“What began as theoretical discussions in coffee shops with my partners Diana Eisenstat and Brad Holmes has now turned into a mission-driven reality, fueled by the time, energy and imagination of so many of our partners and supporters. We are passionate about delivering an innovative program that provides opportunity and critical support for young people with learning disabilities, while also inspiring a more diverse and inclusive workplace.” – Carolyn Jeppsen, CEO
About Us
Paid employment is one of the best predictors of a positive future.
We’re making sure our young people are ready.
Our History
BroadFutures was founded by Carolyn Jeppsen, Diana Eisenstat and Brad Holmes, who first came together as Board members of The Kingsbury Center, a 75-year-old educational institution serving students with learning disabilities and their families. They are passionately committed to broadening options and ensuring pathways for success for this promising group of young people. All of the founders are also proud parents of children with learning and other disabilities.
BroadFutures is the only paid internship program for young people with learning disabilities in the country.
Mission, Vision and Purpose
Our Mission is to advance the inherent potential of young adults with learning disabilities in the workforce through partnerships that foster independence, self-advocacy and successful employment.
Our Vision is a transformative and inclusive workforce where all individuals have an equal opportunity to succeed.
One in five individuals has a learning and attention issue. Given the prevalence of learning and attention issues, the demand for programs such as ours is significant. Existing programs do not address the needs of young people whose disabilities involve a lack of organization, attention, social skills, and capacity to handle stress, all of which can significantly hinder progress and the ability to maintain a job or stay in school.
Early paid work experiences are the single greatest predictor of future success for young people with disabilities. Our unique program prepares young people for these experiences.
We incorporate the arts.
We incorporate the arts.
Our program builds workplace readiness skills in unique ways. By employing a drama artist and speech pathologist, we use role-play, improvisation and graffiti art to enable our interns to fully engage with our curriculum. These activities provide an opportunity to make mistakes in a risk-free environment, practice work situations, receive feedback and enter the workplace with greater comfort and confidence.
We provide each intern with both a mentor and coach.
We provide each intern with both a mentor and coach.
BroadFutures is unique in providing a high-touch program with multiple levels of holistic support. Mentors and coaches supervise and act as liaisons between interns, employers and families. Coaches and mentors spend considerable time with interns on goal-setting, strategies to achieve goals, and transition plans for long-term success.
We use yoga and mindfulness to teach stress reduction.
We use yoga and mindfulness to teach stress reduction.
Yoga and mindfulness are integrated into our program to address stress reduction and tolerance. Research reveals that stress reduction techniques such as yoga and mindfulness can produce dramatic effects in the learning environment, workplace and overall well-being. We believe such practice is critical to the success of the young people we serve. Our interns also describe it as one of their favorite parts of our curriculum.
Learn more about what makes our program unique.
Our People
Carolyn Jeppsen
Co-Founder/CEO/President
Carolyn oversees the creation, planning and implementation of BroadFutures’ strategic direction, as well as our overall administration program development and fiscal health. She is passionate about creating innovative solutions to empower young people with disabilities to succeed in education and the workforce and ensuring that a diverse workplace is inclusive of disability. Carolyn has over 20 years experience serving on nonprofit boards and in leadership capacities of institutions that serve individuals with disabilities. She is a frequent speaker on the value of internships and work based learning, as well as a diverse workforce that is inclusive of persons with disabilities.
Carolyn is also an experienced litigator with a career focused in the areas of insurance defense, medical malpractice, professional liability and financial institutions. She has authored two articles: RTC and FDIC Administrative Subpoenas, The Review of Banking & Financial Services, Vol. 11, No. 21, Dec. 13, 1995; The Use of Administrative Subpoenas, Lecturer: Practicing Law Institute: “Defending Bank Directors” October 1995.
Carolyn received her B.A. with honors from Colby College, in Philosophy and French, her J.D. from George Washington University National Law Center, and her Certificate of Non-Profit Executive Management from Georgetown University.
Ashley Bray
Program Director
Ashley serves as our Program Director, overseeing the coordination, management, and administration of the BroadFutures program. She works closely with our senior staff and service provider team to ensure successful delivery of the program. Ashley is passionate about supporting advocacy efforts for individuals with disabilities by breaking down barriers in academia and employment to promote a path to self-determination and success. She has extensive experience and leadership in program development, specifically in expanding academic, economic, and workforce opportunities for diverse communities, including individuals with learning disabilities. Ashley also has experience in the development and facilitation of trainings on disability awareness, inclusion, and appropriate accommodations and technical assistance in both the classroom and the workplace.
