Our Team

Alana has been with the On-Ramps team since 2015. As a Search Consultant, she manages client engagements across a range of issues areas, including philanthropy, education, and international development. Internally, she also leads the firm’s communications team and supports business development initiatives.

Alana brings a professional background in both executive search and public service. Prior to joining On-Ramps, Alana served as a search coordinator at Sandler Search, where she worked on a broad range of senior development and external relations searches on behalf of local, national, and international non-profit organizations. Prior to her role at Sandler Search, Alana held an internship in the New York City Department of Sanitation's Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Recycling, where she partnered with New York City public schools to evaluate and recognize best practices and outstanding accomplishments in sustainability education.

Alana graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Sociology. A native Brooklynite, Alana now lives in Manhattan with her husband and French bulldog. When she’s not in the office, you can find her exploring the City’s farmers markets, playing tennis, or curled up with her needlepoint or a good book.

Josh began his work with On-Ramps in 2019, currently managing and providing project support on multiple searches across issue areas and functions. He enjoys learning about and supporting the specific leadership needs and opportunities at On-Ramps' partner organizations. Josh also contributes to the maintenance and strategy behind On-Ramps' internal database.

Before joining On-Ramps, Josh worked a Program Manager at Breakthrough New York, an education non-profit in New York City. In that role, he facilitated after school and summer enrichment programming for high-achieving middle school students at BTNY's Bronx program location. He also provided academic advising services to students and families in the program.

Josh obtained his B.A. in International Relations from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Josh moved to New York after graduating to pursue work in the social sector. Outside of work, he enjoys playing pick-up soccer and visiting museums.

As a Research Specialist, Heather currently supports the firm's candidate sourcing, outreach communications, and pipeline development for executive searches across various industries and functions.
 
Before joining On-Ramps, Heather worked at Capital One, where she managed and carried out qualitative research, content strategy, and information architecture initiatives for employee and customer experiences. In between her roles at Capital One, she joined Bonfire, a custom apparel crowdfunding platform, as Director of Marketing where she led her team through a companywide rebrand to release a new website, product marketing campaigns, and customer messaging solutions during a technology overhaul. Heather spent her early career working in creative production as a copywriter and then as a digital campaign manager.
 
Heather is a graduate of Clemson University and resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband. In her spare time, you can find her working on her craft business, preparing their house for its centennial celebration, or enjoying the company of good friends and community.

Michele brings 20 years of teaching and leadership experience to her work at On-Ramps. Most recently, she worked as a Leadership Coach for TNTP where she virtually coached residents of an urban principal leadership program on how to effectively observe, deliver feedback and coach teachers.
 
Prior to her work at TNTP, Michele spent six years in school leadership coaching hundreds of novice and veteran teachers improve their practice and increase their students’ academic achievement in traditional and charter school systems. She directed initiatives in literacy, Response to Intervention (RTI), Black History Month curricula and program, family engagement, and Special Education reform.
Her work experience rests on a foundation of 9 years as a classroom teacher where she earned National Board Teacher Certification and was voted Teacher of the Year twice.

She holds a B.A. in French Literature from Knox College and a M.Ed in Reading from the University of Texas – Pan American. She lives in Richmond, VA with her wife, Tracy, and daughter, Camilla.

Isabella has been with On-Ramps since 2018. She works on engagements across industry and function, project managing searches and partnering with clients. She also helps to lead the firm's culture building and organizational development work, creating skill-building, social, and wellness opportunities for growth, balance, and connection. 

Prior to joining the firm, Isabella worked for several years in the food social impact space, most recently as the Local Initiative Manager for national food company, Blount Fine Foods, strengthening the company's impact on the local community. Before this work, she was the Director of Food Initiatives at Social Enterprise Greenhouse in Providence, RI, creating the state's first food business accelerator. Isabella also coordinated RI Food Day, planning and executing events around food justice and policy.

