To the generous 2022 Girls Write Now Circle, our Agents of Change Partners, our Board of Directors and all of the individuals and institutions who cheered us along and deeply invested in our work—we thank you.
Girls Write Now Team
Azia Armstead
Fellow
Chelle Carter-Wilson
Creative Marketing Director
Marisa Cazanave-Steward
Director of Community Initiatives
Sally Familia
Fellow
Shira Feen
Graphic Designer
Spencer George
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Margery Hannah
Community Manager,
Writing Works
Jessica Jagtiani
Community Manager,
Writing 360
Mi So Jeong
Operations Manager
Vahni Kurra
Community Coordinator
Kelsey LePage
Development & Operations Manager
Molly MacDermot
Director of Special Initiatives
Emily Mendelson
Community Manager,
Publishing 360
Elmer Meza
Salesforce & Systems Manager
Sheena Daree Miller
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisor
Daniella Olibrice
Talent Director
Maya Nussbaum
Founder & Executive Director
Jeanine Marie Russaw
Community Coordinator
Lisbett Rodriguez
Senior Community Coordinator
Erica Silberman
Director of Curriculum & Engagement
Richelle Szypulski
Senior Editorial Manager
Karen van de Vrande
Development Consultant
Joe Wilson
Director of Information Technology
Annabel Young
Fellow
Meet the Girls Write Now Staff
Fellow
Azia Armstead
Azia Armstead (she/her) is a poet from Richmond, Virginia. She holds a B.A. in English from Virginia Commonwealth University with minors in Creative Writing and History as well as an MFA in Poetry from New York University where she received the Goldwater Fellowship. In 2019, Azia was a nalist for the Furious Flower Poetry Prize judged by A. Van Jordan and honorable mention for the Arts Club of Washington’s Scholarship Award for Poetry. Her work has appeared in Boston Review, The Quarry and Obsidian. She currently lives in Brooklyn.
Creative Marketing Director
Chelle Carter-Wilson
Storytelling is in Chelle’s DNA. Chelle (Rochelle)’s imagination is the lens through which she experiences the world. Like many children, life obtruded upon her dreams, and bit by bit, she forgot them. Her stories never forgot her. In the wake of a career as an HR executive, she evolved into perhaps the world’s most reluctant stay-at-home mom. She raised two children, trained a beloved boxer puppy, and in quiet moments, listened to the muse. She returned to writing and hasn’t stopped. A linguaphile and lover of the oxford comma, anything, in the form of a story can engage, inform, and delight. A grateful steward of Girls Write Now’s emerging creatives, she commits to never let any writer ignore a siren’s call.
Director of Community Initiatives
Marisa Cazanave-Steward
Marisa holds a B.S. in Music Education from New York University and a M.P.S in Arts and Cultural Management from Pratt Institute. Adopted from Bogota, Colombia and raised in Long Island, NY, Marisa holds over 15 years of experience in education, beginning her career as a choir teacher for the NYCDOE. It was in the classroom that she discovered her passion creating experiences for students of color that affirmed a sense of belonging and connectedness, developing a powerful voice through the performing arts. After transitioning into administration, she joined WeMusic as their Director of Education, launching a program portfolio of K-12 music classes, college audition preparation, mentorship opportunities and teacher training programs in both China and the United States. Never losing sight of what she has gained from her own unconventional career path, Marisa is committed to creating inclusive communities and opportunities for those who hold the drive to define their authentic power and earn a seat at whatever table they desire. She is raising two brave, amazing daughters, a loyal, rescued Malti-poo and enjoys exploring Brooklyn, finding live music and salsa dancing.
