Meet Our Staff

Sarah grew up in Metro Detroit, across the street from the elephants at the Detroit Zoo. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2010, she moved to Chicago to join Teach For America as an early childhood educator. Family brought her back home in 2013 where she spent four years as the Director of Education at Temple Shir Shalom. Sarah is thrilled to be working with the many passionate people and organizations in Detroit. When she's not engaged in service, Sarah can be found walking around Clark Park in her Southwest Detroit neighborhood with her family.

Brittney Chantele Aston is a Serve the Moment City Coordinator of Repair The World Pittsburgh who works with Corps Members to provide Pittsburgh communities necessary service in response to COVID-19. After spending nearly 5 years within the nonprofit sector in Pittsburgh, Brittney knows there is much work to be done and coordination is the key. Brittney is also an artivist, one who combines art and activism via hip-hop, visual art, and physical activism. Brittney was named one of the '13 Luminaries to Meet in 2020' by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and continues to strive for their artistry to reach national recognition. Brittney is a Veteran and holds a BA in criminal justice from Edinboro University.

Rendy Auguste is a Communications and Marketing professional who works with nonprofits to grow their brand and create mission and vision driven marketing content. After spending 6 years working with nonprofits in the Washington, DC area, Rendy is back in Brooklyn, her hometown. She is passionate about elevating an organization's voice, providing opportunities for enhanced visibility. Rendy wanted to continue working with a dynamic nonprofit that is making deeply meaningful impact in communities locally, nationally, and beyond. She is excited to instill her passion for effective communication as Communications and Marketing Manager at Repair the World. She is also excited to work with Repair the World communities to help them build connections with community members and partners. Rendy loves exploring wherever she calls home. So, you’ll find her at a museum, farmers market, coffee shop, or taking long walks through different neighborhoods. Rendy holds a Bachelors in Mass Communications from St. John’s University and a Masters in Strategic Communications from American University.

Simcha (she/her) is joining Repair The World as the Crown Heights Chassidic Community Mobilizer. Originally from Buffalo, New York; she has called Brooklyn her home for the last ten years. She has attended Chabad-Lubavitch seminaries in Sfat, Israel and Crown Heights where she learned traditional Torah commentaries, Jewish law, and Chassidic philosophy in depth.  She is a recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied technical design, patternmaking, and fashion history and theory. She loves the integral role clothing plays in shaping our cultural identity.  For years, Simcha has been bringing together Chassidim who have the shared goals of promoting social justice and civic engagement. Alongside some of these friends, she recently formed an organization named "Ker A Velt." Her greatest joy comes from her four children; aged 1 to 8.

Originally from Connecticut, Juliana (she/her) is a director, actor and producer with a passion for building and supporting community. Her search for every-day work of community-led activism got her excited about Repair the World. She was then better acquainted with the Crown Heights Workshop last year while producing and directing the world premiere of 123… a play about abandonment and ballroom dancing by Lila Rose Kaplan. She holds a B.F.A from University of Connecticut. Juli also loves swimming, traveling and crafting charcuterie boards with close friends.

Originally from California, Laura (she/her) is currently the Director of Digital Strategy at Repair the World, focusing on ways to grow and scale an audience of changemakers online. She is a passionate advocate for social justice, technology, and the forgotten histories of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews (including her own family's history). Prior to joining Repair the World, Laura was a Product Manager on the research and development team at a technology startup. She also worked at the National Ramah Commission where she launched digital initiatives for the organization and their alumni community. Laura is a KIVUNIM alumna, a member of Schusterman's ROI Community, an alumna of JDC Entwine's Global Leadership program, and a graduate of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice's Grace Paley Organizing Fellowship. She has been featured for her work on eJewishPhilanthropy, Times of Israel, and JTA. Laura holds a B.A. from University of California, Santa Barbara, in Anthropology, Global Peace and Security, with a focus on Technology and Entrepreneurship.

