Team Kids IV Speaker Bios
Michael Dennin
Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning and Dean of Undergraduate Education
Professor of Physics
UC Irvine
Professor Dennin has been Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCI since 1997, and was appointed the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and Dean, Division of Undergraduate Education in May 2015. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Princeton University, and his Masters and PhD in Physics from UCSB. His research focuses on the dynamics of foams, Langmuir monolayers, and the modeling of ice mélange. These studies in complex fluids are crucial for many applications including foam use in oil recovery as well as granular matter in the form of powders and pills in the medical industry.
Professor Dennin is a Sloan Research Fellow and a Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar. He is a recipient of UCI Senate awards in all three categories: UCI Senate Distinguished mid-Career Award for Service, UCI Senate Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, and UCI Senate Distinguished Assistant Professor Award for Research.
Professor Dennin has been very active in translating educational research to practical applications within the university. He is dedicated to public outreach in the area of science – teaching a number of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), including co-teaching one based on the AMC television program The Walking Dead. He has appeared on numerous television programs – including Science of Superman, Spider-man Tech, Batman Tech, Star Wars Tech, and Ancient Aliens. You can find Professor Dennin in the YouTube series Fascinating Fights (http://bit.ly/1G DKVex) debating the outcome of battles between pop icons. Recently, he published a science outreach book on the intersection between science and faith: Divine Science: Finding Reason at the Heart of Faith, from Franciscan Media.
Julie Hudash
Founder & Ceo
Team Kids
Julie Hudash is a tireless social entrepreneur who founded the nonprofit Team Kids in 2001. After garnering skills and experience from her work in the corporate sector, Julie followed her dream to make a difference in the world through empowering our next generation of youth leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. The only thing that differentiates Team Kids from a for-profit business, is that the bottom line is not measured in profit but in lives changed and communities strengthened.
Julie specializes in advancing systemic community change for and with youth through harnessing innovative partnerships with business, government, education and public safety. Julie’s vision for youth is best illustrated in the power of the empirically validated Team Kids Challenge (TKC) Program; a 5-week, school-based youth empowerment, prevention, and mentorship program that is implemented in schools from Compton (CA) to Brooklyn (NY). The TKC is changing lives and empowering youth and communities to create sustainable and positive change. The TKC is proven to strengthen youth thriving and protective factors, while building early trusting and respectful relationships between youth and public safety. Articles highlighting the powerful results of a recent randomized control study in Los Angeles and New York City have been published in the American Psychological Journal of Psychology, Public Policy and Law, and in other top academic journals.
Julie is a graduate of the University of Southern California where she majored in communications. As captain of her USC track team, it was through the power of teamwork and community service in South Central Los Angeles that Julie first discovered the joy in helping others. Julie also attended graduate school at the University of Missouri St. Louis as a student in educational counseling.
Julie is also a writer who tackles difficult issues on behalf of children and has had several pieces published in The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. Her focus is on youth advocacy issues including youth development, child safety, and the importance of youth-led activities to help kids thrive. Julie’s leadership has been recognized by the California Peace Officers Association, by former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, and by the Orange County Business Journal as one of the first nonprofit leaders to receive the Women in Business Award.
Julie and her husband, Ray, live in Irvine, CA, and are the proud parents of five grown kids. Her children served as the inspiration for the founding of Team Kids. All five kids continue to play a key role in the success and expansion of the Team Kids mission, with two serving in leadership roles at the organization.
“For 20 years UCI and Team Kids have created an innovative partnership, empowering and mobilizing compassionate young leaders from kindergarten to grad school. Our Innovative Thinkers Forum will unite national leaders from education, public safety and philanthropy to strengthen creative strategies to address the most pressing issues facing young people today.”
Arshay Cooper
Author
A Most Beautiful Thing
ARSHAY COOPER is a Rower, Benjamin Franklin award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film “A Most Beautiful Thing,” a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, motivational speaker, and activist, particularly around issues of accessibility for low-income families.
Arshay grew up on the West Side of Chicago and in 1997 joined (and later became captain of) the country’s first all-Black high school rowing team at Manley High School, an experience that changed his life. He dedicated two years of his life to AmeriCorps, focusing on diversity and inclusion efforts and soon after that attended Le Cordon Bleu, becoming a chef for critically acclaimed restaurants and companies such as World Wrestling Entertainment, Warner Brothers, and various professional athletes.