Isabella graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology. In 2016, Isabella participated as a New Leaders Council Institute Fellow. Originally from Massachusetts, Isabella now happily resides in Brooklyn. When not working, you can find Isabella soaking in the view from the Brooklyn Bridge Park piers, dining with friends, bouncing between yoga and dance classes, and building projects to help others gain better access to mental healthcare.

Suzette began her role as a Search Analyst with On-Ramps in 2020. Prior to joining On-Ramps, Suzette managed high volume full-cycle recruitment across a wide range of manufacturing and logistics roles with Randstad. Though she worked in the private sector before joining our team, her career started with Catholic Charities, where she oversaw the operations of a permanent supportive housing program and emergency shelter. During her time in the non-profit sector, she was an Employment Specialist with Ironbound Community Corporation, where she coordinated workforce development initiatives such as the Career Closet and the Environmental Career Certification Program. 
 
Suzette graduated with a dual B.A. in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies from Rutgers University. She is passionate about fighting environmental racism in her neighboorhood, the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ. In her free time, you can find her in a virtual salsa class or roller skating in her local rink.

Prior to joining the On-Ramps team, Yahira was a Candidate Lead at Bridgewater Associates where she managed the end-to-end candidate experience for senior through entry-level roles across the Client Service and Trading teams. Before Bridgewater, Yahira spent several years working at Citadel where she supported the recruiting efforts of one of the long/short equity platforms, Surveyor Capital. There, she was responsible for the full candidate life cycle of Portfolio Manager, Associate (including MBA Summer Associate) and Analyst candidates.

Yahira began her career at the University of Chicago where she spearheaded the creation of an alumni giving program for the University of Chicago's Annual Fund, and ran a portfolio of Fortune 1000 companies that sponsored undergraduate students in the university's flagship internship program.

Yahira holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. A native New Yorker, she currently resides in the Bronx with her adorable dog Charlie.

Scarlyn began her role as a Search Analyst with On-Ramps in 2021. She currently provides project support across several searches. 

Prior to joining On-Ramps, Scarlyn started her career as a Consultant at Ernst & Young. Specifically, Scarlyn worked on client engagements in the Financial Services sector, where she provided support on the organization and implementation of various projects. Scarlyn also assisted EY’s Campus Recruiting team by participating in the interview and onboarding process for summer interns. 

Scarlyn graduated form Bentley University and holds a B.S. in Management, with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. She is a native New Yorker from The Bronx, who enjoys writing, outdoor activities, holistic wellness and traveling. 

Kevin joined On-Ramps as a Search Analyst in 2019. In his role, he currently provides active project support for several searches. He is also an active member of the Communications and Community working group, where he helps coordinate the firm's communication and social media strategy.

Prior to On-Ramps, Kevin spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps Member with City Year Boston. During his service year, he taught Math, English Language Arts and Social-Emotional Learning in an elementary school. With his peers at City Year, Kevin launched an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Group: a space for AAPI employees to build community and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the organization.

Kevin graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Anthropology. At Brown, he supported several programs run by the Swearer Center for Public Service and practiced Taekwondo with the University’s Taekwondo club. Originally from Sacramento, California, Kevin is happy to call New York City his new home. In his spare time, he can be found watching cooking videos, playing board games, or traveling.

Imani has been with On-Ramps since 2018. As a Search Associate, Imani currently supports searches across industry and function through building relationships with clients, managing time-sensitive logistics and conducting candidate assessments and outreach. She is also involved in building the organization's culture and marketing strategies, increasing team engagement and elevating best communication practices across the firm.

Before joining On-Ramps, Imani worked in e-commerce at Jet.com, where she managed multiple accounts and was responsible for driving revenue growth and creating the optimal online customer experience. Prior to Jet, Imani was an African-American Studies major at Yale University, finding the right balance across a rigorous course load, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work.

A born and bred New Yorker, Imani is a proud resident of Brooklyn, NY. In her free time, you can find her curating music playlists, searching for her next online fitness class, and creating space for others to bring their whole selves in conversation.

