First Generation Harvard Alumni

A little bit about the First Generation Harvard Alumni Board's Leadership

Harold S. Lewis, President

Harold S. Lewis recently concluded 30+ years of multi-faceted work in the private and public sector holding leadership positions in and advising clients within industries such as utilities, digital and traditional media, higher education, telecommunications, and financial services. Most of his career was in Management Consulting with firms such as Accenture, ScottMadden Inc., and Huron where Harold helped his clients excel. Harold also worked in the media and communications industry with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspapers, The Weather Channel Companies, and Cox Interactive Media along with several high-tech/Internet focused start-ups. Harold is a Generational African-American and first-generation college graduate earning his AB in Economics from Harvard in 1985 and also has a Masters in Business Administration in Finance from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Personally, Harold is married to a fellow first-generation college graduate, Dr. Mia Wright, Harvard Class of 1987, and they live in Westchester County, NY. Together, they have three adult children living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Chicago.

 

Glenn Moramarco, VICE PRESIDENT

Glenn Moramarco is a first-generation Harvard College graduate who recently retired from a 35-year career in law and public service. He served as a Senior Attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice, where he worked in the Democracy Program, focusing on issues including campaign finance reform, ballot access, and judicial independence. He also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey, serving in the General Crimes, Organized Crime, and Appeals Divisions. Most recently, Glenn served as the Assistant Attorney General In-Charge of Special Litigation for the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, where he supervised litigation challenging various federal actions during the administration of President Trump. He received his A.B. from Harvard College in 1981, a B.Phil. from Balliol College, Oxford in 1983, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1986. 

 

Nicole Jarmula, Treasurer

Nicole Jarmula is a Software Development Engineer at Amazon. She is a first-generation Harvard alumna who received her A.B. in Computer Science with a secondary in Mind/Brain Behavior in 2021. Nicole is currently located in Chicago, IL. She hopes to bridge the gap for FGLI students at Harvard to help them better navigate the challenges specific to their Harvard experience and help them feel ready for the world after Harvard. 

 

Paola Ortiz, Secretary

Paola Ortiz is a first-generation college graduate. She completed her Master of Education degree with a specialization in Human Development & Psychology in 2008 from HGSE. Paola currently serves as the Executive Director of Clinical Services for Merakey, a non-profit provider of developmental, behavioral health, and education services. In this role, she oversees a clinical team across the state of California. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked with individuals throughout the lifespan, ranging from one year old to 70 years old. Paola dedicates her evenings to teaching Psychology as an adjunct professor. Additionally, she has been an admissions interviewer for Harvard since 2013. Paola's professional journey has been marked by her diverse experiences in both non-profit and startup business environments. In each leadership role she has undertaken, Paola has focused on improving opportunities and outcomes for marginalized populations, including first-generation, low-income, and special education students. She looks forward to bringing her extensive experience and unwavering commitment to equity to the FGHA board. 

 

Benjamin Casillas, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE

Benjamín Casillas is a 2021 graduate of Harvard College and a Consulting Analyst at Accenture’s Chicago office. During his time at the College, he served as the Co-President, Treasurer & SEAS Liason of the Harvard SEAS chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Vice President of Fuerza Latina, and Historian of the Latino Men’s Collective (LMC). Outside of work he has mentored students through a variety of programs and holds a continued interest in helping FLGI students succeed both inside and outside of the undergraduate experience. 

Student Affairs Committee

Yordanka Valdes Delionado, Co-Chair

Yordanka Valdes Delionado is currently an Assistant Professor at Florida International University College of Law where she teaches various courses on legal research, legal writing, and appellate advocacy. She mentors FIU law students and graduates and recently participated in Harvard Law School's inaugural 1L Mentorship program. She is also a co-chair of the Miami Chapter of Harvard Law School's Women's Alliance. She is a former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida and was a member of the commercial litigation team at Hunton & Williams LLP (now Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP) in Miami, Florida. She received her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School where she was the Managing Editor of the Latino Law Review. Upon graduation, she served as a Harvard Law School Samuel J. Heyman Fellow for Public Service. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami. She was born in Camagüey, Cuba, and is a first-generation graduate. 

 

Anne Odera, Co-Chair

Anne B. Odera is a cross-cultural specialist in alternative and emergency education, specifically in areas of quality, access and equity. A thought leader in advocacy and programmatic strategies for Inclusive Education in the context of displacement, with a focus on women/girls and engaging youth and communities. Anne is a fellow of The American Association of University Women (AAUW), an International Fellowship award for research to women with demonstrated commitment to advancement issues on the education of women and girls. She is also a fellow of Peace Education Organization (PEO), an International scholarship for selected women, who have used education to foster world peace and understanding. 

 

Sadé Abraham, CO-CHAIR

Sadé Abraham serves as an Academic Coach for the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the Harvard University Academic Resource Center. Sade recently completed her second master’s in cognitive neuroscience through the Harvard Graduate School of Education Mind Brain and Education program. Her research explores toxic stress, trauma, and adversity through the lens of neurocognition and education. Sadé began her professional tenure at Harvard serving as the founding director of “FYRE”, a pre-orientation program that supports first-gen low-income students and has served as Interim Assistant Director at the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. Prior to Harvard, Sade spent seven years working in university leadership including three years in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as an instructor, academic advisor, and founding member of the first residential college program in the Middle East at New York University Abu Dhabi.

