FELPS FELLOWS 2022

2022 Fellows

Nada Ahmed

Public Policy Specialist, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Nada Ahmed (she/her) is a public policy specialist with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), a mission-driven organization dedicated to protecting the sexual health and reproductive rights of people across the country. 

In this role, Nada handles tracking regulatory and administrative policies as well as contributing to research, analyzing policies, and creating guidance for Planned Parenthood’s affiliates. Nada also helps with planning webinars and other materials for the policy team. 

Prior to working with PPFA, Nada contributed to policy efforts through campaigns. Nada was a political coordinator with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. There, Nada was responsible for managing processes for airing TV, radio, and digital advertisements in about 20 congressional districts for the 2020 elections. 

During her time at George Washington University, Nada interned in a variety of nonprofit organizations to grow her advocacy and policy experience. Working as an intern at the Center for American Progress, Nada worked with the early childhood team advocating for equity in early childhood education. Additionally, she worked with the Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs doing research and writing on both state and federal policies and funding. Lastly, Nada also interned with the Center for Health and Gender Equity, contributing to efforts to protect women’s health abroad in foreign policy. 

Nada graduated from the George Washington University with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Public Health. 

Cesay Camara

Design Research Associate, Public Policy Lab

Cesay Camara (she/her) is a design research associate at Public Policy Lab (PPL), a nonprofit research and human-centered design lab that works with government agencies to improve public services and deliver social services more humanely and equitably. 

In her role, Cesay contributes to the planning and execution of fieldwork with members of the public who use social services, the frontline staff who provide them, and operational managers tasked with overseeing delivery. She also works with project teams to draft research plans, define findings, and develop design concepts and prototypes. Her projects have allowed her to work across various aspects of public service delivery. These have included developing recommendations, design concepts, and healthcare worker profiles to support the Center for Disease Control’s efforts in improving healthcare workers’ infection control training and improving mental health referral pathways for NYC families using services provided by the Administration of Children’s Services and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Prior to working at PPL, Cesay worked on various policy-related research. She interned for the Manhattan Borough President’s office and analyzed zoning records for a historical development. She also had the opportunity to travel to Mississippi along with classmates to conduct 1:1 and group interviews with women across the state. The findings were used to inform and advocate for improved child care policy in the state for a local organization. 

Cesay is a graduate from Barnard College with a BA in Urban Studies and a specialization in Economics. She wrote an extensive historical thesis on New York University’s community-based investments in University Heights (The Bronx) and received departmental honors for her work as an Urban Studies major. 

As a proud Bronxite and Gambian-American, Cesay sits on her local community board and also volunteers with the Smiling Coast Women Empowerment Network, a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing college access among West African women from The Bronx.  In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting as well as listening to podcasts and reading books on current and historical events. 

Erica Cheung

Associate Consultant, Common Impact

Erica Cheung (she/her) is an associate consultant at Common Impact where she supports the organization’s mission of building stronger local communities by facilitating relationships between nonprofits and corporations through skills-based volunteerism.

Previously, Erica worked at Cause Strategy Partners as a program associate serving on the BoardLead team. Through BoardLead, Erica supported nonprofits across the nation in board development while training corporate clients in nonprofit board service. Her time at Cause Strategy Partners demonstrated the power of business for good and drove her passion to channel more resources into the nonprofit sector.

Erica was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to South Korea where she served as an English teacher at Mireu Elementary School located in South Korea’s newest governing province, Sejong City. In Korea, Erica rediscovered her interest in public service and desire to work for the greater good.

Erica attended Binghamton University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Supply Chain and a minor in Korean Studies. 

Her small growing animal family consists of her gecko Mushu and pandemic puppy Duckie. During her free time, you can find Erica working on her most recent crochet project, watching Korean dramas or variety TV shows, or baking up something in the kitchen.

Michelle Chung

Resilient Solar Associate, Solar One

Michelle Chung (she/her) is a resilient solar associate at Solar One, a NYC-based environmental nonprofit whose mission is to design and deliver innovative education, workforce training, and technical assistance that fosters sustainability and resiliency in diverse urban environments. 

