Tonya is the President and Founder of The Parris Foundation: S.T.E.M.ulating Minds as well as CEO of the Parris Group, Inc. A technology, financial, professional and personal development consulting and coaching firm that supports social and emotional learning, intelligence & responsibility seminars, workshops and retreats.

Andrew has more than 20 years of experience building trading systems for Equities and Derivatives businesses connecting to global exchanges. He is currently Head of Compliance Technology at Point72.

He was previously Executive Director at UBS focused on Electronic Trading technology for the Direct Execution business. In his role, he managed technology across the firm’s global connectivity in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.

The technology platform has been extended to include Equities, Options, Futures and most recently FX. Additionally, Andrew was responsible for the technology of UBS ATS, the firm’s registered Alternative Trading System (ATS).

Prior to joining UBS, Andrew was an Executive Vice President at SunGard Brass where he was responsible for all of the development, which included the Valdi platform, the SunGard ATS, OMS Direct (the SunGard Smart Order) as well as other SunGard products. During his time at SunGard, he had to make key architectural decisions regarding the Smart Order Router and was responsible for the development and implementation of the ATS.

Earlier in his career, he held various positions with Goldman Sachs, spending nearly 15 years there. He began his career as a programmer assigned to the International Equities trading technology team, moved to the NASDAQ trading technology team building order management, and was ultimately responsible for the Goldman Sachs Equities Order Management technology platform.

Andrew graduated from NYU Stern School of Business with a BS in Finance and Information Technology. He also attained his MBA in Management and Finance with a concentration in International Business there, as well.

Andrew was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, and is a firm believer in strong education as the path to a bright future and has supported education at all levels.

Craig is a Kansas native living in Hoboken, NJ. He graduated from the University of Kansas and has spent his career as a CPA in public accounting performing financial statement audits for corporate and not-for-profit clients. In college, Craig served as treasurer for the Rock Chalk Revue philanthropy and as a site leader for Alternative Breaks.

In his free time, Craig enjoys traveling with his wife, working with anything related to technology, and running — he recently ran the Philadelphia Marathon and is doing New York this year.

Rebecca was spent almost 9 years at Business Insider, rising from an intern on the science team to executive editor of the news division. She was overseeing 60 journalists on the Science, Speed news, Weekend news, LA news, Visual Features, and Voices of Color desks. She worked across teams to assign, coordinate, and edit breaking news, explainers, features, analysis, and investigations. She also developed guides, trainings, and coaching opportunities for the newsroom to get better every day.

Rebecca started as a reporter on Tech Insider's science section in 2015, covering everything from solar energy and rocket launches to Zika, before moving to the news team during the summer of 2016 at the height of the presidential election and then running weekend coverage for 2 years. She's previously worked with the Politics, Military & Defense, and Video teams, and served as an editorial liaison with the product team that powers the CMS.

She received her Master's degree from the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University, as well as a BS in Biology and a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. Rebecca has also written for Popular Science, Scientific American, Scienceline, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Minnesota Daily.

As a woman in STEM, Rebecca wants to encourage more girls and minorities that they can and should pursue careers in science. The Parris Foundation is a terrific organization aiming to accomplish that goal every day. For three glorious summers, Rebecca was an overnight camp counselor at YMCA Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wisconsin, where she grew up. She's so happy to be able to tutor kids again with the Parris Foundation on Saturdays. In her free time, Rebecca loves to cook, do yoga, and explore the greatest city in the world.

Danielle I. Schaefer serves as Associate General Counsel at Millennium Management LLC in New York. Previously, Danielle served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Goldman Sachs. She began her legal career as a corporate associate in the New York office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, specializing in corporate and securities law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions and derivatives.

Danielle received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, and M.B.A. from Binghamton University.

Jamila grew up in the Bronx, NY, where she witnessed the economic and educational disparities that existed in her community. She knew that she wanted to commit to a lifetime of service no matter what career path she chooses. At Binghamton University, Jamila was involved in The Black Student Union and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Serving as a mentor to males in a juvenile detention center in the U.T.U.R.N. program made her realized that access to education opened the door to many opportunities. It was then she decided that she wanted to go into education and served as a Teaching Assistant in The Parris Foundation Summer Math Camp. When one of her students showed significant progress in her post-test, Jamila realized her passion for education and made a promise to help other students do the same. She joined Blue Engine in the summer of 2013 committed to helping students realize that their zip code does not determine their destiny. Currently, she teaches Algebra 2/Trigonometry at Bronx Leadership Academy 2 in addition to being head of the Math Department.

Jamaal is a tech-savvy business professional with an innate passion for consumer electronics, web technologies, and interactive media. A self-described computer nerd, Jamaal began his career as a IT professional in Goldman Sachs before leaving the financial services industry to pursue analytical roles in the high technology and entertainment/media industries.