Fellow
Sally Familia
Sally Familia (they/them) is a queer poet and freelance editor. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Familia has a rooted passion for their community. They spent a year serving as senior editor for La Galería Magazine, a Dominican-based magazine for the Dominican diaspora in Washington Heights. They hold a B.A. in creative writing with a focus on poetry from SUNY Oswego. Most recently, Sally’s passions have shifted; now incorporating a strong desire to work with and for the youth. Sally hopes to merge their love for literature, Queer and BIPOC communities, and the youth as they continue to navigate the artist/ professional dichotomy. Sally has been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem, “The Trouble with Reminiscing” (2019). They were also nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Brooklyn Poets for the poem, “Esperanza, Republica Dominicana”. Sally is currently working on their first poetry collection.
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Spencer George
Spencer George is a Writer and Teaching Artist hailing from the Carolinas. She holds a B.A. in English and Human Rights with a concentration in Creative Writing from Barnard College and is pursuing her M.A. in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work focuses on narrative representations of the rural South and has been published in The Bitter Southerner, The Adroit Journal, Longreads, and Medium, and once received a shout-out in the The New York Times. She is the creator and writer of GOOD FOLK, a weekly newsletter and podcast examining the intersection of artistry, empathy, and community in and around rural America and the American South. She spent the last few years working as a Teaching Artist in rural North Carolina schools, and has previously worked with the StoryCorps Mobile Tour, as a barista at a tea house and farm, and as a yoga teacher at a boy’s summer camp in Canada. Spencer was the 2019 recipient of the Peter S. Prescott Prize for Prose Writing and is currently at work on a neo-Southern Gothic novel set in a post-climate change Appalachia about a pine tree god who appears only in dreams and the individuals who worship him.
Community Manager, Writing Works
Margery Hannah
Margery Hannah excitedly joins Girls Write Now after several years in program development and management within the nonprofit sector. An ardent supporter of education, Margery has experience teaching K-12 English throughout NYC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English, Literature, and Ethnic Studies from Wichita State University, where she received multiple scholarships and English departmental honors; an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University; and an MA in Aging Studies from Wichita State University. She is a McNair Scholar alumna whose scholarly research helped propel financial literacy course requirements for Kansas high school graduates. Passionate about writing, Margery worked as a ghostwriter for many years; currently she keeps a multi-genre blog called The Literary Purveyor.
Community Manager, Writing 360
Jessica Jagtiani
Jesse Jagtiani is an artist and educator of Indian-German descent. She holds a Doctor of Education in Art & Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, an MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and an undergraduate degree in Visual Communications from the University of Arts, Berlin. In her past, Jesse co-founded and co-managed a video production company, served as the director of a media art studio, helped establish an online school for contemplative studies, and taught digital art classes and spiritual art workshops in academic and non-academic settings. Jesse’s research investigates the formative dimensions of intuition and is based on bridging indigenous wisdom, perennial philosophy, and modern science for a greater balance of the intuitive and the rational mind in Western education. Jesse has presented her research at various conferences, such as the College Art Association Conference (CAA) and the National Art Education Association Convention (NAEA) and her writings are published in a variety of literature, such as the book Developing Informed Intuition for Decision Making and the journal Visual Inquiry: Learning and Teaching Art. She currently serves as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Art Education Pakistan. Jesse is passionate about supporting emerging teen & young adult writers and leaders on their creative, academic and career pathways.
Operations Manager
Mi So Jeong
Mi So Jeong (they/she) brings to Girls Write Now many years of administrative and operations management experience in universities and nonprofits. Over the past decade, Mi So has been discovering the transformative magic of writing, particularly while completing a Master’s in Art History at Sorbonne Université (Paris) and, prior to that, a B.A. in Art History at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where they grew up. In addition to their work at Girls Write Now, Mi So is focused on co-creating liberatory relationships with people and place through ancestral, storytelling, and other practices in collectives of displaced folx.
