+ Headquarters Staff

Daniel Zaharopol

BEAM Founder and AOPSI Chief Executive Officer

Dan founded BEAM with a unique vision: to create pathways for underserved students to achieve their STEM dreams. He has shepherded BEAM through a period of extraordinary growth — from serving 17 students to more than 1,000 students annually, and has built the organization into a valuable contributor to the national conversation around equity in STEM. In addition to his work at BEAM, Dan leads the board of Canada/USA Mathcamp and is on the board of the New York Math Circle. An award-winning teacher, Dan is himself a product of numerous enrichment math programs. He received an undergraduate degree in math from MIT and master’s degrees in both mathematics and teaching mathematics from the University of Illinois.

Al Lutz

Manager, Program Training and Design

Al is excited to bring their passions for creativity, STEM equity, and data to BEAM’s Design Team! After completing a BA in Mathematics with a French minor at SUNY Plattsburgh, they taught English through the Teaching Assistant Program in France. Their subsequent AmeriCorps service as a high school math instructor in Maine led them to earn another BA in Gender and Women’s Studies, where they researched the intersectional experiences of STEM majors. Al has worked in the tech industry, local government, and, most recently, at a community college facilitating academic support and creativity workshops for students. In their spare time, Al enjoys learning about data analytics, making art, and being in nature.

Anastasia SookbirSingh

Director, IT Systems and Operations

Prior to joining BEAM, Anastasia SookbirSingh spent the last seven years working in a Philadelphia based healthcare fintech startup. This knowledge coupled with her experience traveling and volunteering, pushed her to transition into the nonprofit sector to dedicate more of her time supporting an organization whose mission revolves around diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an immigrant raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, she is passionate about building better pathways to success for those who have been historically left behind. In her current role, Anastasia is responsible for developing and implementing efficient protocols and systems that will allow the organization to securely scale the technical operations.

Anna Panzo

Grants Manager

Anna Panzo has worked as a writer, editor, and social worker. Her experience includes writing and editing diverse materials for non-profits, print media, and technology start-ups, as well as proposal writing and marketing in the engineering industry. Originally New York born and raised, she moved to Philadelphia for graduate school and stayed to serve the Spanish-speaking communities in North Philly. She is passionate about educational, socio-economic, and racial equity and has volunteered and advocated in multiple capacities alongside her Philadelphia neighbors. At BEAM, Anna manages all aspects of the grants process, from research and new applications, to tracking systems, reporting, and renewals. Anna holds an MA in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in English literature and creative writing from Columbia University.

Ashley Sachariah

Manager of Recruitment and Retention

Ashley brings over a decade of experience in supporting impactful and innovative organizations as a Human Resources/Recruitment professional. At BEAM, she partners with hiring teams in their recruitment efforts to ensure an inclusive/equitable process and other talent-related strategies. Ashley holds a Bachelors in Sociology with a minor in Art History from Wheaton College, a Masters in Organizational Psychology from William James College, and finally a graduate certificate in Positive Organization Development from Champlain College. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and art.

Barbara Ely

Senior Coordinator, Learning and Evaluation

Barbara Ely has explored math education from multiple perspectives. She helped found the National Museum of Mathematics, interacting with the public, managing the museum’s social media presence, and supporting exhibit content development. From there, Barbara entered the classroom as a Math for America Fellow. She taught math and led student advisory groups for three years at a public middle school in Long Island City, Queens. At BEAM, Barbara reviews course curricula, supports database administration, and manages NYC programs admissions and BEAM Discovery alumni outreach. Barbara has a BA in Mathematics and Drama from Vassar College and an MA with honors in Secondary Mathematics Education from the City College of New York.

Ben Blum-Smith

Mathematician-in-Residence

Ben Blum-Smith is a research mathematician with roots in K-12 mathematics education, where he has lived professionally for over two decades—first as a classroom teacher, then a teacher trainer, and now with BEAM. Prior to joining year-round, he worked as BEAM summer faculty and faculty mentor. In his current role, he leads a team of BEAM high school students conducting original mathematical research. Outside of BEAM, Ben is a postdoctoral fellow in applied mathematics at Johns Hopkins, studying symmetry and its use in data science. He holds a BA in anthropology from Yale, an MAT in mathematics teaching from Tufts, and a PhD in mathematics from NYU. He has taught courses at Fordham, The New School, Bard, and schools in Boston, Cambridge, and Manhattan, and has run workshops for teachers at Math for America and schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx, but BEAM is his all-time favorite place to teach.

