Our Team

Menna is excited to join the On-Ramps team as a Research Specialist to help them reach their mission of sourcing talented and diverse candidates for leadership positions. She is passionate about making a social impact and doing meaningful work that positively impacts individuals and communities.  

Menna brings six years of experience in medical informatics and clinical research. She currently works as a clinical study manager and leads multiple clinical research studies evaluating medical technology and clinical solutions.

Menna holds a B.A. in Biology and Business Management from Wittenberg University and an M.S. in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Pittsburgh. She was a PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) fellow for a year, where she practiced servant leadership and worked closely with local non-profits in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. She also ran research projects in Malawi for two years and worked to improve patient care in a low-resource clinic.

Menna believes in the power of research to improve healthcare and other sectors. She enjoys taking road trips with her partner, running, gardening, and visiting her home country, Ethiopia.

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.

Sukanya is a movement artist and non-profit administrator and brings with her 10 years of experience in the arts and non-profit sector. She currently works as the Director of Human Resources at the YWCA Jamestown handling executive candidate searches, recruitment,  employee relations, compliance, payroll and benefit administration. She also leads the DEIA committee at the YWCA Jamestown with her goal of continuously building an inclusive and equitable workplace for women and people of color.

She holds a graduate degree in Chemistry from St. Xavier's College and a Diploma in Movement Arts and Contemporary Dance. She was recently selected to be one an artist-in-residence at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Curriculum in Motion for 2021-2022. Her passion project is to raise awareness, accessibility and provide opportunities in Indian Classical Dance through arts education.

She resides in Jamestown, NY with her husband and four cats. When not working, you can find her taking long walks while listening to podcasts or drinking chai on her front porch and people watching.

Isabella has been with On-Ramps since 2018. As a Search Consultant, 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 talent work, creating skill-development, social, and wellness opportunities for growth and balance. She also participates in and is deeply dedicated to the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. 

Prior to joining On-Ramps, 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. Having recently made the move from Brooklyn to Astoria, she is enjoying every second of exploring her new neighborhood. When not working, you can find Isabella trying new restaurants, bouncing between yoga and dance classes, exploring arts and culture throughout all five boroughs, and building projects focused on mental health, community, and connection.

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. 

Imani has been with On-Ramps since 2018. As a Search Consultant, Imani supports searches across industry and function through building relationships with clients, managing project plans to achieve time-sensitive goals, and conducting candidate assessments and outreach. She is the leader of the firm's Communication and Community initiatives, elevating best communication practices across the firm and managing the creation of content that best represents the organization. She is also deeply involved in building the company's culture through increasing team engagement and improving systems to make workstreams more efficient.

Before joining On-Ramps, Imani worked in e-commerce at Jet.com, where she 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. Some of her extracurricular and volunteer activities included Latin dance, mentoring young Black women, and driving marketing for a university-wide conference.

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 piece of home decor, and creating space for others to bring their entire selves into a conversation.

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.

Aida L. Epifanio brings 15+ years of experience serving in management and leadership roles across various non-profit, government, and higher education institutions. Aida is passionate about an array of social justice issues. She is excited to bring her years of experience in affordable housing, urban & economic redevelopment and education to On-Ramps and looks forward to further supporting mission-driven organizations.

Aida currently serves within the Office of Strategic Operations at the New Jersey Department of Education. During her time with the Department, Aida has been able to further the Department's goals by developing innovative operations, reenvisioning policies and procedures, and revamping intradepartmental communication protocols. Additionally, Aida has had the opportunity to support many of the Commissioner's priority initiatives directly.

Aida holds a dual-BA in Psychology and Women's & Gender Studies from The College of New Jersey and a MS in Global Affairs from Rutgers University. In addition, she is an alumnus of New Leaders Council – New Jersey and Lead New Jersey. She currently serves as a Founding Board Member of Latina Civic, an organization focused on the growing Latina engagement in civic and electoral activities in New Jersey. When not working or volunteering, Aida loves binge- watching television, enjoying her parents' exceptional Puerto Rican and Dominican cuisine, discovering new music, and finding fun weekend activities in South Jersey to enjoy with her husband and kids.

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.

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/HR and operations 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, facilitates equity training with MFEE (Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence) 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. 

Lauren re-joined On-Ramps in 2021, bringing with her 5 years of experience in executive search and recruitment for non-profits nationally and also locally in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. As a member of the On-Ramps Research Specialist team, Lauren supports On-Ramps’ searches through strategic and meaningful sourcing and prospect research, in order to build strong and diverse talent pools.

With 10 years of experience in non-profit management, Lauren has expertise in fund development and program leadership. Through her work at Women In Distress (WID), a large-scale domestic violence (DV) center in South Florida, Lauren co-lead a $5M capital campaign and, as WID’s Director of Social Change, she drove the agency’s DV prevention and education initiatives.

Lauren earned a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Delaware and also received her Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Pittsburgh, PA.