Prior to joining BroadFutures, Ashley worked as a Disability and Learning Skills Advisor at Georgetown University, managing the Academic Resource Center for the School of Continuing Studies and overseeing the coordination and implementation of academic accommodations and support services. She also served as a Program Coordinator at The National Disability Institute, managing a national initiative that provided individualized training and technical assistance in financial education, workforce development, disability customer services and universal design. Ashley also has experience as an Education & Employment Coordinator at Jubilee Housing, and as a Workforce Development Specialist at Linden Resources (presently Melwood). Ashley received her M.A. in Human Development and Secondary Special Education with a concentration in Vocational Evaluation from The George Washington University and her B.S. in Human Development from Virginia Tech.
Laurie Thomas
Director of Program Support
Laurie serves as the Director of Program Support, providing critical guidance, support and coaching to our interns as well as our employers, ensuring successful outcomes for both. Laurie is passionate about empowering individuals with ADHD and learning disabilities. Laurie has an in-depth knowledge of ADHD and the academic, social, emotional and professional challenges that may arise as a result of the disorder. She is accredited in ADHD/Executive Function and Life Coaching and is also an active member of the ADHD education and treatment community. Her memberships include: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Learning Disabilities Association of American (LDA), and Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA). Laurie has also attended numerous academic conferences on the topic of special education and ADHD.
ADHD/Executive Function coaching is a second career for Laurie, who began her professional life as a litigation attorney. She has been involved in the non-profit sector, for over 15 years, serving as a trustee of The Harbor School in Bethesda, Maryland, and as member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and now Advisory Board member of The Dwelling Place, Inc., in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Laurie is the proud parent of a child with ADHD and learning disabilities. Laurie received her B.A. with honors from Smith College, in Art History, with a minor in Government, and her J.D. with honors from The American University, Washington College of Law, where she was a member of The American University Law Review. Laurie lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and their three children.
Alexa Weidanz
Senior Program Associate
Alexa serves as both a program associate and mentor, providing overall support for the coordination and management of our programs and serving as a mentor for BroadFutures interns. She is passionate about helping individuals with learning disabilities recognize their potential in all aspects of their lives, including the workplace. She previously worked at the HelpLine at The National Alliance on Mental Health, where she assisted callers in gaining access to mental health resources. She also worked in a Sensation and Perception research psychology laboratory during her undergraduate studies. Alexa received her B.A. with honors in Psychology and Sociology from the George Washington University. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Alexa is looking forward to pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. She is originally from New Jersey and is currently residing in Virginia.
Carole Trevey
Program Associate
Carole serves as a Program Associate by assisting with the coordination and organization of the BroadFutures program, as well as providing critical support with our marketing and fundraising activities. Carole also serves as a mentor to our interns. Carole is committed to and invested in making sure individuals with learning disabilities experience equal opportunities in the workplace. Carole has held several marketing and advertising internships, where she has worked on advertising campaigns, media plans, branding projects, website development, as well as social media. She recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Psychology and Media Studies. Carole is originally from Richmond, Virginia and currently lives just outside of Washington, D.C.
David Kalwicz
Program Assistant
David is passionate about educating and helping to facilitate conversations about disability. He is currently an undergraduate student at American University studying Psychology and Applied Statistics, where he is also involved in the University's student theater group. He additionally serves as a Resident Assistant on campus and has worked as an Orientation Leader. He hopes to pursue a research doctorate in Clinical Psychology after graduation, and eventually plans to work in both education and research. The majority of his research interests focuses on the mood and decision behaviors of adolescents with mental or learning disabilities. David is excited to have the opportunity at BroadFutures to gain more hands-on experience in helping empower individuals with learning and related disabilities. David is originally from Green Brook, New Jersey, and is currently residing in Washington, D.C.
Raymond Caldwell
Drama Instructor
Raymond delivers the integrative theater portion of our curriculum, using role-play, improvisation, and other drama techniques and games to reinforce our curriculum and create community. In addition to his work with BroadFutures, Raymond is the Artistic Director of Theater Alliance as well as resident-director and a full-time Acting/Performance lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts at Howard University. Raymond has toured nationally and internationally and worked with playwrights and artists from around the world including Ntozake Shange, Edward Albee, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Sally Oswald. Raymond received the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship in Community Engagement in 2009 and the following season joined the Arena Stage staff where he worked for 6 years as both an administrator and artist. As an artist/director/divisor he has developed work with various schools & organizations throughout the US. He has traveled to India several times to create devised theater with diverse groups in Kolkata, Patna, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. He has also developed work in Ukraine, Greece, Germany, and the UK. Raymond holds an MFA in acting with a focus in community outreach and developing new work from The Ohio State University and a BFA in acting from the University of Florida.