Community Coordinator
Vahni Kurra
Vahni Kurra (she/hers) hails from disparate parts of the American Midwest with roots in Southern India. She recently earned a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Kenyon College, where she co-edited Hika, Kenyon’s oldest, student-run literary magazine. Vahni’s work centers on themes of displacement, and her personal essay, “Banana Republic,” was published in Oyster River Pages. She is currently the book review editor for Sweet: A Literary Confection. Vahni has always been a strong advocate for the rights of women and trans* folks, as she has interned for NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio and helped facilitate a peer support program for Kenyon students impacted by sexual assault. Vahni is excited to blend her passions for gender equality and creative writing as she works with Girls Write Now to ensure that all mentees have the same opportunities that she did to pursue their artistic and personal dreams.
Development & Operations Manager
Kelsey LePage
Kelsey LePage comes to Girls Write Now with great experience from administration and fundraising to developing curriculum and teaching youth. She has worked in creative, educational, and humanitarian settings serving local communities — at YMCA, Playworks, and most recently in sales and event management at NY Kids Club. Originally from New Hampshire, Kelsey enjoys hiking, kayaking and would be perfectly happy getting lost in a museum or library for a day. She is excited to be starting a new life in a new city and to be sharing her passions with the Girls Write Now team.
Director of Special Initiatives
Molly MacDermot
Molly MacDermot found the teen years hard until she discovered books and a diary, which she wrote in daily. She thanks Charlotte Brönte and Harper Lee for paving the way. Molly served as Editor-in-Chief of five national magazines, including J-14, the #1 teen entertainment magazine in the US. She conceptualized and managed several teen websites and their social media components. Molly is a regular columnist, consults as a media strategist and has written five young adult books. Molly was featured in The New York Times, Adweek, Mediaweek, and Folio, and has appeared on MTV, Vh1, Inside Edition and several morning television shows to talk about pop culture and the youth market. Molly started her career at The New Yorker, and previously worked at Marie Claire (Australia) and Redbook.
Community Manager, Publishing 360
Emily Mendelson
Emily Mendelson comes to Girls Write Now with a love of writing, meaningful experience developing curriculum for nonprofit organizations, and a long-held belief that there is no limit to the ways that people can express their thoughts and ideas. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School and is excited to share her passion for stories in all forms as a member of the Girls Write Now team.
Salesforce and Systems Manager
Elmer Meza
Elmer Meza earned his BA in Economics from Dartmouth College in 2010. After graduation, he spent a year studying Mandarin Chinese at Fudan University in Shanghai. Elmer began his career as an Americorps VISTA member at New York Cares where he helped to build a local volunteer base for select NYC public schools. Since then, he has focused on technology and data management at Prep for Prep, Oliver Scholars, Delivering Good and most recently at The Brotherhood Sister Sol.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisor
Sheena Daree Miller
Sheena Daree Miller (she/they) is a writer based between Brooklyn and South Florida. Her writing has been published, or is forthcoming, in Ms. Magazine, The Rumpus, Zone 3 Press, Split Lip Magazine, Autostraddle, Taco Bell Quarterly and elsewhere. Their writing has graciously been supported by The Seventh Wave, Aspen Words, Columbia Journalism School, and St. Nell’s Humor Writing Residency for Ladies. Sheena was a 2021 Margolis Award finalist and the recipient of the Dave Family Humor Studies Award. In her faculty development role at The New School, she facilitates workshops and develops resources to support both new and returning instructors in teaching for equity and inclusion. She is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor for Girls Write Now.
Founder & Executive Director
Maya Nussbaum
Over the past 25 years, Maya Nussbaum has grown Girls Write Now into one of the nation’s leading institutions creating change at the intersection of gender, race, age, and poverty. In addition to being the first writing and mentoring organization of its kind, Girls Write Now continually ranks among the top programs nationwide for driving social-emotional growth for youth. Under Maya’s stewardship, the nationally award-winning nonprofit has mentored the next generation of writers and leaders to impact businesses across industries, shape culture, and change the conversation. Maya has been distinguished three times by the White House, including by the President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities and as a White House Champion of Change.
