Empowering Dreams, Inspiring Futures: Achieve Success With NYC’s Best Project Managers And Advisors

Ibrahima Souare was formerly Senior Community Development Officer at LISC NY, where he spearheaded initiatives in economic development, affordable housing, health equity, and financial opportunities. Notably, Ibrahima successfully launched a COVID-19 relief fund, allocating nearly $4 million to support over 300 BIPOC and women-owned businesses. As a passionate advocate for small businesses, he secured funding and managed a network of community-based organizations across the NYC metro area, championing the growth of small and women- and BIPOC-owned businesses. Recognized as a 2025 Nonprofit Trailblazer by City & State New York, Ibrahima holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from CUNY Lehman College and a Master’s in Public Administration from CUNY Baruch College’s Marxe School as a National Urban Fellow. Currently, he strategically leads and implements growth strategies for NYPACE.

Jennifer Auer joined NYPACE in 2021 as the organization’s first data metrics manager and is currently the Director of Strategy, Operations, and Impact. Following several years as a policy analyst in the public and private sectors, she pursued her passion for entrepreneurship and economic development with a PhD in public policy. Since then, Jennifer has overseen common metrics and evaluations of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s entrepreneur training programs, using both administrative data and designing primary data collection instruments to measure performance. Her research can be found in academic journals, think tank briefs, and at conferences, such as the National Women’s Business Council Entrepreneur Demographics Workshop in D.C. and the Regional Innovation Policies conference in Portugal. She has served as a peer reviewer for Economic Development Quarterly and a pro bono consultant for Inspiring Service, a technology-based platform connecting volunteers and nonprofits.

Stephanie (George) Bombaci joined NYPACE in 2012, bringing in several years of nonprofit, program and volunteer management experience. Stephanie serves as Director of Corporate Initiatives and Events, focused on increasing the organization’s impact in the small business community and growing volunteer engagement opportunities. Prior to NYPACE, Stephanie worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters, a premiere donor and volunteer-supported youth mentoring organization, where she served as a Performance Management Analyst and Mentor Manager. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Montclair State University.

Lynda Correa is an inventor, storyteller, entrepreneur, and now a Senior Program Manager at NYPACE. Lynda comes to NYPACE with experience as a manager in both the nonprofit and private sectors. Her years of experience managing people, operations, and expectations led her to create a beauty tool that’s perfect for busy women on the go. In 2017, Lynda launched the Pocket Palette, a full-face travel makeup kit that has been featured as the premier choice for color cosmetics in the travel industry. She uses this entrepreneurship experience to empathize and understand the needs of the business owners NYPACE serves. 

Lynda graduated from the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism with a Bachelors in Communication, and from George Washington University School of Business with an MBA.

Rasheeda Frazier is a seasoned professional boasting over 20 years of experience across various sectors, including education, operations, finance, business development, administration, organizational efficiency, and entrepreneurship. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Mercy College and is a licensed Notary Public in New York and New Jersey. Additionally, Rasheeda is an active member of several prominent business associations.

Dedicated to fostering growth and development, Rasheeda’s mission is to mentor and support underserved youth, teens, young adults, women, and men, as well as minority and underserved businesses, both locally and globally. Her passion for organization and structure not only defines her professional approach but also inspires her to help others achieve similar harmony in their personal and business lives. This commitment is the cornerstone of her extensive and impactful career within these communities.

Christine Seguritan joined the NYPACE Team in 2019 and is currently our Manager, Corporate Initiatives and Events. She graduated from Macaulay Honors City College of New York with a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. During her final college years, she found herself drawn toward entrepreneurship and social impact, so she worked with the Zahn Innovation Center as an Operations and Communications Assistant. While there she supported a startup incubator and accelerator program encouraging college students to embrace lean startup methodologies.

Shrima joins NYPACE as Director of Programs with a background in both global and community development. She’s been an educator for refugee youth in Greece, managed operations for schools and hospitals in Nepal & India, and served on Queens Community Board 4 in NYC. Most recently, she was the Director of Community Engagement at Start Small Think Big, where she oversaw a new team that nurtured partnerships with community-based organizations to reach low-income, black, and Latinx business owners across the country. Prior to this, she was an organizer, advocate, and case manager for South Asian small businesses in her hometown of Queens, NY. She also serves as Board Secretary for the Western Queens Community Land Trust. 

Shrima is a grassroots organizer at heart and is passionate about place-based approaches to economic justice. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Franklin & Marshall College and an MA in Migration Studies from the University of Sussex. She is a proud Nepali and New Yorker.