E. Lee Dyer IV is a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist and community organizer. He brings 5+ years of DEI centered work to On-Ramps. Lee currently works as the Associate Director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Campus Life at the University of Richmond (UR). At UR, he is responsible for LGBTQ program creation, policy implementation, training, and community engagement.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dillard University and a Master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University.   He serves as an Executive Board Member for Side by Side, a non-profit dedicated to providing safe spaces and services to LGBTQ youth of Richmond. Lee also serves as a board member to Diversity Richmond, a non-profit that advocates for the equity of LGBTQIA+ individuals.  He is a proud member of Alpha Omega Kappa Fraternity Incorporated, a fraternal organization for transmen, and serves as the organization’s national treasurer. 

Lee strives to create opportunities to enrich the lives of marginalized and underrepresented identities. He enjoys spending time with his wife and family and visiting his hometown of New Orleans.

Rachel is a creative professional and has experience in various fields throughout her 15+ years in the workforce. She is passionate about collaborating with mission-minded organizations to generate expression, connection, and action, and is excited to be a part of the On-Ramps team. In her most recent role as Artist Tour Manager at Suite Tours, she has helped facilitate over 170+ live performances of a national touring group at various venues across the U.S. in 2018. In her role as Research Specialist, she supports On-Ramps search teams in the researching, sourcing, and the market outreach process. 

She holds a B.A. in Communication from Brooklyn College and currently resides in Richmond, VA with her husband and pup. When not working, she enjoys songwriting and performing, and attending live concerts.

Alice is a Partner and has been with On-Ramps since 2012. With a background in K12 education, she’s helped lead On-Ramps’ education practice while also serving clients across broader issue areas including philanthropy, civic engagement, and advocacy (just to name a few). When she's not busy on searches, Alice oversees On-Ramps' staffing work and helps support the firm's diversity, equity and inclusion priorities.

Prior to joining On-Ramps, Alice worked on staff at Teach For America where she helped launch TFA’s initiative to recruit outside talent to staff and oversaw broader talent strategy work for regional teams. Alice started her career in education working for the Community Education Alliance of West Philadelphia where she served as the Executive Director of two charter schools.

Alice is a graduate of the University of Georgia and resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her husband, son, daughter, and adorable rescue pup, Winnie. Outside of work you can find Alice enjoying fresh air and nature with Winnie and the fam, finding her zen via yoga and The Class, and indulging in her guilty pleasures on Bravo TV (wine and cheese board optional, but strongly preferred). 

Sarah, a Founding Partner, brings over twenty five years of experience in human capital consulting and people management to On-Ramps. With experience both as a strategy consultant and Head of HR, Sarah brings deep talent and strategy experience, with and a strong focus on creating change and impact. Sarah has successfully served a wide-variety of clients, leading large change efforts and designing and implementing a range of talent development programs. When Sarah is not collaborating on searches, she is actively engaged in the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work and talent strategy work. 

Prior to On-Ramps, Sarah was an Engagement Manager at Katzenbach Partners, LLC, where she led projects focused on human capital issues and where her work was profiled in the Wall Street Journal. Prior to working at Katzenbach, Sarah was Director of Organization Development at Skinklinic, a start-up skin care company, where she designed and led the recruiting, training, and performance management programs for nurses, doctors, and a retail team. Having helped build an organization from the ground up, Sarah understands the importance of not only attracting but also retaining great people.

Sarah is a graduate of Brown University where she received a B.A. in History. Originally from Arizona, but now very much a New Yorker, Sarah resides in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter, and dog Pepper.

Emani joins On-Ramps as a Search Analyst, bringing his experience in Executive Recruitment and Account Management to his role. Prior to joining On-Ramps, Emani was an Executive Recruiter at ForceBrands where he managed full-cycle recruiting processes for various clients in the consumer goods industry from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Before ForceBrands, Emani worked several years in the beauty industry driving territory business growth for brands such as Farmacy Beauty, Sunday Riley and Tom Ford. 