After years of working and teaching in the foodservice industry, Arshay returned to his true passion: working with young people. He coached rowing at the Chicago Urban Youth Rowing Club and worked as the youth program guidance counselor for Victory Outreach’s Midwest/Gulf Coast region. Arshay has also founded and helped start several rowing programs for low-income youth across the country, anywhere a puddle of water exists, so that other young people can experience the profound change that happens on the water. He’s mentored hundreds of kids to improve their athletic, professional, and personal lives.
Arshay’s award winning memoir chronicling his high school rowing career, “A Most Beautiful Thing,” was recently adapted into a film by the same name narrated by the Academy and Grammy Award-winning artist Common, produced by NBA Stars Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade and Grammy Award-winning 9th Wonder, and directed by award-winning filmmaker and Olympic rower Mary Mazzio. The film won a Gracie Award and was named one of the best films of 2020 by Esquire. It was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award, for the International Press Academy Best Documentary, and the Critics’ Choice Association Best Sports Documentary.
Arshay leads the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund to bring rowing, academic support, and college access to under-resourced communities. Arshay has been called upon to build bridges across the country through his story and has inspired the founding of new diversity-focused rowing programs across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Arshay’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Black Enterprise, BET, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, People Magazine, and The Chicago Tribune among many other outlets. He’s been a guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s podcast “Startalk,” NPR, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Access Hollywood, and numerous other podcasts and programs. He and Mary Mazzio partnered with FILA to create a limited-edition collection of “A Most Beautiful Thing” merchandise. Deeply passionate about motivating individuals and organizations to be the best version of themselves, Arshay has spoken to top corporations, universities, and nonprofits, including the Obama Foundation, the Aspen Institute, JP Morgan, Comcast NBC, Pepsi, Winklevoss Capital, Vanguard, Starbucks, Liberty Mutual, SC Johnson, Target, the NAACP Convention, the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks, the Oakland A’s, Morehouse School of Medicine, Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.
“A Most Beautiful Thing” can be bought anywhere books are sold. The film is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Xfinity Comcast.
Arshay lives in Brooklyn, NY with his family.
Mo Canady
Executive Director
National Association of School Resource Officers
Mo Canady holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University. He is a former Lieutenant with the City of Hoover Police Department in Hoover, Alabama. The last twelve years of his career were spent as the supervisor of the School Services Division. After a 25 year career, he retired from the Hoover Police Department in 2011.
He was appointed as an instructor for the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) in 2001 and a NASRO board member in 2005. He is a past President of the Alabama Association of School Resource Officers.
Mo now serves as the Executive Director for NASRO. He recently testified on the matter of SRO National Standards before The Federal Commission on School Safety. He has also testified on the matter of school safety before the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
He is a co-author of the national report; “To Protect and Educate – The School Resource Officer and the Prevention of Violence in Schools”.
John McLaughlin
Team Kids, Advisory Committee Member
Education Program Specialist & Federal Program Manager
Federal Government
John McLaughlin has been the Federal coordinator for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program at the U.S. Department of Education since 2008 and also the coordinator of Prevention and Intervention Programs for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At-Risk (Title I, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) until 2015. Prior to that, he was the State Coordinator for homeless, and neglected or delinquent education programs with the Minnesota Department of Education. He has been an educator in the fields of teaching English as a Second Language, migrant education, teacher education and service learning. John started out as a counselor at a group home for runaway and at-risk youth in New Haven, Connecticut in 1988. He was also a high school and university ESL and social studies teacher in Japan, and later a teacher educator at the University of Michigan, English Language Institute. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Yale University, a master’s degree in public administration from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, and a doctorate in education from Temple University.
John has served on the Advisory Council for Team Kids since 2014 after his son participated in the Team Kids Challenge at an elementary school in Arlington, Virginia. He has helped advise Team Kids to develop an evidence base for the impact of the Team Kids Challenge and to navigate Federal education and justice grant programs.
“Team Kids is important to me because it empowers children to experience their collective leadership and the impact they can have on their communities at a young age, boosts school climate and socio-emotional learning without taking up any instructional time, and helps children to develop early positive relationships with first responders in the community (fire and public safety). I’ve seen it work with children of all backgrounds.”
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Joe Burke
Inventor and Entrepreneur
Ollyball
Founder. Inventor. Parent.
Joe Burke invented and holds two utility patents for Ollyball, Winner of a Toy of the Year at the New York International Toy Fair, with over two million Ollyballs sold worldwide since Burke founded the company in 2019. Ollyball is becoming this most popular play ball in history and ranks #1 on Amazon in Kickballs, a partnership with the NBA, and 14 Live appearances on QVC.