Dan Zamlong is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2002, and is part of the industrials team. He leads the firm’s investments in the aerospace & defense, industrial technology and specialty chemical sectors. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, Mr. Zamlong was with the mergers and acquisitions group at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and the technology mergers and acquisitions group at Credit Suisse. He is a director of Aquila Air Capital, Consolidated Precision Products, Duravant, iNRCORE, Pregis, and Sundyne. He was previously involved with the firm’s investments in TransDigm Group, Extant Aerospace, The Neiman Marcus Group, Aramark Corporation, Wencor Group, among others. Dan is also currently Board Chairman of New York Professional Advisors for Community Entrepreneurs (NYPACE), a non-profit consulting organization assisting entrepreneurs from under-resourced backgrounds, and an Advisory Board Member of the New York Private Equity Network. He received a BS in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Talaal Azeem joined NYPACE in 2023 as a project advisor, and after advising on several projects over two years, he was appointed to the Associate Board in 2025. NYPACE has given Talaal a platform to contribute his professional skills to small businesses in need. In his day job, Talaal is a Principal on the Hybrid Value team at Apollo, where he leads coverage of the firm’s investments in the Media and Leisure industries. He currently serves as a board member/observer for Capital Vacations, Behaviour Interactive, and World Choice Investments. Prior to Apollo, Talaal was a member of the private equity team at Onex Partners and the M&A team at Blackstone. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Thomas is a Vice President on AEA’s Middle Market Private Equity team. In his role, he focuses on investment opportunities in the consumer and services sectors. Prior to joining AEA Investors in 2018, Thomas worked at Bain & Company, where he focused on private equity diligence work and corporate transformations. He graduated with honors from Duke University, where he earned a B.S.E from the Pratt School of Engineering. Thomas is the founder and director of an entrepreneurship education initiative in the Midwest that helps expose high school students to business and entrepreneurship topics through an educational program and business plan competition. He lives in New York City and enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, and cheering on his favorite college football and basketball teams.

Aaron joined NYPACE in 2011 as a project advisor, then became part of the Executive Board in 2015 after serving on the Advisor and Fundraising Committees. Aaron is a Partner at Bain & Company, where he helps entrepreneurs and investors build great health tech companies to improve health outcomes and experiences for all.

Aaron is also a leader at UJA-Federation of New York, where he serves on its Young Leaders Executive Committee, and also a member of the cabinet at Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Aaron holds a bachelor of science (highest honors) from Cornell University.

 

Kenrick Fraser is a transformative, purpose-driven executive with over 15 years of experience advancing social impact, inclusive employee engagement, and culture transformation across Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. He is recognized for architecting bold, enterprise-wide strategies that align purpose with performance, delivering measurable business value while deepening community investment, employee belonging, and corporate reputation.

Most recently, Kenrick served as Global Head of Employee Community Impact & Partnerships at PayPal, where he led community and employee engagement strategy for a workforce of 30,000 across 22 countries. Under his leadership, the company significantly expanded global volunteerism, launched equity-centered partnerships supporting small business resilience, and embedded purpose as a core driver of retention and culture. He also elevated purpose and connection as strategic priorities across people, brand, and business outcomes.

Kenrick holds an MPA in Management and Strategy from NYU’s Wagner School, a BS in Business Management from Rutgers Business School, and a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School. Based in New York City, he is passionate about inclusive entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and building systems that create lasting, community-centered change.

Adam was elected to the board of directors during 2010 after serving as a project advisor. He is a Managing Director with Intermediate Capital Group, where he focuses on private credit. Adam received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Wake Forest University.

Cynthia is the CMO of one of the most innovative fintech companies in America, MoneyLion  (NYSE: ML). Before joining MoneyLion, she held numerous leadership roles within Walmart, where she was responsible for the adoption of digital services that redefined the company’s competitive positioning as an omnichannel retailer. Before Walmart, Cynthia used her unique expertise in both brand and performance marketing to redefine the go-to-market approach of Bonobos, Gilt and Nesquik Mexico. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA degree with honors from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

 

Cynthia is the co-host of the podcast “A LA LATINA: The playbook to succeed being your authentic self.” She was a CSA Top Woman in Tech 2020, a Brand Innovators Woman to Watch 2021, and a 2023 International Women’s Fellow.

Philippe’s involvement with NYPACE dates back to 2010, when he participated in an advisory project in the decorative space. Philippe joined the board of NYPACE in 2012 and serves as the organization’s treasurer. Philippe is a partner at EY, where he focuses on transactions for corporate and private equity clients. Prior to joining EY, Philippe worked for Andersen in the US and France, performing financial audits of consumer and industrial product multinationals. Philippe received a Master in Economics and Finance from the University Paris Dauphine and is a CPA in New York and California.

Randy Moonan joined NYPACE’s board of directors in 2023. Randy is a partner in Sills Cummis & Gross’ litigation department. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, and sensitive internal investigations and enforcement proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, and numerous state attorneys general. Randy began his legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, followed by Scott+Scott, where he specialized in securities class-action litigation. He earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School, where he served as managing editor of the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, and his BA, magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany.

