Michaela Brawn
Development Manager
Michaela joined GO Project in 2023 as the organization's Development Manager. Prior to joining GO, she spent five years working in the fast-paced and dynamic field of venture capital. During this time, Michaela developed a deep understanding of fundraising strategies, investor relations, and project management. Her experience in the venture capital industry has equipped her with exceptional analytical skills and a keen eye for identifying opportunities for growth and development. Michaela obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Brown University and a Master of Arts degree in English & Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Michaela's commitment to educational equity and her dedication to empowering underserved communities has brought her to GO Project, where she strives to support GO's mission and make a lasting impact.
Yamile Pacheco Cueva
Manager of Data and Evaluation
Yamilé joined the GO Project in November 2022 as Manager of Data and Evaluation. Yamilé brings nine years of experience working with data quality and technology management in the non-profit sector. Before working at GO, Yamilé worked as Salesforce Administrator and Technology Manager at PENCIL, where she managed the technology roadmap transitioning the organization to Salesforce and Microsoft SharePoint/Teams. Yamilé holds a Salesforce Administrator and a Salesforce Platform App Builder certification. Yamilé lives in Upstate New York and enjoys traveling and learning languages.
Maggie Dollard
Chief Development Officer
Maggie joined GO Project in January 2024 with over 14 years of nonprofit fundraising experience and a deep commitment to creating access to opportunities and advancing educational equity. Most recently, Maggie served as Chief Development Officer for the Fund for Public Schools, the nonprofit partner to NYC Public Schools that works to design, fund, and implement citywide public-private partnerships to support NYC public school students, staff, and school communities. Prior to that, Maggie spent over 10 years fundraising and supporting strategic growth at three leading NYC nonprofit organizations: University Settlement, The Door, and Broome Street Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Siena College and a master’s in Social Work from Fordham University.
Jade Elias
Chief Program Officer
Jade joined GO Project in January 2023 after working for over 15 years in the nonprofit youth development and education space. Her first role working with youth was through City Year as an AmeriCorps member, coordinating service-learning and leadership programs for middle school students. Since then, Jade's experience has included working as the senior member of the youth programs team at University Settlement, leading the Brooklyn team’s portfolio of youth and family engagement programming. While at Red Hook Initiative, as Chief Program Officer, Jade focused on program development and strategic planning to strengthen organizational capacity. Jade is deeply passionate about youth and community engagement as a medium for social change and excels in driving programmatic and organizational growth through engaged teams. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Baruch College and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a proud New Yorker and so very excited to be part of the GO Project team.
Hailee Friedman
Recruiting Specialist
Hailee has been with GO as Recruiting Specialist since January 2022. Prior to her work with GO, she spent a decade working at two NYC law firms, Curtis Mallet and Manatt, as their Senior Recruiting Coordinator. Through her work at the law firms, her primary focus was recruiting law students from law schools across the country and planning and managing their summer internship programs. She received a BA in Public Policy and Labor Relations from The University of Albany.
Theresa Grimmig
Operations & HR Manager
Theresa joined GO Project in September 2009. Terry arrived to the GO Project new to the nonprofit sector, following a long career as Director of Fixed Income and as a Short Term Money Market Specialist at UBS Investment Bank. Terry has a daughter attending Tulane University and lives in Brooklyn.
Lupe Guevara, LMSW
Director of Student & Family Services
Lupe joined GO with more than 10 years of experience in youth development. Lupe is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who earned her degree at Adelphi University. She launched her career with Children’s Aid, Inwood House, and Boy Town NY where she worked in various capacities that has gained her experience in collaborating and building partnerships to meet social, emotional and academic needs of students in a variety of settings and with diverse clients. Lupe has spent her career at the intersection of mental health, communities and education, leading pioneering programs that improve access to social-emotional services and create opportunities for students to reach their full potential. She loves to travel and experience new cultures but enjoys coming back to NYC, her hometown. Lupe is excited to be a part of a passionate and committed team at GO Project.
Lara Olivieri, CPA
Controller
Lara joined GO Project in March 2016 and has worked in the finance and accounting field for many years. Her previous employers include Ernst & Young, the Museum of Modern Art, and Humanities New York. She received a BA from Colgate University and an MBA from Fordham University. She lives in Manhattan with her family and enjoys exploring NYC parks and museum.