Talent Director
Daniella Olibrice
Daniella Olibrice is a native New Yorker who enjoys exploring the city’s many facets—its arts, foods, nature, neighborhoods, and people. She comes to Girls Write Now after having been involved in and managed capacity building, workforce development, mentoring and academic programs at universities and non-profit organizations in New York. Her passion for education started in college when she worked with the Cooper Union Saturday Art Program, an afterschool program targeted to students from NYC high schools who were underrepresented in the visual arts and architecture. Daniella has taught as an adjunct professor with State University of New York and City University of New York for several years. In the teaching and mentoring roles she’s held, what she has enjoyed most is the nurturing of the talents she sees in others. Although her first mode of expression was visual (drawing, collage, photography, etc.), she has always been an avid reader, and in the last few years has been exploring different writing genres such as memoir, short stories, and poetry as part of her artistic practice.
Senior Community Coordinator
Lisbett Rodriguez
Lisbett Rodriguez (she/her) is a Dominican-American lifelong learner bringing her love of stories, community and service-oriented work. She was previously a Girls Write Now mentee and graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. As an undergraduate student, she contributed to producing two publications of the Brooklyn College literary magazine, The Junction which provided her with the tools to support in producing the annual Girls Write Now anthology for three years and counting. In August 2022, she became a Salesforce Certified Administrator after developing a strong interest for systems and databases. She’s passionate about work that centers and uplifts women and gender-expansive folx and has previously worked with two women’s organizations, Legal Momentum and the Brooklyn College Women’s Center. In her free time, she enjoys watching feel-good shows, spending time with friends and playing video games.
Community Coordinator
Jeanine Marie Russaw
Jeanine Marie Russaw (she/her) is an autistic writer, educator, and content creator who boldly wears her HSP traits as badges of honor. She eagerly joins Girls Write Now with an open heart and a passion for the written word. Jeanine holds a B.A. in Journalism from Hofstra University and recently earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. While pursuing her M.A.T., she rolled up her sleeves and embraced life as an upper elementary classroom teacher, building relationships with more than 120 little someones at the height of a global pandemic. Over time, her love of reading and writing (and love of convincing kids to love reading and writing) became an unmistakable part of her teaching identity. As a writer, her words have found their way within the physical and cyber walls of NBC, CBS and Newsweek. A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Jeanine has called Harlem her home for the last seven years…though she has possessed the spirit of a New Yorker since birth.
Director of Curriculum & Engagement
Erica Silberman
Erica Silberman fell in love with Girls Write Now when she group-taught a playwriting workshop for them in 2005. Through the years, she has stayed involved with the organization as a mentor, a teacher in various outreach programs, and a member of both the Program Advisory Committee and the Host Committee. Erica has an extensive and wide-ranging background in the theatre as an actress, playwright, director, teacher, acting coach, and producer, as well as experience in the design world. She formerly served as co-president of the Women in the Arts and Media Coalition and on the board of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Erica is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Dramatic Question Theatre, where she runs a monthly literary and music salon.
Senior Editorial Manager
Richelle Szypulski
After several years of volunteering as a photographer, Richelle Szypulski is thrilled to share her love of storytelling and strategy in service of the Girls Write Now mission. A journalism graduate of Point Park University and NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute, she has worked in marketing and editorial—most recently as a digital editor at Travel + Leisure. Outside of work, you’ll often find her frequenting yoga, dance and meditation studios around the city, rehearsing for community theater productions or missing her subway stop yet again thanks to a too-enthralling audiobook.
Development Consultant
Karen van de Vrande
Karen van de Vrande is helping Girls Write Now raise funds to grow and expand their successful programs. After a long career in corporate management with AT&T, RSL Communications, and Nielsen, Karen was living the life of leisure when the siren song of nonprofit fundraising led her to begin grant writing for a theater group in New York City and then for several other nonprofits across the United States. Having had her own foundation for many years, one priority of which was funding young people and the arts, and being on several nonprofit boards herself, she knows how challenging it is to raise money and wants to do what she can to help.