Emani attended New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study where his concentration focused on Social & Cultural Analysis, Trauma and Urbanism. Born in New York City and raised in Miami, Emani now resides in Brooklyn. Outside of work Emani enjoys watching movies and 90’s/2000’s tv shows, working on creative projects and being the cool uncle to his niece.

Having recently joined On-Ramps, Shalleza looks forward to learning about the company, environment and all the great knowledge from everyone she will be supporting and/or working with directly or indirectly.

Before joining On-Ramps, Shalleza worked for American Express for 31+ years, starting as an intern from HS where she continued her career during college.  As a Regional Coordinator managed large merchants of $10M and above. Worked on some great accounts such as McDonalds, NYC Taxi, Aldi.

Shalleza holds a BS in Marketing from York College. In her spare time, which is rare, she loves spending time with her family. Shalleza has 2 sons (Brandon 19 and Nicholas 14). Shalleza loves to travel, every year she travels with her family which will consist of 30+ on the trip. Shalleza has recently started her workout journey and is close to her goal. Shalleza has lived in Queens Village most of her life but has recently moved out to Long Island and is trying to learn the ins and outs of her new area.

As a Research Specialist, Les supports On-Ramps’ search teams in sourcing exceptional and diverse candidates for leadership roles at mission-driven organizations. 
 
Prior to joining On-Ramps, Les worked for several years in a variety of project management, instructional design, and client support capacities for academic technology services in higher education. Her other work experience includes teaching English as a Foreign Language classes for kindergarten through middle school students in South Korea. She has also done long-term, disaster relief volunteer work in Mississippi, Iowa, and Indonesia. 
 
Les has an MA in individualized studies from Goddard College, an MA in learning sciences from Northwestern University, and a BS in biology from Mary Baldwin University. Originally from the Chicago metropolitan area, she now lives in Henrico, VA. In her spare time, she enjoys writing and creating artwork, spending time with family, and being in nature.

Nakia has spent her career in leadership positions at organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, driving the development of their people and cultures. At On-Ramps, Nakia works with social sector organizations focused on changing the world, leading searches and advising leaders on best practices in recruitment and hiring. In addition to her work with clients, Nakia supports On-Ramps' internal talent work, as well as its work on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Prior to joining On-Ramps, Nakia was Vice President, People & Culture at Girls Who Code. In this role, she was responsible for establishing its people and culture philosophy by revamping recruitment strategies, developing initiatives to support both inclusion and diversity, and providing in-house leadership coaching.

Before joining Girls Who Code, Nakia worked at KIPP NYC as its Managing Director, People. By working closely with senior leaders and becoming the internal Human Resources consultant for the thirteen school and program leaders and regional directors, she transformed the Human Resources function from one managing only transactional interactions to one focused on strategic partnerships and led their diveristy, equity and inclusion initiative.

Prior to joining KIPP NYC, Nakia was the Director of Operations and Human Resources for the Manhattan Borough President's Office – Scott M. Stringer. Under her leadership, the operational and human resources functions of the two borough president's office locations and the twelve (12) Manhattan Community board offices were streamlined and strategically enhanced.

Nakia holds an M.P.A. from CUNY Baruch College, Marxe School of Public, and International Affairs, an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College and a B.S. in Organizational Management from Nyack College. Nakia sits on the Board of Directors of STEM From Dance, a nonprofit organization focused on preparing Black and Latina girls for STEM education and careers through dance, holds the Lead Coach role with Represented Foundation supporting their V.E.R. Social impact Incubator fellows, and continues to provide executive coaching and organizational development consultancy to nonprofit and for-profit leaders and organizaitons. Originally from Harlem, NY, Nakia lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband and two sons.

As a Partner at On-Ramps, Sarah leads strategic planning and internal operations, including talent and the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. She also leads client engagements, partnering with organizations across a range of issue areas, with an emphasis on education and philanthropy.