Burke is the former Executive at Disney Stores and Goodwill Industries, but started his first company at 21 on a borrowed card table and metal chair. 20 years later, he started Ollyball on a kitchen table and a wooden chair. Alumni and Hylan Scholarship recipient at the Rochester Institute of Technology New York, NCAA athlete, husband to Ellen, an Autism and Behavioral Specialist, and father of their three children.
Extra Credit: Coached his daughter’s State Championship Softball team, wrote a book in 46 hours on a train published by Wellspring, climbed Mount Whitney in a 19-hour straight round-tripper and appeared in 25 films and TV Shows in a former life!
Joe met Team Kids in 2014 and has been a Board Member and champion of mission. “A team is a group of people who trust each other. Team Kids is creating trust one precious life at a time.”
Ryan Foland
Director
UCI ANTrepreneur Center
Ryan Foland is the Director of the UCI ANTrepreneur Center. On and off campus he is known as a high energy speaker, podcast host, and author who believes in simplicity and of simply being you. He is often recognized for his expertise when it comes to marketing people, which is most commonly known as “personal branding.” In his book, Ditch the Act, published by McGraw-Hill, Ryan shares the art of being perfectly imperfect. For fun, Ryan sails, draws stick figures, and raps. Learn more at https://ryan.online
“Team Kids is more than just an organization – it’s a beacon of hope for the next generation. By empowering youth to believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference, Team Kids is creating a world where anything is possible. I am proud to support their mission and the incredible impact they are making in the lives of young people.”
Adam Fine
Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Arizona State University
Adam D. Fine is an assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. He received his doctorate, specializing in developmental psychology and quantitative methods, from the University of California, Irvine. A developmental psychologist conducting research at the intersection of psychology, law, public policy, and criminology, Fine’s research broadly focuses on juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. His current work centers on two areas: 1) how youth develop their perceptions of law enforcement, the law, and the justice system, paying particular attention to developmental trends and racial-ethnic differences; and 2) how experiences with the juvenile justice system affect youth outcomes and disparities. He is the PI of the Youth Justice Lab: https://sites.google.com/view/youthjusticelab/home
Michael Kent
Chief Michael Kent began as an Explorer for the Irvine Police Department in 1993 while attending Woodbridge High School.
As a longtime resident of Irvine, Chief Kent is fully invested in our City. He has poured his heart and soul into serving our community and our police department since he was hired in 2002.
His past assignments include Field Training Officer, SWAT Team member, Detective, Sergeant, and Lieutenant. In the position of Commander and Assistant Chief, he provided leadership in Patrol, Traffic, Investigations, Internal Affairs, Recruitment and Training, Records, Dispatch, Property, Crime Scene Investigations, Public Safety Fleet Services and Animal Services.
Chief Kent has earned numerous service awards including the Medal of Courage, Employee of the Quarter, Life Saving Award, Meritorious Service Award, three Unit Commendations, and the Colonel Laurence J. Stein Award for outstanding investigative work. In addition, in 2016, he received the 40 Under 40 Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for his overall contributions to the law enforcement profession.
Chief Kent is a graduate of the LAPD’s West Point Leadership Program, the California Peace Officer Association’s Leadership Development Program, the California POST Executive Development Course, the Senior Management Institute of Policing Course in Boston, and the California Police Chief’s Executive Development Course.
Chief Kent holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University Fullerton in Communications and a Master’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, in Criminology, Law, and Society.
Farrah Khan
Mayor Farrah N. Khan made history in November of 2020 becoming the 23rd Mayor of Irvine. She not only received the highest number of votes for the position of Mayor in the city’s history, but she also shattered glass ceilings as the first woman of color to hold the position and the first Muslim woman to lead a large city in the United States.
Mayor Khan grew up in northern California and began her career in the biotech and innovation industry as a regulatory manager focusing on streamlining complex products and international research. She and her family moved to Irvine in 2004 where her two sons have had the privilege of attending Irvine schools since kindergarten. She and her husband also serve as Legacy Partners with the Irvine Public School Foundation.
Jack Toan
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Illumination Foundation
As a refugee whose family relied on the kindness of strangers, Jack Toan understands firsthand the power of a collective community that cares and actively works to lift others up. His experience drives his belief in creating social change through action.
An inaugural member of the Illumination Foundation Board of Directors, Jack became the organization’s Co-Chief Executive Officer in July 2022.