Michelle supports all aspects of project development for some of NYC’s first solar and storage projects that will power essential community facilities during blackouts, enabling them to serve as neighborhood hubs for device charging, information distribution, and critical emergency response activities to make disaster recovery easier. In her role, she has the privilege of working in partnership with city agencies, energy storage manufacturers, solar installers, and community stakeholders to deploy eleven solar and storage projects in the high-barrier NYC energy storage market. She leads her team’s social media engagement and content creation to educate the general public on energy storage industry developments and the role these emerging technologies play in accelerating the clean energy transition. 

Prior to joining Solar One, Michelle was a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil and worked on mass timber market development at the U.S. Forest Service as part of her Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership fellowship. This experience cemented her commitment to public service for marginalized communities and passion for sustainable technologies that are critical to transitioning to a carbon-neutral energy system. 

Michelle is a Brooklyn native and brings experience in community development, stakeholder engagement, and urban policy, having worked on several urban sustainability initiatives at NYC Parks, DSNY, and other city agencies. She holds a BS in Sustainable Community Development from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where she spent a significant portion of her undergraduate career in France, Brazil, and the Netherlands. She researched policies and urban planning interventions that cities and governments are taking to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Brazil and the Netherlands. She is committed to catalyzing a climate transition that prioritizes equity and justice, so that every community can meet any climate emergency with the resilience afforded by renewables, especially those who have historically been left out of the benefits of renewable energy.

Cheyenne Crawford

Coordinator, Bloomberg Philanthropies

Cheyenne Crawford (she/her) serves as a coordinator on the executive team of Bloomberg Philanthropies. In this role, she serves the organization's mission of ensuring better, longer lives for the greatest number of people by executing research, internal project tracking, and other executive support for the organization’s five focus areas and various founders’ projects. In her role, Cheyenne also assists the process of grants management, drafting memos and briefings, and tracking reports for other Bloomberg teams and the organization’s partners. 

Cheyenne has previously held roles with the Harry Walker Agency and Berlin Rosen. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus on International Relations from Seton Hall University. During her time at college, she was involved with community-based programs including the United Nation Foundation’s initiative Girl Up and volunteered with local multicultural organizations that were focused on access to education and literacy. As an undergraduate, she spent time interning with the Clinton Foundation and the Office of Hillary Clinton. She is committed to breaking the cycles of systemic poverty and improving access to education and economic opportunity for underserved urban communities. 

Cheyenne was born and raised on the west coast and currently resides in Brooklyn. In her spare time, Cheyenne enjoys tennis, exploring new restaurants, and frequenting cultural institutions.

Suprita Datta

Senior Candidate Services Liaison, NYC Campaign Finance Board

Suprita Datta (she/her) is a senior candidate services liaison at the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB), a regulatory city agency monitoring and auditing the financial activity of all campaigns running for municipal offices in NYC. The CFB administers NYC’s robust matching funds program, helping to amplify the voice of small-dollar contributions and disclosing campaigns’ financial activities to the public. In her role, Suprita communicates directly with campaigns to explain campaign finance rules and disclosure requirements while making sure they adhere to the Campaign Finance Act and Board Rules. Additionally, Suprita has worked closely with various stakeholders to develop and launch the agency’s inaugural online registration platform.

Prior to joining the CFB, Suprita interned with the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice and researched automatic voter registration and newly-introduced state voting laws. 

Suprita graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York with a degree in International Studies and interned with various nonprofits, research organizations, and federal and local governmental entities. Her thesis focused on the different tactics used in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to respond to political dissent and the implications on citizenship. 

Tatiana Evans

Program Assistant, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Tatiana Evans (she/her) is a program assistant in the office of the president at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. As the largest supporter of the arts and humanities in the United States, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation makes grants in the core program areas of higher learning, arts and culture, public knowledge, and humanities in place.

In her role, Tatiana provides programmatic support to the grants that are administered out of the president’s office and in collaboration with the core program areas. Her work includes reviewing proposals and providing feedback to potential grantees during the proposal development phase, as well as reviewing grant reports and facilitating modifications during the post-grant award phase. She especially enjoys supporting the foundation’s five-year Monuments Project Initiative, which seeks to transform the nation’s commemorative landscape to ensure it more completely and accurately represents the multiplicity and complexity of American stories.

Prior to joining the foundation, Tatiana worked as a paralegal at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger LLP in Manhattan Beach, CA. In her role, she assisted the attorneys in preparing for trials and filing documents in state and federal courts. She also served as a public programs assistant at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA. 

