Consultant & Non-Profit Leader

Washington, DC

Traci Higgins is the founder and principal of Roosevelt Drive Partners, known for her creative problem-solving and commitment to kindness and empathy in conflict resolution. She began her career as a Federal District Court law clerk before joining King & Spalding as an Associate. Traci spent over a decade as a human resources leader at the Legal Services Corporation and worked with nonprofits such as the Organizing Committee for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and DC Public Schools. A Georgetown University alumna, Traci serves as Chair of the Board of Regents and is actively involved in the Georgetown Scholars Program. She is passionate about education and women’s issues, having served on the boards of Kindred Communities, DC Public Education Fund, and Girls Inc. Traci, a former Peace Corps Volunteer, holds a joint degree in law and public affairs from the University of Virginia School of Law and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Marketing Executive & Non-Profit Education Consultant

Cambridge, MA

Pam began her career as an advertising executive before becoming the VP of International Ad Sales Marketing for Time Warner-Turner in New York. Her success led to her recruitment by CBS Corporation to launch an integrated marketing division, and later, she became the SVP of Viacom Plus, a division she co-led. After the birth of her twin daughters, Pam founded Swiftwater Consultants, focusing on education projects, including the launch of a diverse independent high school in Los Angeles. Her passion for educational equity grew as she continued to consult in education and mentor first-generation college students. In 2020, Pam joined Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative and developed a nonprofit supporting education enrichment for first-generation, low-income students. She will complete her master’s in Education Leadership at Harvard in 2024 and currently serves as Chair of the ASSIST board of directors and as a trustee on the Mindful Philanthropy board. Pam lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, Randy Freer, and enjoys spending time with her college-age twin daughters.

CEO & Coach, ECB Coaching

Cincinnati, OH

Elisabeth has over two decades of experience driving education and systems transformation—from classroom teaching to leading global EdTech organizations. She has held executive roles at Coursera, Avado Digital, and Multiverse, where she scaled professional apprenticeships across the U.S. and U.K. A former Teach For America educator and TNTP partner, she also launched an impact-focused VC firm and served in the U.K. Ministry of Justice. Elisabeth is a graduate of Yale and INSEAD and lives in Cincinnati.

Lawyer, Philanthropist, Community Activist, and Education Leader

Pebble Beach, CA & Atlanta, GA

Pinney Allen, a 30-year lawyer, partner, and leader in Alston & Bird, LLP, and former head of school of the Atlanta Girls’ School, one of the most economically and racially diverse private schools in the country, has worked in and around organizations promoting education and support for under-served youth for many years. In addition to her head of school role, she has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Breakthrough Atlanta, the Big Sur Land Trust, and public library foundations in both Atlanta and California. A native of Iowa and Missouri and a 40-year resident of Atlanta, Pinney now resides in Pebble Beach, California.

Non-Profit Leader & Advisor

Denver, CO

With more than 30 years in the nonprofit arena, Yee-Ann Cho has a longstanding commitment to inclusivity and diverse populations and extensive experience in the education, public and philanthropic sectors at local, state and national levels.

Most recently, Yee-Ann was a partner at LearnerStudio, aiming to advance learner-centered education. She previously led strategy at Pivotal Ventures, served as associate dean and COO at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, and held senior roles with the Colorado Lieutenant Governor and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Yee-Ann has also worked as an independent consultant supporting educational, philanthropic, and nonprofit initiatives.

Her volunteer leadership experience includes sitting on the boards of Early Milestones Colorado, the HadaNou Collective, and Food Bank of the Rockies, and is an alumni advisor and mentor at both GSE and SOM.

Yee-Ann earned her BA from Colgate University, her EdM from Stanford’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), and her MBA from the Yale School of Management (SOM).

President & CEO, Connecticut Public

Hartford, CT

Mark G. Contreras has extensive experience leading local media organizations through digital disruption and transformation. He currently serves as President and CEO of Connecticut Public, the state’s primary NPR and PBS affiliate. Prior to Connecticut Public, he served as Dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University.

He served as CEO of Calkins Media, a family-owned television, newspaper and digital media company with operations throughout the Northeastern and Southeastern regions of the US. The company was consistently recognized for digital innovation and journalism quality.