Monica Churm
Speech-Language Pathologist
Monica works in conjunction with our Drama Instructor to deliver the communications portion of our curriculum, educating our interns on a variety of communication issues in the workplace. Monica is a Maryland State Board Certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over 12 years experience working with children and young adults of all ages. Monica has attended a multitude of continuing education trainings in a variety of areas, and is passionate about continuing to learn new and unique ways to teach communication skills. Her current memberships include: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), where she has received several Award for Continuing Education (ACE) recognitions for completing 70 continuing education hours within 3 years, and Maryland Speech Language Hearing Association (MSHA). Monica graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Psychology from Syracuse University. She received her M.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland in College Park. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and son.
Shauna Simon
Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor
Shauna is the founder of Simon Says Yoga. Shauna discovered Yoga at age 17. She lived in a Yoga community (ashram) for over 20 years, traveling to India several times, truly integrating the practice of yoga into her everyday life. Shauna is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher, eRYT (approved to teach other teachers) and has certifications in Sivananda Yoga and YogaFit, as well as Certificates from Kid’s Yoga, Calming Kids Yoga, Budding Yogis and the Asheville School of Yoga. Shauna delivers the stress reduction portion of our curriculum through yoga and mindfulness. She is deeply committed to our mission, the young people we serve, and ensuring that yoga and mindfulness are accessible to all. She brings an expertise and compassion to her work with BroadFutures, that makes her work with us invaluable. Shauna received her B.A. from George Mason University and her Master’s in Music Education through George Mason and Trinity College.
Thomas Carey
Web Master and Graphics Advisor
Thomas has designed and built websites for multiple organizations, including Bay Area Microfluidics Network, Serengetee, Meals on Wheels of Bennington County, Fostering Change for Children, and Noosphere Marketing. Thomas has served as CTO of Serengetee, as a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Medtronic Diabetes, and as a Research Engineer at Massachusetts General Hospital. Thomas received his B.S. in Engineering and Biology from Harvey Mudd College. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, and he lives in Berkeley, California.
Bradley P. Holmes
Chairman/Co-Founder
Brad is devoted to improving the lives of persons with disabilities. In addition to helping to Co-Found BroadFutures and sitting on our board, for 10 years he served on the Board of the Kingsbury Center and for four years as its Chair. He was instrumental in leading the institution through a change of leadership and a strategic planning process. Brad has also served on the Boards of the American Association of Persons with Disabilities and Global Rights.
Brad is a telecommunications policy advocate with extensive experience both in government and private industry. He was appointed Ambassador by former President George H.W. Bush to serve as U.S. Coordinator and Director for International Communications and Information Policy. He has worked in several key policy positions at the Federal Communications Commission, at Coopers & Lybrand, as managing director of the company’s Global Telecom Group, as President of Project OXYGEN Network Ltd., as Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs at ArrayComm, Inc., and as Chief Operating Officer of NY3G Partnership.
Brad received his B.A., from Dartmouth College with honors in Economics and English, and his J.D. from Georgetown University.
Carolyn Jeppsen
Co-Founder/CEO/President
Carolyn oversees the creation, planning and implementation of BroadFutures’ strategic direction, as well as our overall administration program development and fiscal health. She is passionate about creating innovative solutions to empower young people with disabilities to succeed in education and the workforce and ensuring that a diverse workplace is inclusive of disability. Carolyn has over 20 years experience serving on nonprofit boards and in leadership capacities of institutions that serve individuals with disabilities. She is a frequent speaker on the value of internships and work based learning, as well as a diverse workforce that is inclusive of persons with disabilities.
Carolyn is also an experienced litigator with a career focused in the areas of insurance defense, medical malpractice, professional liability and financial institutions. She has authored two articles: RTC and FDIC Administrative Subpoenas, The Review of Banking & Financial Services, Vol. 11, No. 21, Dec. 13, 1995; The Use of Administrative Subpoenas, Lecturer: Practicing Law Institute: “Defending Bank Directors” October 1995.