Zack (he/him) is a born-and-bred Pittsburgher, who grew up watching the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1990s, and bleeds black and gold.  He is ecstatic that the team is a contender again. Zack spent many years working for large public accounting firms assisting Fortune 500 companies reduce their state tax exposure.  During that time, he dedicated much of his free time to volunteering for countless non-profit organizations, including Hillel Jewish University Center (“JUC”) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh (“Federation”).  It was during this “free time” that he found out how meaningful his impact could be for the organizations where he served. Zack wanted to focus on that service and is thrilled to now be pursuing his passions for volunteerism, community activism and philanthropy in his day job by engaging and inspiring young people to join him in these important efforts. As a long-time board member of the Hillel JUC in Pittsburgh, Zack was instrumental in building and sustaining J’Burgh, Pittsburgh’s social and professional network for Jewish graduate students and young professionals.  Zack also served as Young Adult Campaign Chair at the Federation, which raised over $450,000 in young adult donations for its annual campaign. Zack received his B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin in 2000, and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2005. When he’s not watching the Pirate’s win, Zack enjoys drinking Zeke’s Repair the World Reserve coffee and taking walks on Forbes and Murray in Squirrel Hill with his wife and three kids.

Daniel is a New York native who is passionate about New York’s immigration history and culture. He has graduated from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts with a degree in Global Studies and a minor in Japanese, a degree from Parsons in Fine Arts, and a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certification. During university, he had the opportunity to conduct two ethnographic studies, one in Japan focusing on Tokyo’s queer locale and another in New York focusing on Drag Queens and their use of the art form as subversion. He has participated in art shows with his ongoing series relating to America’s immigration history in addition to working with organizations such as the Chinese American Planning Council, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Columbia Impact and Mixteca. You can find Daniel exploring an art gallery or museum in New York City on his time off. He is excited to work with Repair the World to inspire young people to advocate for change in their communities.

Steven is extremely excited to be joining the Repair the World team as the Miami City Coordinator for the Serve the Moment initiative! After graduating from the University of Florida in May 2019 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and a concentration in Theatre Studies, Steven moved to Washington, DC to work for Shakespeare Theatre Company in a season long fellowship to learn more about managing a non-profit theatre. He got the incredible opportunity to work with amazing actors, directors, and other industry members on groundbreaking material that worked to forward social change. Over the past couple of years, Steven has also been heavily engrossed in a project called 'Tap Dancing Through Auschwitz' as the Director and Associate Producer. This story was created to help educate young adults about the holocaust and the effects it has on all people still to this day, and producing it helps fulfill Steven's desire to educate on social issues. Outside of work and professional passions, Steven loves all things Miami sports, binging funny TV shows, and road tripping!

Tori (she/her) moved to Brooklyn to work as a Repair the World Fellow, where she collaborated with a variety of local partners to support schools, youth programs, and build community through volunteering. Since then she’s stayed connected to Repair the World as an alumni ambassador, where she led a giving circle for young people to redistribute their stimulus checks to bail funds and COVID19 mutual aid. After her year as a Fellow, Tori joined the team at ZogSports as their Customer Experience Associate. Her passion lies at the intersection of sports and social justice, so when she’s not watching live football games from her laptop or following athlete activists on Twitter, you can find her volunteering for PowerPlays, a newsletter about sexism in sports. Tori grew up in Miami, Florida and is a proud alumnus of the University of Florida. Go Gators!

Julia (she/her) is an experienced fundraiser with a proven track record of making big ideas happen. She manages the cultivation and stewardship of major individual donors through community-building and collaboration. Before joining Repair, Julia served as Senior Individual Giving Manager for City Year San José/Silicon Valley, an education-focused service organization, where she managed the implementation of its Major Gifts program and directed story-telling for annual fundraisers. An aspiring social-entrepreneur, Julia is a Silicon Valley Next Fellow and engaged lay-leader within her community. She currently serves as Member-At-Large of the Silicon Valley Jewish Community Relations Council, President/Founder of the Young Adult Board of Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley, and BBYO advisor. Committed to helping young adults connect to their Jewish identity, she was a founding Resident of Moishe House Silicon Valley for three years where she hosted 200+ in-person and 200+ virtual events. Julia received her BA in Political Science and Psychology from Rutgers University. In her free time, Julia enjoys exploring the great outdoors, pretending her cat Oliver is a person, and doing Improvisational Comedy with her ComedySportz Minor League family in San José.

Alix was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada and it was there that she received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba. After college, Alix moved to Tel Aviv where she worked in Marketing for Israeli start-ups in the high tech industry. Alix loved being immersed in Jewish culture every day, but really missed the feeling of being an involved member of a close-knit community and wanted to turn her passion for volunteerism and community engagement into a career. This led her to return to Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba to pursue an MBA and focus on non-profit management. Upon graduation, Alix moved to Tucson, AZ where she worked in Marketing for the Tucson Hebrew Academy. She loved being able to promote Jewish education and begin her career in the non-profit sector. Alix is thrilled to be a part of the Repair the World team and serve as Pittsburgh's Family Program Coordinator. When she's not working, Alix loves exploring her new city of Pittsburgh with her husband and their two boys.