Tatiana graduated cum laude from Princeton University with an Independent Concentration in Culture and Media Studies, where she was also a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Prior to starting at Princeton, Tatiana was able to explore her interest in service while participating in the nine-month Novogratz Bridge Year Program in Salvador, Brazil. During her time on campus, Tatiana built upon this interest by participating in student organizations focused on criminal justice reform and interning at nonprofit organizations. 

Tatiana was born and raised in Los Angeles and now resides in NYC. In her free time, she enjoys exploring galleries and museums, reading, and cooking. 

Lauren Lew

Individual Giving Coordinator, Teach For America

Lauren Lew (she/her) serves as an individual giving coordinator at Teach For America. Teach For America is a nonprofit that focuses on improving equitability in the education space by placing recent college graduates into teaching positions in low-income communities. In her role, she strategizes with the development team to construct compelling alumni and corps narratives to share with donors in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In addition to creating these stories, she serves as a liaison for the New York Associate Board, a group of young professionals driven by the work and mission of Teach For America. 

Before her time at Teach For America, Lauren served as a donor services assistant at the New York Philharmonic. At the Philharmonic, she operated as a front-line contact for the orchestra’s donors and helped execute fundraising efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lauren received her Bachelor’s degree at Case Western Reserve University where she studied Nutrition with minors in Business Management and Psychology. As an undergraduate, Lauren centered her senior capstone on the efficacy of nutrition education in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She also interned at institutions including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

Lauren grew up in Nashville, TN and now is a proud NYC resident. In her free time, she enjoys Citi biking, visiting museums, and cooking Taiwanese food.

Nikki Lin

Operations Assistant, Children's Aid National Center for Community Schools

Nikki Lin (she/her) is the operations assistant for the Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools (NCCS). NCCS believes that every school should be a community school, and it partners with schools, community partners, and government agencies to create and sustain community schools across the nation. In her current role, Nikki supports and coordinates the NCCS’s different work streams to ensure that everything is running smoothly and aligns with the team’s evolving priorities.

Previously, Nikki completed her Americorp Service Year with the NYC Department of Education - Office of Community Schools. Throughout the year she developed and scaled attendance strategies, particularly those related to the Success Mentor Chronic Absenteeism strategy.

Nikki has a BA in History and Political Science, with a minor in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania. There, she organized nonpartisan campus voter engagement initiatives and conducted public opinion research on voter behavior. With experience in research, communications, and fostering partnerships, Nikki works in education to support the creation of a more equitable and civically engaged future.

Nikki is a native New Yorker who enjoys listening to audiobooks, reading manga, and doing yoga in her free time.

Amanda Martin-Lawrence

Research Assistant, MDRC

Amanda Martin-Lawrence (she/her) is a research assistant at MDRC. Working in MDRC’s K through 12 education policy area, she assists on a number of projects. Amanda brings her expertise of lived experience and centering participant voice and opinion. In her current role, Amanda is a part of her policy area’s diversity and inclusion committee where she is helping to navigate conversations about breaking down hierarchies within the workplace and on project teams. In her career she hopes to make education research more equitable for participants. 

Before working at MDRC, Amanda attended Pitzer College where she majored in Sociology and minored in Legal Studies. At Pitzer she worked closely with the Dean of Student Affairs and other administrators to study the Black student experience. To culminate her work she prepared a brief outlining student experiences and proposing policy changes that the school could enact to better support their Black students. She also worked as a diversity intern with the Office of Admission where she worked to support college access for students through organizing a weekend college visit for students. While she was a student, Amanda traveled to South Africa where she conducted qualitative research about the Black student experience post-apartheid and worked in a local school. Amanda would like to continue to build a career in education research and policy. She is passionate about bringing equity to the education system to support positive outcomes for all students. 

Outside of work Amanda enjoys cooking and traveling. Her favorite dishes to cook come from her Caribbean background. 

Brianna McClure

Economic Mobility and Public Housing VISTA, Enterprise Community Partners

Brianna McClure (she/her) is an AmeriCorps VISTA at Enterprise Community Partners (ECP). ECP is a proven and powerful nonprofit that improves communities and people’s lives by making well-designed homes affordable. The organization brings together partners, policy leadership, and investment to multiply the impact of local affordable housing development. 

