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


Junior Board applications for 2022-23 are now closed.

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 operate in a hybrid capacity (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 September 30, 2022. New members will be notified in early October. If you missed the opportunity to apply for this year, we hope you will keep in touch and join us for some of our open events throughout the year.

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Current Membership

Kwaku Abrokwah, Goldman Sachs

Cassandra Biehl, Raymond James

Kent Bourret, Moelis & Company

Adel Boyarsky,Morgan Stanley

Andrew Brimmer, Independent (Co-Chair)

LillianaBrown, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Ashley Canezin, Apollo Global Management LLC

Joyce Castro, Cravath, Swaine & Moore

Max Chazen, Deloitte

Tatiana Chin, Goldman Sachs

Diane Chung, Bloomberg LP

Beth Codey, Penguin Random House

Meredith Colleran, Mercer

Max DeLott, CCS Fundraising (Co-Chair)

Alden Dowdy, AEA Investors LP

Venus Ehsan, Warburg Pincus LLC


Obi Eneli, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Alexander FitzGerald, Brave Foods

Treyaun Fulton, Bloomberg LP

Jack Galiardo, Morgan Stanley

Claire Gamble, Hachette Book Group

Melissa Greenwood, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Zoe Grenier, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Sarah Hassett, New York Jobs CEO Council

Monisha Henley, Everytown for Gun Safety

Dimitri Henry, ClearBridge Investments, Inc.

Sebastian Hennessy, Marsh & McLennan

Natalie Iannone, Maritime Capital LLC

Kate Johnson, Salesforce

Tanya Kaur, Rent the Runway

Brandon Luke, Pioneer Financial


Bilal Manji, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP


Avanti Mehrotra, BlackRock

Jay Miller

Erin Murphy. Penguin Random House

Satomi Nishikawa, Nomura Securities International

Rachel Parker, Penguin Random House

Arjun Prakash, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Daniela Riedlova, Penguin Random House

Jillian Ruben, Proskauer Rose LLP

John Sedlacek, AEA Investors

Cameron Stowell, LinkedIn

Nithya Swaminathan, Sidley Austin LLP

Lance Taubin, Alston & Bird LLP

Amanda Vollaro, Oak Hill Advisors

Charlie Xu, MongoDB

Jason Zhang, Ares Management


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.

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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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