Danna (she/her) is a 2018-19 Repair the World Fellowship alumna who was stationed in Harlem to work with two anti-hunger community based organizations. She currently sits on the Associates Council of Hunger Free America, one of her partner organizations from the fellowship. Danna’s background and passion is in the intersection of environmentalism, social, and racial justice. She received a B.A. Geography/Environmental Studies and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 2018 and will complete her MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University in 2021. When Danna isn’t working on issues of environmental and social justice, she participates in a non-professional dance company and cooks many new and delicious foods.

Jessy Dressin grew up outside of Washington D.C. assuming that everyone went to lobby on Capital Hill with their youth group.  She has a B.A. in History and Jewish Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go Terps!), and M.A. in both Hebrew Letters and Jewish Education and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, CA.  Since ordination in 2012, Jessy has worked as a community rabbi in Baltimore, MD, a city she cares deeply about and hopes to root in for a long time.  She was the Founder/Director of Charm City Tribe, a community initiative to engage young adults interested in Jewish culture and tradition who want to connect in creative and meaningful ways and was named as one of The Forward's 'Most Inspiring Rabbis" in 2016.  Jessy subscribes to the notion that Jewish tradition has three goals:  personal meaning making, the imperative to be part of a collective and the charge to help make the world a better place. She could not be more excited to work with Repair the World, an organization Jessy has followed since its earliest days and worked closely with during her time in Baltimore.  Jessy lives a few miles north of Baltimore Repair with her husband, Mark, and their 11 year old fur baby, Kofi.  She loves live music, nature, ritual, craft beer, street art and cooking.

Prior to becoming the Executive Director of Repair the World NYC, Rachel (she/her) worked in education and non-profit spaces for her entire career. Previously serving as Repair’s Senior Educator, Rachel spearheaded our family volunteering engagement initiatives for several years. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Rachel is passionate about increasing access to quality education for all young people. She is an advocate for people with disabilities, deeply engaged in criminal justice reform work, and excited to be expanding Repair’s Fellowship to involve criminal justice reform volunteering in more significant ways. When she’s not in Central Brooklyn or Harlem leading our fearless and incredible NYC based teams, Rachel is an adjunct instructor at Hebrew College and can be found chasing after her four-year-old. Rachel holds a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, a Bachelors from Hampshire College and is the recipient of the Jewish Education Project’s Young Pioneers Award and the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Seeds of Innovation Alumni Grant.

Jordan Fruchtman has over 12 years of executive leadership experience and is honored to be the Senior Director of the Coalition for National Service. Jordan is a proud alumni of UC Santa Barbara where he founded BRIDGES, a program that connected college students with homeless families for mentorship, tutoring, and bridge building relationships. He spent two more years working alongside homeless families as the Youth Services and Development Manager at Transition House. He then moved into Jewish leadership, working for two years as the Regional Director of the Forest Foundation, giving college students an opportunity to turn their personal passions into local service projects. He went on to earn an MBA, and Masters in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University where he was a Professional Leader’s Project Academic Fellow and Hebrew Senior Life Leadership Intern. He used that experience to become the Executive Director of Orange County Hillel where he led the organization for three years. For the past nine years, Jordan had the privilege to serve as the Chief Program Officer for Moishe House, and led the organization through massive growth in breadth and depth.

Sarah is a California Girl at heart, now living in Brooklyn. She has spent the past 10 years working with kids and teens in classrooms, camps, and speciality learning environments. This is in addition to working as a writer on topics such as mixed race identity and popular culture, both professionally and through labors of love. Sarah spent much of her time as a young person in youth groups and camps, and originally came to work in the Jewish social justice world as a youth coordinator. In her previous role, she created and managed a JOCSM teen cohort in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sarah is thrilled to be a New York resident and explore avenues and experiences such as arts/culture, Black sci-fi, the Atlantic Ocean, and actual seasons.