Sarah spent the first ten years of her career focused on K-12 education. At Carnegie Corporation of New York, she helped implement the Corporation's grantmaking strategy related to talent management in urban education. She previously worked for the CUNY Early College Initiative, which provides students who are historically underrepresented in higher education with a rigorous college-prep curriculum and early access to college-credit courses. In her early career, Sarah worked as a Data Analyst at the New York City Department of Education and as a Research Assistant at Jobs for the Future.

Sarah holds a B.A. in Education Studies from Brown University and an M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her husband and daughter. 

As Founding Partner, Michelle has been with On-Ramps since 2006. She currently supports the firm’s strategy development, external relations and finance. She also leads client engagements, working with organizations across a range of issue areas, with an emphasis on impact investing, education, advocacy, and philanthropy.

Before co-founding On-Ramps, Michelle worked in finance at Time, Inc., where she was responsible for both revenue growth initiatives and strategic cost containment. Prior to that, she worked at Deutsche Bank as an equity research associate. Michelle spent her early career working in elementary education, first as a teaching assistant and then as a classroom teacher.

Michelle holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and an M.Ed. from Columbia University, Teachers College. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles. Originally from Long Island, Michelle is now a proud resident of Brooklyn, NY. In her spare time, you can find her admiring her cat and dog, riding her bicycle, or working as a volunteer political organizer.

Robert has been with On-Ramps since 2010. As a Partner, he leads client engagements across a broad range of issue areas including policy and advocacy, education, and philanthropy. He also leads the firm's client development work.

Prior to joining On-Ramps, Robert served as the Director of Young People For, a youth leadership development program housed in People For the American Way Foundation. There Robert built programs and raised funds designed to support historically marginalized college students beging long-term careers in the Social Sector.

Robert started his career at The White House Project where he supported the development of a civic engagement program aimed at increasing women’s political participation. There, Robert helped recruit, hire, and support staff for the opening of four regional offices that have trained over 10,000 women to run for office.

Robert holds a B.A. in Philosophy and French from the University of Richmond. A lifelong New Yorker, Robert lives in Hell’s Kitchen with his family. When he's not in the office, you can find him practicing yoga, spinning, or testing a new recipe.

Cindy brings nearly 20 years' experience in the non-profit sector to her work at On-Ramps.

Previously, Cindy was the New York Executive Director at LIFT, a national nonprofit that works to break the cycle of poverty for families. In this role, she was responsible for strategy, fundraising and program development for the NYC site. She played a key role in helping the organization evolve its mission to focus on families with young kids, built and grew the local board and oversaw a relocation of the NYC office to the South Bronx.

Prior to joining LIFT, Cindy spent nearly 6 years at CFY (now called PowerMyLearning) with the last two years as the Executive Director of the New York City office. She oversaw significant expansion of CFY's programmatic work partnering with the NYC Department of Education in 100 public middle and high schools and hiring and managing over 40 full-time and 100 part-time staff.

In her early career, Cindy held various roles with a service learning organization in Washington D.C., Chicago and New York City. She also worked in a fundraising capacity with the Seattle and NYC AIDS Walks.

Cindy holds a M.A. in Community Development from North Park University, is a Coro Leadership-NY alum and served as an interim School Board Member in Richmond, VA where she resides with her husband and two daughters.

Michael brings with him years of experience in both the non-profit and public sectors. He currently works as a County Planner in a Richmond, Virginia-area Planning Department, where he conducts research, prepares various reports, and works on special projects. 
Prior to moving to Richmond, Michael worked with GrowNYC, where he managed the Wholesale Greenmarket in Hunts Point, Bronx, and served as daily market manager for a number of neighborhood Greenmarkets throughout the city. While in school, he worked at the New York City Department of City Planning where he conducted research and assisted in the City’s preparation for the 2010 U.S. Census. 

Michael graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in Urban Studies and earned his Master’s in Urban Planning from Hunter College in New York City. When not working, you can find him exploring Richmond by bike with his wife and daughter or planning their next trip.

