Meet  our team!!!

My Story

Jack, co-founder of The Community Bots, is an experienced middle school teacher. Formerly, Jack established the middle school robotics program, The Bots, at The Chapin School, an all-girls, K-12, independent school in New York City. Under his leadership, Chapin’s FLL teams earned numerous awards at competitions, such as the coveted Champion’s Award at the New York City FLL Championship, and have gone on to compete against teams from around the world. Jack is currently the head of the science program at The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City.

Jack is committed to global citizenship and social justice. Creating a culture around these values resonates deeply with his educational philosophy to provide students with the tools to better engage in a complex world and to feel like they can make a difference. Having worked with mainstream students and those with learning differences, both at the middle and high school level, Jack has found that a multi-modality, skills-based approach is the most effective way to reach all kinds of young learners. His experience as a world traveler, both formerly and more recently with The Community Bots, has enabled him to tap into all kinds of communities and students from around the globe who are eager to negotiate challenges in creative and innovative ways.

Jack holds a BA in Psychobiology from Bowdoin College, a MS in Nutrition from the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He earned his teaching degree from Teachers College at Columbia University.

My Story

Victoria grew up in three different countries and has taught world languages in elementary school (Spanish & French) and science for over thirty years in NYC. She received her doctorate from Teachers College in educational leadership. She is a frequent presenter on authentic resources and IPA design. For ten years, she was also curriculum specialist and professional development leader for Global Language Project (GLP). Dr. Gilbert has taught FLES methodology classes and served as lead instructor in NYU’s and GLP’s StarTalk program for teachers. She is currently the Chair of the Modern Language Department at Saint David’s School.

In 1999, Tori founded the nonprofit, East River Community Recreation and Education on the Water (C.R.E.W.), whose mission is to cultivate stewardship of the estuary environment through participation in its rowing and educational activities. Tori has always been a proponent of making science accessible through integrated and experiential learning and supports the mission of The Community Bots to make STEM learning capture the imaginations of young women

 My Story

Bob Hall guides The Community Bots with data collection and analysis based on the student and teacher surveys. He is a health researcher and data scientist who works at the VA Boston Healthcare System. He is the Program Development Manager for the CSP Boston Informatics organization in Boston that is working to expand big data accessibility for predictive analytics research. Bob has a background in epidemiology and has developed a career in population research, analytics programming, health surveys, medical writing, healthcare informatics, and precision oncology. He has been guiding The Community Bots with data collection and analysis based on the student and teacher surveys. Bob also works as a docent at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston educating public audiences on contemporary arts and ideas. 

 My Story

Isabella is an attorney who specialized in mass tort and product liability litigation at a leading law firm for ten years. She published numerous articles about legal issues affecting corporate defendants. In addition to representing domestic and foreign corporations, she served as pro bono counsel in lawsuits on behalf of formerly homeless individuals and families in New York City. Isabella received her JD from the Cardozo School of Law in New York City and her BA from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She is an active member of Georgetown’s Alumni Admissions Program and serves as a Class Ambassador.

Isabella’s family is from Nicaragua, and she is passionate about the development of children’s educational opportunities in Latin America. She is inspired by The Community Bots’ mission to empower girls in underserved communities through STEM-robotics programs.

 My Story

Anna Jacinta Mello earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in education from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and her master’s degree in ecology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis, Brazil. Lastly, she earned a post-graduate specialization in special education from Associação Sagres in Florianópolis, Brazil. She currently works at The Chapin School as a science teacher and advisor. She is also the Middle School Robotics Coordinator, leading three teams Junior Bots, FIRST LEGO League, and Makerbots. Before working at Chapin, Anna spent two years at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica as a middle and high school science teacher and for five years at the International School of Florianópolis, Brazil as a middle school science teacher.

As a graduate student, she worked as an assistant teacher at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, collaborating with the engineering and automation departments with a focus on the conservation of natural resources. Over the past 14 years, Anna has been a translator and editor of scientific articles for various chemistry, ecology, and biology journals. When she isn’t teaching, Anna enjoys watercolor painting, taking care of plants, traveling abroad, and cooking foods from her home country of Brazil.