Prior to Calkins, he was the primary executive (SVP/Newspapers) responsible for the newspapers of the E.W. Scripps Company based in Cincinnati. He served a similar role for Pulitzer, Inc. located in St. Louis, MO. He served for nearly a decade as an executive for Capital Cities/ABC in Pontiac, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri; and Wilkes-Barre, PA.

He has served as Chairman of the Newspaper Association of America and The American Press Institute and as Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and is currently a member of the board of PBS. He also served as a Legislative Assistant on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary for U.S. Senator Paul Simon (D-IL).

He received an AB, History from the University of Chicago and an MBA from The Harvard Business School. He has been married to Marybeth Sughrue for 39 years and their son Michael and his wife Maja live in Brooklyn, New York.

Managing Director, Lexant Advisors

San Rafael, CA

PK is a Managing Director at Lexant Advisors with decades of experience in equities, derivatives, and credit, developed at firms like Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Barclays. He has served on the boards of the National Center for Learning Disabilities and Dragonfly Mental Health, reflecting his family’s legacy of philanthropy. PK brings a deep passion for education and is eager to support Breakthrough’s work in development and strategy. He holds a degree from the University of San Diego and lives with his family in Marin County.

Eastern Division Managing Director & Senior Investment Consultant, City National Rochdale

Richmond, VA

Ted has over 30 years of diversified financial industry experience. He spent 12 years at Marsh & McLennan as a Managing Account Executive in the Reinsurance division. In this role, Ted was an advisor to senior executives of client insurance companies on financial management strategies. He joined City National Rochdale in 2001 and is currently Eastern Divisional Managing Director, where he oversees sales and business development in the region. This includes developing sales strategy and best practices, as well as recruitment and training of new investment consultants. He is also directly responsible for business development throughout the Mid-Atlantic where he communicates and fosters relationships with high-net-worth investors and their financial advisors.

Ted earned his BA from Cornell University and his MBA from Columbia University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a Certified Financial Planner. Since 2003, he has lived in Richmond, VA where he has been an active community member including Endowment and Finance Committee chair on his local church council as well as coaching youth sports. He and his wife, Angela, have been Breakthrough National financial supporters and are eager to get more involved in our mission.

Partner, ArchPoint Consulting

New York, NY

Jose recently joined ArchPoint Consulting after retiring from J.Crew as Chief People Officer. Across his 25 years as a leader in human capital management, he has held several executive positions at Gap Inc. and held global HR leadership roles at Godiva, Campbell Soup, and Nabisco. Jose holds a bachelor’s from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Columbia University.

Financial Services Executive

Cincinnati, OH

As a Founding Trustee of Breakthrough Cincinnati and former President/Board Chair for 16 years, Steve currently serves as the President of Payce LLC, an online digital rewards platform. He is active in the local community and serves on a wide range of boards including Cincinnati Memorial Hall, Western-Southern ATP Tennis Tournament, MusicNow, and the Cincinnati Ballet. His son, Bryce, was a member of the 1st class of teacher interns for the inaugural year of Summerbridge Cincinnati. Steve recently completed his service on the affiliate board following Breakthrough Cincinnati’s 30th-anniversary celebration and is excited to make a difference with Breakthrough Collaborative at the national level.

President, Elevate California

San Francisco, CA

Cathy Cockrum Dean currently serves as President of Elevate California and holds degrees from Brown University and Harvard Business School. She has 15 years of experience in financial services, industrial manufacturing, and high technology businesses. Additionally, she has nearly 20 years of experience helping non-profits with strategic planning, sustainability/financial planning, and change management. Cathy has served on the board at several non-profit organizations focused on education including Breakthrough San Francisco and San Francisco Day School. She chaired the boards of Reading Partners (national and Bay Area) and Gateway Public Schools. Cathy and her husband, Sandy, have three children.

President, Basis Technologies

Raleigh, NC

Chris Hendricks is President of Basis Technologies, where he leads strategic growth and operational initiatives for one of the advertising industry’s leading technology platforms.

With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, including nearly two decades as a corporate officer at McClatchy, Chris has led large-scale digital transformation efforts, managed significant revenue operations and investment portfolios, and served on multiple public company and industry boards, including Cars.com, CareerBuilder, and Apartments.com.

Chris is widely recognized for leadership, innovation, and helping media and technology companies navigate periods of rapid change and growth.

Vice President, AEA Investors LP

New York, NY

Jordan is a Vice President on AEA’s Middle Market Private Equity team. In his role, he focuses on investment opportunities in the industrials and services sectors.