Bruce Roman

Manager of Recruitment and Retention

Bruce is a native Californian who joined BEAM after a long career in the Technology sector. He's helped a variety of companies like Workday, Twitch and Google build world class products with diverse engineering teams. Prior to that he served our country in the United States Marine Corps as a Logistics Officer. At BEAM he works with our Programs teams to hire educators and faculty serving our Los Angeles and New York locations. Bruce has a BA in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When not behind a computer, you'll find him at a race track trying to shed a few extra tenths of a second in his lap times.

Dillon Sparks

Manager, Advancement Operations

Dillon is a lifelong math enthusiast and Brooklyn native. After earning his BS in Mathematics from Georgetown University, he joined BEAM full-time, where he initially supported college students as part of the NY Programs team. In December 2023, he completed his MS in Data Science at Columbia University and rejoined the organization, now working with the Advancement team on data and operations. Dillon is particularly passionate about leveraging data science to foster equitable outcomes in STEM for the student population that BEAM serves. Outside of work, he enjoys reading manga, playing and watching basketball, and exploring new cuisines.

Don Laackman

Manager, STEM Enrichment & Program Operations

Don Laackman joined BEAM after finishing his PhD in Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he worked in the area of theoretical algebra. Don has been teaching and organizing extracurricular math programs for over ten years, including at UCLA, Canada/USA Mathcamp, the Los Angeles Math Circle, and the Chicago Young Scholars Program. He has a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Mathematics from the University of Chicago. At BEAM, Don works on hiring, teaching, and curriculum development, and is supporting the expansion of programs to Los Angeles, including site directing the residential program.

Edson Leyva

Admin Assistant

Born in the South but raised in New York, Edson Leyva is a graduate of The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology and current attendee of the University of Southern California (USC) - School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) to major in film/television production. He hopes to one day found his own production company that focuses on stories in the Latinx community that often get overlooked by the mainstream media. He hopes to contribute to the evolving Hollywood industry that appreciates Latinx culture without appropriating it. Edson joined the BEAM community back in 2013 and loved learning about each person’s story of overcoming personal and social barriers, or how they even came to BEAM! Three years later, he joined the BEAM staff as a junior counselor. Along with teaching kids the fundamentals of mathematics and complex concepts, he also helped them enjoy learning about cinema and the arts. In his free time, Edson writes his own scripts, produces his own short skits, and edits upcoming filmmakers' projects.

Emily New-Cruse

Manager, Human Resources

Prior to joining BEAM as our first Human Resources Coordinator, Emily worked on the talent team at a graduate school of education. In her previous role, Emily's work included creating equitable hiring processes, maintaining internal systems, and cultivating an inclusive staff culture to set candidates, hiring teams, and staff up for success. She looks forward to building upon that work at BEAM and as a first-generation college student, Emily is passionate about the impact our programs have for underserved communities. Emily holds an MA in Political Science and a BA in International Affairs and outside of work enjoys expressing her creativity through cooking and crafting.

Javier Ronquillo Rivera

Manager, Learning and Pedagogy

Javier Ronquillo Rivera finished his PhD in Mathematics at Ohio University and worked as a college professor for two years. As an undergraduate in Guatemala, his home country, he worked as a coach for the International Mathematics Olympiad national team. From the US he continues supporting Guatemalan teachers and students as a founding member of Circulos Matematicos Totonicapán. Before he joined our team full-time, Javier worked with BEAM for five summers as part of the faculty in our summer programs. Javier is thrilled to have crossed paths with BEAM, where he has grown as an educator and fed his passion to share mathematics with underserved communities.

Kay Broussard

Assistant Data Processor

Kay Broussard (she/they) earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from Saint Louis University in 2020 and worked on an NSF ADVANCE grant at Villanova University from 2020-2023, examining various aspects of underrepresentation in STEM and academia, as well as examining and developing tools to measure motivation for participation in DEI development. She specializes in research on social identities, understanding prejudice, bias, stigma, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kay is passionate about increasing equity and inclusion for historically minoritized and underserved groups, which led her away from traditional academic work and into more volunteering and work, including teaching children to read, volunteering in animal welfare, organizations serving unhoused people, baking for foster kids, and being a disability advocate with San Diego Pride.