Diana (she/her) was born and raised in Baltimore and has been involved in the Jewish community since a young age. She has had a love for volunteering and service due largely to the volunteer opportunities she took part in as a child in Baltimore. She graduated from Towson University in 2015, where her experiences leading in the Honors College, the university chapter of Students Helping Honduras, and the Kiva Initiative of Towson instilled in her a passion for community organizing and equitable development practices. Diana served as a 2018 Imagining Justice in Baltimore Fellow, analyzing racial inequities in Baltimore's policing through a religious lens. Diana participated in Jews United for Justice and Baltimore Racial Justice Action's Racial Justice for Jews training course. Diana is driven to pursue tzedek (justice) for all people, and to serve in the most ethical and sustainable ways possible. She loves instilling a love of Judaism and service in the Baltimore communities she serves with Repair the World!

Cindy (she/her) is the President and CEO of Repair the World, whose mission is to mobilize Jews and their communities to take action to pursue a just world, igniting a lifelong commitment to service. She was the founding executive director of Repair the World NYC, where she built a robust program focused on mobilizing the Jewish community to meet pressing local needs through service and learning in Central Brooklyn and Harlem. Previously, she worked for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life for fifteen years, including as the executive director of NYU's Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life. Cindy holds a masters degree in Non-Profit Management from NYU's Wagner School and is the recipient of the Schusterman Fellowship, the Shirley Chisholm Women of Excellence Award, the Bed Stuy Campaign Against Hunger Harvest Heroes Award, and Hillel's Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence award. Cindy lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Dan, and their three children.

Hannah Grossman is an educator and curriculum designer who believes that experiential, values-based teaching has the power to change the world. Previously, Hannah spent four years at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn where she was the Assistant Director of the K-12 religious school. She has also worked as the Education Director at Young Judaea Camp Tel Yehudah, in the Alumni & Community Engagement department at Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps, and as a curriculum writer in various capacities throughout NYC. Hannah has combined her passion for teaching and her thirst for travel by volunteering for a year with the Joint Distribution Committee in India and by participating in the rebirth of Jewish communal life in the Czech Republic. Hannah also spent a fabulous year studying at the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators in Israel! Hannah holds an M.A. in Experiential Jewish Education, an M.A. in Bible, and a certificate in Israel education from The Jewish Theological Seminary. She also holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature, a B.A. in Judaic & Near Eastern Studies, and a certificate in Coastal & Marine Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. You can regularly find Hannah swimming laps, studying marine biology, practicing improv, trying to learn the saxophone, or illustrating her children’s book!

Katie (she/her) is a Washington, DC native currently living in the Boston area, and is thrilled to be joining Repair the World as the Boston City Coordinator. Ever since she can remember, she has been passionate about creating social change through a Jewish lens, making Repair a perfect fit! She received her BA from the University of Maryland for her undergraduate degree in Jewish Studies and Middle East Studies, with a focus in Hebrew Language Education. She most recently graduated from Brandeis University's Hornstein-Heller Masters' Program, with an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership and MBA in Nonprofit Management. During her undergraduate degree, she studied abroad at the University of Haifa, as well as attended the Middlebury School of Hebrew. She was also active in many of Maryland Hillel's student groups, including its Tzedek (social justice) and Alternative Break fellowships. She also served as the International Social Action/Tikun Olam Vice President of the youth group United Synagogue Youth.\n\nPrior to graduate school Katie worked with the Metrowest Jewish Preteen Engagement Collaborative, an initiative to engage middle schoolers in the Metrowest Boston area through synagogues, day schools, and summer camps. As a Brandeis Graduate Student, she worked with Kesher Newton, a Hebrew Immersion program in the Boston area, and was in the iCenter's Fellowship for a Master's Concentration in Israel Education. In her free time, she teaches and performs Israeli Dance. She's thrilled to be joining the Repair the World team and focus on social justice initiatives in the Boston area!

Originally from California, Elaine (she/her) moved to Pittsburgh after receiving her B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from the University of California, Davis. Elaine is an alumna of the Repair the World Fellowship. After the fellowship, she worked at 412 Food Rescue, a Repair partner organization, as their Special Programs Coordinator. She is excited to be back at Repair the World! When she's not working, you can find Elaine drinking coffee with her cats, rock climbing, or planning her next trip.

Annalisa was born and raised in Queens, New York and is a recent graduate of CUNY York College with her BS in Accounting. While in school, she was active with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, where her and fellow volunteers filed over 2,000 tax returns for low-income earners in the community. She is thrilled to be apart of a team that is passionate about social change and making a difference in the community. In her free time, she loves baking, fitness, makeup, and spending time with her family.