 

James Bedford, Co-Chair

James Bedford is a consultant in Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) education and social impact practices, currently pursuing the Schwarzman scholarship in Beijing, China. James founded and directed BCG’s national first-generation, low-income (FGLI) recruiting and mentoring and affiliation networks, directs programming and fundraising for FGLI students as a board member of the Roosevelt Foundation, supported Adams House in reshaping FGLI resources, and works with various classical music organizations to expand FGLI access and affordability. James co-founded the FGLI preorientation program, FYRE, during his time at the College along with various classes in the stem cell and computer science departments. James will return to Harvard for his MBA in 2023. 

 

MAI-LINH TON

Mai-Linh Ton is a medical student at University of California, Irvine. During her time at the College, she was on the undergraduate council (UC) working on issues that affect First-Generation, Low-Income (FGLI) students, created the first FGLI Student & Faculty Dinner, and raised UC funds towards FYRE. She completed her A.B. in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a Joint Concentration in Visual and Environmental Studies. She was a Student Ambassador at the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office and worked to lower the barrier of entry for FGLI and minority students interested in pursuing research. After graduating, she received the Herchel Smith Postgraduate Fellowship in the Sciences to complete her Ph.D. in Stem Cell Biology at the University of Cambridge and advocated for students from minority backgrounds as Minorities Officer and Vice President of the Emmanuel College Middle Combination Room. She continues to keep in touch with and mentor students from her time as a Team Leader in FYRE.

Alumni Affairs Committee

 

Laurence Strybel, Co-Chair, Alumni Affairs

Larry Stybel is a licensed psychologist, co-founder of two companies, monthly contributor on leadership at Psychology Today, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a private equity fund. His expertise revolves around being a partner to help client companies “insert success into leadership succession.” Larry has been on the Board of a venture-backed tech company in the HRTech space and a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He was the President of the Boston Human Resources Association. Larry is the co-author of Navigating the Waterfall, a book about career management and job search in the 21st Century, and his work has been published by California Management Review, Directorship, Harvard Business Review, and MIT Sloan Management Review. 

 

Moonlit W Beshimov

Moonlit Beshimov currently leads cross Google Gaming and Social Partnerships in Americas and global strategic initiatives, working across Google Play, Google Ads, Google Cloud and YouTube to provide the best products & services for Google's top game and social partners. Before this, Moonlit led Strategic Partnerships at Google Play, monetization at Scopely and performance marketing at Zynga. Moonlit graduated from Harvard Business School in 2015 and undergraduate from Harvard College in 2010, where she concentrated in Economics with a Secondary in Mathematics. She serves on the board of Women In Games International.

KIMBERLY DODSON

Kimberly Dodson, a Latinx and first-generation Harvard graduate, holds an M.Ed. in Education Leadership and a B.A. in Global Interdisciplinary Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Spanish and Education Policy from Villanova University. She served ten years in the U.S. Marine Corps, commissioning as an officer and served a deployment in Micronesia where she contributed to geopolitical strategy and developed technology infrastructure. In addition to her military career, Kimberly has worked in equity crowdfunding, nonprofit grant writing, and art curation. Currently, Kimberly is a Technical Project Manager in cybersecurity, specializing in penetration testing and vulnerability exploitation. Passionate about education, Kimberly believes it is one of the greatest equalizers and a tool for liberation. As a first-generation student, she understands the unique challenges faced by others in similar circumstances and is committed to bridging the gap for future generations who walk the same path.

JIE LIE

Jie Li is currently an angel/VC investor and advisor to startups, with extensive experience across various stages of enterprise financing, from angel investing to IPO. She is passionate about mentoring entrepreneurs and helping them achieve their goals. Jie has served as a mentor and judge for Harvard Innovation Labs and as a mentor for Techstars. In addition to her professional work, she is actively involved in community service and nonprofit boards. Jie is now entering her third year as an alumni mentor to First Generation Harvard students. She also serves on the boards of OneStar National Service Commission, Travis Central Appraisal District, and the Harvard Club of Austin. She chairs the Harvard Business School Alumnae Austin Circles and co-chairs the Kealing Middle School Campus Advisory Council. Jie received a BA degree in Economics from Cornell University, where she was a College Scholar. She also obtained her MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

 

JASHIN LIN

A dynamic leader and trailblazer, Jashin Lin stands at the forefront of social entrepreneurship, community building, and career education. As the founder and CEO of Growbie, the first career development platform focused on networking skills and community-building for first-generation immigrants, she is dedicated to addressing the challenges of cultural differences and fostering career readiness. Highly regarded as a speaker, Jashin shares strategies to navigate the unique hurdles faced by first-generation immigrants at over 40 corporations, conferences, and universities worldwide.

