Our Leadership & Team

A technology and communications leader, Judy was a chief information officer at Verizon. On a mission to create a world where women not only gain access to the technology field but become the next generation of technology leaders, Judy founded Break Through Tech, a national initiative launched at Cornell Tech. She is a sought-after public speaker and has been recognized with numerous honors and awards. Judy originated the initiative in 2016 with a program known as Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York (WiTNY), created in partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) and a broad set of industry partners.

As the Communications Specialist at Break Through Tech, Dariana supports the organization’s brand and public affairs strategy. She is passionate about fostering community and engagement in this ever-evolving digital age.

Before joining Break Through Tech, Dariana helped lead the digital communications strategy at the Research Alliance for New York City Schools at New York University. Her passion for education started at the classroom level, creating equitable learning conditions for all students, with a focus on multilingual learners. She built on this work during her time with Columbia University’s Pre-College Programs, designing and presenting educational seminars for their High School Immersion Program. Her background in student development, public policy, and academia lead to her appointment as the Graduate Student Representative on the Presidential Search Committee at SUNY New Paltz in 2020.

Dariana is dedicated to building equitable and inclusive learning opportunities for young people from underserved communities. She holds a masters degree in English Literature and a bachelor’s degree in Adolescence Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dariana is a proud product of New York City Public Schools.

Ash Berryhill (she/her) is an experienced instructional leader with a background in designing and scaling learning programs that center both impact and inclusivity. As Senior Manager of Instruction at Break Through Tech, Ash supports a national network of instructors and drives the strategy behind effective onboarding, coaching, and program implementation.

Before joining Break Through Tech, Ash led instructional operations at General Assembly, where she directed major learning transformations, built onboarding and training systems for global teams, and partnered cross-functionally to align education products with learner needs. Ash’s career began at Toni&Guy, where she spent over a decade leading national education initiatives, mentoring creative teams, and overseeing academy operations across departments.

Ash is passionate about building strong educator communities and creating learning experiences that are accessible, collaborative, and future-forward.

Erika’s career began in business development at a “Big Law” firm, where she honed her skills in client service and industry partnerships. After earning her Master’s in Public Administration, Erika later transitioned to public sector roles to pursue her passion for workforce development. Erika’s talent for building strong, strategic relationships now drives her work at Break Through Tech, where she leads the AI Studio program.

Dedicated to creating hands-on opportunities that bridge the gap between education and real-world application, Erika provides meaningful learning experiences that prepare college students for success in the tech industry. By cultivating a diverse network of industry collaborators—from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups—she ensures that students face practical challenges in AI and machine learning.

Before joining Break Through Tech, Erika played a pivotal role on the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Workforce Development team, where she led industry partnerships and developed programs for high school students at the Brooklyn STEAM Center, a Navy Yard-based Career and Technical Education school. Her approach to workforce development emphasizes creating accessible and impactful pathways that equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their chosen careers.

Driven by a commitment to aligning education with industry needs, Erika continues to create dynamic environments where students can grow and excel.

As the Fellow Success Director at Break Through Tech, Angelina leads the effort to build systems and teams that put Fellows at the heart of our work. Their focus is on creating structures to make sure Fellows feel supported every step of the way.

Before joining Break Through Tech, Angelina led the global Career Services strategy at edX, scaling programs across 50+ locations in five countries. Angelina’s career began as a special education teacher in rural Hawai’i, where they solidified their commitment to access and equity. They developed their systems-level ideology at Teach For America, focusing on systemic barriers in relation to local symptoms, where they became passionate about solving operational barriers within teams and organizations to amplify impact. Access and equity are the cornerstones of Angelina’s personal and professional philosophies. They are passionate about collective responsibility for the seemingly small ways we can make real change in our communities, leveraging knowledge as our greatest power.

Angelina holds a masters degree in Secondary Education and a bachelor’s degree in Information Communication Technology.

Tyla brings an array of experiences having worked at the cross-section of education, tech and inclusion. She previously worked as a program operations manager at a tech nonprofit based in San Francisco, CA supporting Black leaders in tech. Prior to this, Tyla held many roles in K-12 and higher education from teaching English to college counseling at multiple charter schools in underserved communities throughout the Mid-South and Midwest. She navigates her career by ensuring she is in the position to increase access for underrepresented people, and can uplift the people who are working to bring this to a reality. Tyla’s expertise lies in creating foundational materials and processes for new departments, and offering creative solutions until processes have reached their desired state. Having managed several programs and formed lasting connections with students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, Tyla is excited to bring her synergy and skillset to the students and team at Break Through Tech.