Katrina has been supporting the On-Ramps team remotely since 2017. She previously worked at Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit bakery and workforce development program where she wore many hats - from selling delicious bread at farmers markets to writing grants and proposals. Before that, she studied film at New York University.

She is also an animator and comic artist. Her work has recently been featured at Comic Arts Brooklyn, Portland Film Festival, and the Women In Comedy Festival - where her short film was awarded "Industry Choice Winner."

Katrina is originally from New Hampshire and goes back every fall to buy maple syrup.

Diana joined the team at On-Ramps in 2019. As Search Consultant, Diana leads searches in various functional areas and ensures clients are matched with talent that will bring the highest impact to their mission.

Prior to joining On-Ramps, Diana spent four years in education management working for the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). Most recently, Diana worked as the Director of Strategic Projects for the Office of School Quality. Her responsibilities included managing data analytics and reporting as well as policy communications to internal and external stakeholders. During her time at the NYCDOE, Diana also worked as a data specialist for the Office of Assessment and data analyst for the Pre-K for All team.

Before joining the NYCDOE, Diana started her career at New York University as a project manager for several research studies that focused on child learning and development in urban settings. As the project manager, Diana's main responsibilities included the planning and execution of the studies, hiring and training of data collectors, representing the research lab at conferences, and holding presentations for potential research partners.

Diana holds an M.P.A in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a B.A. in Psychology from New York University. Born and raised in Queens, Diana now resides in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter, son, and rescue pup. In her spare time, Diana can be found spinning on her bike to nowhere, hanging with her family, and watching more Bravo TV than she'd like to admit. 

Mary originally joined the On-Ramps team in 2008, took a sabbatical in 2011 to volunteer at her son's school, and rejoined the On-Ramps team in early 2014. Her son is now a student at Appalachian State University and she is overseeing On-Ramps' Administrative Team.

Before joining On-Ramps, Mary spent 17 years as a Travel Consultant working with corporate and leisure clients across the country, where she would plan and organize every aspect of travel.

Mary and her family reside near Raleigh, NC. When she's not in her home office, you can find her spending time with family and friends, working on DIY projects, exploring new recipes in the kitchen, or curled up with the latest James Patterson or Nicholas Spark's book. 

Sivan has been with On-Ramps since 2019. In his role, he supports and manages searches across industry and function, conducting candidate outreach and assessment and planning search processes in partnership with clients. He also supports On-Ramps' internal data analysis processes and is an active participant in the firm's working group for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Before joining the On-Ramps team, Sivan worked in campus recruitment with Teach For America, where he oversaw marketing and outreach strategy for a portfolio of colleges and universities across the northeast. He came to TFA after managing school operations within the Success Academy Charter Schools network in NYC. Prior to his time in the education sector, Sivan worked as a case manager at Compass Housing Alliance in Seattle, where he advocated for both short and long-term solutions for clients who faced systemic barriers to securing housing.

Sivan obtained a B.A. in English from Grinnell College. After exploring the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, he is happy to be back in New York and living close to friends and family. When not working, he enjoys volunteering with youth mentorship programs, perusing shelves at his local bookstore, or riding his bike around the city.

Kristen has been a member of the On-Ramps family since 2015. As a Search Consultant, she leads searches for a variety of clients supporting their talent goals, and advises them on running equitable processes and building diverse pools of candidates. She also loves all things data, and leads the database team internally. 

Prior to On-Ramps, she worked for an immigration law firm managing complex visa processes and working with global mobility teams to acquire international talent. She began her career with City Year, an AmeriCorps program, first as a corps member working directly in schools leading after-school programming, and then in a project management role where she trained over 50 first-year corps members to increase their students' attendance and promote positive behavior through the implementation of events.

Kristen graduated from Rutgers University in 2011 with a dual B.A. in English and Communication. 

In her spare time, you can find her working on her Olympic lifts or being pulled around Hoboken, NJ by her adopted dog, Bug (short for cuddle bug, of course). 