Director of Information Technology
Joe Wilson
Joe Wilson graduated from CSU Global with a degree in Information technology and a minor in Cybersecurity in 2021. Joe began his IT career in 2001 working in Cyber crimes as a local law enforcement officer in the State of Kansas. Joe started his own IT consulting firm in 2005, JNJTech, which focused on small local businesses and non-profits in Leavenworth Kansas. Joe currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for Girls Write Now. He enjoys spending time with his wife and children, he especially enjoys his 2 new grandchildren. Joe’s favorite quote comes from one of his many mentors over the years, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
Fellow
Annabel Young
Annabel Young (she/her) is a writer, poet, and creative who is passionate about decolonization work. She is Ojibwe by way of Brooklyn (Saginaw Chippewa descendent, ajijaak/crane clan). Annabel holds a B.A. in English and American Studies, with minors in Indigenous Studies and Inequality Studies. She comes to Girls Write Now after acting as both Managing and Layout Editor of Cornell’s oldest literary magazine, Rainy Day, and writing for Cornell’s yearbook. During her undergraduate years, Annabel helped to bring Jamie Black’s REDress project to Cornell to bring awareness to MMIWG2S on campus. In her free time, Annabel can be found writing short stories and poems that focus on themes of family, colliding worldviews, and the daily life of a twenty-something.
Board of Directors
Ellen Archer
Board Chair,
Girls Write Now
Joy Altimare
Chief Revenue Officer,
EHE Health
Cate Ambrose
CEO & Board Member,
Global Private Capital Association
Judith Curr
President & Publisher,
HarperOne
Gati Curtis
EVP, Head of Product & Services
BBDO
Bruce Morrow
Foundation & Government
Grants Specialist
Maya Nussbaum
Executive Director,
Girls Write Now
Lynda Pak
CIO, Senior Vice President & Technology Leader of Brands & Corporate Functions,
Estee Lauder Companies
Ahu Terzi
SVP Client Partnerships,
Dotdash Meredith
Mustafa Topiwalla
Head of Healthcare Corporate & Investment Banking,
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Meet the Board of Directors
Ellen Archer
Ellen Archer is President of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media. Archer drives the strategic growth and expansion of the Company’s consumer publishing business—home to iconic properties, brands and authors from Curious George to The Hobbit to CliffsNotes. An experienced leader in publishing, consumer brands and multimedia, Archer spent 15 years at The Disney ABC Television Group. For five years she was President and Publisher of Hyperion Books, then a division of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for building the company’s digital business, spearheading cross-platform initiatives, and releasing over 100 New York Times bestsellers. Most recently, Archer consulted for start- ups and non-profits, providing strategic advice in content development, marketing, and business planning. Archer holds a BA in English Literature from Hamilton College, Clinton, NY. She served on the Foundation Board of New York Women in Communications and is a member of The Women’s Forum of New York and Golden Seeds, an early stage investment firm with a focus on women leaders. Archer is based primarily in HMH’s New York headquarters.
Joy Altimare
Joy Allen-Altimare is the Chief Revenue Officer at EHE Health. Joy is a brand strategist with nearly 20 years of experience across a range of highly competitive, rapidly evolving marketplaces. She has a proven track record, creating profitable solutions centered around engagement and consumer behavior change. Throughout her career, Joy has been an expert advisor and resource for organizations tackling growth, innovation, and technology challenges and positioning themselves as positive disruptors within their category. Prior to joining the health care space, Joy worked with leading agencies such as Ogilvy+Mather, GREY, and Publicis on preeminent brands like L’Oreal, Verizon, and Colgate-Palmolive. She then shifted into a role at publishing giant Conde Nast, transferring her skills to the media world. Joy helped the company bridge the divide between its traditional roots and digital future, providing strategic insight as the industry’s terrain changed. Now, Joy directs EHE Health’s innovative engagement and product development strategy – which include leading the strategic marketing initiative, growth and revenue strategies along with the clinical and technical product roadmap. She’s the engagement architect and product visionary. Joy lives in NYC with her beautiful family.