My Story

David is the President of the Kinsley Group, a full-service energy systems company headquartered in East Granby, Connecticut. One entity under the Kinsley Group, Kinsley Power Systems, is a central distributor for Kohler Power Systems, and sells, services, and rents emergency power systems throughout the northeast. Another Kinsley Group subsidiary,

Kinsley Energy Systems, offers prime power, combined heat and power applications from 250kW to 20MW. The Kinsley holding company currently has agreements for solar operations and maintenance and has an emerging energy storage/micro grid business model as well as other energy technology options. The Kinsley Group also co-owns a national service company, Ultimate Service Associates, and David serves on its Board of Directors. 

David has served on the Board of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society and most recently as the Board Chair for Capitol Squash, an urban squash program in Hartford. He has also been the past Chapter Chair for the Connecticut River Valley Young Presidents Organization (YPO) chapter. He received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1990.

My Story

Heriberto Torrado is the IT Director of The Harlem School of The Arts (HSA) in New York City where he creates, directs, and supervise all projects related to IT, web design, and HSA programming. In addition, Heriberto runs his own IT company, NetworkDreams, for the past fifteen years, working with companies in Spain, France, and Italy. He is now starting operations in the United States (New York).

Prior to moving to the United States, Heriberto spent more than fifteen years in Spain offering IT classes to public institutions such as the central government and local municipalities within Spain, as well as private companies like CapGemini, Ernst & Young, MoviStar, Medicsa, and Flextronics.

Heriberto has a degree in Computer Science from the Complutense University of Madrid, a master’s degree in Design and Communication from the Escuela Superior de Publicidad de Madrid, as well as certifications in computer network electronics and industrial electronics.

Heriberto is passionate about technology and computers and how to apply technical knowledge to improve people’s quality of life.

My Story

Vivienne is an award-winning educator in the 2020 CSTA Teaching Excellence Awards. She is the incoming Director of Technology at The Chapin School, an all-girls, K-12, independent school in New York City. Since joining Chapin in 2018, Vivienne serves as the head of upper school academic technology and upper school computer science teacher, where she revolutionized the upper school’s technology curriculum, launching new courses and collaborative programs across divisions. She also serves as the co-coordinator of the upper school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. Vivienne previously spent nine years with the District of Columbia Public Charter School system, serving in various STEM Leadership and computer science teaching positions. She also worked as a computer instructor with the National Training Agency in Jamaica. 

Vivienne earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a major in Computing and Accounting at the University of Technology, Jamaica. She received her Masters’ degree in MIS and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University

(NSU). Vivienne currently serves as a Board Advisor to the STEM Builders Learning Hub, Jamaica. She strongly believes in lifelong learning, is committed to cultivating transformative competencies for students in STEM, and is invested in closing the gender gap in STEM Education.

My Story

Neena was born in India but lived in Dubai for 15 years before moving back to India where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Neena went on to complete her Masters in Computer Science at University of Leicester in the UK. She then worked as a web developer in London and met her husband who was based out of California.

Post wedding, she moved to Silicon Valley in 2013 where she started out volunteering at an organization called FACTR to help build their website while working as a UX support engineer at ServiceNow in San Jose. Currently, she manage a team of engineers based out of Santa Clara, California and Sydney, Australia.

On the personal front, Neena has two rambunctious boys, 3 and 6 years old, who keep her very busy after work. She enjoys traveling and just this year her family visited New York, Paris, Nice, Eze, Monaco, Amsterdam, Abcoude, Austin(TX), Mumbai and Bangalore!.

Neena is a strong advocate/speaker for women in tech and is part of “Power Of 10” Club for women. Recently, she was invited to be part of a career panel at her organization’s global meet.

Neena is thrilled to be part of this team because the mission resonates with her, and nothing makes her happier than seeing women succeed and have a bright future!