In her role at ECP, Brianna supports the preservation of public housing through programmatic solutions, engages a diverse set of private and public stakeholders, and collaborates on the development of new pilots and initiatives aimed at fostering economic mobility for low-income New Yorkers. 

Previously Brianna supported research and grant proposal development as an economic development intern at the Manhattan Borough President’s Office. Brianna has lived in Peru and worked for a local grassroots community development organization dedicated to collaborating with low-income urban and rural communities to achieve equal access to medicine, education, and development. Gaining insight into the challenges of economic mobility in international communities has enabled Brianna to witness the universality of these issues and has driven her to address similar economic issues faced at home. 

Brianna graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. During her course of study, she participated in international volunteer trips to Guatemala and Costa Rica with a local nonprofit and served as an intern at the Peruvian Consulate located in Hartford, CT. 

Brianna prides herself in being a Harlem native. In her free time, she enjoys reading about history, traveling, and learning new languages.

Grace Mok

Operations Associate, FreeWill

Grace Mok (she/her) is an operations associate at FreeWill, a social good start-up that makes estate planning more accessible. There she combines her passion for operations and project management to address wealth inequality and the climate crisis. 

Previously, Grace was a fundraiser at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, an advocacy organization that built healthy communities by ensuring that people of color participate meaningfully in the creation of fair environmental health and protection policy. At WE ACT, Grace spearheaded several innovations in operations and project management that led to record-setting fundraising events and scalable department infrastructure. One of her primary responsibilities was leading the planning of the annual gala, the organization’s largest fundraising event. In addition, Grace was responsible for planning all other fundraising events, maintaining donor database integrity, and managing department volunteers.

Prior to fundraising at WE ACT, Grace was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs—one of twelve selected nationally for the program dedicated to training effective leaders for public service. Over the course of 9 months, she completed consulting projects at five private, government, and nonprofit organizations across NYC. Two of those organizations were NY Renews, a statewide advocacy coalition for climate justice, and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which Grace successfully proposed to join NY Renews.

Grace graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a BS in Economics. She founded Duke Students and Workers Alliance, a campus organization aiming to leverage student power in solidarity with university staff for better working conditions. Volunteering extensively in the community, she also led 170+ financial coaching meetings with low-income clients to secure employment and housing. Her honors thesis on the impact of evictions on household income was also departmentally recognized with the Outstanding Honors Presentation Award.

Grace currently resides in Long Island City, Queens. In her spare time, she loves studying Mandarin and bouldering indoors.

Kayla Vialva

Government and Community Relations Coordinator, Brooklyn Public Library

Kayla Vialva (she/her) is a government and community relations coordinator at the Brooklyn Public Library. As a part of this work, Kayla has mobilized over 20 volunteer groups to advocate for the library and empower the community through programs and events. 

Prior to Brooklyn Public Library, Kayla managed the Youth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy at the Fire Department for the City of New York (FDNY), where she recruited high school graduates to join the EMS pipeline to achieve their dreams and train to become a member of FDNY. 

Kayla graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Sociology, where she enjoyed learning more about various cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Once Kayla graduated college, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at NYC Service and worked on expanding Youth Leadership Councils connecting youth to city agencies. Her time at NYC Service catapulted her interest in public service.

Kayla was raised in the heart of little Caribbean in Brooklyn, NY, where she is honored to occupy the apartment she grew up in. She enjoys creating her own homemade self-care bath products and reading mystery novels. 

Robert Zarate-Morales

Product Manager, Change Machine

Robert Zarate-Morales (he/him) is a product manager at Change Machine, an organization dedicated to building financial security for low-income communities through people-powered technology. In this role, Robert connects with partners, customers, and additional stakeholders to understand users’ needs and develop new features for the Change Machine platform.

Prior to joining Change Machine, Robert led the product development of a mobile application aimed at increasing civic engagement by connecting local representatives with their constituents. He also worked at a Community Development Financial Institution where he managed data systems and leveraged technology to increase operational performance for its loan programs.

Robert graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont, where he majored in Psychology with minors in Education Studies and Japanese Studies. While there, he spent a significant amount of time working with nonprofits to address immigration reform, equal labor rights, and barriers in education. In his spare time, he can be found exploring new crevices in the city and volunteering.