Jack is responsible for the entire operations of the organization, including shelters, housing, and all infrastructure needs. Prior to his current role, Jack had an 18-year career in corporate social responsibility at Wells Fargo as the Vice President and Manager of Community Relations. He managed the company’s volunteerism and community development programs and oversaw more than $10M of the company’s charitable giving program in the Southern California Region.
Jack’s current commitments to the community include serving on the Board of Directors for UCI Alumni Association and Asian American Futures. Jack is an appointee to the Orange County Commission to End Homelessness and is a cofounder of Delivering with Dignity OC, a collaboration that engages volunteers and supports local restaurants while serving the most vulnerable affected by COVID-19.
Jack holds an MBA from UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business and is a graduate of the Southern California Leadership Network.
Dr. Marc Lerner, MD
Pediatric Development & Behavioral Physician
Children’s Hospital of Orange County
Dr. Marc Lerner is a pediatrician specializing in developmental / behavioral medicine. He is past president of the Orange County, California Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and previously chaired national AAP’s Council on School Health. Dr. Lerner has taught and cared for patients at the University of California, Irvine for 40 years. From 2011 until 2016 Dr. Lerner served as Medical Officer for the Orange County’s Department of Education and now serves as a medical consultant for several Orange County School Districts. Dr. Lerner continues his clinical work at UCI’s Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and serves as the Board Chair for Healthy Smiles For Kids, Orange County.
Jaqueline Gallardo-Hoffmaster
Community Partnership Program Specialist
Fullerton School District
Passionate and dedicated counseling professional whose aim is to advocate for the academic success, social, and personal development of all K-12 students. Committed educator with 15 years of experience providing support services for children and adolescents.
Dr. Peter Weinstein, DVM
Dr Peter Weinstein is a husband, father, pet parent, veterinarian and leader.
He has been involved with virtually all aspects of veterinary practice from a 15 year old kennel kid to a hospital owner.
Organized veterinary medicine has been a passion as well with various roles and leadership and presidencies of Southern California VMA, California VMA, and Vet Partners.
His philanthropic work with the Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation has given him the opportunity to make a difference in so many lives, both people and animals.
He is a published author, most notably of the EMyth Veterinarian-Why Most Veterinary Practices Don’t Work and What to Do About It.
Currently, he is teaching business and finance at the Veterinary College of Western University of Health Sciences.
He likes to think of himself as a free thinking change agent and disruptor who, because he has a daughter in veterinary school, is working for an even better veterinary profession in the future.
Charles Glorioso
Global Head of Macquarie Asset Management Compliance
Macquarie Group
Charles is based in New York City and is the Global Head of Compliance for Macquarie Asset Management (MAM). Charles is responsible for managing the compliance program of MAM, a global asset manager with approximately $US540 billion in assets under management that provides access to specialist investment expertise across a range of capabilities including fixed income, equities, multi-asset solutions, private credit, infrastructure, renewables, natural assets, real estate, and asset finance.
Prior to joining MAM in July 2014, Charles had spent 4 years as a member of the Regulatory Risk Team in Macquarie’s Central Compliance division. Prior to joining Macquarie, Charles was a corporate lawyer for over 8 years with the national law firm of Alston & Bird LLP.
Charles holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College and Juris Doctorate degree from St. John’s University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. Charles is also a member of the Board of Directors of Team Kids, a California-based nonprofit working with partners from education and public safety to empower students as compassionate leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Al Coombs
First Responder/Fire Fighter
FDNY
Firefighter Al Coombs joined FDNY in 2008. Prior to serving as a firefighter, Al served in the US Navy and worked for The Department Of Homeland Security. He serves as a powerful mentor to aspiring firefighters and to elementary school students. His favorite part of life is raising his two incredible children.
Jackie Luna
Jackie Luna is a Team Kids Coach and recent UCI graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology, Law, and Society and a minor in Sociology. She started at the organization as a Team Kids intern and has developed a passion for working with kids. With over one year of experience as a coach, she has learned more about the benefits of community engagement and strives to be a positive role model for students.
Isabelle Orlosky
Isabelle Orlosky is a graduate from UC Irvine (‘22) who majored in psychological sciences. She joined Team Kids as an intern and was hired as a Coach shortly after graduating. Her favorite part of Team Kids is witnessing the students grow in confidence and management skills throughout the program. Isabelle hopes to get her Master’s in counseling to assist with the current mental health crisis seen in our younger populations. In her free time she loves to paint, play piano and go for hikes around OC.
