LEAH Advisory Board Members 2023-2024
Christian Williams
Advisory Board Chair
Vice President, Micro Venture Funding
Christian Williams is the founder of Micro Venture Funding, a company that helps startups get access to funding. Christian‘s background includes private banking and business funding; he spent years in Tampa on the boards of several nonprofits mentoring youth on financial literacy. Christian has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from Florida State University and he graduated from Harvard Extension School with a master’s in finance spring of 2023. Christian passion is to help students learn how to build generational wealth through financial literacy and investing. In his spare time, Christian enjoys college football, blogging, and politics.
Brandon Morgan
Advisory Board Co-Chair
LifeLabs Learning Leadership Facilitator, Public Health Consultant
Brandon Morgan is the co-chair of the LEAH advisory board. He works at LifeLabs Learning as a leadership facilitator and consults in public health. He also served as staff for the LEAH Project from 2018 to 2021. Brandon’s expertise lies in coaching, facilitation, and organizational development. When Brandon isn’t working, he can be found climbing, writing, or spending time with friends.
Kristine Deni
Educational Consultant, Kristine Deni Consulting
Kris Deni is a life long special educator, beginning a career in public education in 1973. She has been a teacher, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Student Services working in MA, TN and NJ. After retiring from working in public schools for 37 years, Kris worked for the NJ Department of Education and The Danielson Group. Kris has served on several boards including the NJ Special Olympics. Current board memberships include the LEAH Advisory Board and the Lawrenceville Job Training Partnership, a new initiative working with former convicts.
Kris earned a BS in elementary and special education from Westfield State College in MA, and a Masters in Special Education from George Peabody College in Nashville, TN. She holds NJ certifications in early childhood education, special education and administration. Kris is the mother of Leah and Michael Deni.
Nishaila Porter
Active Community Member through multiple organizations, LEAH Project Alumni
Nishaila Porter is a LEAH Mentor alumna working in the environmental field. She holds a B.A. in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University and a master’s in environmental science and policy from Northeastern University. With an interest in climate adaptation applications and environmental justice, she aspires to help build resilient cities in an equitable way. In her spare time, Nishaila mentors and volunteers for community events and political campaigns. Additionally, Nishaila is affiliated with other organizations, serving on the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry Board of Directors as the Vice Chair and the American Association of Blacks in Energy- Greater Boston Chapter executive board.
Rachel Green
Mental Health Clinician, Boston Public Health Commission
Rachel Green was one of the founding staff members of the LEAH Project in 2005. She began her work with nonprofits over 20 years ago. Since then, she has worked with young people, families, and staff throughout Boston in a number of roles including educator, manager, trainer, and counselor. She has been a part of agencies such as City Year, Citizen Schools, and the City of Boston. She received her BA in Human Services from Northeastern University and her master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Rachel currently works as a mental health clinician for the Boston Public Health Commission working in their School Based Health Centers with 7th-12th graders. She also has a small private practice where she provides counseling as well.
Erik Sebesta
CEO, Sebesta Enterprises, Inc.
Erik Sebesta is the former co-founder, board member, and chief architect of Cloud Technology Partners (CTP), the leading cloud strategy, consulting, software engineering, software, and application migration company. CTP launched in 2011, grew to over 200 people and $30MM in revenue, and was acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprises in 2017. Erik was responsible for multi-million-dollar sales and delivery engagements to Fortune 1000 clients as well as building out CTP's reusable IP portfolio. Prior to CTP, Erik was a national principal architect for Novell and Cambridge Technology Partners (the original CTP). He graduated with a computer science degree from Williams College. Currently, Erik's latest startup is Keep Health, focused on scientifically backed ways to live longer and remain healthy. When not focused on corporate endeavors, Erik organizes the Ultimate Showcase Series Massachusetts Youth Ultimate Frisbee All-Star games and coaches his daughters' state-champion HS ultimate frisbee team. Erik was a friend and ultimate frisbee teammate of Leah Deni.
Anna Woodroof Mulqueen
Environmental Education Manager & Sustainability Specialist, Earthwatch Institute
Anna Woodroof is the Environmental Education Manager and Sustainability Specialist at Earthwatch Institute where she has worked since 2016. At Earthwatch, she supports climate and environmental education development, facilitation, and delivery for a variety of audiences from teens to corporate employees. Before this organization, Anna worked in housing, disaster recovery, and community outreach. She holds a BA in Sustainability Studies from Stony Brook University and an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Anna has specific interests in hands-on community-led science as a tool to empower people to take action.
Andrea Garavito
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Biology
Andrea Garavito obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas Tech University and shortly after completed a post-bac at Harvard in Computational Biology. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Chemical Biology at Harvard, and her work focuses on engineering proteins to target viruses. As a first-generation student and immigrant, Andrea is passionate about making STEM accessible to historically excluded groups. In her free time, she mentors a range of students and volunteers with the Boston community; her goal is to encourage diverse representation in emerging technologies, promote an environment of opportunity and inclusivity, and inspire others to pursue their scientific passions.
Hubert Galan-Vargas
Research Associate, Pfizer Inc. LEAH Project Alumni
Hubert Galan-Vargas is a Bostonian with a deep-rooted connection to his neighborhood of East Boston, although he has spent the majority of his life in Roxbury. Despite his strong Bostonian identity, Hubert's heritage can be traced back to the vibrant cultures of El Salvador and Cuba. Hubert's educational journey began at Boston Latin Academy, where he laid the foundation for his future endeavors. Driven by a passion for science and a determination to positively impact healthcare, he pursued higher education at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. At Dartmouth, he pursued a course of study in Biology and was on the pre-medical track, shaping his path toward a career in the medical field. Currently, Hubert works as a Research Associate within the Pharmaceutical industry, specifically conducting scientific research around small molecule formulations. Lastly, Hubert joined the LEAH Project Advisory Board because he is passionate about aiding the LEAH Project's mission of increasing BIPOC youth in the STEM field. Hubert is a LEAH Project alumnus and attributes his successes in college admissions and his scientific career to the support he received from his participation via college and career readiness programming and wants to continue this mission for future youth.
Lariona Jacobs
College Access Advisor, College Visions
Lariona Jacobs is a Boston native and LEAH Mentor alumna. Lariona attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio as a Posse Scholar where she graduated with a BA in Anthropology/Sociology and Communication. She also holds an MS in Crime & Justice Studies from Suffolk University. From the moment she was able to work, Lariona has been dedicated to youth advocacy, development, and educational equity. In her current role as a College Access Advisor at College Visions, where she serves first-generation low-income students, she fulfills her passion for supporting youth in post-secondary success. Lariona is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, aunt, youngest sister, turtle lover, and horror movie fanatic.
Keya Pitts
Head of Global Safety Operations, in Pharma Patient Safety and Risk Management, Nestle Health Science
Pitts has over 26 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, holding management positions within clinical drug development, pharmacovigilance, and quality assurance at small and large pharma and biotech companies. She is widely respected for her professional leadership, strategy-setting capabilities, and expertise in the highly regulated environment of (bio)pharmaceutical development, having authored publications and served as a guest speaker at conferences. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a BA in General Sciences from Cheyney University, a historically black university located in Pennsylvania. Pitts recently served as a Director on the 2022 Global Board of the Healthcare Businesswomens' Association (HBA), a not-for-profit global association that has been partnering with the life science and healthcare industries to empower women and enable gender equity through active corporate engagement at every level. For over 15 years, Pitts has actively supported initiatives, promoting girls and young women as future leaders in the pursuit of STEM careers.