Keith joined the NYPACE board in 2008 and has been deeply involved with entrepreneur recruitment, project management and strategic growth initiatives. He works full time at Monomoy Capital Partners, an investment firm. Prior to joining Monomoy, Keith worked at DW Partners, Warburg Pincus and JPMorgan. Keith received a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University, where he was a Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Andrew joined NYPACE in 2015 as a project advisor on several projects, referring a number of entrepreneurs to the program. In 2019, he was honored by NYPACE for his volunteer service, and he joined the board in 2021. Andrew was appointed as the first-ever Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions at the New York State Common Retirement, the third largest US-based public pension ($250 billion in AUM) and is the portfolio manager for the fund’s $20 billion commitment to sustainable investments. He spent five years in the investment banking division at JPMorgan—most recently in the Global Special Opportunities Group. Andrew was previously a member of the Corporate Finance and Real Estate Strategy Group at Victoria’s Secret. He completed an MPA in Finance and Fiscal Policy at Cornell University and holds a BA in Accounting from Morehouse College. He teaches an ESG course at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service. He was selected into the 2020 Class of Crain’s New York Business “40 under 40.”

As CEO & President of NYJTL, Udai leads the largest youth tennis and education nonprofit in the nation, reaching more than 85,000 K-12 New York City youth.

He most recently served as Northwell Health’s Vice President of Community Health. His prior roles in public service include chief of staff to the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, who had oversight of nine city agencies with a combined budget of more than $20 billion; executive director of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a youth development community based organization dedicated to helping low-income South Asian youth in NYC; and manager of policy and operations at the 9/11 United Service Group.

Udai holds a BA, magna cum laude, in Asian Studies and Chemistry from Cornell University and an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Kevin Walters earned his MBA in finance at the University of Chicago. He worked for Deloitte and Citigroup as an auditor and financial controller during the 80’s. He is an adjunct professor teaching accounting, economic development, finance and budgeting, and financial management for nonprofits, health and hospitals, and government for 13 years at Baruch College, City of New York and Robert J. Milano Graduate School, New School University. For the past five years, Kevin has taught at Metropolitan College of New York and Monroe College.

After working in corporate America for a short period, Kevin sharply turned his interests toward helping students develop their critical thinking abilities and started a consulting practice as an outsourced chief financial officer. He also serves as a business coach to nonprofit organizations.

Eric joined NYPACE’s Board of Directors in 2023 after serving on the Event Host Committee. Eric is a Partner and Global Co-Chair of Finance and Capital Markets at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Eric is committed to civic engagement and is actively involved in numerous charitable organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arizona Foundation. Eric received his BA from the University of Arizona and his JD from Fordham University.

After working in corporate America for a short period, Kevin sharply turned his interests toward helping students develop their critical thinking abilities and started a consulting practice as an outsourced chief financial officer. He also serves as a business coach to nonprofit organizations.

Eleanore (Jingwei) first joined NYPACE as an advisor in 2021, bringing her passion and business knowledge to support small business owners. Eleanore currently works as a Sr. Manager in Product Strategy and Operations at an early-stage hotel technology startup, where she oversees four products. Before this, she worked at Bain and Company as a consultant for four years, where she solved a variety of business problems such as growth strategy, cost optimization, and change management across 10+ industries. Eleanore holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering, an MSE in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from INSEAD.

Jackson is a private equity associate at Hellman & Friedman. Prior to joining Hellman & Friedman, Jackson was an investment banking analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs. Jackson first joined NYPACE in 2022 and has served as an advisor on several projects. He studied economics at Dartmouth College, graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors.

As a Manager of Transaction Diligence at EY, Sandra Cao has extensive experience in identifying risks, solving problems, and performing finance accounting analyses to facilitate M&A transactions for private equity and corporate clients. Sandra was born and raised in China and finished her college and graduate education at Wake Forest University. Driven by her multicultural background, Sandra is passionate about promoting diversity and equity with her leadership in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and mentorship for minority entrepreneurs at different stages of their business cycle. Outside of work, Sandra has a weak spot for great films, boho interior designs, and tropical plants.

Sam grew up outside of Boston and spent the first 3 years of his career after graduating from Hamilton in investment banking at Barclays, until he became Chief of Staff at a healthcare software company. Sam has also been a key contributor to NOSOLO brand, an apparel company focused on erasing the stigma around mental health that is now in its 3rd year of business and has donated over $100k to mental health. Outside of work, Sam is a diehard Boston sports fan and also loves to explore new restaurants in NYC, travel, and take advantage of any discounted workout classes he can find.

