Our Board of Directors
The Breakthrough Greater Boston Board of Directors is comprised of highly motivated and talented professionals dedicated to Breakthrough’s mission and work to create educational equity. Our Board of Directors has up to 20 members from a variety of backgrounds, all volunteering their service to shape and support the organization by contributing their expertise and assets. Through membership on the Board of Directors, individuals provide leadership, governance, and management support to the organization. Board members have the opportunity to connect with other community professionals and organizations, support the academic achievement and college access of motivated students, provide unique opportunities for young people to explore teaching as a profession, and contribute their individual skills, strengths, and creative thinking to further the impact of Breakthrough Greater Boston. To learn more about joining Breakthrough’s Board of Directors, contact Andrew Jackson, Managing Director of Development, at ajackson@btgbmail.org.
Emily Newmann, Clerk
Vassar BA; Hunter College School of Social Work MSW; Lesley Art Therapy Post-Graduate Program
Board Roles: Clerk, Development Committee, Program Committee
“I believe strongly in the mission of Breakthrough. I have worked for years with the population we serve and feel our country needs to do a better job at providing education and support for first-generation and under-resourced college-bound youth. I love that we are helping to support future leaders in education.”
Jonathan Piskorowski
Director, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, Mellon
Board Role: Finance Committee
Dartmouth College, BA; MIT Sloan School of Management, MBA
“It is gratifying to contribute to Breakthrough’s mission and witness the tangible impact the Students Teaching Students model has on the educational success from middle school to college.”
Mohamed Abdi
Bio coming soon!
Jennifer Stange, President
Jennifer has been with Breakthrough Greater Boston since 2016, and serves as Co-Executive Director. Prior to joining Breakthrough, Jennifer was the Vice President of Shared Services at the EcoTarium (Worcester, MA) and the founding Director of Operations at Brooke Charter School East Boston. She earned her B.S. in Business Administration: Finance at Northeastern University and her M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
When not at Breakthrough, Jennifer spends time with her family and dog enjoying the outdoors.
Steve Winawer
Head of Data, Digital, and Technology for U.S. Business Unit, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Carnegie Mellon University, BA
“Volunteering for Breakthrough is a way for me to give back to the Boston community, which is now giving so much to me. My focus is on supporting diversity and equity in education.”
Jeff Davis, Treasurer
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Board Roles: Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair
Jeff has been a Partner in Ernst & Young LLP’s Financial Services Practice for 20 years. He is the Financial Services Office New England DEI Leader. Jeff’s passion for educational equity is driven by his belief that it is the best opportunity to drive systemic change.
He believes deeply in Breakthrough’s dual mission to prepare low-income students for success in college and train the next generation of urban teachers using a unique Students Teaching Students model. He joined the Board and chairs the Board’s finance committee to support Breakthrough in meeting those critically important goals. Jeff’s wife and his children Benjamin and Lucy live in Lexington and love to travel.
Kara Bixby, Co-Chair
Owner and Evaluation Director at WithInsight
Board Role: Board Co-Chair
Fordham University, BA; University of Minnesota Humphrey School, Master’s
“I am passionate about educational equity and ensuring all young people can achieve the goals they have for themselves. Educational opportunities played a vital role in my life, and I want to ensure others have the opportunities and support needed for them to be successful.”
Anne Goldenheim
Community Volunteer
Mount Holyoke College; Harvard Graduate School of Education; Columbia School of Library Science
“I have a lifetime commitment to educational issues, both personally and professionally, and the excellent work of Breakthrough Greater Boston is consistent with my deeply held belief that all children deserve the best possible educational opportunities.”
Imtiyaz Hossain
Associate Director, Data Sciences, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Tufts University, BS; Tufts University School of Medicine, MPH
As a proud alumna of Breakthrough Greater Boston, I have experienced firsthand the transformative impact of this organization on my academic and professional journey. Breakthrough not only shaped my trajectory but also instilled in me a deep sense of gratitude and commitment to paying it forward. Serving as a board member is my way of giving back to the community that empowered me, ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities to succeed and thrive.
Martin Hayes
Director of Neuroscience Research, Abbvie
University of Missouri-St Louis, BA, BS; MIT, PhD
“Equity in education is one of the most powerful tools to realize true social equity in our communities.”
Natasha Warikoo
Stern Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Tufts University
Stern Professor in the Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Tufts University
Brown University, BA, BSc; Harvard University, MEd; Harvard University, MA, PhD in sociology
“Breakthrough opened my eyes to the world of education when I was in college. I was a Breakthrough teacher (then Summerbridge) for two summers, which led me to become a teacher and eventually an education researcher. I did teacher support for BTGB at Concord Academy as well. My daughter also was a BTGB teaching assistant.”
Yolanda Kodrzycki, Co-Chair
VP and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (retired)
Board Role: Board Co-Chair
Harvard University (Radcliffe College), BA; University of Pennsylvania, PhD in economics
“As an economist, I am aware of the importance of education in improving people’s well-being, and of the inequalities in educational opportunity. And from my personal history, I identify with Breakthrough students. I am an immigrant who attended the Boston Public Schools, spoke a language other than English at home, and was the first in my family to attend and graduate from college. I get deep satisfaction from my service on the board.”
Edwin Johnson
Rector-Elect, St. James Church
Tufts University; Graduate Theological Union
“From my time as a teaching fellow and full-time staff I have understood this to be the premier educational program in Massachusetts.”
Jennie McDonald-Brown
Vice President of Institutional Advancement at RCC Foundation
Roxbury Community College, Rollins College, BA; Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, MSW; Harvard Graduate School of Education, MEd
“I have been involved with Breakthrough Greater Boston as an intern, staff member, or volunteer for over 18 years. I believe deeply in the organization’s mission and have had the privilege of seeing hundreds of students and teaching fellows benefit from BTGB’s extraordinary programming. BTGB is on the front lines of critical education equity work.”
Margot Biggin
Principal, Margot Biggin Consulting
Smith College, BA; Boston University Questrom School of Business, MBA
“I am eager to help advance BTGB’s vital mission and produce remarkable outcomes for low-income students with high potential but limited opportunities.”
Trudi Veldman
Director Biologics Drug Discovery, Abbvie (Retired)
Free University, Amsterdam, PhD
“I am proud to be part of a program that prepares students not only for academic success but also for life.”