He is currently Director of Product Management at Simulmedia, Inc.

An independent consultant, he has leveraged his extensive analytical background, his solid business acumen and his deep routed fascination with technology to help companies with their digital strategy.

Jamaal holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Carl is currently a Project Manager at URS Corporation.

He was previously a Senior Project Manager working with The LIRO Group, an international construction management, engineering and architectural firm. He oversaw the construction of various projects throughout the city totaling approximately $100 million. Carl is also involved in various community based projects in Harlem, such as the construction of new senior housing developments by the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, (HCCI).

Carl attended New York City Institute of Technology where he majored in architecture. He enjoys spending his spare time cycling, reading, and traveling.

Karen is an Attending Pediatric Physician and she currently serves as the Director of Health Services for a NYC foster care/child welfare agency. This position is the perfect blend of her previous clinical & administrative experiences. The position also allows Karen to serve as a role model for many of the at-risk adolescents in her care. Professionally Karen believes strongly in patient education & advocacy and regularly uses her training in public health.

Karen strongly believes in community service & uses her involvement in several civic organizations to do this important work. She is a lifelong member of the Church of St Mark (Episcopal, Brooklyn); the NY Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also serves on the Board of Edwin Gould Services for Children & Families and maintains ties to all of her alumni groups. She is also a member of professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics & the National Medical Association.

Karen was born & raised in her beloved Brooklyn, and except for an 8 year period in the Bronx, has resided there all her life. Her education was through the NYC public schools, including the prestigious Bronx HS of Science, NYU, SUNY-Downstate College of Medicine & Columbia University School of Public Health. In her rare spare time, she enjoys sleeping, dancing, reading mysteries or watching black & white detective shows, knitting & crochet.

Karen's strongest characteristics are her loyalty, integrity, long-range vision and humorous but direct nature. These, along with her excellent communication skills & and strong administrative abilities are the combination that continues to serve her well as an exemplary leader.

Alicia Barclay, MD, is an anesthesiologist, screenwriter, philanthropist, and former professional dancer who grew up in the Bronx, New York. She attended John F. Kennedy High School with a concentration in engineering through the Gateway to Higher Education program. While there, Alicia served as senior class president, co-captain of the tennis team, a scholar of the ACE Mentor program, and a lead dancer at the Bronx Dance Theater as well as Harlem Dance School.

While attending Stony Brook University, she studied business, dance, and became an INROADS scholar. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in business management, Alicia worked in the corporate arena for companies such as BBDO, Inc., Polo Ralph Lauren, and Deloitte prior to pursuing medicine. In between her corporate appointments, she served as a teaching artist through Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LEAP) teaching literacy through dance throughout NYC. She subsequently earned a second bachelor's degree in anthropology – biology – chemistry and graduated magna cum laude from City University of
New York at Lehman College.

Alicia earned her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati in 2017 and completed residency in anesthesiology from Wayne State University in 2021. She is currently an attending anesthesiologist at White Plains Hospital. In her free time, she enjoys dancing at Alvin Ailey Extension, writing screenplays, playing tennis, and traveling the world.

Michael is currently a Managing Director at Prudential Financial.

He was previously a Senior Vice President in the Fixed Income Operations Management and Technology area of Alliance Bernstien. Michael joined Alliance Bernstein in late 2006 from UBS where he was the Managing Director of Risk and Finance Technology group. Michael has held senior technology management and research positions with Morgan Stanley, including the London based role of international CIO, Merrill Lynch and Zurich- Scudder Investments. Michael started his financial services career working on Merrill Lynch’s corporate bond trading desk as a hedging/arbitrage analyst before becoming a recognized innovator as a Mortgage-Backed Securities research analyst.

Over his 20+ year career in financial services he has had extensive analytical and technical experience with fixed-income, commodities, derivative products and risk management. Michael has co-authored two books and several research papers on Mortgage-Backed Securities pricing and analytics. He graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a BS in Operations Research and an MS in Industrial Administration.

A graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, Michelle built her career in public higher education fundraising on solid professional experience in the fields of community, media and government relations, and volunteer management. Her extensive resume includes more than three decades of advancement lifecycle experience from Brock University, Wilfrid Laurier University, and SUNY’s Binghamton University.

Michelle currently serves on the Leadership Committee of the Women’s Fund at the Community Foundation for South Central New York, and is the President of Binghamton University Women, a volunteer-led membership organization bringing together faculty, staff, retirees, and spouses to build community at the University since 1947. She has served as a board member of the State University Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) and for The Parris Foundation.

She has a Master of Science degree in systems science from the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science at Binghamton University, complementing her English degree from Carleton. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and was inducted into the SUNYCUAD Hall of Fame in 2011.