Sara Palombo
Manager of Student Enrollment & Public School Partnerships
Sara has spent the past few summers with GO Project as both a Head Teacher and the Campus Operations Coordinator. She is extremely excited to be joining the team full time as the Manager of Enrollment and Public School Partnerships. Sara was born and raised in New York and recently moved back to the city after teaching in Providence for 6 years where she taught science to middle and high school students.
Sandy Pan
Manager of Student & Family Services
Sandy joined GO in December 2020 as a Student & Family Services Coordinator. Her mission in life is to “educate and empower.” She spent her teenage years volunteering with after school and summer youth programs. When she was in college, she traveled abroad to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic for a week during her spring break to teach youth how to take better care of their health. Soon after she graduated from Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, she flew to Zhuhai, China to teach English to university students for a year. Afterwards, she decided to come back to NYC and invested six years to build a healthier bio-psycho-social community for youth at the Teen Resource Center from the Charles B. Wang Community Center. Sandy’s background in education and holistic health has led her to the GO Project community. She is excited to work with a passionate team to provide more support and resources to students and families from underserved communities. These days you can find Sandy researching the next food recipe to try out, dreaming about her travel adventures, or playing with her handsome and adorable cow cat named Bandit.
Brandon Phillips
Manager of Instruction
Brandon joined GO Project in November of 2023. With more than seven years of experience, Brandon has a passion for providing equitable access to quality education. Starting off in the higher education field at CUNY, Brandon worked to recruit new college students to the ASAP program, connecting them with academic advisors and additional resources. Following that, he worked as a 2nd and 3rd-grade teacher, where he led classrooms of young minds and trained new teachers to provide quality education across the grades. He graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and enjoys traveling, reading new books, writing short stories, and playing instruments. Brandon is very excited to work with the passionate team at GO Project and see the growth in the students they support.
Jessica Sandoval
Director of Instruction
Jessica joined GO Project in January 2024, bringing more than 17 years of experience in education. Beginning her career as a Teach For America Corps Member in 2004, Jessica has taught in New York City communities such as Harlem, Flatbush, and Washington Heights, and has also taught in Belleville, Michigan. Over the years, Jessica has worked with students in Pre-K - 6th grade level, teaching a wide variety of content, including ELA, math, visual arts, and science. In addition, Jessica has served as a Dean of Teaching & Learning for 4th grade students. Most recently, as a science teacher, Jessica wrote and received FIRST LEGO League Discover grants from the LEGO Foundation, enrolling an average of 90 1st grade students annually in an introductory STEM program. Jessica received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and her Master of Science in Childhood Education from Herbert H. Lehman College. Jessica is thrilled to join GO and contribute to its mission of providing students with the confidence and skills that will aid them in determining the future they desire.
Gayle Villani
Executive Director
Gayle brings to the GO Project more than 20 years of experience in education. She launched her career as a corps member with the Teach for America program in 1992, and continued teaching in a variety of low-income communities, including New Orleans, Compton, and South Central, Los Angeles. After relocating to New York City, Gayle joined Vivendi Universal (formerly Joseph E. Seagram & Sons), where she managed grantmaking for early childhood and pre-collegiate education, as well as the company's school-based partnerships in New York City and across the U.S. In her most recent role at PENCIL, Gayle transformed the organization's programming into a comprehensive school-based partnership model, in whichteams of business volunteers leverage their unique private sector skillsets and expertise to prepare students for college and career success. Gayle received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts in Education from California State University. She also earned a K-12 Teaching Credential from Chapman University and is a graduate of the Developing Leaders Program at Columbia Business School.
Krix Yin
Senior Program Operations Coordinator
Born and raised in Xinjiang, in the northwestern part of China, Krix came to the United States to pursue Master's degrees in TESOL and Educational Technology from Arkansas Tech University and the Harrisburg University of Science & Technology. Prior to joining GO Project in 2021, Krix worked as a research assistant at China Labor Watch, where he compiled information regarding Chinese labor laws and policies and assisted with several investigative reports on labor violations in China. Krix has previously worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Met Breuer, the Ms. Lam Montessori School, Planet Han, and Russellville Middle School. In his free time, Krix enjoys visiting museums, hiking, and watching F1 races.