CAREER GUIDES

Vedan Anthony-North

Post-Conviction Litigation Fellow, Innocence Project

Vedan Anthony-North (she/her) is a post-conviction litigation fellow at the Innocence Project, where she litigates post-conviction cases nationwide on behalf of individuals seeking access to DNA testing and relief from wrongful convictions. 

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Vedan worked for the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and improving justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities. While at Vera, she worked to help local jurisdictions safely reduce their jail populations; assisted NYC in decreasing the use of solitary confinement on Rikers Island; and led a delegation of policy makers, corrections officials, and thought leaders on an international exchange to Germany to learn lessons for reform at home.

Vedan became interested in improving justice systems after assisting with the Blackout Arts Collective’s Lyrics on Lockdown tour, a spoken word performance that visited prisons throughout the Northeast. She built on this experience by volunteering with Books through Bars, a collective that works to provide prisoners access to education by matching their requests with donated books.

In addition to her work, Vedan has a love of travel, books, hockey (her favorite team is the New York Rangers), and cooking vegetarian food.

Vedan received her JD from New York University School of Law, her BA in English from Barnard College, and completed the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service in 2015. This is her second year as a career guide.  

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Jerry Bruno

Government Innovation Program Manager, Bloomberg Philanthropies 

Jerry Bruno (he/him) is a government innovation program manager at Bloomberg Philanthropies where he manages the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and What Works Cities program. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative aims to dramatically strengthen city leadership globally by providing select mayors and their senior teams with the best of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ and Harvard’s expertise and programming. What Works Cities helps local governments improve residents' lives by using data and evidence effectively to tackle pressing challenges.

Jerry was previously a strategic project manager at the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) administrator’s office. In his role, he advised on the DHS strategic plan and managed high-level collaborations such as ThriveNYC, NYC’s commitment to creating a mental health system that works for everyone. In addition, Jerry served on several task forces that addressed youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Prior to this role, Jerry oversaw operations and strategic planning for the Division of Family Services at DHS. 

Prior to DHS, Jerry worked at the NYC Department of Small Business Services, working closely with Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises that contracted with the government on the city, state, and federal level. Jerry began his career in city government as a NYC Urban Fellow. 

Jerry was a 2020 Council of Urban Professionals Fellow and co-director for NYC New Leaders Council chapter. A Florida native, Jerry graduated from the University of Florida with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Public Leadership. Jerry is passionate about traveling and connecting with different people and cultures from around the world. He has been to 4 continents: North America, South America, Europe and Antarctica. His goal is to visit the other continents by the end of 2022. 

Jerry was a member of the 2014 class of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service, and this is his fourth year as a career guide.  

Mark Liu

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Mount Sinai Health System

Mark Liu (he/him) is the director of strategic initiatives for the oncology service line at the Mount Sinai Health System, an eight-hospital integrated health system. He works closely with senior leadership to develop long-term strategy while working collaboratively on critical projects ranging from clinical quality, alternative payment models, new technologies and process improvement. He first joined Mount Sinai as a project manager in strategic planning and business development as part of a team to build a new entity advancing population health and value-based care within the system. 

Prior to working at Mount Sinai, Mark worked in Ambulatory Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a world-renowned organization dedicated to the progressive control and cure of cancer. He managed day-to-day operations during his eight-year tenure working across nine services.

Mark graduated with a Master of Healthcare Administration from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and a BS double major in Integrated Neuroscience and Sociology from Binghamton University. He is currently a 2021 fellow in the Association of Cancer Executives Administrative Fellowship Program.

Mark was a 2008 fellow in the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service, served on the FELPS Alumni Board for three years, including one year as president and another as vice president of the board. Mark has continued to be engaged with the fellowship and this is his tenth year as a career guide.  

Rebecca Stauffer

Director of Healthcare Operations, Planning, and Policy, Project Renewal

Rebecca Stauffer (she/her) is the director of healthcare operations, policy, and planning for Project Renewal, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs.

In this role, Rebecca manages the operations of the healthcare services delivered within shelter-based clinics and mobile health units, oversees healthcare services finances, and develops and supports strategic plans for the growth of Project Renewal’s healthcare services. 