Don is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. He’s currently a Project Manager at Amazon.

He was previously a reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City and a Correspondent for CBS News Newspath.

Before arriving in New York City in 2013, he worked as a Reporter/Anchor at KMGH-TV in Denver. He’s also worked as a Weekend Anchor/Reporter at WAPT-TV in Jackson, MS, and KSNT-TV in Topeka, KS. In college he even worked as on-air talent for the award-winning talk show Teen Summit on Black Entertainment Television.

Don was awarded an Associated Press award for his live coverage of Hurricane Gustav in 2008. He also earned an Emmy Award in 2010 for Best Producer.

A Washington, D.C.-area native, Don spent part of his childhood growing up in Germany. He later attended Towson University in Baltimore. Don is a proud member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Chase Business Banking.

He was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Hiscox USA, the US arm of the global specialty insurer. Ben joined the company in early 2011 as COO and served in that post prior to taking his current position in April 2012. Prior to joining Hiscox, Ben was a Managing Director at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, where he focused on global strategic and operations issues. He joined BlackRock via its acquisition of Barclays Global Investors, where he held a similar position.

Ben’s previous experience spans a wide range of industries and functions. He ran the credit and loyalty business for Gap Inc.’s Banana Republic brand, worked with leading financial services and fintech companies as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, and served in a number of strategy and marketing roles at Continental Airlines. Ben has an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis. Ben is a member of the New York City chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, and he serves on the boards of the Property Casualty Insurance Association and the Parris Foundation.

Jennifer Ingber is CEO of Advisory Class In Schools.

Rebecca Anderson is Senior Program Director at Technolvation.

Sara Jane Wellock was first trained in mediation, conflict resolution, and social justice in the third grade at an inner city elementary school in Poughkeepsie, New York. She became enthralled with practicing peer mediation on the playground and she soon swiftly transitioned to working with The Mediation Center of Dutchess County, Inc. as a volunteer and later employed working with young people (like her first opportunity), the family & small claims court system, the domestic violence department, etc. Sara Jane also ran Youth Against Racism (through the YWCA) for 6 years.

Sara Jane introduced the Mediation Center to the Transformative approach, became certified with the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation, as well as a member of their think tank. She was part of a 4-year initiative to improve relations between the United States and Africa and she sat in on the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in post-apartheid South Africa.

Sara Jane was pivotal in the development and implementation of a protocol for mediation cases with a history or current domestic violence, which gained worldwide attention in the field. She published technical and creative writing including as a reporter, award-winning poet, and a contributing author for The Promise of Mediation, New and Revised Edition as well as Transforming Conflict from the Inside Out: Stories and Reflections from Transformative Practitioners. She was awarded the Dolly Levin Mediation Award for exemplifying a commitment to peacemaking and social justice.

Sara Jane began her advanced education at Dutchess Community College, Phi Theta Kappa, where she started a mediation program, studied abroad in southern Italy, and received the Due Award for academic excellence. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz (Magna Cum Laude) conducting an independent study on Transformative Mediation and studying abroad in Denmark. She completed graduate-level coursework at SUNY Albany, traveling to South Africa.

Sara Jane also successfully worked in staffing for over 13 years, placing mostly in non-profits in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

She has been meditating daily for over twenty years and she has sat long retreats in silence including 28 days in 2004.

Sara Jane is currently the Director of Fun and Magic with The Parris Foundation and she is the Founder and President of Ladybug Productions, Inc.

Zainab is a highly spirited and deeply connected young woman with a living passion for empowering everyone around her to be the best versions of themselves possible. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University, Zainab has had over five years of experience working with youth, creating S.T.E.M. curriculum and activities that engage them. Her lifetime goal is to support every individual with growth in their education and confidence.

Katie Ellis retired from the position of Senior Director for Communications and Marketing at Binghamton University, State University of New York, in July 2023, after nearly 29 years at the University. Over the course of her tenure there, she moved from overseeing media relations to providing internal communications for the entire campus. Her responsibilities spanned wordsmithing grants; daily communications to faculty, staff and students; writing statements and messages for the president; writing and editing the president’s quarterly report; and representing her division on committees — including for Students of Concern, Opening Days, Commencement, Research Days, and many others. She also served as the point person for emergency alerts and as the Public Information Officer for the University’s Incident Management Team. In addition, from 2017 until her retirement, she was communications manager for the University’s new School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, handling all communications for the school, including writing for the dean, writing recruitment messaging, preparing student profiles, writing stories about the school and its faculty, managing the school’s web presence, and producing and editing an annual school magazine.

Prior to working at Binghamton University, she worked as a communicator for a local school district and Broome/Tioga BOCES, and in radio news and sales.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from St. Bonaventure University.

She is current president of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County Board of Directors and is past president and current secretary of Binghamton University Women.