Prior to joining AEA, Jordan was a strategy consultant at Bain & Co. where he worked across private equity diligence, customer experience, supply chain and other areas.

Jordan earned a B.S. in economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in marketing, operations & information management and entrepreneurship.

Jordan has been an active mentor with the New York City Mentoring Program, an organization that pairs high school students with mentors in the fields of finance, media, law, government, the arts and other organizations. He also sits on the Alumni Board of Governors for his high school, Newark Academy.

Founder and President, Phase Two Advisor

Denver, CO

Melinda is a nationally recognized expert on improving students’ transitions to college and supporting them once there. She founded Phase Two Advisory after nearly twenty years of conducting research and working with colleges on education reform as Assistant Director at the Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. Before joining the National Board, Melinda was deeply involved with Breakthrough Kent Denver, where she served as Chair of the Advisory Board. The proud granddaughter of refugees, Melinda works with national and institutional leaders, campus-based faculty and staff, and philanthropists to ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to realize the intergenerational mobility higher education provides.

Philanthropist & Former Chair and Trustee of Breakthrough Central Texas

Austin, TX

Carolyn is an Austin-based philanthropist and community volunteer deeply committed to the causes of global conservation and education. An emeritus member of the Breakthrough Central Texas board, Carolyn has also served as a Global Ambassador for The Nature Conservancy, a
Trustee of TNC’s Tennessee Chapter, and co-chair of TNC’s Our World Campaign Committee. Carolyn grew up in eastern Tennessee and went to Baylor University for her undergraduate education. She returned to her home state to complete her MBA at Vanderbilt University and begin her career in commercial banking. Upon relocating to Austin, she and her husband, Jack, became connected to Breakthrough Central Texas through their children’s principal and thus began a long-term commitment to the program including six years on the affiliate board. Carolyn is a big believer in the local impact that Breakthrough can deliver and is very excited about joining the National Board in support of the new strategic plan. She is an experienced board member with a passion for development. Her other interests include road cycling, bird watching, reading, cooking, and traveling.

Head of School, Louisville Collegiate School & Breakthrough Louisville Board Member

Louisville, KY

Dr. Rob Macrae has over 35 years of experience in independent school leadership, serving as Head of School at Cincinnati Country Day School, New Canaan Country School, and Louisville Collegiate School. His focus is on fostering a culture of comprehensive wellness within school communities. Rob’s connection to Breakthrough began at Cincinnati Country Day School, where he supported Breakthrough Cincinnati and served as a Breakthrough National Trustee from 2009-2015. At Louisville Collegiate, he helped integrate the local Summerbridge program into the National organization under Breakthrough Louisville. Rob holds a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics/Computer Science from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Educational Administration from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a Doctor of Education from the same institution. He and his wife Lynn, to whom he has been married for 33 years, enjoy teaching mindfulness and yoga together.

CEO, Breakthrough Collaborative

Vince Marigna began his career as a high school English teacher and Teach For America corps member in New Jersey, going on to join the local Teach For America staff in Newark where he coached and supported incoming teachers in that program. As a first-generation college graduate himself, Marigna has committed his career to organizations expanding educational opportunities for students from backgrounds that are historically marginalized and underserved by the education system. Most recently, Marigna served as Executive Director of Braven – Newark, where he grew the number of college students served year over year, secured funding to fuel growth regionally and to support the expansion of Braven nationally, and served on the New Jersey Governor’s task force focused on student success in college. “It’s an exciting time to be at Breakthrough and I am thrilled about the tremendous opportunity to be part of such a dynamic and vital organization.”

Executive Director, Breakthrough Birmingham

Birmingham, AL

Mariohn Michel brings a powerful combination of classroom experience and strategic insight to her role as Executive Director of Breakthrough Birmingham. She started her education career as a Teach for America corps member in rural Alabama, where she fell in love with the state’s culture, then sharpened her skills analyzing student data and designing creative solutions in New York City schools. Her hands-on experience in both rural and urban settings gives her a rare understanding of what actually works for students. Today, Mariohn channels that expertise into leading Breakthrough Birmingham while serving on boards for Teach for America – Alabama and SAIL Alabama, always focused on making education more effective and accessible.