Rachel (she/her) comes to Repair the World with a variety of professional and academic experience centered around social justice and social change. Since obtaining her Bachelor's degree in Peace Studies at Goucher College in Baltimore, Rachel worked as a case manager at both a homeless shelter and a refugee resettlement agency, and spent time working on a community led agricultural development project in rural Tanzania. Inspired to support more systemic forms of change, Rachel pursued a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Before stepping into the Fellowship Director role, Rachel built and launched Repair's teen and family engagement programs in Pittsburgh.

Julie (they/them) is the City Director of social justice based service organization, Repair The World Pittsburgh. They have been organizing youth programs and creative endeavors for the past 12 years in Pittsburgh. Mallis is a multimedia artist, VJ, DJ and educator working with digital media, paint, installation, performance, sound and audience interaction. Their work focuses on building community, audio-visual experiences, speaking truth, and imagining new landscapes. Mallis has exhibited, performed and curated work across the United States including at The Andy Warhol Museum, The Carnegie Museum of Art, The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Coaxial Arts Foundation, PhilaMOCA, MOCA Cleveland, Baby's All Right, The Silent Barn, Fringe Arts and more. Mallis has a joint degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Electronic Time-Based Media and in Cultural Anthropology from Carnegie Mellon University. Mallis was the Creative Director of art gallery and creative hub BOOM Concepts from 2014-2018, where they helped develop and carry out monthly artist exhibitions and programming. BOOM is dedicated to the advancement of POC and LGBTQIA creative entrepreneurs. BOOM Concepts serves as a space for field building, knowledge sharing, peer to peer mentorship, and storytelling. Mallis was recognized as Creator of the Year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council in 2016, alongside longtime collaborator DS Kinsel under their creative moniker "Magic Organs". In 2018, Mallis was commissioned to paint a 1000+ feet mural on the ground of Strawberry Way in Downtown Pittsburgh. It features colorful imagery interlaced within an interactive game asking bold questions about equity and justice to the audience. In addition to their work as an artist, they have built up and led the Positive Spin youth cycling program over the last decade. Across two different organizations in Pittsburgh (Bike Pittsburgh and MGR Youth Empowerment) they worked tirelessly with Pittsburgh public schools and area charter schools to ensure students in grades 4-12 had enriching and engaging after school and summer activities related to bike safety. Engaging with all people about bike safety became central to their work with Bike Pittsburgh for many years, resulting in them organizing and hosting Bike Pittsburgh’s 6th annual women and non-binary biking forum. This forum sought to add elements of solidarity, community, and understanding amongst women and non-binary people through the lens of biking and transportation accessibility. These same themes of community, mentorship, solidarity, personal enrichment, and accessibility run through all endeavors Mallis is involved with. Whether at work or in the artist’s studio, their vision is constantly aimed towards how to better the future for themselves and other people, one day at a time.

Rachel (she/her) is a life-long Marylander, educator, and musician. Her passion for service and commitment to improving educational equity for Baltimore’s youth has inspired her career in education and nonprofit leadership. Rachel began her career as a Teach for America Baltimore corps member in 2013 after graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, College Park with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Trumpet Performance and History. In addition to teaching 7th and 8th grade math at KASA in West Baltimore, she served as the middle school track coach and 8th grade team leader while earning her Master of Science in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University in 2015. In response to the lack of consistent arts programming available to her students, Rachel started an instrumental music program in 2016 at Green Street Academy where she taught 7th grade general music and band as well as several after-school programs including bucket band, wind band, and drumline. She then transitioned to the nonprofit sector as the Development Director of Arts Education in Maryland (AEMS), an organization committed to ensuring that all students in the state of Maryland have access to high quality arts education. Currently, Rachel serves on the city-wide Baltimore Arts Education Initiative Instrumental Working Group led by Arts Every Day. Her involvement in the Baltimore Jewish community includes co-leading Harbor Minyan, an egalitarian minyan in Baltimore, and serving as a district 43 co-captain with Jews United for Justice. Rachel’s Jewish values have always been a driving force in her efforts to help contribute to a more just society, and she is grateful for the opportunity to elevate those values as the Baltimore City Director of Repair the World!