Laura Polk is an anthropologist and brings experience as a researcher, nonprofit program manager, and ESOL instructor. She is passionate about working behind the scenes to support organizations committed to social change.
 
Laura holds a master's in Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and B.A. in Psychology from Eastern Mennonite University. After graduate school, she was part of an interdisciplinary research team studying faith-based organizations. This research involved conducting ethnography on two evangelical organizations in the DC area.
 
Laura has lived abroad in Ghana and Guatemala, and taught English in Honduras. A Nutella enthusiast, she lives in Richmond, Va and you can find her at a bookstore, museum, coffee shop or simply outside people-watching.

Saad brings non-profit education policy and advocacy expertise, as well as his work in diversity equity and inclusion to On-Ramps. Prior to joining the On-Ramps team, Saad served as an Outreach Director at Educators for Excellence, acting as a liaison between educators and elected leaders. Saad began his career as a high school Biology and Anatomy teacher in the New Haven Public School system. Saad graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in Honors Biology. Originally from Pakistan and raised in Flint, MI, Saad now resides in Brooklyn. 

In his spare time, Saad volunteers on the boards of Act to Change and Teach for America New York Collective, advocating for students and educators of color. 

Deonté began his role as a Search Analyst with On-Ramps in 2020, bringing experience working in the social sector with a series of mission-driven organizations in the city of Newark, NJ. Prior to On-Ramps, Deonté worked as a Program Associate at My Brother’s Keeper Newark, which was established in 2014 when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s office accepted the Call to Action from the National My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. In that role, he organized and coordinated events that focused on community education, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement, and led programming that focused on closing opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color, specifically in the city of Newark, NJ. 
 
Deonté holds a B.A. in Business Management from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. Upon graduating undergrad, Deonté moved back to Newark, NJ, where he was born and raised, following a passion for mission-driven work and a deep love for his city. Outside of the office, Deonté is a singer/songwriter and music blogger and will often be found in the studio creating music, consuming the broad context of music from music’s past to music’s present, or singing at his home church. "Where there's music, there he'll be also."

Madeline joined the On-Ramps team in 2015. As a Search Consultant, she leads client engagements across the country and in a variety of functional areas. Madeline believes in On-Ramps' commitment to supporting arts and cultural organizations and often leads our searches in this area. Internally, Madeline is committed to building an equitable and inclusive culture where everyone is supported in their growth and engaged in meaningful ways. To accomplish this, Madeline plans and leads business development trainings and develops culture building opportunities in collaboration with several of her fantastic colleagues. 

Before joining On-Ramps, Madeline was a Teach for America corps member in New York City. She taught at several charter school networks before helping to found a District Public Elementary School in Brooklyn, where she developed the school's arts program and ran the arts department. 

Madeline graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Theater and earned her M.S.Ed. from Hunter's RELAY Graduate School of Education. Madeline is passionate about seeing theater that expands and deepens her understanding of the world and others, singing show tunes, ordering far too many treats at any bakery she comes across and playing pretend with her young daughter.

Jennifer Schweizer joined On-Ramps in 2011, where she is an Administrative Coordinator. 
 
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland. After graduating from college, Jennifer worked in operations and distribution for several large corporations, including Joseph H. Herman Shoe Corporation, H. H. Brown, and Candie's Footwear in New York. In 1997, she took a position with a Japanese import/export company headquartered in Cary, North Carolina and made the move from New York. Prior to joining On- 
Ramps, she took a hiatus from the corporate world to raise her two children, son, Jack, who is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and daughter, Aidan, who is a high school junior. 
 
Though originally from White Plains, New York, Jennifer currently resides outside of Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, children and 3 dogs. 

Elle brings with her years of experience in communication and education. Elle is passionate about equitable opportunity in social sectors. She supports organizations focused on transforming communities. She currently works as a consultant conducting research and working on projects for social change organizations. This work has resulted in the development of new tools and protocols for student instruction and curriculum planning. She has also supported efforts to create new practices for education development and effective research tools for students with small business aspirations. Prior to consulting, Elle taught communications at the university-level and holds a Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in Communications from Syracuse University.
 