Caleb is an Associate at Charlesbank Capital Partners, where he focuses on middle-market private equity investments. Caleb joined Charlesbank in 2023 from Bain & Company in New York, where he was a senior associate consultant advising clients on private equity, operating model, and growth strategy. He also worked at Peloton Interactive, where he supported the emerging business strategy team. He graduated from Harvard College, where he earned highest honors in Economics and Phi Beta Kappa. He now lives in New York City and enjoys hiking, running, reading and watching baseball.

Paul is an Associate on AEA’s Middle Market Private Equity team. In this role, he focuses on investment opportunities in the consumer sector. Prior to joining AEA, Paul was an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs, working in their Consumer & Retail group. He graduated from Hamilton College, where he earned concentration honors in economics and Phi Beta Kappa recognition.

Jubin is a Private Equity Associate at H.I.G. Capital, focusing on growth-oriented buyouts across various industries. He joined H.I.G. in 2023 from J.P. Morgan in New York, where he worked as an Investment Banking Analyst, advising clients on major M&A transactions and business growth strategies. He holds a degree in Economics with a minor in Archaeology from Harvard College. Originally from Germany, Jubin now lives in New York City and enjoys tennis, music composition, squash, and hiking.

George is a young professional and New York City transplant. A “people person” who is passionate about the work he does in consulting, excited to get involved in pro bono work outside of the office, and eager to learn from any new person or experience. He is a strategy consultant at Accenture.

Lauren grew up in New York City and studied Policy Analysis & Management, with a minor in business, at Cornell University. Upon graduating, Lauren began her career at JPMorgan in the Investment Banking division, covering the industrials sector. To follow her passion for early-stage consumer and technology, Lauren next pursued a role at Rent the Runway, working across strategy, operations and finance functions. After gaining experience in both finance and operations, Lauren connected these two passions by joining Endeavor’s Venture Capital team. In her current role, she invests in early- to growth-stage companies across consumer technology.

Ben joined NYPace in 2017 as an advisor. He currently leads product and operations at an early-stage technology startup.

Formerly, Ben served as a Consultant at Vera Solutions, where he led teams in building and designing data systems to help nonprofits and social sector organizations increase their impact, focused on the Europe and Asia market. He began his career as a consultant with EY in New York, where he advised global pharmaceutical and financial services clients in the areas of privacy, security and strategy.

Ben graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with a degree in information science and a minor in computer science. In his spare time, he enjoys Latin dancing, traveling, and learning about innovative applications of technology to improve the world.

Arnav is a strategy and ops lead at Meta. Prior to Meta, Arnav was a Manager at Ubiquiti, leading strategy and growth in regional markets and has served as a Strategy & Analytics Consultant at Deloitte, where he also spent time on pro bono projects advising nonprofit clients on their business needs.

Arnav strongly believes that the inequality we see around us stems not from a lack of resources but from a misallocation of expertise, opportunity, and capital. He knows that a small group of driven and well-intentioned individuals can induce meaningful, positive change in communities that need support.

Outside of work, Arnav is an avid tennis fan and enthusiastic scuba diver, always looking to explore new worlds through his travels. He is a founding member of the NYPACE associate board. 

Aaser is currently an associate at Clayton Dubilier & Rice. Outside of his role as an associate, he is a member of CD&R’s Strategic Partnerships Committee. He was previously an analyst at Evercore on the M&A team and was an active member of Evercore’s recruiting team, helping provide mentorship and equitable opportunities to college students. Aaser first joined NYPACE in 2021 and has served as an advisor on several projects. He strongly believes in the importance of educating others in financial literacy and the dissemination of business acumen. Aaser is from Canada and has a B.A. in business administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University. Outside of work, Aaser can be found working through his restaurant bucket list and attending fashion sample sales.

Briana first joined NYPACE as an advisor in summer 2021. After volunteering on two projects and starting a third, she joined the Associate Board in spring 2022, bringing her passion for entrepreneurship and background in building organizational efficiencies.

Currently, Briana is a Human Capital Consultant at Deloitte. Prior to that she was a senior associate consultant at Kincentric where she specialized in HR and talent acquisition strategy. She has consulted at Spencer Stuart, focusing on the development of proprietary leadership assessments. She also worked at Avangrid, where she engaged in various initiatives such as succession planning, change management, employee engagement, organizational and talent development.

Briana earned her Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Hofstra University, where she was president of her MA program. She also holds a BA in Psychology from Binghamton University. Outside of work, Briana enjoys creating art murals, teaching swim classes and training for Tough Mudder/Spartan races.

Arnav strongly believes that the inequality we see around us stems not from a lack of resources but from a misallocation of expertise, opportunity, and capital. He knows that a small group of driven and well-intentioned individuals can induce meaningful, positive change in communities that need support.

Outside of work, Arnav is an avid tennis fan and enthusiastic scuba diver, always looking to explore new worlds through his travels. He is a founding member of the NYPACE associate board.