Khassaundra Whitehead

Director of Institutional Giving

With over 13 years of professional experience in grant writing and nonprofit management, Khassaundra is a mission driven leader with a passion for educational equity and social justice. She specializes in corporate and foundation fundraising and has secured more than $14 million in grant funding throughout her career. Prior to joining BEAM, Khassaundra led institutional giving for Reading Partners, a leading national nonprofit focused on literacy tutoring and educational equity. At BEAM, Khassaundra provides strategic guidance and leadership for BEAM’s institutional giving team and serves as a member of BEAM’s senior leadership. Khassaundra has an M.A. in strategic communications from Washington State University and B.A degrees in Literary Journalism and Global Cultures from the University of California, Irvine.

Lynn Cartwright-Punnett

Senior Director, Program Design

Lynn was BEAM’s second employee and has served in various roles during her more than 10-year tenure, including as Chief Programs Officer. She is now serving in a new role leading our Design Team, which is like R&D for BEAM — revising the design of our programs based on lessons learned, focusing program design on key activities that drive results, and building measurement of those results. Lynn's background in middle school math teaching, bilingual education, museum education, camp administration, and college admissions allow her to bring a wide-ranging perspective to BEAM's program design process. Lynn has a BA with high honors in history and Spanish from Wesleyan University and an MS in Teaching from Pace University with a focus in teaching middle school math to emerging bilingual students.

Megan Ross

Director of Individual Giving

Megan Ross joined BEAM in 2023 as the Director of Individual Giving. Before joining BEAM, Megan contributed her expertise to Reading Partners and City Year, prominent education nonprofits. Her extensive background in the nonprofit field encompasses individual giving, major gifts fundraising, and board development. A graduate of Duke University, Megan holds an A.B in Public Policy and Spanish and actively participates on Duke's Annual Fund Advisory Board. Her dedication to education and social justice fuels her passion for her work. Outside of her professional commitments, Megan enjoys spending quality time with her family, dancing, taking yoga classes, and the great outdoors.

Melissa Gillis

Chief Advancement Officer

Melissa Gillis has worked as a writer, editor, teacher, and activist. Prior to working for BEAM, she consulted with various United Nations programs and nongovernmental organizations, including UNICEF and the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs. She has taught literature, expository writing, and gender studies at John Jay College and SUNY-Rockland. She holds an MA in interdisciplinary studies from New York University and a BA in English from DePauw University, where she graduated summa cum laude. Melissa has published books on women's and gender studies, and disarmament policy, as well as numerous articles. She is passionate about issues related to social justice and the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality.

Rick Iandoli

Chief Financial Officer

Rick Iandoli joined BEAM in 2018 as the Director of Finance and Administration. Rick is a lifelong New Yorker who earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting at New York University. Most recently, Rick was the Chief Financial Officer at Great Oaks Foundation where he oversaw the finances for the central office and three charter schools. Prior to that, Rick was a department chair and classroom teacher at a Long Island high school for seven years where he taught students in grades 9-12. Rick is excited to be a part of the BEAM team and is looking forward to meeting and working with many of the amazing students we serve. Rick is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MS in Theology.

Samir Bolar

Chief Programs Officer

Samir has extensive experience building and managing programs in the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds as COO of FITGMR, founding Executive Director of Training Grounds (Cloud9’s esports academy focused on developing STEM career pathways through competitive gaming), and Chief Program Officer for Teach for America Bay Area. Prior to that, he co-founded the nonprofit Mastery Design Collaborative to support school systems in designing tech-enabled personalized learning models, and was a manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP. He earned his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, and has undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and liberal arts from the University of Texas, Austin.

Talon Birns

Salesforce Administrator

A lifelong Vermonter, Talon graduated from Champlain College with a degree in Computer and Digital Forensics. Her work with computers introduced her to many types of programs and applications, including her current focus of Salesforce Administration. After a few years in the private sector, Talon realized that her skillset could be applied to something more meaningful, and was fortunate to get in touch with BEAM.

Tania Tiburcio

Chief Operating Officer

Tania Tiburcio joined BEAM in 2020 as the organization's first Chief of Staff. She began her work in New York City’s nonprofit sector at the New York Public Library, where she worked while pursuing a BA in urban studies at Queens College. For more than a decade, her work has been defined by her commitment to expanding opportunities for marginalized communities coupled with her interest in advancing the financial sustainability of nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Tania worked at the New York Hall of Science where she launched a community engagement program designed to increase access to the museum and support the community’s interest and participation in life-long learning. She also led the museum’s visitation-related earned revenue departments and oversaw ongoing visitor experience research. Prior to the museum, Tania worked for The National Association of Social Workers, NYC Chapter where she helped organize a public policy forum addressing the social policy and service needs of Latinos, and was instrumental in helping the chapter increase its revenue streams.