My Story

Vivienne is an award-winning educator in the 2020 CSTA Teaching Excellence Awards. She is the incoming Director of Technology at The Chapin School, an all-girls, K-12, independent school in New York City. Since joining Chapin in 2018, Vivienne serves as the head of upper school academic technology and upper school computer science teacher, where she revolutionized the upper school’s technology curriculum, launching new courses and collaborative programs across divisions. She also serves as the co-coordinator of the upper school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. Vivienne previously spent nine years with the District of Columbia Public Charter School system, serving in various STEM Leadership and computer science teaching positions. She also worked as a computer instructor with the National Training Agency in Jamaica. 

Vivienne earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a major in Computing and Accounting at the University of Technology, Jamaica. She received her Masters’ degree in MIS and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University

(NSU). Vivienne currently serves as a Board Advisor to the STEM Builders Learning Hub, Jamaica. She strongly believes in lifelong learning, is committed to cultivating transformative competencies for students in STEM, and is invested in closing the gender gap in STEM Education.

My Story

Kristin Royer is a video editor and motion graphics designer currently living in Seattle, Washington. Over the years, she has produced explainer videos, documentary shorts, music videos, and social media content. For the last three years, she has worked as a video producer at the technology company ServiceNow, producing training content. She loves to explore storytelling through various digital media and is thrilled to be lending her skills and experience to the Community Bots.

Kristin received her bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Baltimore. She is currently learning Spanish and hopes to someday be able to roll her Rs.

My Story

Gabriela Hull has been involved with The Community Bots since its early stages, developing the organization’s social media outlets and fundraising to support our programs. Fluent in various languages, she helped translate our website and robotics programs from English to Spanish.

She is currently a student at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. She is on the track to double major in philosophy and Chinese, while being an active member in the Dartmouth Law Journal, the Tamid Consulting Group, and the Photography Club. She is also the president of the Roosevelt Group in Hanover and conducts research with a religion professor. Upon graduation, she intends to pursue a law degree and continue her work with not-for-profit organizations.

My Story

Eric Bae is a helping to design merchandise for the organization. He is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College studying Russian and history. An eclectic researcher, Eric has travelled far and wide for his research endeavors, from studying tuberculosis at Stony Brook University to doing archaeological research in Romania.

He currently works with the Dartmouth Jewish Sound archive to document the oral history of diasporic Russian communities. After graduation, he intends to pursue law school and take up teaching at university.

My Story

Sage Silverstein graduated from the University of Delaware in 2016 with a degree in Psychology. After working for a few years in the corporate fashion industry, she decided to pursue her passion for helping others by becoming a nurse. In May 2022, Sage graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University College of Nursing. She recently accepted a job at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC as a Registered Nurse on a Women’s Oncology unit.

Sage loves animals and the beach and enjoys reading, painting, and spending time with her friends. Sage recognizes the many mentors who have helped her along in her career and is excited to work with The Community Bots to help inspire and empower young women in STEM.

My Story

Najwa Fertitta is a New York native and recently moved back to Long Island after living in Philadelphia, PA for the past 6 years. After graduating from the University of Delaware in 2017 with a degree in Finance and International Business, she decided to work at JPMorgan Chase in Wilmington, Delaware. Najwa has continued to dive into many parts of the company ranging from Finance, Project Management, Marketing Strategy, Corporate Development, and most recently Wealth Management in JPMorgan’s Banking and Investing organization. This most recent opportunity is what brought her back home to New York and working in NYC for the first time, which has been a goal of hers since graduating.

Najwa loves cooking and enjoys coming up with new recipes and dishes to feed her family and friends. Her latest favorite is making soups from scratch when it becomes cold outside. One day, Najwa hopes to open a small restaurant of her own where she can offer dishes that make people happy. This opportunity to join and help support the Community Bots is very exciting and Najwa is looking forward to bringing her business and strategic acumen to inspire young women and girls in the STEM field.

My Story

Lucas LaRoche is currently a second year student at Dartmouth studying economics and Chinese. He is a goalie for the club hockey team, works for The Dartmouth’s strategy staff, and serves as both an intro economics teaching assistant and an undergraduate advisor, otherwise known as an RA. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering on Habitat for Humanity build projects and making alternative investments. Lucas is a new member of the Junior Board focusing on social media strategy and development. 