Jeff Roberts
Partner/Owner
RST Coffee Holdings, LLC
Sgt. Pepperonis, LLC
Jeff Roberts has over twenty five years of experience founding and leading retail and
restaurant businesses with legacy combined annual sales in excess of $200M. He is
Founding Partner of Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza, named top 100 Pizzerias in America –
Yelp 2023. He is Managing Partner of RST Coffee, LLC – Operators of Black Rifle
Coffee Company Outposts. From 2013 to 2021, Roberts developed the fleet of 5.11
Tactical stores. He joined 5.11 as Vice President of Retail and Merchandising in
2013. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2016. Under Roberts’
leadership, 5.11 opened 92 Company owned and Partner stores Globally. From
2006 to 2013 he was Vice President of Global Retail for Volcom, Inc. (NASDAQ:
VLCM) a leading action sports apparel and accessories manufacturer. Roberts led
the development of global direct to consumer retail with 72 locations around the
world. From 1996 to 2006 Roberts was the Founder and President of Pacific Brands
Retail Group, a privately held specialty retailer. “PBRG” combined for 32 retail
doors, including exclusive licensing agreements with Billabong and Fox Racing.
Roberts led the sale of PBRG to Billabong in 2006.
Roberts earned a BA in International Business from San Diego State University. He
and his wife Erica have four daughters. Their focus is on service to the community,
building memories, and spreading happiness daily.
Ed Hart
Senior Vice President/Director
First Bank Center for Family-Owned Businesses
After leading the Cal State Fullerton Center for Family Business from 2011 – 2021, Ed Hart accepted a position as the Senior Vice President and Director of the Center for Family-Owned Businesses at St. Louis-based First Bank. First Bank has been a family-owned business since 1910, and is in its 4th generation of ownership in the Dierberg family.
During Covid, Hart and his wife Laurieann hosted weekly Zoom meetings with the topic “Thriving in Times Like These”, where family business leaders from all over the world could meet to discuss best practices for guiding their teams remotely, while adjusting to all the personal and professional changes we all had to implement into our lives.
Hart has led several fundraising and development projects in his leadership career, having raised several million dollars dedicated to the education of family business leaders, managers, and college students.
In 2019, Hart launched the From The Hart Podcast, in which he interviews leaders in all industries to tap into the “why” behind their chosen fields. He has interviewed authors, actors, athletes, musicians, pastors, executives, and others.
Prior to joining CSUF, Hart was the Director of Business Development at the USC Marshall School of Business from 2007 – 2011, assisting in the development of executive leadership programs for small, medium, and large companies – public and private.
He was the inaugural General Manager of the Fullerton Flyers professional baseball team from 2005 – 2007 and worked for several years as a consultant to various major league sports teams and venues prior to assuming the GM role for the Flyers.
Hart taught Sports Leadership and Sports Finance in the UC Riverside Sports Management post-graduate program from 2014 – 2021 and oversaw the Family Business Dynamics course at Cal State Fullerton.
He is a published author, experienced public speaker, and has a passion for developing future leaders and educating family business owners and their teams.
Hart currently serves on the board of Directors for the University of San Francisco Gellert School of Business, as well as Orange County-based Team Kids. He is also serves in various community and national advisory capacities.
Hart studied Business Management and Leadership at USC and Pepperdine. He is also fluent in Spanish. Hart and his wife Laurieann live in Ontario, California, and have 8 grandsons.
Jenny Dinnen
Co-Owner, Chief Ideation Officer and Futurist
MacKenzie Corporation
Jenny’s true passion is to inspire people and companies to think beyond what they’re currently doing and empower them to act on that inspiration.
As a transformational business leader and certified Futurist, Jenny is Co-Owner and President of MacKenzie Corporation a second-generation family-owned business focused on the customer insights space.
Jenny began her career at Household Auto Finance / HSBC doing marketing within the automotive finance industry and then transitioned to Home Depot where she led a team of creative marketers within the B2B space. After working her way up the ranks, Jenny came back to MacKenzie where she oversees driving innovation, excellence and growth.
Jenny is responsible for directing all sales and marketing efforts for the company, including business development, partnerships, marketing strategy and communications planning, aimed at driving new growth and assuring client retention.
In her spare time, Jenny is passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders and giving back to her community. Jenny currently is on the board of Team Kids, the board of Leadership Tomorrow, a Mentor through Chapman University (previously was on the Business School Board of Counselors), previously on the Board of Girls Inc and an active member of the Center for Family Business at Cal State Fullerton as well as Professor in the Family Business Dynamics class.
Most importantly, Jenny is a wife and mom of two young girls & future G3 leaders.