Tina Glisic

Senior Manager of Finance and Administration

Tina joined BEAM in 2023 as the Senior Manager of Finance and Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a MS in Accounting from Michigan State University. Prior to joining BEAM, Tina took time to raise her family, including living abroad. Preceding that, she worked as the Director of Accounting at the Michigan Humane Society. Her previous experience also includes work in the non-profit healthcare sector as well as public accounting. Tina is passionate about BEAM's programs and their impact on underserved communities. She now resides in Florida and enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling and exploring the outdoors.

Vincent Schiavone

Senior Manager, Learning and Evaluation

Vincent Schiavone has over a decade of experience in program evaluation, educational research, and learning outcomes assessment in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. His passion for the evaluation of educational interventions was sparked during his graduate studies, when he had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant on an evaluation of a national after-school program. Since then, he has led evaluations of programs in fields ranging from mental health and family services to education and workforce development. Most recently, Vince served as program manager for education support services at NASA Glenn Research Center, where he led a team of education specialists and program evaluators working in support of NASA's STEM Engagement programming. Vince resides in Northeast Ohio with his wife and two children.

+ BEAM National Staff

Carlton Lloyd

Schools Outreach Manager, Entry Points

Born In Phoenix, Carlton has moved 32 times and lived in 12 states. Following high school, Carlton enlisted in the Marines and served as an intelligence analyst in South America and the Levant on a counter-narcotics and reconnaissance team. After the honorary completion of his service, Carlton attended the University of Colorado–Boulder and earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in geoscience. Carlton’s undergraduate honors thesis focused on rebuilding the evolution of a mountain range in Nevada, while his master’s investigated STEM bridge program (i.e., BEAM) structures, administration, and evaluation and their impact on marginalized communities. Carlton’s time in the Marines was highly influential as he realized the disparity in access to education for various children worldwide. Since 2017, Carlton has worked in education and bridge program efforts nationwide. Carlton’s passion lies in serving underrepresented students and communities by providing access to educational opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable to create a better future for all.

Felix Flores Jr.

Chief Growth Officer

Felix has 20 years’ experience scaling organizational impact, implementing vision-based strategies, and heading efficient operations in the nonprofit, academic, and corporate environments. He thrives in taking start-ups and turn-around business teams to the next level of performance. Prior to joining BEAM, Felix served as Chief External Relations Officer at EdVoice, California's leading policy advocate for equity of opportunity in public schools. Felix has also served as the Executive Director at iMentor Bay Area, the National Director for #YesWeCode, and the Director of Alumni Scholarships and Student Engagement at the University of California Alumni Association. He received his BA in Sociology from UCLA.

Lia O'Bryan

Senior Coordinator, National Initiatives

Lia O’Bryan was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended the University of Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During her time in college, Lia was involved in multiple student organizations that fostered supportive communities for marginalized students in the Physical Sciences Division. She also worked with several non-profits to broaden access to high-quality STEM education for underserved populations across Chicago. Lia began working with BEAM in 2020 as a TA and Counselor at BEAM Discovery. She found it incredibly rewarding to help students develop their identities as problem-solvers and to watch them grow as members of a larger community of mathematicians. Now Lia works as a full-time member of the National Initiatives team, where she supports teachers, students, and families in the Entry Points program

Westley Mildenhall

Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager

Originally from Illinois, Westley earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics at Bryn Mawr College and then moved to New York. Westley has been part of the math education world since middle school, when they started helping their classmates during math class to reach "aha!" moments. In 2016, they were part of the first cohort of the summer TEU for Math Education, teaching a group of mixed-age high school students with a focus on mathematical identity and problem solving perseverance. Since then, Westley has written math curriculum for ages 3-18, including for enrichment, Common Core, AP, and a summer camp! Westley believes that everyone deserves positive experiences with math, and is excited to bring BEAM math to more locations and younger students through the National Team. When not doing or talking about math, Westley can be found crocheting, doing jigsaw puzzles, and staring adoringly at their two kingsnakes, Trig (short for Trigonometry) and Domino.

