisha worked for a national nonprofit, leading teacher induction, coaching, and leadership development with school and district leaders. She holds a bachelor’s in Sociology and Secondary Education from Long Island University and an MSEd from Bank Street College. Keisha is a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership and Education Policy.

Pascale Artamin

Network Chief Operations Officer

Pascale is responsible for school operations and regulatory compliance for BwC Education Network. Prior to joining BwC, Pascale worked as Assistant Principal of Operations for Bushwick Ascend Charter School, responsible for lower school operations. She also held positions at Ascend Learning, Achievement First, Every Person Influences Children, and the Partnership for New York City. Pascale received a Bachelor of Science in Labor and Industrial Relations from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science in Public and Urban Policy from The New School.

Brian Stemmer

Network Chief Financial Officer

Brian manages all financial operations for BwC Education Network, including budgeting, accounting, compliance, and reporting. He also handles critical business management functions, spanning insurance programs, employee benefits administration, and risk management. With over 20 years of dedicated service to the organization, Brian brings deep institutional knowledge and expertise in educational finance. Prior to joining BwC, Brian was the controller for a privately held precious metal jewelry manufacturer. He received his Bachelor of Accountancy from George Washington University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Alyssa Kelly

Chief of Staff

Alyssa provides strategic thought partnership to staff, fostering opportunities for collaboration and innovation. She leads the Board Fellowship program, providing BwC alumni a pathway to Board leadership. Prior to BwC, Alyssa was a Curriculum Author at Zearn where she developed a free math curriculum for students and teachers nationwide. She also served as a special education teacher at South Bronx Preparatory and an Education Fellow at UPchieve. Alyssa received a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Finance and Business Analytics and a master’s degree from Relay Graduate School of Education. 

Sonia Ortiz-Gulardo

Network Director of Parent Engagement and Community Outreach

Sonia provides parent engagement and community outreach services for BwC. Sonia founded the BwC Alumni Program and was previously the Founding Principal of Beginning with Children Charter School. Sonia has worked at the Institute for Urban Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, under Mayor Koch’s Administration as the Assistant Director for Early Childhood Education, and has served as a classroom teacher, staff developer, and Director of Bilingual Programs in East Harlem. She serves on the ReConnect and CPEC Boards. Sonia received a BS in Sociology and a MS in Education from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

Nella Mupier

Initiatives Director, Legacy Network

Nella oversees network and community program services for college access, college success, leadership development, and community engagement for BwC Initiatives. Before BwC, Nella was the inaugural Director of Programs for Girl Be Heard. Her contributions to youth development include, developing enrichment curricula to enhance educational outcomes for students of color, leading efforts to build strategic partnerships for schools and communities, and creating arts access opportunities for civic engagement with at-risk youth. Nella holds degrees from Prairie View A&M, Texas A&M, and is currently working on her Doctorate in Education.

Leslie Montalvo

Development Director

Leslie leads development strategy and donor engagement for Beginning with Children. Prior to joining BwC, Leslie worked as Development Manager at the Museum of the City of New York, where she led data-driven fundraising and operations. She also held roles at The Fresh Air Fund and other NYC-based nonprofits. Leslie received a master’s degree in Media, Communication, and Art from Pace University and a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from SUNY Oswego.

Jennella Young

Initiatives Director, Community Connections

Jennella leads initiatives that foster community partnerships and deeper ties to the neighborhoods surrounding our schools through creative engagement. She previously served as BwC’s Chief Program Officer, supported the creation of 120 new high schools at New Visions for Public Schools, and was the founding board chair for the NVPS Brooklyn and Queens charter high schools. She has collaborated with the Smithsonian, the Guggenheim Museum, and the New-York Historical Society on archival and public programming. She holds degrees from Lehigh University and NYU and has completed additional graduate work at Pratt Institute.