Hailing from Harlem, New York, Saadiah (he/him) holds a B.A. from Brandeis University in History and American Studies. An avid fan of music, he developed a passion for a number of progressive issues while growing up as a young Jewish man of color and over the course of his college years. Saadiah previously served as Operations Manager and Director of Operations at food services startup Sage Kitchen, where he worked to build the company's cultural infrastructure and systematically improve day to day operations. Before that, Saadiah completed work for organizations such as the Mashu Mashu Theater for Social Change in Jerusalem, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and a social impact strategic consultancy/creative agency called Purpose PBC. He currently lives in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

Micali (she/her) is excited to join the Repair the World team as a Manhattan Teen Program Coordinator! As a Serve the Moment service corps member, she believes in the power of mutual aid and the value of community support that engages and educates all ages. This past fall, Micali served with Met Council on Housing, a tenants rights organization in New York City. She first learned about the impact of social justice through her temple youth group and at Crane Lake Camp, where she returned to work with campers of her own. As a counselor of teens, she learned how to recognize their passion for social justice, as her own commitment to service is deeply ingrained in her Jewish values. She also works as a Religious School teacher in synagogues both within and outside of the city, thanks to virtual learning. Micali is from Massachusetts and is a recent graduate of NYU. In her free time, she loves to write, try new teas, listen to podcasts, and pretend to know how to knit.

Trudy (she/her) is a Florida native currently residing in Los Angeles, California. She is very excited to be joining the Repair the World team as the Education & Campaigns Associate, working closely with Serve the Moment. Trudy received her undergraduate degree in International & Global Studies with a focus in the Middle East. She spent the past two years working as the Springboard Ezra Jewish Education Fellow at Stony Brook Hillel cultivating diversity and inclusion across religious and cultural lines. She cannot wait to combine her two greatest passions of Judaism and social justice in this new position. In her free time, you can find Trudy hosting Shabbat dinners, cooking multiple-course meals, reading, cycling, and teaching herself to play the ukulele.

Ryan (he/him) is thrilled to contribute to Repair the World’s sustainability and growth through the power of storytelling and relationship building. He took the scenic route to the nonprofit world, working first as a newspaper editor and then as a marketing copywriter. Volunteering as an English teacher for refugees and immigrants inspired Ryan to pursue a new career path, one that would leverage both his strategic communications skills and his passion for equity and justice. This call to serve led him to NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service — where he earned a master’s in nonprofit management — and ultimately to Repair the World.

Speaking of scenic routes, Ryan enjoys traveling, hiking, playing disc golf, and taking long walks with his wife, daughter, and pup in their South Orange, NJ, neighborhood. He’s a native Texan (howdy!), a non-native Spanish-speaker (¡hola!), and did his undergrad at the University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!).

Native of Crown Heights Brooklyn, Dexter is a self taught trumpeter, music composer, performer, and board member at Carnegie Hall's, Musical Connections program; Musicambia; Creative Times; and Azalea Blossoms. Prior to work at Repair the World Dexter worked as the Senior Client Services Associate for the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and Post Release Coordinator at (BCBF) New York Immigrant Freedom Fund where he served as a case worker, and organizer for both innovative criminal and immigration justice platforms. Dexter is currently a mentor for formerly incarcerated adults at the Touchdown organization and has served as a mentor for the Youth Assistance Program at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Dexter holds his BS in Behavioral Science from Mercy College. Dexter is passionate about advocating and bringing communities together and remains committed to serving all members of his community.  When not working you can find Dexter partaking in hobbies  that include learning about cultures and  languages; furniture building, fishing, bowhunting, restoring vintage items, and cooking all sort cultural dishes. Most of all he loves spending quality time with his family.

Kate (she/her) leads Repair's strategic planning, works with Repair's Board of Directors and key stakeholders, oversees development and digital strategy, and serves on Repair's Executive Team. She enjoys fusing her passions for tikkun olam, Judaism, and relationship building with other passionate leaders on the Repair team. Prior to joining Repair in 2017, Kate worked at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, where she supported the Foundation’s efforts to connect and support global networks of young Jewish adults. She started her career by completing a service year as a JDC Global Service Corps Fellow in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kate studied at the University of Virginia and outside of work, serves on the boards and executive committees of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and Hillel at the University of Virginia. Kate is a recipient of the JPRO Network Young Professional Award. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, Clark, is an avid traveler, and can usually be found sipping on green tea and staying active through trying out the latest fitness trends, cooking (especially Asian cuisine as an homage to her Filipina heritage), and volunteering.

