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

Read Seema's bio

Seema grew up in Rolla, Missouri as a child of immigrant parents from India. Since travel was limited to trips in the family station wagon, books opened windows to the world beyond her daily experiences and childhood home. She believes all families, regardless of their financial circumstances, should have choice and access to high quality, diverse reading materials for their home libraries to build lifelong readers.

With a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and a career in management consulting, she combined her skills in process management, deep experience in community service, and passion for building strong thriving communities to cofound the Brooklyn Book Bodega in 2018.

In addition to organizing hundreds of book giveaways, Seema has guided Brooklyn Book Bodega from a bold idea to a streamlined, successful, effective nonprofit organization that has benefited thousands of New Yorkers.

Rebecca Cohen
Executive Director + Cofounder

Read Rebecca's bio

Rebecca has focused her career on increasing access to opportunity for kids and teens. After graduating with a B.A. from Brandeis University, she joined Teach For America and taught in Baltimore, Maryland while simultaneously earning her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University. She then taught in Weslaco, Texas, as well as in Brooklyn, New York.

Teacher of the Year in her Texas school district, Rebecca’s students achieved significant gains while engaging in experiential, inquiry-based learning. Rebecca followed her passion for teaching and learning by engaging in a variety of leadership roles, curriculum development, and educator coaching, ultimately increasing efficacy, instruction, and student impact.

As an educator and mother, she has seen the difference that access to the knowledge found in books and the joy in choosing what to read can do for a child. She cofounded the Brooklyn Book Bodega to foster literacy and agency among children and adolescents through book ownership, choice, discovery, and access.