Staff
Kathrine Mott
Executive Director, REACH
KMott@nycup.org
Kathrine is responsible for collaborating with the Board to set the strategy for REACH, overseeing fundraising initiatives, and managing day-to-day operations of REACH.
Kathrine earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Her experience includes work in academic program design, recruiting and selection as well as general management and sales. Before joining REACH, she directed college programs at Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a national nonprofit dedicated to developing the next generation of underrepresented minority leaders for the corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial sectors. Previously, she worked in academic, operations and general management roles for Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions.
Cori Okabayashi
Associate Director, REACH
COkabayashi@nycup.org
Cori Okabayashi serves as the primary liaison for the REACH program’s 31 schools and 4,000 students. She is responsible for coordinating and managing the program’s development and operations, marketing, event planning and database administration.
Cori earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Colorado State University and the University of Hawaii, respectively, where she worked in the field as a youth and family advocate case manager for the Colorado juvenile system and as a parent facilitator for the Hawaii state family court while earning her degrees. Prior to joining The Council, she worked in administrative services for Deloitte Services LP in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Sharon Reyes
Senior Program Associate, REACH
SReyes@nycup.org
Sharon Reyes provides logistical and organizational support for the REACH program and helps coordinate the Learn, Earn, Win! prep sessions. Sharon also manages the pilot mentoring program, REACH Forward, which includes approximately 70 high-achieving REACH Scholars. Sharon earned a B.A. from Manhattan College in Communications and an M.A. from New York Institute of Technology in Communication Arts.
David Negron
Program Associate, REACH
DNegron@nycup.org
David Negron is responsible for REACH’s school grant coordination, teacher coordination, new website initiative and for providing program operational support to REACH and Learn, Earn, Win! Advanced- Placement sessions. David holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and is currently a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) candidate at Baruch College – School of Public Affairs.
National Board
Ji-mei Ma
Board Chair
Managing Director, Nebula Capital
Linda Gadsby, Esq.
Board Vice-Chair
Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Scholastic, Inc.
Diana Tucker
Board Secretary
Managing Director, SWK Partners
Chad Rucker, Esq.
Board Treasurer
Managing Director, Valuation Research Corporation
Jacques Garibaldi
Audit Committee Chair
Managing Partner, London Park Investments, LLC
Latrise Ashford
Senior Manager, Accenture
Tia Breakley, Esq.
Managing Director, Blackstone Alternative Asset Mgmt
Kameka Dempsey
Office of Global Leadership & Diversity, Goldman Sachs
Frank Henson
Managing Director, Wells Fargo Securities
Anderson Livingston
Portfolio Manager, American Express
Edward Rodriguez, Esq.
Principal, Law Office of Edward Rodriguez, PLLC
Mike Sabat
Equity Derivative Sales & Trading, Capstone Global Markets
Kevin Omar Williams
Founder/CEO, Crimson Oak Academy
Charles Willis
Portfolio Manager, JP Morgan
Co-Founders
Whitney Tilson
Managing Partner, T2 Partners
An active value investor and active education reformer, throughout his career Whitney Tilson has seamlessly woven leadership in the value investment community with leadership in closing the gap on educational inequity in our inner cities. Along with founding REACH: Rewarding Achievement, Mr Tilson was a founding member of Teach For America and currently sits on the Board of KIPP Academy in New York City.
Tarrus Richardson
Founder & Chairman of the Board, Council of Urban Professionals
Edward Rodriguez, Esq.
Principal, Law Office of Edward Rodriguez, PLLC