Carolyn received her B.A. with honors from Colby College, in Philosophy and French, her J.D. from George Washington University National Law Center, and her Certificate of Non-Profit Executive Management from Georgetown University.
Diana Eisenstat
Co-Founder/Treasurer
Diana has been actively engaged with nonprofit organizations serving individuals with learning disabilities and mental health challenges for close to 20 years. In addition to helping co-found BroadFutures and serving on the BroadFutures Board, she previously served as an officer on the Boards of The Reginald Lourie Center for Infants and Children in Rockville, Maryland and The Kingsbury Center in Washington, D.C.
Diana spent her 15-year career with the federal government employed by the General Accounting Office (now the Government Accountability Office). She was the Director of Income Security Issues with responsibility for program evaluation reviews and audits of social security and child welfare programs conducted by staff in Washington, D.C. and regional offices. Diana also delivered testimony before both House and Senate Committees in the U.S. Congress and advised the Comptroller General and other senior executives responsible for the agency’s human resources management policies and programs.
Diana received her B.A. from Mary Washington College with honors in Economics and Political Science and her MBA from George Washington University.
Kathy Tenhula
Vice Chair
Kathy Tenhula is a committed and passionate educator within the field of learning disabilities and special education. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Frechette Family Foundation Board of Directors. Prior to that, Kathy was an Adjunct Instructor in the School of Education at American University, a classroom assistant at The Lab School of Washington, and an elementary school teacher and reading specialist in the Montgomery County Public Schools district.
In addition to serving on the BroadFutures Board, Kathy is a member of the Dream Project Advisory Board. From 2009 to 2015, Kathy served as a Member of the Board of Trustees for The Lab School of Washington.
Kathy earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. in Reading Education from Towson University, and an M.A. in Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities from American University.
Lisa Grove
Secretary, Audit Committee
Lisa Grove is a strong supporter of the BroadFutures mission and is committed to promoting the abilities of students who learn differently. She is the proud parent of a BroadFutures Alumni and has served on both our Board and Gala Committee. Lisa has been active in the Montgomery County Wood Acres Elementary School, serving as Co-Chair of the Special Needs Committee. She was also an integral contributor in helping to create a listserv for parents of students with disabilities in the Whitman Cluster. She served as PTA Vice President, advising and helping to dramatically restructure the PTA and resulting in more effective coordination across the PTA and more support for leadership.
Lisa is an agricultural economist by background and is an expert in food and agriculture regulatory issues. She began her career at the University of Illinois as a research assistant and economics lecturer. She worked for The Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as an analyst and Deputy Branch Chief, for 11 years. She resigned when her youngest son was diagnosed with developmental and learning disabilities, which required her to engage in an intensive therapeutic intervention.
Lisa grew up in Washington. She attended John Eaton ES, Deal MS, and Edmund Burke School. She received her B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. from the University of Illinois (1984).
Richard Anderson
Treasurer
Rich is a proud parent of a BroadFutures alumnus and highly committed to giving back to the community as well as supporting our mission to unlock the potential of the young people with learning and attention issues. Rich is a CPA and tax and financial advisor, serving as the Principal and Owner of Richard W. Anderson, CPA, LLC since 2010. Before that time, Rich was a Partner at CohnReznick (formerly Reznick Group) as well as a Senior Manager with Arthur Andersen & Co in Chicago. Rich is a member of The American Association of CPAs (AICPA) and Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA).
Rich has served as a Board Member and Treasurer at The Family Tree, the largest non-profit in the State of Maryland, dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, as well as the President of Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Rich received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Illinois and his M.S. in Taxation from DePaul University.
Victoria Geis
Victoria brings a business background in executive recruitment, consulting, and human capital management to our Board. She has worked in diverse industries from agbiotech and professional services to specialized education and social and behavioral research. Her passion has, and continues to be her work in diversity and inclusion; in particular, the self-fulfillment of those who learn differently, the neurodiverse. It was her work with The Auburn Schools as a human capital consultant recruiting the leadership and gifted teachers. She also worked in Admissions and Outreach where she found her calling, supporting children with social, communication and learning differences and guiding parents in their educational and experiential choices.
Victoria continues her commitment and is currently in Human Capital management with one of our valued employer partners, the American Institutes for Research, where she also serves as a Diversity & Inclusion Council member and Vice Chair of the Access Employee Resource Group. Victoria has been a WISER (Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources) Board member for over eight years and currently as its President. Victoria holds a degree in Dramatic Arts from Mary Washington College.