Zoraya Aranda

Coordinator, National Initiatives

Zoraya Aranda was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology at UCLA. Her drive for improving community health by building health equity and advocating for underserved populations came from her first-generation upbringing. Zoraya has first-hand experience with advancement programs that provided opportunities outside of the traditional classroom setting both as a facilitator and a participant. Additionally, she has experience working in the non-profit, education, and private sectors. Through her previous role as a community health worker, she was able to move to New York City and continue serving BIPOC populations in three boroughs. As a Program Assistant at EAM, she will work with the National Initiatives team to continue to grow and support the Entry Points program. Outside of work, you would find her exploring all the amazing things New York has to offer.

+ BEAM Los Angeles Staff

Analisa Burke

Program Coordinator

Analisa studied very different subjects throughout her education - integrative biology on the one hand and Spanish literature on the other. Her experience working in educational equity began as a side project to provide free tutoring to her peers and community, which then led her to nonprofit work for increased STEAM accessibility.

Josephine Ochoa

Director, Los Angeles

Josephine Ochoa is the Director of our LA Programs. Josephine, who has worked in various capacities at BEAM programs since our expansion to Los Angeles in 2017, most recently served as our Manager of Student Services. She has an MA in teaching from USC, and has worked with students throughout South Los Angeles via afterschool programs, volunteer efforts, and other community-based organizations serving marginalized populations. Josephine has led our Discovery Program for the past three years and will continue in that capacity in 2024.

Sarah Yoseph

Manager, Math Instruction

Sarah is an LA native who studied Mathematics at Santa Monica College, Loyola Marymount University, and finally Claremont Graduate University to become a Mathematics instructor. She has taught for BEAM Discovery since 2018, taught various math classes at several community colleges around California, and as of October 2023 serves full time as the Manager of Math Instruction at BEAM helping students with year-round Saturday classes and finding more summer STEM enrichment programs into their high school years. In her free time, Sarah enjoys traveling and taking international dance classes.

Yesenia Luis

College Admissions Coordinator

After spending 7 years college advising at low-income high schools, Yesenia Luis joined BEAM as the College Admissions Coordinator. She received a BA in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley and an MA in Education from CSULB; her experiences as a first-generation woman of color in STEM motivated her to pursue work where she has supported hundreds of underrepresented students with applying to and enrolling in institutions of higher education.

+ BEAM New York City Staff

Alyssa Brasse

Coordinator, NY Programs

Alyssa is a Queens NYC native with a passion for working with students. Her motivation for working to uplift marginalized students is influenced by the inequalities she witnessed as a student in NYC public schools. Prior to joining BEAM, Alyssa worked in community organizing and healthcare. She has a BA in Mathematics from Hunter College. She enjoys film photography, reading, and exploring new places.

Cynthia Correa

Director, New York

Cynthia Correa joined BEAM in 2024. Cynthia has worked in education for the past eight years, first as a math teacher, and more recently serving as a network director for math instruction at Dream Charter Schools, where she wrote and implemented a new curriculum, as well as coached teachers and school leaders. At DREAM she implemented a new Algebra 1 curriculum for 8th grade and drove dramatic improvement in the 6th- and 7th-grade students’ NY State Mathematics Test results. Prior to her work in education, Cynthia spent 15+ years working in the financial services sector, where she worked at major banks such as Itau Bank in Brazil and JPMorgan Chase in New York. She has an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, an MBA from the Wharton School, and a master’s degree in mathematics education from Lehman College. Outside of work Cynthia loves traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.

Fiona Stanton

Coordinator, High School Programs

Fiona Stanton has lived on both coasts throughout her life but spent most of her growing up time outside Seattle, WA. She graduated from Sweet Briar College with a BA in Mathematics. During her time at Sweet Briar, she also was part of the Education program and spent every week teaching in a variety of different classrooms. After a few years working in program management for a youth service nonprofit, Fiona received her MSW at New York University. At BEAM, Fiona will be supporting high school students and their families through their STEM educational journey. She will be coordinating Office Hours, running Saturday Programming, and ensuring BEAM is supporting students holistically.

Hector Miranda

Senior Coordinator, College Admissions

Hector Miranda was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami, FL. He has a BS in Applied Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MS in Mathematics from Lehigh University. Hector was introduced to BEAM in 2018 where he worked at BEAM Summer Away at Union College as a TA/Counselor. The following summer, he returned to BEAM as the Director of Student Life at Union. Now, as a full-time staff member, Hector supports our 11th and 12th graders throughout the entire college admissions process. In his free time, Hector enjoys playing video games, soccer, anime/manga, and salsa dancing.