Jessica Sadev

Network Director of School Support Services

Jessica oversees special education and multilingual learner programming and instructional coaching for BwC Education Network. Prior to joining BwC, Jessica worked as Network Director of Math Special Education at KIPP NYC and Network Director of High School Curriculum at Ascend Charter Schools, where she led instructional strategy and program design. She has been a founding school leader, assistant principal, and is a certified principal, after having taught middle school science for five years. Jessica received two M.Ed. degrees, and is a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University.

Andrea Hill

Network Director of Grants and Research

Andrea oversees all public funding streams for BwC Education Network, including Federal, State, and City funding. Andrea comes to BwC from the “I Have A Dream” Foundation, where she oversaw all of the national office’s performance management & data reporting efforts, and at the NYC Department of Education, where she worked for the After School Professional Development Program. Andrea received her BA from the University of Chicago in Political Science, and holds an MS in Government Analytics from Johns Hopkins University.

Wendy Silva

Network Human Resources Manager

Wendy handles onboarding, offboarding, employee inquiries, employee relations, and benefits for BwC Education Network. Previously she was the Human Resources Administrator at Forrest Solutions. She also held positions at The Fountain Group and Allegis Global Solutions. Wendy has a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from Iona College and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from American Intercontinental University.

Daniela Lerma

Initiatives Program Manager, Legacy Network

Daniela works primarily with juniors and seniors, providing hands-on support through the college application and admissions process. Prior to joining BwC, Daniela worked as a College Access Manager at Success Academy where she managed a team of counselors and a cohort of students. She also held positions at Summer Discovery, where she planned and executed summer programs for high school students. Daniela received both her master’s (College Student Personnel Administration) and bachelor’s (Communication Studies, Civic Engagement) degrees from Illinois State University.

Anadely Ortiz

Network Purchasing Coordinator

Anadely coordinates and executes purchase orders for BwC Education Network, ensuring effective communication with all relevant stakeholders throughout the procurement process. Prior to joining BwC, Anadely worked as an Operations Manager at Central Brooklyn Ascend Charter School, facilitating procurement processes, overseeing and maintaining student data, and leading the operations team. She also held positions at Affiliated Physicians and Banorte-Ixe Securities International. Anadely received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from York College-CUNY and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University Worldwide.

Andres Lema

Network Accounts Payable Specialist

Andres processes the payment of expenses for BwC Education Network. Prior to joining BwC, Andres worked as an Accounts Payable Specialist at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors where he managed domestic and international payments for both expense and grants of the projects within RPA. He also held positions at The Fresh Air Fund, where he started as an intern in high school and worked for the following 6 years. Andres received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from The City College of New York.

Anthony Bhimsain

Network Manager of Data Systems and Compliance

Anthony leads data systems infrastructure and compliance reporting for BwC Education Network, overseeing SIS and EdTech platforms and NYSED data submissions. He previously taught mathematics with the Ministry of Education in Guyana and supported students as a Math & Computer Science Tutor and Teaching Assistant at Mercy College. Anthony holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Mercy College and an A.D. in Education from Cyril Potter College. He is currently pursuing a M.S. in Information Technology at Arizona State University.

Alex Lam

Network Senior Data Associate

Alex reports on academic success and analyzes data to help identify key factors in students’ education. He assists in data cleaning, recruitment, and reporting. Previously, he was a Performance Quality & Improvement Specialist at the Children’s Home for Poughkeepsie, record keeping for immigrant children and upholding ORR standards. He held positions at East Harlem Scholars Tutorial Program as a Data Analyst and Hudson River Housing Inc. as a Resource Development Coordinator. Alex received a MS in Information Systems Management at Marist College and a BS in Business Administration (Management Information Systems) at SUNY Binghamton.

Renato Muguercia

Network Technology Support Specialist

Renato is responsible for providing information technology support to schools in the BwC Education Network. Prior to joining BwC, Renato was a Systems Administrator and a Technical Trainer for six years at Etek Training in New Jersey. Renato is a Microsoft certified trainer and holds the following certifications: MCSE, MCITP, CRM 4.0, Great Plains, Sharepoint 2010 and Microsoft server virtualization. He has an Associate of Applied Science degree from Borough of Manhattan Community College and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Monroe College.

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