The Read Ahead Junior Board

A dynamic group of young professionals united by the belief that reading and mentoring can have a meaningful and lasting impact on New York City youth.

Fundraising

The Junior Board plays an essential role in Read Ahead’s sustainability by leading two fundraisers each year: #GivingTuesday and a signature event in the spring. By reaching out to their personal networks, and leveraging corporate matching donations, the Junior Board makes it possible for hundreds of children to participate in Read Ahead each year.

Community Building

Junior Board members are a part of Read Ahead’s growing community of civic-minded professionals in NYC. Through professional development nights, social events, and other networking and leadership opportunities, Junior Board members have the opportunity to enhance their personal and professional networks.

Mission Focused

Each year more than 50% of our Junior Board members also volunteer as mentors in Read Ahead’s weekly program. Through advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising, every Junior Board member contributes to Read Ahead’s success.

Junior Board Membership

We look for enthusiastic young professionals and emerging leaders who can commit to a full year of championing Read Ahead’s mission-driven work, and seek to build a diverse Junior Board representative of the communities we serve. The Read Ahead Junior Board is NYC-based and planning to be largely in person for the upcoming year (any in-person events will likely take place in Midtown Manhattan).

Junior Board members commit to a year of service (though many continue for multiple years!) which includes four meetings, an annual fall retreat, and participation in two Junior Board-led fundraisers. Additional opportunities include social, networking, and special events with fellow Junior Board members, Read Ahead’s Board of Directors, and the broader Read Ahead community.

Applications will be accepted through 5pm on September 15, 2023. New members will be notified in early October. 

If you have questions about your application, please contact us.

Contact us

Current Membership

Kwaku Abrokwah, Goldman Sachs

Cassandra Biehl, Raymond James

Kent Bourret, Moelis & Company

Andrew Brimmer, Independent (Co-Chair)

Joyce Castro, Independent

Max Chazen, Deloitte

Tatiana Chin, Goldman Sachs

Diane Chung, Bloomberg LP

Beth Codey, Penguin Random House

Laurel Cummings, Salesforce

Neda Dallall, Penguin Random House

Max DeLott, CCS Fundraising (Co-Chair)

Venus Ehsan, Coalesce Capital

Obi Eneli, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Alexander FitzGerald, Ekimetrics

Saige Francis, Penguin Random House

Michael Frank, New York University Tandon Future Labs

Treyaun Fulton, Bloomberg LP

Jack Galiardo, University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Claire Gamble, Hachette Book Group

Melissa Greenwood, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Zoe Grenier, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Sebastian Hennessy, Marsh & McLennan

Dimitri Henry, ClearBridge Investments, Inc.

Natalie Iannone, Oaktree Capital

Tahlia Ifada, Oak Hill Advisors

Kate Johnson, Salesforce

Brandon Luke, Pioneer Financial

Bilal Manji, Blue Owl Capital

Tim McFarlane, Apax

Avanti Mehrotra, BlackRock

Giovanna Paz, Penguin Random House

Arjun Prakash, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Jillian Ruben, Deloitte

Meredith Ruskin, Anheuser-Busch

John Sedlacek, AEA Investors

Nithya Swaminathan, Sidley Austin LLP

Jeremiah Swis, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Amanda Vollaro, Oak Hill Advisors

Ashley Wong, Sidley Austin LLP

Charlie Xu, MongoDB

Christina Xue, Warburg Pincus

Jason Zhang, Ares Management


Emeritus Junior Board Members

Tanya Kaur

Get Involved

Join our Mailing List

Become a part of our extended community by signing up for updates about Read Ahead’s mission, Junior Board events, and upcoming opportunities to get involved. Receive exclusive invites to Junior Board events and participate as much as your schedule allows.  

Sign up
Sponsor an event

Read Ahead’s community includes hundreds of young professionals from Fortune 500 companies and top NYC firms, many of whom participate in our events each year. This is a great opportunity to gain visibility and brand awareness in support of a worthy cause. Connect with us to learn more about supporting an event via financial contribution, in-kind donations, or event space.

Contact us
CONNECT WITH OUR TEAM

If you have additional questions about Read Ahead, the Junior Board, or other ways to get involved, please contact us – we’d love to hear from you!


Get in touch

Learn More

If you have additional questions about Read Ahead, the Junior Board, or other ways to get involved, please email us. We’d love to hear from you!

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