Ann Deschamps, Ed.D.
TransCen, Inc.
Dr. Deschamps currently serves as a senior research associate at TransCen, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving educational and employment outcomes for people with disabilities. She provides technical assistance to staff of Maryland PROMISE, a five-year initiative addressing the needs of youth, ages 14-16 receiving Supplemental Security Income and their families. She also coordinates the Mid-Atlantic ADA (American with Disabilities Act) Leadership Network, providing professional development to ADA trainers in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Previously, Dr. Deschamps provided support to Maryland counties through the Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC), which provides youth with disabilities the opportunity to participate in enhanced career assessments, paid job experiences, support services, and leadership activities. Dr. Deschamps also collaborates with other TransCen team members to design relevant online training opportunities for transition practitioners.
Dr. Deschamps previously served as Director of Training and Evaluation for TransCen’s ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region before becoming a Transition Specialist with the Fairfax County Public School system in Northern Virginia for nine years where she provided consultation, training, and technical support to special education personnel in Career and Transition Services. She also served as a consultant to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation in Florida where she advised the Board of Directors on disability programming specifically related to the transition from school to life after school and career development for college students with disabilities. Dr. Deschamps has also taught children with learning and emotional disabilities.Dr. Deschamps received her B.A from and her doctorate in Special Education from The George Washington University specializing in disability policy and transition from school to work for students with disabilities. She lives in Northern Virginia and has two adult children.
Rick Fiery
InventiveLabs
Rick Fiery is the co-founder of InventiveLabs which is located in Amesbury, Massachusetts. InventiveLabs is a research lab and business incubator that helps people with learning differences find their passions and take a gap year, explore careers or create a new business in an all-accepting environment. Rick has a passion for helping young adults with learning differences find alternative paths to success and believes with the right environment and supports, people with learning differences can achieve substantial success. Prior to InventiveLabs, Rick was the CEO of several startup companies that he created and grew before selling them to strategic buyers. One of his software companies grew to where it had subsidiaries in 6 countries and products sold in over 60 countries. He also ran the finance department for a large multinational software company generating over $330 million before departing to do another startup. Rick has a Bachelors and Masters in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D.
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Dr. Horowitz, Ed.D., is the director of LD resources and essential information at the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). Prior to his arrival at NCLD in 1996, he served as the associate director of the Learning Diagnostic Center at Schneider Children’s Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC) in New Hyde Park, NY. He also held the position of assistant unit chief, educational supervisor, and grand rounds chairperson of the Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Dr. Horowitz has taught at primary, secondary, and college levels, and worked as a consultant to school districts throughout the New York City metropolitan region. His interests include: neurobiology of learning, educational assessment, fetal alcohol effects in children, language-based learning disabilities, disorders of hyperactivity and attention, and learning disabilities in adolescents.Dr. Horowitz is a regular presenter at professional conferences in the field of special education, and is frequently cited in the popular press on topics including parenting children with special needs, LD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, assessment and evaluation, and LD throughout the lifespan. He has provided leadership on many of NCLD’s key projects and programs, including national summits, Every Child is Learning, Get Ready to Read!, Living with LD, Recognition & Response, LD Talks, LD News, LD Insights, Research Roundup, Transitioning to Kindergarten Toolkit, and the Early Learning Observation & Rating Scales. He is also a co-author of the recently released NCLD’s 2014 State of Learning Disabilities report.Dr. Horowitz completed his master’s degree at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and received his doctorate in learning disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, NY, with a specialization in learning disabilities and neurosciences in education.
Dr. Horowitz lives in Hempstead and Woodstock NY with his wife. They have four young adult children.
Chris Kuenne
RoseMark Capital Group
Chris is the Founder and CEO of Rosemark Capital Group and the Founder of Rosetta. Chris founded Rosetta in 1998 and was its Chairman & CEO until May 2013 and Non-Executive Chairman from May 2013 until his departure from the company in December 2013. Throughout Chris’ 28-year management career, he has been focused on developing and deploying breakthrough marketing and operational solutions based on intellectual property scaled through technology. This fascination motivated him to found Rosetta and pilot its aggressive growth trajectory, and now forms the basis for Rosemark Capital Group.