CEO, Synapset Consulting

Jersey City, NJ

As Breakthrough Atlanta’s founder, Keno is a graduate of Morehouse College and a proud Teaching Fellow alumnus from summer programs in Breakthrough Fort Worth and Breakthrough Miami. He brings over 20 years of experience as a social entrepreneur creating and implementing innovative programs in education, leadership development, and social justice. With a background that blends military service, classroom teaching, and organizational development rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, he delivers senior-level leadership and guidance to multi-disciplinary teams delivering social impact globally. At Purpose, he has worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support their effort to elevate diverse voices that can help broaden the conversation about the issues inhibiting economic mobility and generate deeper awareness and actionable understanding.

Attorney & Community Volunteer

Austin, TX

Executive Director, Breakthrough San Francisco

Berkeley, CA

Originally from New York, Andy was a Teaching Fellow at the Breakthrough sites in Long Island and Cambridge as an undergraduate and was immediately hooked. He subsequently taught sixth grade math and science in Oakland as a Teach For America corps member before returning to Breakthrough as Program Director at the Cambridge site. Andy has done short-term work for The Steppingstone Foundation, Aim High, and Summer Search, where he served as an Education Pioneers Fellow. He holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University and was an Urban Scholars Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, receiving an Ed.M. in School Leadership. He lives in Berkeley with his family.

Director of Finance and Operations, Fayerweather Street School

Cambridge, MA

Jenni has built her career around the belief that strong finance and operations create the conditions for exceptional teaching, learning, and community. As a first-generation college graduate, she deeply values the transformative power of education and brings more than fifteen years of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations, creating systems that are thoughtful, sustainable, and people-centered. Jenni previously served as the Co-Executive Director and other roles at Breakthrough Greater Boston for over 10 years, where she was captivated by its strong sense of community, and its belief in joyful learning. Jenni earned a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Northeastern University and a Master of Education in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, daughter, and three dogs, and can often be found behind the camera as an amateur photographer, capturing the beauty in everyday moments.

Retired CEO and Non-Profit Board Leader

Cincinnati, OH

Lance is a founder and entrepreneur who spent most of his career acquiring, growing, and successfully exiting DCS Sanitation Management, a company providing sanitation services to the food processing industry nationwide. He has also been involved in numerous startups and small business acquisitions and continues to serve as an investor, board member, and advisor to a number of these organizations.

A lifelong advocate for education, Lance has served on the Indian Hill (OH) Board of Education and on the boards of several education-focused nonprofit organizations, including Miami University’s Entrepreneurship Program and Breakthrough Cincinnati. In addition, he has been a long-serving board member of the Enneagram Prison Project.

Lance holds a B.S. in Finance from Miami University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Co-Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager, Tensile Capital Management

San Francisco, CA

Arthur is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Tensile Capital Management, where he leads the firm’s public equity investments. Before launching Tensile in 2012, he was a Managing Partner and Head of Public Equity at Blum Capital and served on the board of JDA Software.

With a career that began at Fir Tree Partners and Blavin & Company, Arthur also brings foundational experience from McKinsey & Company and a background in securities litigation.

Arthur holds a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins and a JD from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law.

Executive Director, IDEO and Former Breakthrough Sacramento student and Teaching Fellow

Oakland, CA

Rachel is Executive Director at IDEO, where she leads design, research, and social impact initiatives for nonprofits, public institutions, and Fortune 500 companies. With a background in education nonprofits including KIPP, Character Lab, and Teach For America, she brings deep expertise in strategy, innovation, and human-centered design. Rachel’s connection to Breakthrough began as a student and teacher at Summerbridge Sacramento, fueling her passion for educational equity. She lives in Oakland, California, where she writes about design and raises her daughters.

Philanthropist & Civic Leader

Miami, FL

Abby Zanarini has been an active member of the South Florida community since arriving in 2004.  After growing up in Brazil and France, she returned to the US and graduated from Southern Methodist University.  Abby began her fashion career as an account executive at the Dallas Apparel Mart joining the team at Ellen Tracy and subsequently worked for a range of firms including Emanuel Ungaro, Bottega Veneta and Johnny Was in New York and Los Angeles. Since moving to Miami, in addition to raising her two daughters, Abby has been involved in a myriad of volunteer activities.  She has served on the Parent Association Board of Ransom Everglades School and was the President of Beaux Arts, a volunteer organization supporting the University of Miami and its Lowe Art Museum. Since 2014, she has been an active and passionate supporter of Breakthrough Miami.