MEET THE TEAM

In the fall of 2018, three friends sat around a kitchen table talking about what it would take to increase opportunities for kids in New York City. Their research into the growing literacy crisis revealed a striking truth: children who grow up in homes filled with books tend to have better life outcomes. Yet, not all kids have that privilege. Many children live in "book deserts," where books are scarce, limiting their ability to develop a love for reading. By missing out on reading, they miss out on a whole lot more. They miss out on the joy and comfort that books bring. They miss out on the knowledge to which they might otherwise be exposed. Compared to their peers, they are less school-ready, have less sophisticated vocabulary, and ultimately have less opportunity in life.

These friends decided to do something about this problem and Brooklyn Book Bodega was born.

CO-LEADERSHIP TEAM

 

Seema Aghera
Chief Operating Officer + Cofounder

Rebecca Cohen
Executive Director + Cofounder

 

PROGRAM & SUPPORT TEAM

 

ALYSON ALADRO

Grants and Development Manager
📖 Harriet the Spy

PRIYA BARUA

Book Hub Support
📖 Harry Potter Goblet of Fire & Half-Blood Prince

JOLIE BREITBACH

Operations Analyst
📖 Percy Jackson

RAE DE VINE

Community Outreach Coordinator
📖 Bitter

DIYANA DIOP

AmeriCorps Member
📖 The Cat in the Hat

 
 

TAMARA NOEL-GEORGE

Book Hub Support
📖 Hunger Games

CECILIA GOLOMBEK

Book Hub Manager
📖 The Jolly Postman

JOURDAN HERCSEK

Communications Associate
📖 Jurassic Park

ANNA MACNEILL

Program Assistant
📖 Nim’s Island

STEVIE SAUNDERS

Program Assistant Seasonal Support
📖 Wayside School Is Falling Down

 
 
 

BOARD MEMBERS

 
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ANALISA BARRETT, CHAIR


Owner, AMB Impact LLC, Nonprofit Financial Strategy Consultant
📖 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

MARCIA CLARKE

President & Real Estate Broker
M C Realty Consulting & Management Inc.
📖 House of Sand and Fog

SARAH GROVER

Freelance Librarian and Salesforce Consultant
📖 A Wrinkle in Time

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TAMARA JACHIMOWICZ

Child Psychologist, Cofounder Brooklyn Book Bodega
📖 The Rabbit Listened

 
 
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KATIE HEIL KNIGHT

Former Director of Instructional Design, Voxy EnGen
📖 The Phantom Tollbooth

MELISSA PROBER

Attorney for Small Businesses & Nonprofits
📖 Harriet the Spy

LOVEENA RAJANAKAYAM

Attorney & Social Justice Advocate
📖 Anne of Green Gables

APRIL SOMBOUN

Education Research and Innovation Officer, Airbel Impact Lab, International Rescue Committee
📖 To Kill a Mockingbird

 

BROOKLYN BOOK BODEGA EVENT AMBASSADORS

Check out our Event Ambassadors favorite books below!

 

KAITLIN ALM

📖 A Series of Unfortunate Events

CHRISTY ATANGANA

📖 Magic Tree House Series

VERONICA BERGER

📖 A Series of Unfortunate Events

QUINN CAMPBELL

📖 Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

 
 

MARCIA CLARKE

📖 Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

MICHELE FONTALVO

📖 If You Give A Mouse a Cookie

CHRISTINE GALLO

📖 D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths

AYANNA GILES

📖 The Berenstain Bears Forget their Manners

ANNA HOTARD

📖 Percy Jackson and the Olympians

MERCEDES MANN

📖 A Pizza the Size of the Sun

AURORA PARLAGRECO

📖 The Westing Game

APRIL REGAN


📖 Strega Nona

 

LEOLYN SCOTT

📖 My Hair is a Garden

AMELIE SHIRO

📖 The Hunger Games

BAILEY YURO

📖 The Phantom Tollbooth

 
 

Learn more about becoming a Brooklyn Book Bodega Ambassador here.

FRIENDS OF BROOKLYN BOOK BODEGA

 
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KIARA MORALES

Website Volunteer

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ANITA WALSH

Artist-In-Residence, Brooklyn Prospect Charter School, Volunteer

 
 

OPPORTUNITIES

Learn more about Brooklyn Book Bodega internships here.