My Story

Grace Schwab is working to raise awareness for organizing fundraisers, speaker events, and merchandise release. She is a sophomore at Dartmouth College studying English and government. In her free time, she competes as an attorney and witness on Dartmouth’s Mock Trial Team, she edits the Dartmouth Law Journal, and she works at the Dartmouth Library as a student librarian. 

My Story

Kelly Whelan is a Healthcare Account Manager at Cisco Systems in New York City. Kelly has been with Cisco since 2014. Most recently, Kelly held a position within Cisco’s Learning and Certification Organization, where she spent 5 years managing financial analytics for Cisco’s Career Certification Program (CCIE/CCNP/CCNA).

Kelly graduated from Miami of Ohio where she studied Strategic Communications and Information Systems. During her free time, Kelly enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, and cheering on Washington D.C. sports teams. Kelly is a new member of The Community Bots Junior Board and is looking forward to sharing her passion for women/girls in STEM.

My Story

Sherezada is an experienced robotics coach and science teacher. Her love of science led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy at Harvard University. She then completed her teaching credentials to share that love of science with younger generations and encourage underrepresented groups to pursue science careers. STEM has always been at the forefront of her curriculum. She is the founder and coach of the Robotics Club at LREI. The team has received numerous awards, including representing the USA at a world championship in Japan. 

Sherezada has also led robotics workshops for non-profit organizations. She facilitated educator and student robotics workshops in the Middle East through the SEED Foundation, and most recently, she joined Community Bots to teach Lego robotics to Roma girls in Spain. Sherezada is excited to be part of The Community Bots team, helping empower girls to love science and technology.

My Story

Nicolás is a rising Junior at Friends Academy in Long Island. Prior to Friends Academy, Nico attended The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City before completing 8th grade at the American School of Madrid, Spain.

Nico is a member of the Diversity Student Committee, the Admissions Club and the Stock and Finance Club and participates in a number of community service projects and volunteer activities. At school, Nico enjoys History and Social Studies, Math and languages. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is proficient in French. Nico is a nationally ranked tennis player and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars

My Story

Kate is a junior at the St Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Although originally from London, England, Kate currently lives in Toronto, Canada. She is the captain of the St. Paul’s School First Robotics Team as well as the head of the Girls Advancing in STEM Club. Kate also participates in the coding and engineering club and tutors students at her school in computer science courses. She loves her math, biology and computer science classes as well as being a member of the track and cross country teams.

My Story

St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school, through the leadership of John Richardson, Co-Director of Technology, has donated refurbished laptops to NicaPhoto, Politecnico Fundacion MIR (School for Girls), and Students of Granada. Moreover, John and his colleagues joined The Community Bots at NicaPhoto in Nicaragua to deliver donated laptops and to help develop NicaPhoto’s computer lab. We are deeply appreciative of St. Joseph’s Academy’s ongoing generosity and support.

Our Partner

Princenton University – Language Project are our official translators of our curriculum materials into Spanish. We are deeply appreciative of their generous support. For more information about each organization, please click on their logos below.

Our Partner

PerMondo is our official translators of our curriculum materials into Spanish. We are deeply appreciative of their generous support. For more information about each organization, please click on their logos below.

Our Partner

People-Places-Things fosters cultural exchanges around the world and provides resources for teachers who want to teach English as a second language. People-Places-Things is partnering with Ciudad Mundo and the US Embassy Bolivia to offer the Access Plus program. The Community Bots works with a cohort of young Bolivian professionals in Access Plus who are assisting us with our social media efforts.

Our Partner

Fundación Ciudad Mundo is a non-profit organization that promotes personal and professional development of students, professionals, teachers and entrepreneurs, through experiences that transform their lives, so that they can transform their environment. People-Places-Things is partnering with Ciudad Mundo and the US Embassy Bolivia to offer the Access Plus program. The Community Bots works with a cohort of young Bolivian professionals in Access Plus who are assisting us with our social media efforts.