Prior to joining Project Renewal, Rebecca was the director of program operations for the Primary Care Information Project (PCIP), which is a bureau within the Department of Prevention and Primary Care at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. PCIP facilitates healthcare practices and providers across New York City to deliver quality healthcare through the use of health information technology. She also was a department administrator at the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry and senior project manager within the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center. 

Rebecca earned her Master of Public Administration degree from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Kenyon College. Rebecca has served as a FELPS guide since 2015. 

Steve Vassor

Chief Executive Officer, cfurther company

Steve Vassor (he/him) is a proud Dad, husband, and mentor. He is founder and chief executive officer of cfurther company, which is a social enterprise working in social justice, education, and entrepreneurship. 

Steve enjoys traveling, and since the pandemic was declared, DJs a weekly show he created on social media, along with virtual and in-person events.  Steve co-founded Mix4Change, a DJ collective focused on engaging US-based and global tastemakers in social change efforts. Together, the collective raised over $125,000 and encouraged over 50,000 people to vote in the most recent US elections.

Previously Steve worked at the Campaign for Black Male Achievement’s as vice president of membership, where he doubled the membership and amplified the power of its key events and activities. 

Steve has a 20-year track record serving and leading nonprofit and municipal organizations with annual budgets ranging from $400,000 to $18 million. Steve funded nonprofits and supported youth development strategies through his work with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. He supported and developed 28 mentoring partnerships across 22 states at MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. 

Steve continues to mentor and advise emerging leaders, has served on several commissions and is Board Chair of the Youth Mentoring Action Network in California’s Inland Empire. Steve earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mental Health from Morgan State University and Masters in Social Service Administration from Case Western Reserve University. This is Steve’s third year as a FELPS career guide. 

Prama Verma

Marketing and Partnerships Manager, mothers2mothers

Prama Verma (she/her) is a nonprofit development and communications professional. She currently serves as the marketing and partnerships manager at mothers2mothers, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV by providing education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV. 

Previously Prama served as the development associate at Minds Matter NYC, a college access nonprofit where she focused on individual giving through Minds Matter NYC’s robust volunteer corps, special events, and marketing and communications.

Prior to joining Minds Matter NYC, Prama lived in Washington, D.C. where she served as the program coordinator for the Foreign Policy Institute, a research center based at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. While in D.C., she volunteered as a residential counselor at FAIR Girls, a nonprofit serving female-identifying adult survivors of sex trafficking. She also spent much of her free time volunteering with Desis for Progress, an organization dedicated to promoting the people, policies, and ideas that move the South Asian American community forward.

Prama is passionate about gender and racial justice and her approach to this work is to create impactful content while respecting clients' whole personhoods. 

Prama has a BA in Political Science, Economics, and South Asian Studies from Rutgers University. She was a 2020 FELPS Fellow. She is thrilled to be returning to the FELPS family as a career guide this year! 

FELLOWSHIP STAFF

Moschell (Mo) Coffey

Director, Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service

Moschell (Mo) Coffey (she/her) is passionate about developing the capacities of the public service sector. Furthering her commitment to leadership and professional development, Mo has supported the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service since 2008. As the director of the program, she oversees all outreach, recruitment, and selection; program and curriculum development and evaluation; and alumni engagement.

As the founder and principal of Challenges and Solutions LLC, Mo uses a culturally competent, anti-racist, and strengths-based approach to help mission-driven organizations identify challenges and formulate solutions to achieve organizational efficiency, strengthen board and staff relationships, enable strategic growth, and define program outcomes. She also enjoys helping emerging and established leaders in public service explore their professional passions, chart career paths, and search for meaningful opportunities.

Mo’s consulting clients have included private foundations; the Institute for Child Success funded by the Obama White House Social Innovation Fund; Blue Meridian Partners; Center for Employment Opportunities; the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center funded by the New York State Health Foundation; the Center for Employment Opportunities; Mission: Cure; the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at UC Hastings College of the Law; and the Office of the President at New York University (NYU).

She currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service where she teaches the year-long capstone class on Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. She also oversees the professional development of the undergraduate participants in NYU’s Presidential Internship Program.

Previously, Mo worked as the managing director for The Good Dog Foundation, the national leader in therapy dog training, certification, visit coordination, research, and awareness. She was also the coordinator at the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law at NYU School of Law.

Mo earned her Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from NYU Wagner. She is a Trustee of Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, where she earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in International Relations with a minor in Spanish.

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