Elle resides in Virginia and in her free time enjoys reading contemporary mystery novels.

Jess Smith is a researcher and adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Lynchburg. She brings with her a decade of public safety and educational policy experience, most recently with the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety.
Jess is finishing her PhD in Public Policy with a concentration in Criminal Justice at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs at VCU. Her research focuses on school safety and threat assessment. Jess also holds an M.S in Criminal Justice from VCU and a B.A. in Political Science from N.C. State University.

When not working, Jess enjoys exploring new eats in Richmond, Virginia and binge-watching shows with her two pups and cat at her side.

Tracy is an artist, writer, and educator with over ten years teaching in higher education. She is currently an affiliate graduate faculty member in the Art History department at Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to this role, she was an assistant professor of Fine Art at Hampton University, and served as the guest editor for the International Review of African American Art. Tracy holds a PhD in Media, Art, and Text from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MFA in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and bachelors’ degrees in History and Art & Design from North Carolina State University. Her work has been published in the International Review of African American Art, Art Documentation, and Humanities Across the Arts.

Tracy lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her wife, two children, puppy, kitten, and fish. 

Andrew joined On-Ramps in 2021 as a Search Analyst. He currently provides project support across multiple searches.

Before joining On-Ramps, Andrew worked as a Recruitment Manager for Teach For America where he oversaw strategy, relationship-building, and support for candidates from colleges and universities across the Northeast. During his time on Teach For America’s recruitment team, he served as a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Council Member and co-led the LGBTQ+ affinity group. Prior to Teach For America, Andrew had also worked as a middle school teacher with a focus in students with disabilities in Brooklyn.

Andrew holds an M.Ed. from Brooklyn College and a B.A. from the University of Florida where he studied Political Science, Language, and Gender Studies. Originally from South Florida, Andrew now resides in New Jersey. In his spare time, you can find him listening to audiobooks, working on his music, or working out at the gym.

Talei has been with On-Ramps since 2021 as a Search Analyst. Prior to On-Ramps, Talei managed high-volume recruiting as a Project Coordionator at Tradesmen International, a staffing agency in the construction industry. She also has experience in the retail industry as her first role in HR was as a Generalist at Target.

Talei graduated in 2018 from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, with a major in English and a minor in Architecture. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Talei spent the second half of her childhood on Long Island, NY where she currently resides with her son, Tobias and her older sister, Ilisabeta. Prior to living on Long Island, she also lived with her family in Israel and Nepal, both places she absolutely loved. In her free time, Talei loves to draw and paint, catch up on a good book, and spend quality time with her son.

Harry, a Founding Partner, has over twenty years of experience in executive search and leads engagements across the social sector. He also oversees much of the firm's infrastructure (operations, technology, facilities, legal), and supports our continuous efforts to improve our search process.

Prior to co-founding On-Ramps, Harry worked for eight years at one of the nation's largest alternative asset recruiting firms, Glocap, where he was a Partner and Managing Director. As its first employee, Harry built and ran the company's Accounting and Operations division, and personally placed COOs and CFOs into many of the world's largest alternative investment funds and their portfolio companies.

Harry earned an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of Business and a B.A. in Paleobiology from the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from York, Pennsylvania, he now resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife, daughter and son. Before moving to New York, Harry traveled for sixteen months throughout Africa and the Middle East, eight months of which were spent atop a 1970s off-road motorcycle that he semi-successfully rode from Cape Town to Tel Aviv! Upon his return to the States, Harry co-founded and remains a Director of the Kalai Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that raises money for education in Africa. These days, outside of work, he can usually be found on the soccer fields cheering on his kids, in the kitchen cooking (and cleaning) for family and friends, or wandering around the streets and parks of New York in search of the perfect photo opp with his dog.