Angie Sarabia
Marketing Manager
Team Kids
Angie Sarabia is the Marketing Manager for Team Kids, a nonprofit organization founded in Irvine, California. In her role, she is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies and campaigns to drive engagement and support for Team Kids.
With a background in marketing and communications, Angie brings expertise in designing creative assets and crafting compelling messaging to effectively promote Team Kids’ mission and programs to a wide range of stakeholders.
Angie is passionate about empowering young people to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and is dedicated to supporting Team Kids’ mission.
In her free time, Angie enjoys going to the gym or on hikes, hanging with family and friends, and spending time with her two cats.
Daphne Zhou
At 18, Daniel pioneered the first youth-led America’s Promise effort in Pittsburgh, PA
under Retired General Colin Powell, landing him a seat on the national board of
directors and recognition from President George W. Bush. Daniel has 20+ years of
experience working in the business and nonprofit sectors, fueled by his commitment to
increasing others’ access to relationships and growth opportunities.
At CoLabL, Daniel is working at the intersection of talent development and community
building, creating and facilitating brand, relationship, and skill-building experiences that
increase equity in the workplace and beyond.
He works with brands including Pfizer, Electronic Arts, Deloitte, Cisco, Starbucks, Taco
Bell, Gap Inc., Apple, and LinkedIn plus schools, nonprofits, foundations, and
government agencies. Daniel has served on boards including City Year DC, the
Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, Team Kids, and the Greater
Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership. Named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40 Honorees,
Daniel has facilitated hundreds of training experiences, keynoted conferences,
published articles on Forbes.com, and authored Tell Me I Can’t…and I Will.
Daniel currently resides in New York, NY.
Ranya Johal
Student Leader
Oak Creek Elementary School
Rayna Johal is an 8 year old 3rd grader who goes to Oak Creek Elementary School in Irvine, CA. She enjoys playing piano and loves to read books. She is learning her native language Punjabi, Cultural Dance and History at Sikh Temple every Sunday. Rayna also volunteers her time in prepping meals at the temple.
Rayna is passionate about helping others. She was recognized by Team Kids and was featured on live TV at NBC News for her efforts in Turkey/Syria Earthquake donation drive.
She is loved by her Parents, younger sister, and her dog.
Nestor Herrera
Born and raised in Southern California, Nestor’s passion for creating a strong community in Irvine is obvious. As an Ironman Triathlon finisher and continued marathon runner, Nestor understands hard work and perseverance and he applies his strong work ethic to everything he does. His involvement in Team Kids, a local organization whose mission is “to empower our children to change the world,” shows just how important social responsibility is to him. Besides financially supporting Team Kids, Nestor never fails to remind the kids that they can do whatever they want if they are willing to work hard for it. His positivity and ability to visualize success make him an excellent asset. His contractual expertise allows him to prevent problems before they occur, creating a sense of ease among his clients. With 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, including over 10 years on the Board of Realtors grievance, pro standards and anonymous complaints committee, Nestor understands the intricacies of each contract and ensures that everything is completed ethically. Nestor’s dedication to the people around him is apparent in everything he does.
Lorraine Marin
Lorraine served in the NYPD for seventeen years and was promoted to Detective in 2017. She worked for the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Correction Officer for 5 years. Before that, Lorraine worked for DOE as a School Safety Officer for 8 years. She is a Native New Yorker, and has lived in every Borough in New York City. Lorraine went to Richmond Hill H.S., graduated from Empire State College with an Associate in Arts degree. She attended John Jay College and Faith Bible Institute College. Lorraine is a licensed Minister/Pastor and is an associate Pastor of her church Freedom In God Church on Staten Island. She recently worked as Deputy Commissioner Parker at Community Partnerships located at 1 Police Plaza. In her current position, Lorraine supports the Youth Coordination Officers (YCO). She provides the YCO’S with information on Youth Stat, Youth Victims and research Youth programs that can help young people get on the right path.
Uriah Alexander Hall
American Retired Mixed Martial Artist, Professional Boxer, and Former Kickboxer
Uriah Alexander Hall is an American retired mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and a former kickboxer. He fought in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the runner up on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. Prior to his appearance on TUF, Hall competed in Bellator MMA and Ring of Combat, where he saw success in winning the ROC Championship. He is also the first UFC fighter in history to win a fight without throwing a single strike.
Uriah is known for his message about bullying prevention and mental health. Uriah now speaks to kids all around the country, teaches MMA and self-defense, and appears in occasional karate movies.