In addition to Growbie, Jashin currently teaches Career Toolkit at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, where she has been ranked the top instructor for four consecutive semesters by over 200 students, recognized for her energy, empathy, and career expertise. Prior to Growbie, she was an early employee at ByteDance, helping TikTok expand into more than 30 countries, a management consultant at GEP working with Fortune 500 companies to improve their bottom line, and an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. Jashin holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

JOHN SIMS, JR

John A. Sims is a General Electric trained and Harvard MBA CEO. John's industry experience includes software, systems integration, higher education, strong M&A experience, strong relationships with leaders in investment banking, and venture capital.

His other experience includes the Board of Directors of the Harvard Club of Boston.

Communications Committee

Hannah Chauvin, Co-Chair

Hannah Chauvin is a proud educational leader who currently serves districts and families as an academic program specialist, child advocate, and project manager. As a first generation college student herself, she has used her lived experience to support students and families to not only build necessary academic skills, but to develop the additional soft skills needed for collegiate success after high school graduation. She completed her Master’s in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2021, focusing her studies on supporting school systems to implement tools and strategies to ensure that all students have the resources and learning environments necessary to be successful each year. Prior to completing her master’s program, Hannah served over a decade as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator in public K-12 schools and nonprofits. 

 

Shazmin Hirji, Co-Chair

Shazmin Hirji is a senior advisor for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and received her AB in Government from Harvard College. She has 10 years of combined experience as a corporate innovator and public policy shaper experienced in emerging technologies, advanced sciences, telecommunications, IT procurement reform, and economic development. Together with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, she has built public-private partnerships from the ground up, with proven success in creating smart cities, enabling advanced wireless networking, piloting next-generation technologies, and supporting tech startups across the United States and in Afghanistan. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

 

Tori Simeoni, Co-Chair

Tori Simeoni is a strategist who works with CEOs and senior leadership teams to define their focus and drive success. She helps brands in culture-leading categories including technology, food, fashion, beauty, luxury and media. As a strategy director her role is to deliver analytical rigor and creative inspiration in equal measure. Tori has a degree in Psychology from Harvard University where her studies focused on understanding what enables humans and organizations to flourish. A proud first generation Harvard College graduate, she has attended inter-school conferences for first generation students and served several times as an FGHA mentor. 

 

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson is a proud alumnus of Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School, Class of 2019), where he was awarded a graduation prize at convocation for his master's thesis (which earned him and his co-authors the opportunity to present to the US Congress, then-Speaker Pelosi's team, the White House (including then-President Trump's Economic Council), and on television (e.g., MSNBC)). Shortly after Harvard graduation, Anthony was appointed to a position within the Biden White House, where he served as Product Counsel and shaped White House digital initiatives and policy. Currently, Anthony serves as Managing Partner of Loudoun Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, California, where he partners with startup founders building the future. Anthony's professional background also includes experiences as a Venture Technology & Emerging Growth Companies Attorney at various premier corporate law firms (e.g., Ropes & Gray, Dentons, Perkins Coie) and roles in product at various technology companies, including global tech titans (e.g., Google) and dynamic tech startups (e.g., Waymo, Betterment). Anthony, who also has a B.A. from Columbia University (where he served as Class President), sits on the advisory board of various companies and organizations, including Common Paper and Spark. Anthony credits his Harvard education with the incredible opportunities that have been provided to him following his time in Cambridge. Motivated to ensure other Harvard students and graduates similarly benefit from their time at our famed institution, Anthony has been deeply involved in the Harvard community and would be humbled to be able to support the Harvard community as a Board Member of FGHA.

Alex Blenkinsopp

Alex Blenkinsopp is a first-generation college graduate. He received his bachelor’s degree, MBA, and master’s in public policy from Harvard. He also received a master’s degree from the University of Oxford. He has worked in both the public and private sectors. He was one of the first employees at the newly established Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers. He was a staffer to Senator Elizabeth Warren in the United States Senate and has worked on multiple political campaigns. Originally from Queens in New York City, he was heavily involved in civic activities in his community there. He now resides in the Washington, DC area.

Marcos Rodriguez

Marcos Rodriguez is a Senior Director at Bryson Gillette. As a PR strategist and political consultant, Marcos has worked with a broad range of diverse clients. He has designed communications and digital engagement strategies for top tech companies and drafted speeches for leaders of some of the country’s largest governmental organizations. Marcos has helped organizations navigate crisis communications challenges. He has also guided candidates through highly competitive races, from school board to Congress to statewide races, designing comprehensive paid media plans and developing Spanish and bilingual ads to reach voters. Outside of work, Marcos has served on the Board of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats.

Övül Sezer

Ovul Sezer is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University. Being an immigrant from Turkey, she has been in the United States for 18 years.  While attending Robert College, the American high school in Istanbul, she dreamed of going to college in the United States. But as a (would-be) college student who needs full financial aid, she wasn’t sure how she would do it. With the support of the amazing full financial package, she was able to launch her academic journey in 2006 at Harvard, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics (2010). She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, also at Harvard (2017). Currently, she is a faculty member at the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, where she teaches Negotiations, Managerial Decision Making and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Leadership. She is also a standup comedian, so at night, you can often find her onstage at local comedy clubs, trying out new jokes. She loves observing and learning from people every single day.