Director of Parent Engagement and Community Outreach
Brian Stemmer
Director of Finance
Wendy Silva
Human Resources Manager
Tariq Dorville
Purchasing Associate
Sasha Miller
Assistant Director of High School and College Success
Daisy Guzmán
Program Manager
Bria Baptiste
Data and Program Coordinator
Renato Muguercia
Technology Support Specialist
DeAllen Oakley
Facilities Manager
Board
Nancy Lewson Kurz, Chair Beginning with Children Foundation
Travis Baird Maverick Capital Foundation
Michelle Brooks Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners
Chris Gaulin Ashler Capital
Deborah Goldfarb Barclays Capital
Eric Hoffman Centerbridge Partners
Kofi N. Kankam TRANSFRVR
Marshall King Gibson Dunn
Erasmo Montalvan Microsoft
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.
Nancy Lewson Kurz
Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Lewson Kurz provides overall strategy and direction to BwC. Ms. Lewson Kurz received an Ed.M. in Education Policy from Teachers College with concentrations in charter schools and education equity. Previously, she 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. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and New York University School of Law, she practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, founded the Urban Environmental Law Foundation and was a fellow at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany.
Amy Kolz
Chief Schools Officer
Ms. Kolz manages the operations, strategy and growth of BwC schools. Previously, Ms. Kolz served as the chair of the Board of Trustees for Community Partnership Charter Schools Education Corporation. She has worked in investment banking and equity capital markets at Goldman Sachs, business journalism at The American Lawyer and as an entrepreneur in culinary arts. Ms. Kolz received her Bachelors Degree in Economics from Duke University and has completed coursework at New York University and the Institute of Culinary Education.
Esosa Ogbahon
Superintendent
Mr. Ogbahon manages the academic and instructional practices for BwC schools. He is the founding Principal of Beginning with Children Charter School 2 and has worked as an elementary school teacher and school leader. Previously, Mr. Ogbahon was part of the founding teaching team at Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School. He has also served in the capacity of Assessment Coordinator and Curriculum Director at various schools. Mr. Ogbahon graduated from Bucknell University majoring in Economics, received his Masters in Elementary Education from Brooklyn College and completed a second Masters at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Geraldeen Licurse
Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Licurse manages the financial operations and technology of BwC and the schools in BwC network. Ms. Licurse oversees all aspects of financial accounting and reporting for the four organizations. Previously, Ms. Licurse was a manager with Goldstein Golub Kessler, LLP certified public accountants and consultants. During this time she oversaw audits, and performed compliance and consulting services for not-for-profit organizations nationwide. Ms. Licurse received her BA in Accounting and Information Systems from City University of New York, Queens College.
Jennella Young
Chief Program Officer
Ms. Young supports program design for BwC and schools in BwC network, as well as oversees BwC Alumni Program. Previously, she was a Program Officer at New Visions for Public Schools where she facilitated professional trainings for new public high schools and collaborated with the Annenberg Institute to support educational partnerships between the United Kingdom and New York City. She also served as an Interim Director of Programs for the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, a Consultant for the New York State Board of Education, and an Assistant Director of Admissions for the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Tamara Tucker
Chief Development Officer
Tamara oversees development, communications and marketing at BwCF. Previously she was the Senior Director of Development at the “I Have A Dream” Foundation National Headquarters. Prior to that Tamara was Director of College Guidance & Programming at the Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women where she managed and facilitated all college readiness activities. Mara holds a BA from Northeastern University a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.
Keisha Rattray
Managing Director of Teaching and Learning
Mrs. Rattray is the Managing Director for Teaching and Learning, in her role she provides leadership support, and technical assistance to district and school staff relative to assessment, curriculum, and instructional methodology. Prior to joining BwCF, she was the Director of Program Strategy and Delivery, Northeast, at NTC, the New Teacher Center, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to disrupt the predictability of educational inequities for systemically underserved students, from preschool through high school, by accelerating educator effectiveness. Keisha provided oversight to NTC’s teacher induction, instructional coaching, and school leadership programs in the Northeast. Keisha began her career as a public middle school teacher in Harlem and has held several instructional leadership roles. In 2010, she became the Founding Middle School Director of Community Partnership Middle School. Keisha graduated from Long Island University majoring in Sociology and Secondary Education, and received her Master’s in Education from Bank Street College of Education. As an educator and life-long learner, Keisha understands education as activism and uses her passion for the work to inspire fellow educators to reflect on their practice and to “be the change” they wish to see.
Andrea Hill
Director of Grants and Research
Andrea manages institutional funding sources for BwCF, as well as data management & reporting processes for the Legacy Network. Andrea comes to BwCF 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.
Sonia Ortiz-Gulardo
Director of Parent Engagement and Community Outreach
Ms. Ortiz-Gulardo provides parent engagement and community outreach services for BwC. The founder of the BwC Alumni Program, previously Ms. Ortiz-Gulardo was the Founding Principal of Beginning with Children Charter School. She has worked 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 boards of the READ Foundation, Literacy, Inc and ReConnect. Ms Ortiz-Gulardo received a BS in Sociology and a MS in Education from Hunter College of the City University of New York.
Wendy Silva
Human Resources Manager
Wendy Silva is the Human Resources Manager. She handles employee inquires, employee relations, and benefits for school staff. Previously she was the Human Resources Administrator at Forrest Solutions. Wendy has a BBA in International Business from Iona College and an MBA in Human Resources Management from American Intercontinental University. Wendy is an avid tea drinker, and always has a book handy.
Renato Muguercia
Technology Support Specialist
Mr. Muguercia is responsible for providing information technology support to schools in BwC network. Prior to joining BwC, Mr. Muguercia was a Systems Administrator and a Technical Trainer for six years at Etek Training in New Jersey. Mr. Muguercia 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 AAS from Borough of Manhattan Community College and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Monroe College.