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| 150 Court Street, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel 718-923-1400 Fax 718-923-2869 |
| sonja okun |
Founder/Executive Director Ms. Okun has over fifteen years experience working with youth, and extensive experience designing, growing and managing programs for court involved youth, including several years in nonprofit upper management. exalt evolved out of Ms. Okun’s work developing and managing the Career Exploration Project, an award-winning internship program for youth offenders she founded in 1997 at CASES (Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services). After founding and directing that program for several years Ms. Okun obtained an MBA so she could increase and more effectively direct resources towards education and workforce development for our most at risk youth, as well as develop her ability to manage a nonprofit that provides these services. After business school and a summer internship in the Robin Hood Foundation’s Management Assistance department, Ms. Okun returned to CASES where she managed all its youth Intellectual and Career Development programs, including the Career Exploration Project which won three national awards and grew to capacity under her direction. Ms. Okun has consulted to some of the city's leading nonprofit agencies on their Department of Education funded Learning to Work internship programs. Ms. Okun holds a BA and an MBA from Harvard University. email: sonjaokun@exaltyouth.org
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| lynnee denise bonner |
Program Director Lynnee Bonner brings to exalt a significant amount of experience in developing programs and curricula for disconnected young adults around the country. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she first discovered a passion for youth work while studying for a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology at the historic Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. While attending school, Ms. Bonner collaborated with local community based organizations to provide tutoring services for residents of local public housing projects. It was here where she discovered her profound interest in community building and youth development. She later consulted for several after-school programs and taught at City College San Francisco while pursuing a Master's Degree in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University. In 1998, Ms. Bonner moved to Atlanta, Georgia and worked as a Program Coordinator for Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers, Inc. After completing her Masters Degree Ms. Bonner relocated to New York and worked as a Program Coordinator for the Career Exploration Project at CASES (Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services) - the program model exalt evolved from. Lynnee spent nearly two years with CASES before accepting an opportunity to expand her role as Program Director at exalt. Ms. Bonner incorporates a rare mixture of pop culture knowledge and social-political awareness to promote academic, professional, and personal development in young people. email: lynneebonner@exaltyouth.org
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| korby benoit |
Program Coordinator Korby Benoit is a native Brooklynite and graduate of SUNY Albany. During his undergraduate studies he worked as a radio disc jockey, television production intern with an NBC affiliate and as a writer for Platform Network, an online youth culture magazine. After receiving his B.A. in Communications he proceeded to write for various hip-hop publications such as Elemental Magazine and Scratch Magazine. In 2005 Korby became a Program Coordinator with Boost Mobile RockCorps (BMRC) and helped plan and execute large scale youth volunteer events in cities across the country. Prior to joining exalt Korby worked at Far Rockaway High School as substitute teacher and as an after-school digital music instructor with CMS (Community Mediation Services). Korby brings creativity to exalt as well as a dedication to inspire self-discovery amongst youth. He strongly encourages youth to be dynamic, multi-faceted individuals. He is committed to helping youth develop their hidden talents for he is also a multi-disciplined artist.
email: kbenoit@exaltyouth.org
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| deshaun davis |
DeShaun Davis joined exalt in September 2008 bringing passion for social liberation through work with youth. With roots in Connecticut and Virginia, he achieved his Bachelor's of Arts degree at New York University, completing his colloquium on Humanistic Justice within the African Musical Diaspora. During his college years, Mr. Davis was an After-School Teacher for Kaplan, Inc. and the Men's Step Coach at Washington Irving High School in Union Square. He is the Student Committee Coordinator of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and a member of the Blackout Arts Collective (BAC). Through the BAC, Davis has facilitated workshops for children of incarcerated parents at the Osborne Association, using media arts as a tool for empowering participants' senses of self. Committed to relief in the Gulf Area devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Davis volunteered in the spring and summer of 2006 and served as the concert organizer for a fundraiser to financially support students who also wanted to do relief work. Just prior to joining the exalt team, he graduated from the Grassroots Organizing Training at the School of Unity and Liberation in Oakland, CA.
email: deshaundavis@exaltyouth.org
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| gabriel smiley |
External Partner & Graduate Liaison Gabriel Smiley joined exalt in March of 2008 excited to combine his passions for youth empowerment and music production with his diverse work history. The child of a musician and a teacher, Gabriel has melded his influences together. After obtaining a B.B.A. from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. with a concentration in marketing, Gabriel parlayed his interest in music production into working in the promotion and marketing departments at Sony Urban and Columbia Records, and created demos for multiple aspiring artists. He also produced music for Black Entertainment Television, and hip-hop artists such as Consequence and Royce the 5'9. Having worked with adolescents through summer employment programs since he himself was young, Gabriel sought out the opportunity to integrate his interests in music and education and began working at SOBRO (South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation) where he taught songwriting, production and recording, and music business classes at multiple high schools in the South Bronx. Gauging the needs of his students, he began utilizing the music industry as a context through which he could also teach essential employment and life skills. Gabriel's holistic approach to teaching about a popular culture industry encouraged his students to create songs addressing issues such as police brutality, immigrants' experience in America, poor environmental conditions, pressures of adolescence, spirituality, violence in the community, and flaws of the school system. Crediting internships he had as a teenager as his springboard into the music industry, Gabriel is excited to be a part of the exalt team and use his experience and skills to motivate young people to reach their true potential. email: gabrielsmiley@exaltyouth.org
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| matthew goodman |
Educational Development Coordinator After graduating from Brandeis University and teaching in a shelter for women and children who were victims of domestic violence in the Bronx, Matthew Goodman left New York City to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts at Emerson College where he worked in the colleges FASP program, a community model that provided support for students whose abilities surpassed the opportunities available in their home communities. Upon returning to New York, Matthew taught in a New York City alternative school for students who had failed to graduate the eighth grade, as well as on the college level. For the last three years, Matthew worked for The Doe Fund, Inc. assisting men and women transition from prison to society as a GED teacher/Case Manager, and then the Manager of Criminal Justice Programs and the Doe Funds Criminal Justice Community Liaison. While at the Doe Fund, Matthew helped to develop and manage The Leadership Alliance, a mentoring/learning-service project that connects formerly incarcerated men and women with a positive support network. The program included activities such as refurbishing The Betty Shabazz School in East New York, and organizing Blueprint to Successful Reentry, a panel discussion that brought together some of the nations most prominent advocates and thinkers surrounding issues related to the criminal justice system. In addition to his work experience, Matthew spent the last 8 years working on Hold Love Strong, a novel that details a mans upbringing and triumph over the harrowing conditions of his impoverished community that will be published by Simon & Schuster in spring 2009. email: matthewgoodman@exaltyouth.org
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| julia chiang |
Associate Director of Development and Operations Julia Chiang joined exalt in August 2007 as our part-time Program Assistant. Julia has lived in New York for over 10 years and is an artist that combines her passions and interests in the community and creative arts. She has worked for internationally renowned artists, galleries, and non-profits. While an Artist in Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital through The Creative Center she was regularly inspired by the patients she worked with, and feels similarly at exalt. At Mt. Sinai Julia worked bedside with people with diverse experiences and histories, connecting with them through exploration of their creativity and shared storytelling. Julia received a BS from New York University with double majors in Art History and Studio Art. She has exhibited her artwork in places such as Deitch Projects, Kantor/Feuer Window, Rotunda Gallery, Michael Steinberg Fine Art, and Spencer Brownstone Gallery. email: jchiang@exaltyouth.org
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| board of directors |
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