Meet the Team Behind FUEL for 50
FUEL for 50 is an initiative of Robin Hood’s Fund for Early Learning (FUEL), which launched in 2016 with a mandate to help transform New York City into an “early learning metropolis.” Combining experience in developmental psychology, public health, education, and program development, Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team is focused on supporting more equitable opportunities and support for NYC children ages 0-3.
Proud alumnus of the Head Start program and a native New Yorker, Managing Director of Early Childhood.
What led you to Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team?
The opportunity to lead FUEL was a chance in a lifetime that I simply could not pass!
What’s your perfect NYC Saturday?
Crisp fall weather, running in the fields of Prospect Park with my wife and three kids (who are all 4 and under!), playing tag.
Native New Yorker from Queens, Infant and Toddler Developmental Psychologist, Senior Program Officer, Fund for Early Learning
What led you to Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team?
After many years in academia researching child development and implementing interventions, I wanted to be able to meaningfully impact the lives of families living in poverty in NYC by bringing the science to the community organizations that support them.
What’s your perfect NYC Saturday?
The history of NYC and its people can be told through food! I have always loved NYC’s food diversity, and my perfect day would be spent doing a food tour in Queens and experiencing the beauty of all the cultures that come together in just one borough.
Senior Program Officer focused on the health and mental health of families
What led you to Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team?
I am a public health professional by training, a native New Yorker, and a Black and Latinx woman. My role at Robin Hood allows me to support the great work of our partners in addressing the pervasive racial disparities that exist in maternal and child health within my city.
What’s your perfect NYC Saturday?
Lazy weekends are hard to come by, so my perfect Saturday would be sleeping in followed by some homemade brunch. Later I would finish a crossword puzzle and then bike around Brooklyn exploring new neighborhoods and eats!
Program Officer focused on early childhood education and childcare
What led you to Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team?
Most of my career has been spent focusing on older learners, high school and post-secondary. So much of what we do for them is to help address the gaps that were created in the beginning of their academic career. My role on the Early Childhood team, gives me the opportunity to support programs and initiatives designed to give young people strong starts at the onset of their academic career, in hopes that they won’t need remediation when they get older.
What’s your perfect NYC Saturday?
I just got a new pup, so I start most Saturdays at the dog park. For the rest of the day, I like to spend it slowly—walking around my neighborhood, eating delicious food, and if i’m lucky, a stint in the pottery studio.
Associate, FUEL
What led you to Robin Hood’s Early Childhood team?
I came to Robin Hood to join the poverty fight. As an aspiring public defender, I never imagined myself in the Early Childhood space. But, over the past year I’ve realized just how much of an impact courts have on children and families, whether they realize it or not. My role on the Early Childhood team gives me an opportunity to work with community partners who are making our courts more child-centered and solution-focused.
What’s your perfect NYC Saturday?
Being born and raised in the great city of Newark, New Jersey, I’m not as familiar with NYC as the rest of my team, though that’s slowly changing. My perfect Saturday in the city would have to include Museum Mile and these incredible mango popsicles they have at Central Park – so good!