Kayla (she/her/hers) is excited to take on the position of the Queens/Long Island Teen Program Coordinator and connect with others right where she was born and raised. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. During her time at college, she was a staff member and mentor in the LGBTQ+ resource center on campus, aptly named the Rainbow Center. Additionally, she served as a Trip Director for the LGBTQIA+ Education, Identity, & Allyship Alternative Break where she led and engaged participants in community service. A true lifelong camper at heart, Kayla has worked in various day and residential camp settings with a wide range of youth. She is looking forward to joining the Repair the World team and bringing her education and experiences to create fun, exciting, and engaging programming for teens this summer!

Wendy Rhein (she/her/hers) is honored to join Repair the World as its Senior Director of Development, leading the national development team and supporting the local development activities in Repair cities and communities throughout the US. Wendy is a life-long nonprofit professional who invests her time in causes critical to social justice and building a global community. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Wendy has spent much of her career in development with large and small organizations leading large fundraising and communications campaigns, organizational development, strategic planning, foundation giving, individual giving, major gifts, special events and corporate support. Wendy has created a niche in driving strategic development in times of organizational change and growth and building new departments and teams. Most recently, Wendy was the Chief of Staff at the World Food Program USA, and prior to that served as the Managing Director for UNICEF USA in Washington DC. Previous roles in the service sector include Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer for the Points of Light Foundation. She created the first private fundraising programs at the Legal Services Corporation and led development, marketing and communications for the immigrant rights organization the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. Wendy also created the first service learning program at the Emory University School of Learning, embedding service in all levels of nursing education. An avid volunteer, Wendy chairs the board of directors for campus hunger group Challah for Hunger and serves on the board of the anti-trafficking coalition Freedom Network USA. She also co-chairs the Racial Equity Action Group at Temple Emanuel in Kensington, MD where she is a member.  Wendy currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her two sons, her mother, and her aging pitbull Molly.

Harriet (she/her) is a British-American education & nonprofit administrator, always keeping the value of tikkun olam front and center. Harriet has a BA in Arabic and French, and an MPA in Public Administration and Management, both from University College London. Harriet started her career teaching Hebrew school, raising money for a community center for the elderly, and serving as a City Year AmeriCorps Member in Detroit. Each of these experiences further instilled in her a passion for social and racial justice, local community service, and education reform. Since completing her Master's, Harriet has combined her knack for creating systems with her dedication to social change as an Operations professional, and is now a proud member of the National Team at Repair the World! In her free time, Harriet can be found baking banana bread, singing cheesy songs, registering voters, and discovering more of NYC!

Miranda (they/them) is a spirited advocate and change-maker. They are delighted to join the Repair the World team as the Virtual Service Manager to connect Jewish young adults to meaningful and impactful virtual volunteer opportunities. Miranda spent their last two years as the Volunteer Recruiter for The Trevor Project, growing a volunteer program that directly supports Trevor’s rapidly-expanding crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. They’ve previously worked at GLAAD, The LGBT Community Center of NYC, and Equality Virginia. Miranda currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with their girlfriend and jungle of thriving houseplants. They graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in American Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies.

Ellery was born and raised in the suburbs of Metro-Detroit with a strong connection to her close-knit Jewish community. In high school, she became a PeerCorps mentor where she was exposed to justice education through a Jewish lens. Ellery went on to the University of Michigan where she received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Community Action and Social Change. During her time in Ann Arbor, she facilitated dialogue courses on service-learning and the power and oppression of social identities. Ellery became a writer and editor at the Michigan Daily and the president of her vegetarian cooperative house. Throughout her summers in college, she worked at Jewish summer camp and interned with PeerCorps where she facilitated their Gesher week training. Ellery is passionate about empowering young people, swimming in lakes, listening to podcasts, and eating bagels! In addition to holding our PeerCorps program, Ellery will be expanding our youth and family offerings in Metro Detroit, working with some of our partners like the JCC, PJLibrary, BBYO, and local synagogue education programs.

Pete (he/him) is thrilled to kickstart Serve The Moment in Cleveland, coming in as a local organizer and advocate working for a more equitable city. Pete spent the past 4 years as a housing advocate with the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research in Cleveland, investigating complaints of housing discrimination and working with residents to reverse decades of segregation and redlining. Upon graduating from Oberlin College in 2015, Pete began organizing with Showing Up for Racial Justice Northeast Ohio, facilitating anti-racism workshops and heading a local campaign titled “Redistributing White Wealth,” which allocates resources to BIPOC-led organizations building grassroots power in the region. He is most excited to fuse his justice work and spirituality with Repair The World-- to learn, grow and give each day. In the wild, Pete can be found on daily walks to Lake Erie, writing music, gardening and hosting campfires in his backyard.