In 2010, Rosetta became the largest independent digital agency in the world and was named the #1 agency to watch by Advertising Age. In 2011 Rosetta was sold to the Publicis Groupe. Prior to founding Rosetta, Chris co-led the retail marketing practice at First Manhattan Consulting Group and prior to that, spent 10 years in marketing management at Johnson & Johnson, leading the Band Aid and Tylenol Brand franchises.
Chris is a lecturer at Princeton University in Technology & Entrepreneurship and a guest lecturer at New York University. He is a Board Member of Princeton Day School, The New School University, and the James and Diane Burke Foundation. He has written numerous articles, addressed industry conferences and served many Fortune 500 CEOs in the pharmaceutical, financial services, and consumer packaged goods industries.
Chris received his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School with Honors. He lives in Princeton, NJ and Shelburne, VT with his wife and their three sons.
Alyssa Lovegrove
Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Alyssa is an experienced business executive with a career spanning the financial services, strategy consulting, consumer retailing and non-profit sectors in the US and UK. Alyssa is the Associate Director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and an Adjunct Professor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence. She also works extensively with the local business leaders and entrepreneurs to ensure a close connection between the activities on campus and the needs of the broader professional community.
Alyssa began her career on Wall Street as a commercial lender for Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche Bank), and later joined management consultants McKinsey & Company as a specialist in the financial services sector. Alyssa moved to McKinsey’s London office and remained with the firm until leaving to launch her own entrepreneurial venture, the Great Little Trading Company (GLTC Ltd). GLTC became a brand leader in children’s products; in addition to receiving various industry awards and recognition as one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing mid-market companies. After stepping down from day-to-day management of the company, Alyssa became an advisor to entrepreneurial start-ups throughout the UK and an active member of the London Business Angels network.
Upon returning to the US in 2007, Alyssa expanded her interest in entrepreneurship and began advising non-profit organizations. She also launched New Venture Mentors, a platform to support aspiring entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
An active member of the local community, Alyssa’s other interests include the education, opportunities for the intellectually disabled, and the advancement of underprivileged women and girls. She has served on the boards of the National Children’s Museum, Compass DC, ProInspire, and Working Families (UK), and on the Maryland advisory board of Best Buddies International. She is also an active supporter of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Teach for America DC, NFTE (the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship), and BUILD.
Alyssa received her B.A. from Harvard University in Government and her MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and four children.
D. Scott McLeod, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Aspire Program
Dr. McLeod is the Executive Director of the Aspire Program of Massachusetts General Hospital (“MGH”), a program serving individuals with the autism spectrum disorder. He is also a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard University, in addition to being engaged in private practice, Dr. McLeod has served as the Executive Director of the MGH Aspire program since 1991. He was previously employed jointly as the Chief Psychologist at the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center until 2013. However, since August 2013, Dr. McLeod has devoted himself full time to the Aspire Program. Dr. McLeod was also employed form 1995 to 2006 as the Clinical Supervisor at Harvard University’s “Inventing the Future” Program where he supervised students in the “Risk and Prevention Program” of the Graduate School of Education. Prior to serving in these capacities, Dr. McLeod was a staff psychologist at Dana Group Associates, serving individuals with ADHD and The Germaine Lawrence Diagnostic Center where he performed psychological testing.
Dr. McLeod has been awarded the Emerson Award for excellence in research amongst fellows at the Massachusetts General Hospital as well as the Judge Ruffin Award for excellence in youth work given by the Charlestown District Court.Dr. McLeod completed his master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Boston University and received his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.
Dr. McLeod lives in Medway, Massachusetts with his wife, Jeanne, a clinical social worker. He has one child, two cats and a newfound interest in curling.
Jennifer Swindell
Booz Allen Hamilton
Jennifer is a Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, leading the Firm’s Navy and Marine Corps Headquarters & Operations subaccount. Her team supports clients around the world, with concentrations in the Pentagon, Quantico, and Norfolk; and across the Pacific including San Diego, Hawaii, and Okinawa. Jennifer also drives significant change through the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives as senior advisor for the DiverseABILITY Forum and Disability Agenda.
Jennifer joined Booz Allen in 2000 as an Associate in the Honolulu office. Recognized as a “Booz Allen Woman of Distinction” in 2003, she developed the Firm’s Defense Pacific Strategy and helped expand the Firm’s business into Guam and Japan. Before joining Booz Allen, Jennifer led an e-commerce project for American Management Systems (AMS); helped standardize processes across the largest and fastest growing Ski Resort management firm in the US, and served as Special Projects director establishing an oil refinery in Thailand.