Cate Ambrose
Cate Ambrose is CEO and Board Member of EMPEA, the global industry association for private capital in emerging markets. Members include 300+ fund managers, institutional investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, and industry advisors who manage more than USD5 trillion in assets across 130 countries. Cate is a Steering Committee Member of the United Nations Institutional Investor Partnership for Sustainable Development (IIPSD) and on the Advisory Board of the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA). She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Indian startup Masala Baby and a Board Member for Girls Write Now, a non-profit that mentors underserved young women in New York City. Prior to joining EMPEA, Cate was President and Executive Director of LAVCA. Cate was also previously the Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative where she spearheaded the commission’s work on business regulation and property rights in Africa, MENA, Asia, and Latin America. Until 2005, Cate was Executive Director of Programs for The Economist Group. Cate speaks and writes regularly on a range of topics related to public policy and private investment in Latin America. She is a commentator on CNN En Español, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and a guest lecturer at The Wharton School. Cate holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and received her BA in Latin American studies from St. Lawrence University and the University of Madrid.
Judith Curr
Judith Curr is President and Publisher of the HarperOne Group, which was formed in 2018 when Judith joined HarperCollins. It represents a broad and diverse publishing landscape, bringing together four imprints, each with their own unique editorial vision: HarperOne, Amistad, HarperCollins Español, and HarperVia. Publishing books that appeal to readers across cultures, nations, languages and racial divides, the overall mission of HarperOne Group is to “publish for the world we want to live in.” Prior to joining HarperCollins, Curr founded Atria Books in 2002, overseeing its growth into a consistently successful and forward-thinking division. A native of Australia, Curr has been an executive in American publishing since 1996.
Gati Curtis
Born and raised in NJ, Gati is the daughter of Indian immigrants who spent her childhood balancing her Indian heritage and values with her American lifestyle and ideals. Since starting her career, she has focused on creating relationships with clients, partners and agencies to develop best-in-class marketing and communications. She has worked across a number of clients and categories including AT&T where we worked to elevate them from a phone company to a technology company and CVS Health, where they worked to transform them from a corner store to a health company. Currently Gati leads the Facebook Blue Global Team to help guide them through a challenging period as a brand, and future-proof them for the next phase of social media and connection. This past summer, she launched BBDO Good – a part of the agency dedicated to help everyone in the agency activate and leverage the resources at our disposal to do more good for more people. Her goal is to inspire and motivate everyone to use their skills and voice for good in their communities and beyond. Gati has three beautiful boys (2 human, one fur) and lives in Manhattan with her husband and family.
Lavaille Lavette
Lavaille Lavette is a New York Times best-selling author/editor, educator, producer and social entrepreneur. She is the President & Publisher and Managing Partner at One Street Books, Lavette Books, and Ebony Media Publishing LLC. She often describes herself as a story hunter and story teller. Her latest publishing successes include Finding Me by Viola Davis (#1 New York Times Best Seller) and Shut Up and Listen by Tilman Fertitta (New York Times Best Seller). Lavaille recently return to writing in the children’s book space with four upcoming Little Golden books: Beyoncé: A Little Golden Book Biography (Jan. 3, 2022), Harry Belafonte: A Little Golden Biography (Jan. 3, 2022), Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise (May. 2, 2022), and Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise (Sept. 3, 2022) Lavaille is also the author of the best-selling children’s book series, Steve Harvey presents The Adventures of Roopster Roux and The Adventures of Roopster Roux sports series. The Roux series has received numerous accommodations from cities around the USA and the first ever convenience store/gas station with a literacy purpose based on the Roopster Roux series (The Roux) launched in Chicago Summer 2022, with additional locations planned for various cities throughout the USA. With a Master’s in Education, Lavaille has worked as an investment broker, school teacher, school district administrator, speechwriter, marketing executive and served as special advisor to former US Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige, (US Department of Education 2001 – 2005). She is a Founding Board Member and the first President of the Luanda Africa Sister City Association. Being of service to others is one of her greatest joys. Lavaille is a Casa Child Advocate court appointed volunteer, a mentor with The Hay center, often fundraises for foster care programs and she is involved in a number of international charitable ventures. Over the past 15 years Lavaille has used her branding, merchandising and sales expertise to manage a number of business ventures with well- known celebrities and athletes in the publishing, aviation, food, retail and sports industry. Beyond her work in publishing, community engagement, nonprofit and the marketing spheres, Lavaille is co-founder of Every Child An Author, (ECAA) Class-by-Class, School -by School. ECAA is on a mission to make every child in America a published author, one grade level at a time! (everychildanauthor.com) In her leisure time, Lavaille enjoys skateboarding, cooking and spending time with her husband John, family and friends.
Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. He is the Director of Foundation & Government Grants at The Trevor Project and former Senior Director of Institutional Giving at GLAAD. He is a former fiction editor at Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts & Letters and co-editor of “Shade: An Anthology of Short Fiction by Gay Men of African Descent.” His writing has appeared in the New York Times, “Speak My Name: Black Men on Masculinity and thAmerican Dream,” “Ancestral House: The Black Short Story in the Americas and Europe,” and “Imagining America: Stories from the Promised Land: A Multicultural Anthology of American Fiction.” He has a B.S. in Biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. In 2007, he was a Revson Fellow for Mid-Career Civic Leaders at Columbia University.
Maya Nussbaum
Over the past 25 years, Maya Nussbaum has grown Girls Write Now into one of the nation’s leading institutions creating change at the intersection of gender, race, age, and poverty. In addition to being the first writing and mentoring organization of its kind, Girls Write Now continually ranks among the top programs nationwide for driving social-emotional growth for youth. Under Maya’s stewardship, the nationally award-winning nonprofit has mentored the next generation of writers and leaders to impact businesses across industries, shape culture, and change the conversation. Maya has been distinguished three times by the White House, including by the President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities and as a White House Champion of Change.
Lynda Pak
Lynda Pak is Senior Vice President, Technology Leader for Global Brands and Corporate Functions at Estee Lauder Companies (ELC). Since joining ELC in 2016, she has been passionate about helping business leaders make smart technology investment choices to shape and accelerate value creation. With over twenty years of technology strategy and operational experience, she has collaborated with executive leadership teams at ELC, Bed Bath and Beyond (BBB), Borders Group (BGI), and other leading companies in the consumer products/retail industry. Prior to ELC, as the Vice President of eCom/Digital and Marketing Technologies for BBB, she successfully led the redesign of the digital customer experience and their next generation digital and marketing capabilities. At BGI, she served as Chief Technology Officer and VP of Applications, and as VP of eCommerce Operations. Additionally, with over 19 years of consulting experience with Deloitte Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, she has demonstrated commitment and success as an advisor to senior executive business partners to define and curate their strategic initiatives to drive business value. Lynda has led the delivery of very large, complex, and global ERP programs for key clients. Finally, Lynda built Deloitte Consulting’s global ‘Green IT’ practice to help clients reduce their technology carbon footprint.
Ahu Terzi
Ahu has more than 25 years of experience in media sales and marketing, including creating and executing integrated marketing programs, branded content, and signature events. As vice president of corporate beauty sales and marketing at the Meredith Corporation, she oversees a team of uncommon women who manage the company’s business relationships with L’Oréal, Estee Lauder, and other beauty companies. After her first job out of college at New York Magazine, Ahu has spent the last two decades at a wide variety of magazine brands from House & Garden to Vogue Turkey. In fact, Ahu grew up in Izmir, Turkey and first came to the US to attend Mount Holyoke College, majoring in history and communications. Her daughter Maya is also a communications student at Syracuse University’s Newhouse, and together, they split their time between NYC and the Catskills. In addition to her daytime job, Ahu is passionate about supporting Mount Holyoke, GWN and DEI focused work at both Meredith as well as CHIEF, the membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders.