Melissa Schwarz is so excited to join the Repair team as the Program Coordinator for Chicago! She will be focusing on building Repair's presence across Chicago through programming and partnerships. In addition to this role, Melissa also serves in a part-time capacity as the Network & Communications Manager for the BHSI Fellowship at Chicago Ideas.

Prior to moving Chicago and joining these two teams, Melissa spent four years on the REALITY team at the Schusterman Family Foundation where she supported the Foundation’s efforts to identify, connect and support global networks of young change makers and enabled them to create meaningful experiences and communities for themselves and their peers.

Melissa holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland in Jewish Studies and a minor in International Development and Conflict Management. Outside of work, you can find Melissa exploring Chicago neighborhoods and local coffee shops or traveling with her husband!

Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Hannah (she/her) moved to Chicago as an Avodah Service Corps Member where she worked with Beyond Legal Aid, a non-profit that unites lawyers and organizers across Chicago. She is invigorated by organizing spaces and programs for justice workers to share knowledge and skills that fuel their work for a better world. Hannah is eager to be the Chicago City Coordinator for Serve the Moment and cultivate an imaginative, robust program for young Jews to think critically and boldly about the power of Jewish justice engagement. Outside of work she enjoys dancing, cooking without recipes, reading, and biking around Chicago with the lake almost always as the end point. Hannah holds a BA in Sociology from Tufts University.

Sam (he/him) hails from the Western suburbs of Philadelphia. After serving as a Repair the World Fellow in Pittsburgh and Team Leader Fellow in NYC, he is now a Program Manager at Repair's National Office in New York City. Sam's work focuses on national training and education: supporting both the larger field of Jewish service as well as Repair the World's Fellowship. He studied Psychology and Judaic Studies at Tufts University, although he was more easily recognized as a member of the Jewish a cappella group on campus as he beatboxed between classes.

Chelsea Snyder (she/her) grew up in Southern California and is an alumnus of University of California, Santa Barbara and Humboldt State University, where she received her BA and MFA in Acting & Directing with an emphasis on social action-based performance. Chelsea is an activist, performer, writer, and community organizer focusing on body positivity, inclusion, bringing people together, and helping people live their most authentic lives through self-love.

Rebecca (she/her) is a Michigan native and is currently serving as the Director of Education for Dor Hadash, a supplementary Jewish education program of the Detroit Jewish Coalition, for youth and families in the city of Detroit. Rebecca recently moved to Detroit from Los Angeles, where she served as the Associate Director of Education for Limudim, the religious school at IKAR, a progressive spiritual Jewish community in LA. Rebecca has worked in education for over 17 years, as a teacher in the classroom, a tutor, an administrator, a mentor, and as a consultant. Rebecca is also currently in the second cohort of The Jewish Women of Color Resilience Circle and Transformational Leadership Fellowship through Dimensions Inc., a part of the Detroit iEngage Community Educators Cohort through the Shalom Hartman Institute, and is incredibly excited to be working at Repair the World Detroit to create intersectional, inclusive, diverse, and embracing community.

Hannah (she/her) is passionate about fighting for racial and gender justice alongside members of impacted communities. At her last job, Hannah managed the creation of the nation's first Tiny House Village for Homeless Youth, a 26-unit affordable housing project with wrap-around services and a restorative-justice program model. Hannah is certified as a domestic violence counselor, and formerly counseled Jewish DV survivors at Shalom Bayit. She was honored as a Bend the Arc Jeremiah fellow, UC Davis Writing Fellow, and was the 2017 UC Davis graduation student speaker. Hannah lives with 12 friends in a co-op, where she plays pop music on the violin and makes unnecessary slideshows.

Alana’s (she/her) post-collegiate social justice journey began with her participation in the Masa program, Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv-Jaffa; this is where she discovered her passion for education. After moving back to the East Coast, she participated in the NYC Teaching Collaborative Program, a program designed to effect change in the city’s highest-need schools. Alana spent the last nine years teaching secondary English literature and language development in NYC, CT, and Denver. She is excited to continue her social justice work through her role as Repair the World’s Colorado Program Manager! Alana has a B.A. from the University of Connecticut and a M.A. in Education from St. John’s University. Outside of work, she loves camping, hiking, and skiing in the mountains of Colorado, and is on a never-ending search for Denver’s best breakfast sandwich.