Kelly Miraglia

Saturday Programs Manager

After graduating from Fairfield University with a degree in Communication and Politics, Kelly moved to Brooklyn to serve in a residential volunteer program. In the program, Kelly spent two years living with other volunteers while working as a high school teacher and Director of Student Activities. After serving as a volunteer, Kelly worked with the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School. In that role, Kelly worked with high school students to prepare them for and place them at internships across the city. In addition to working with students on college and career readiness, Kelly developed and maintained relationships with corporate partners. Kelly is excited to bring her passion for youth development and educational equity to BEAM as the Director of Saturday Programs.

Taro Shima

Coordinator, Math Instruction

Taro Shima started at BEAM as a counselor, and felt excited about the supportive mathematical community that BEAM fostered. Ever since then, he has participated at BEAM as junior faculty, and has recently transitioned to a full-time BEAM staff member. He is excited to continue supporting students on their mathematical journey! Taro is a recent graduate of Brown University and is currently completing a master's degree in Mathematics at the City College of New York.

Teresa Savino

Manager of Program Operations, NY Programs

A New York State native, Teresa Savino was born in Westchester, grew up in the Hudson Valley, moved to New York City to attend New York University where she graduated with a BS in Marketing, and has been living here ever since. Teresa began her career in production and inventory planning and management for various consumer goods companies. After years in the private sector, she made the decision to transition to nonprofit work. Prior to joining BEAM, she was the Director of Operations and Program Strategy for a growing children's non-profit organization. Teresa brings her love of building, enhancing, refining, and implementing systems and processes to BEAM as the Operations Manager, New York Programs.

Adrianne Royal

Office Assistant

Adrianne Royal is a current student at Hunter College on the Upper East Side of NYC. She is pursuing her bachelor’s degree and certification in Accounting. Having always loved math, Adrianne is a part of BEAM’s alumni cohort of 2015 and has been an active participant since. She is excited to be working for BEAM and witnessing students grow as mathematicians (like she has). In her free time, Adrianne enjoys taking long walks and exploring New York City.

+ BEAM National Board of Directors

Edray Herber Goins

Board Chair

Edray Herber Goins is Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Pomona College. He has worked as a researcher at both Harvard and the National Security Agency, and has taught at both Caltech and Purdue. Professor Goins has published over 25 journal articles in areas such as applied mathematics, graph theory, number theory, and representation theory, and on topics such as Diophantine equations, elliptic curves, and African Americans in mathematics. He has given nearly 300 invited addresses on his research, acted as a referee for nearly 20 different journals in mathematics, served on dozens of panels for the National Science Foundation (NSF), and been awarded more than $1,370,000 in external funding. Goins currently maintains the website “Mathematicians of the African Diaspora (MAD Pages)”, and runs a federally-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) titled Pomona Research in Mathematics Experience (PRiME).

Ken Baron

Vice Board Chair

Ken Baron is currently a Managing Director at Two Sigma Investments, where he has worked since 2008. Ken has been in the field of finance and investment management for over 30 years. He was born and raised in New York City attending NYC public schools, including Stuyvesant High School. Ken completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University. He is the co-author of Parimutuel Applications in Finance, a mathematical finance book. In addition to being a BEAM board member, Ken has been a volunteer with BEAM for several years, teaching classes for BEAM students on "Money and Investing" and “Games and Strategies.”

Darryl Hill

Board Secretary, Chair of Programs and Impact Committee

Darryl Hill is a partner at HCM Strategists. His work focuses on improving outcomes for underserved students and expanding access to opportunities in postsecondary pathways. Prior to this role, Darryl was a senior program officer for measurement, learning and evaluation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He has also held roles in several school districts around the country, including as Assistant Superintendent of School Accountability and Governance for the Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, GA. He has a Ed.D. in Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice from Harvard University. Before attending Harvard, Darryl built an outstanding mathematics team at Rickards High School in Florida, earning Mu Alpha Theta's most dedicated sponsor award.

Nanayaa Dadson

Board Treasurer, Chair of Financial Planning Committee

Nanayaa Dadson is a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co, where she has worked since 1997. She was born and raised in Ghana, attended high school in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States to attend college. She holds a PhD, M.S. and B.S. in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University.