Mustafa Topiwalla
Mustafa Topiwalla is Head of Healthcare Corporate and Investment Banking at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. He has over 15-years of experience in Finance and has covered a number of sectors over his career, including Healthcare, Media & Telecom, Consumer, and Industrials. Mustafa’s day-to-day job consists of covering clients and managing a team that delivers top quality ideas to and execution of financing solutions for corporate clients, which include mid-sized firms to Fortune 500 companies. Mustafa has been actively involved in Diversity and Inclusion by being a member of RBC’s US Diversity Leadership Council and an Executive Sponsor of the Multicultural Employee Alliance. Mustafa received an AB (honors) in Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA (honors) from Columbia Business School. He lives in New York City, with his wife Melissa Connor and daughters Layla and Yasmeen.
Honorary Board
Cazzie David
Author & Screenwriter
Abbi Jacobson
Comedian, Writer, Actress & Illustrator
Tayari Jones
Novelist & Girls Write Now Board Alum
Rupi Kaur
Poet, Author, Illustrator & Performer
Emma Straub
Novelist, Books are Magic Owner & Girls Write Now Mentor Alum
Cleo Wade
Artist, Poet, Activist & Author
Meet the Girls Write Now Honorary Board
Cazzie David
Cazzie David is the creator, writer, and star of the critically acclaimed web series Eighty-Sixed. She is a columnist at Graydon Carter’s Air Mail and has written for Vanity Fair, the Hollywood Reporter, Glamour, InStyle and Vogue. She is also the author of the New York Times Bestselling memoir No One Asked for This (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Photo Credit: Katie Mccurdy
Abbi Jacobson
Abbi Jacobson is an actor, writer and artist based in New York City. She is the Series Creator, Executive Producer and star of the critically-acclaimed show Broad City, premiering its fourth season this summer on Comedy Central. Upcoming, Jacobson will Executive Produce FX’s female-centric half-hour comedy pilot Meaty with Jessi Klein, and will star in the Netflix heroin drama 6 Balloons alongside Dave Franco. Jacobson is a New York Times-bestselling author of her illustrated book, Carry This Book, and has also released two coloring books: Color This Book: New York City and Color This Book: San Francisco.
Tayari Jones
New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, most recently An American Marriage. Published in 2018, An American Marriage is an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and also appeared on Barack Obama’s summer reading list as well as his year-end roundup. The novel was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly known as the Orange Prize), Aspen Words Prize and an NAACP Image Award. It has been published in two dozen countries. Jones, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship, and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Her third novel, Silver Sparrow, was added to the NEA Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She is an Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Creative Writing at Emory University.
Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur is a poet, author, and performer. Her second book, the sun and her flowers—an instant global bestseller, is an artistic sibling to her debut, milk and honey—one of America’s bestselling books of 2017. milk and honey has sold over 5 million copies, been translated into more than 42 languages, and was on the New York Times Bestsellers List for over three years. Photo Credit: Nabil Shash
Emma Straub
Emma Straub is the New York Times-bestselling author of four novels—All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures—and the short story collection Other People We Married. Her books have been published in more than 20 languages, and All Adults Here is currently in development as a television series. Emma and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.
Cleo Wade
Cleo Wade is a friend, community builder, and the author of the books, “Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life” and “Where to Begin: A small book your power to create big change.” She has been called the poet of her generation by Time Magazine and one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company. Cleo sits on the board of The Lower East Side Girls Club, the National Black Theatre in Harlem, the Women’s Prison Association. When Cleo is not at home in California with her partner, Simon Kinberg, and their daughter, Memphis, she can be found traveling around the country on her sold-out book tours, which have become a safe space to laugh, cry, hug, and offer support to fellow readers. Photo Credit: Rony Alwin
The Girls Write Now Circle
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