Prior to entering the private sector, Jennifer served as a Special Operations Officer in the United States Navy. She is a qualified Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer, Diving Officer, Naval Parachutist, and Surface Warfare Officer. Jennifer Graduated “With Distinction” from the Naval Surface Warfare Officer School and was a Distinguished Naval Graduate from Naval Officer Candidate School.
A National Merit Scholar, Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wesleyan University. She earned an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, completing her studies at the Sasin Business School at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
John Sheffield
Advisory Board Member
John Sheffield is a technology entrepreneur focused on early-stage and growth startups. John co-founded and served as president of Seven Bridges Genomics (SBG), which develops and operates an informatics platform for biotechnology and healthcare research with high-throughput DNA sequencing data. He is now a partner at Linnaean Company, which operates a portfolio of web businesses and provides operational and strategic consulting services for entrepreneurial companies.
John received his BA in Social Studies from Harvard College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. He also earned an MSc in Applied Statistics from Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar. John resides in Cambridge, MA.
Suburban Legend
We would like to recognize our donors for their generous contributions in support of our mission. If you’d like to become part of our mission, please consider becoming a donor yourself. Find out more here.
2019 DONORS
FOUNDING PARTNERS
John & Susan Colby
Chris & Leslie Kuenne
GOLD LEGACY PARTNERS
Burke Family Foundation
Frechette Family Foundation
LEGACY PARTNERS
Anonymous
Fort Lincoln Newtown Corporation
The Wharf District Master Developer LLC
SUSTAINING PARTNERS
Galena-Yorktown Foundation
Hintz Family Foundation
Loretta Polk & Brad Holmes
Virginia & Walter Price
Drs. Milet & Daniel Ridout III
VISIONARY PARTNERS
AT&T
The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers
Julia Guttman & Ben Cohen
CTIA
Susan & John Colby
Hilton Hotels
The Kuenne Family
The Lamb-McGann Family Foundation
Leslie & Bruce Lane
NBC Universal
Thought Leadership & Innovation Foundation
CAPITOL PARTNERS
Anonymous
Elizabeth & Michael Brunner
Diana Eisenstat
Carolyn & David Jeppsen
Leslie & Sam Kaplan
Pam & Tony Marquez
Jane & Michael Powell
Mary Richardson & Bill O’Neill
Renah Blair Rietzke Family & Community Foundation
Phyllis Schultze
Sarah & Michael Ulica
ADVOCATES
Aegean Associates
American Psychological Association
Cathy & Brian Bernasek
Christina Bridgeport
Emily Bromberg & Steve Silverman
Kelley Brooke & Darrin Hostetler
Rick Carlson
Sarah & Roger Conrad
Prachee Devadas
Discovery Communications
Karen Dorigan
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Jane & Sam Flood
Cathy & Michael Gildenhorn
Adriana & Andrés Gluski
Pam & Tim Gray
Cary Griffin & Tom Suber
Barbara Guttman
Michael Houston
Hadley Hubbard & Chris Feiss
Aimee Imundo
Maureen Joyce
JP Morgan Chase
Seth Kaplan
Mary Kemper
Kathy & Thomas Knox
Mimi & John Kneuer
Alyssa & Nick Lovegrove
Patricia Meduna & Erik Peterson
Christine & John Milliken
NTT DoCoMo
Rhonda & Bob Ricci
The Ryan Family Foundation
Cinthia Schuman & Larry Ottinger
Ana Serra & Karl Driessen
Sheppard Mullin
Laurie & Dave Thomas
Marcie & David Wallace
The Wharf
Carol & Tom Wheeler
Wiley Rein
Lisa Grove & Luis Zavaleta
Nico Zavaleta
SUPPORTERS
Ginger & John Andelin
Rusty & Rich Anderson
Umran Beba
Nina Levine & Paul Bran
Peggy & Peter Briggs
Chevy Chase Trust
Patty & Matthew Goodman
Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis
Lisa Greaves
Paula & Todd Hansen
Janelle Ellis & Thomas Kawecki
Bambi Kramer
Linda & Ned Lowry
Padmini & Monish Mahurkar
Cassandra & Bill Oldham
Whitney Pinger & Roger Pollack
Natalie Robinson
Amy & Robert Vieth
Nicole & Derrick Wade
Carolyn Winter & Donald Winkler