Jeff Hoffman

Chair of Audit and External Relations Committees

Jeff Hoffman is a data-driven strategist who has held various leadership positions at Google, including Head of Search Strategy & Insights and Head of Google Workspace Customer & Growth Insights. In these roles, he has led teams of analysts in providing strategic guidance to senior executives and driving growth initiatives. Prior to joining Google, Jeff held marketing and strategy roles at Amazon and Target. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis. Jeff was inspired to pursue higher learning in mathematics at a young age and has worked as a math tutor since he was in middle school.

Kristin Kearns-Jordan

Chair of Governance Committee

Kristin Kearns-Jordan has led education organizations in New York City since 1991 and has recently added a focus in Danbury, CT. She has been the CEO or executive director of three education nonprofits, a middle and high school, and two family foundations. The throughline of her work has been the advancement of education equity and the alignment of nonprofit commitments to system level reform and more just education policy. Kristin recently established a foundation with her husband Kevin Jordan, the Jordan Family Foundation, that makes education grants in NYC and Danbury, CT and operates the Danbury Scholarship Fund for Student Leaders. Kristin also runs an executive coaching practice for nonprofit executives, KKJ Impact Coaching, and serves on the boards of several nonprofits and schools.

Richard Rusczyk

Former Board Chair

Richard Rusczyk founded the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) in 2003 to create interactive educational opportunities for avid math students, and expanded this work by founding the nonprofit Art of Problem Solving Initiative in 2004. AoPS now reaches hundreds of thousands of high-potential math students every year through its learning centers, online schools, books, websites, and online learning systems. Richard authored or co-authored 7 math textbooks, created over 1400 videos for K-12 math students, and was a past Director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search.

Kiran Kedlaya

Kiran Kedlaya is the Stefan E. Warschawski Professor of Mathematics at the University of California San Diego. He has served as a member of the USA International Mathematics Olympiad team, a deputy leader of the USA IMO team, a member of the IMO 2001 executive committee, a member of the USA Mathematical Olympiad committee, and a member of the Council of the American Mathematical Society. He has also co-authored two books on the Putnam competition.

Lennin Antunish

Lennin Antunish is an indigenous first-generation college graduate with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Franklin & Marshall College, where he was a POSSE Scholar. Currently, he is a Program Manager at Coded By Kids, where he designs and implements programs that empower underrepresented students to build startups from ideation to MVP. At Coded By Kids, Lennin leverages his background growing up in a low-income, mixed-status household to connect with students and design impactful programming. One of his key achievements is the creation of the Tech & Innovation Internship, a 10-week program that equips Philadelphia students with real-world experience in startup creation & entrepreneurship. As an alum of the BEAM program and former math counselor, Lennin brings a deep personal connection to BEAM's mission.

Nikki Ho-Shing

Nkenge Ho-Shing is an experienced human resources, DEI, and internal communications professional with nearly 20 years in the finance industry. She most recently served as the HR Business Partner Lead for Quantitative Research and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Two Sigma Investments, where she first joined in 2016 focusing on internal communications. Prior to Two Sigma, Nikki held roles in trading operations and communications at Credit Suisse. In addition to BEAM, Nikki serves on the board of Legacy College Prep Charter School in the South Bronx. She has also served on Bryn Mawr College’s President’s Advisory Council. Nikki is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and CUNY's Hunter College. She resides in Manhattan with her dog, Stanley, and is a (very) amateur flutist.

Prashant Lal

Prashant Lal is a partner at Hudson River Trading, a quantitative trading firm headquartered in New York City. Prior to joining HRT, Prashant was a partner at Tower Research Capital. Since joining HRT in 2010, he’s focused on the firm’s growth into new global markets and asset classes. An MIT graduate in economics, he lives in New York with his wife, Saira, and their two daughters. He is also the creator and owner of a winery in New Jersey, Stokelan Winery, which grows and showcases wines from the region.

Sandor Lehoczky

Sandor Lehoczky works for Jane Street Capital, a financial firm in New York City. He co-authored the Art of Problem Solving with Richard Rusczyk and graduated from Princeton in 1994.

Susan Schwartz Wildstrom

Susan Schwartz Wildstrom is newly retired after fifty years of teaching mathematics, including a proof-based precalculus course and a multivariable calculus course, in public high schools. Most recently, Susan taught at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD. Susan is a member of both the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America.