As Founding Partner, Michelle has been with On-Ramps since 2006. She currently leads On-Ramps Communications and Community (aka: CommSquared) working group, supports the firm’s strategy development, and manages financial forecasting.  She also leads client engagements, working with organizations across a range of issue areas, with an emphasis on impact investing, democracy, advocacy, and social services.

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.

Passionate about building inspired relationships, Suzi joined the On-Ramps team in 2022 as a Search Specialist, bringing over a decade of experience in the nonprofit and social impact sector. At On-Ramps, Suzi helps organizations and changemakers shine by finding the best fit for both while bringing increased equity to the process.

Over her career, Suzi has been led by a desire for communities and individuals to know their power, push for new possibilities, and act justly with compassion and courage. A few of her recent projects include consulting on successful local advocacy campaigns for just energy transitions and affordable housing access, spearheading fundraising campaigns for transportation alternatives in under-resourced neighborhoods, and catalyzing the launches of new local food cooperatives. Through all of this, Suzi is most at home when embedded in the work of organizing, strategizing, and relationship building. Having invested in staff, consultant, and board leadership roles, she brings a breadth of wisdom on the many collaborative perspectives needed to make good change grow.

Suzi holds a B.A. in Cultural Communications from James Madison University, studied Spanish literature and art at the University of Salamanca, Spain, and is currently working towards certification with Academy for Coaching Excellence. In addition to her role with On-Ramps, Suzi is also a career coach, moving from frontline advocacy to behind-the-scenes capacity building to facilitate change through what matters most — the people.

Originally from New York, you can now find Suzi rolling around the mountains and streams of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where she lives with her partner and their son. Suzi devotes time to organizing for adoptee and child welfare justice, brushing up on her salsa and Spanish, fair-weather bike commuting, reading, and pretending she still does yoga.

Shanna has been with the On-Ramps family since 2021. As Search Consultant, Shanna manages searches across industry and function, and partners with the On-Ramps team to recruit exceptional, mission-aligned leaders from diverse backgrounds and advises clients on best practices for equitable hiring processes. 

Being deeply passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, Shanna has dedicated her career to leading talent and student recruitment efforts for mission-driven organizations that strive to unlock the potential of students from historically underrepresented communities. She began her career in student recruitment, community outreach, & program management for organizations focused on college access & success (The Steppingstone Academy, The Posse Foundation, and Brooke Charter Schools) before moving into the edtech space and managing school partnerships across the country for Ellevation Education and Girls Who Code. At Girls Who Code, she made the exciting shift into talent recruitment and managed the full-cycle recruitment for 50 full-time and part-time staff. Prior to joining the On-Ramps team, Shanna led the Brooklyn selection team at Uncommon Charter Schools. Her regional hiring team was responsible for hiring 400+ instructional and operations staff for the 21-22 school year across the network’s 24 Brooklyn campuses.

Shanna graduated from one of the most diverse universities in the country, the University of Massachusetts - Boston, with a B.A. in Political Science and Urban Policy. Originally from Boston, MA, Shanna lives with her husband in Queens, NY. As a lover of the arts, in her spare time you'll find Shanna with her family exploring NYC’s incredible culinary, theatre, and music scenes.  

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.

Sarah Murphy is a passionate educator with 5+ years in the education field. After several years as a middle school teacher, Sarah transitioned into professional development and teacher training with an emphasis on equity in education. She currently works with Measurement Incorporated working with schools across the state of New York to develop culturally responsive classrooms and more equitable and restorative discipline practices. 

In her role as Research Specialist, she supports On-Ramps search teams build pools of diverse, talented candidates for leadership positions in mission-driven organizations.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from Goucher College and a Master’s in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania. Sarah currently resides in Albany, NY with her fiancé and three mischievous rescue dogs.

Katrina has been supporting the On-Ramps team since 2017. Before that, she worked at Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit bakery and workforce development program, and on various television productions in New York City. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from New York University, where she studied film/television. 

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

Based in Brooklyn, Katrina enjoys spending time in Prospect Park and rock climbing. 

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, and son. In her spare time, Diana can be found spinning on her bike to nowhere and spending time with her family.

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. 

Jasmin joined the On-Ramps team in 2021. As a Search Consultant, she leads searches for a variety of clients supporting their talent goals.

Prior to On-Ramps, she spent over a decade building and leading volunteer programs for several national non-profit organizations. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Mentor Engagement at iMentor NYC, a national mentoring and college access organization, where she led a team in successfully recruiting and engaging thousands of volunteer mentors. Prior to iMentor, she led community engagement operations at Reading Partners, a national literacy nonprofit organization. She began her career with Safe Horizon, NYC’s largest victim services organization, where she served as a domestic violence and crime victim advocate in the Queens Criminal and Supreme Court.

Jasmin holds a B.A. in Psychology and Art History from Vassar College. A native New Yorker, she now resides in the Hudson Valley with her husband and daughter. In her spare time, Jasmin enjoys kickboxing, kayaking on Lake Oscawana, spending time with her family, and volunteering in her community.

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."

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. 

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.