Dominic brings extensive expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and inclusive STEM education to his role as Director of Instructional Design. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University with a focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence, and has taught over 1,000 students across engineering, mathematics, and computer science. His teaching experience spans diverse educational contexts at institutions including UCLA and Cornell, as well as virtual programs, ranging from introductory programming courses to machine learning curricula, with a consistent focus on creating engaging and accessible learning experiences.

Throughout his career, Dominic has been committed to advancing equity in STEM education through his work with programs supporting underrepresented students. His contributions include mentoring with Out in Tech to support aspiring LGBTQ+ tech professionals, developing equitable curriculum for UCLA’s Learning Assistant Program, and coordinating mentorship initiatives at Cornell University’s Office of Inclusive Excellence. Dominic is passionate about leveraging instructional design to create transformative educational experiences that empower all students to succeed in technology careers.

With a career spanning over a decade, Alexis Estrella is an expert in program management, specializing in the areas of technology, medicine, and public service. She has a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving innovative educational initiatives to success at institutions like General Assembly and Harvard University. Alexis holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Studio Art from Smith College and was a classroom teacher prior to entering into education program management. As a first-generation college graduate and Latinx woman herself, Alexis is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion for early career professionals. Her passion lies in creating supportive learning environments that propel underrepresented students into rewarding tech careers.

In her current role as Assistant Director of Micro-Internship Student Recruitment and Preparation at Break Through Tech, Alexis supports the recruitment and preparation of students in the Sprinternship™ program. When not at work, you can find her zipping through New York City on her bike, smashing it on a squash or pickleball court, or soaking up the city’s vibrant performing and visual arts scene.

Melissa has a demonstrated history of leading successful online education initiatives at multiple higher education institutions. Her expertise lies in scoping and managing the design, development, and delivery of best-in-class online learning experiences for a wide array of learners including working professionals, matriculated and non-matriculated students, and non-traditional students. Melissa takes a learner-centered approach and emphasizes leveraging technology to enhance pedagogy for optimal learning outcomes.

Melissa personally identifies with the Break Through Tech audience and is excited to bring her passions and skills to the program to continue to empower women to succeed in the tech industry.

Meghan joined the Break Through Tech team in 2019; she oversees the organization’s brand, public affairs, and key aspects of the growth strategy. She’s passionate about strategically driving impact in the ever-evolving education and technology landscape.

Before Break Through Tech, Meghan played a significant role in Cornell Tech’s ascent. Her career there began in 2012 when she assumed a pivotal role on the senior leadership team shortly after Cornell University triumphed in the Bloomberg Administration’s applied sciences competition in New York City. The competition was intended to position New York as the world’s leading capital of technological innovation. As chief lobbyist, she spearheaded negotiations with the City and State of New York, facilitating the execution of the land use agreements for the nearly 1-million-square-foot campus.

She led External Affairs for the campus, overseeing public relations, marketing, digital strategy, and strategic corporate engagement through the campus’ inaugural academic year, 2017-2018.

Emily Ghazi supports the delivery of the AI Program at Break Through Tech. This includes helping to manage day to day operations, onboarding, communications, events, and special projects.

Emily is passionate about expanding access to education and career opportunities, with experience closing the opportunity gap at Multiverse and connecting workers to flexible jobs at Shiftsmart. She is committed to creating more equitable pathways into tech through her work at Break Through Tech.

Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and policy. She also holds certifications in project management foundations as well as Agile Project Management, Multiverse AI jumpstart, Udemy Excel Fundamentals

Outside of work, Emily is passionate about staying connected to friends and family, food, wellness, and community. She loves cooking, hosting friends and family, exploring farmers markets, going for long walks in the sunshine, and staying active.

Aderinsola is a data enthusiast and STEM educator passionate about leveraging technology to empower others. As the Data Coordinator at Breakthrough Tech, Aderinsola is committed to leveraging data analysis to build a more diverse and equitable tech pipeline. Aderinsola’s diverse career spans both the private and public sector, with a range of experiences including Senior Industry Analyst at Accenture, STEM Academic Advisor at CUNY, and program manager at the University of Minnesota. Aderinsola brings a mindful approach to data analytics and is always working to find creative pathways to bring technology out of academic silos to reach everyday people. Aderinsola has brought this passion to fruition through collaborations with Black Girls Code, Out in Tech, Color Coded, National Society of Black Engineers, and Tiny Tech Zines.

Sasha serves as the Program Manager for Sprinternships™, overseeing the nationwide micro-internship program that helps aspiring young people build technical skills and launch their careers.

With experience spanning public education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, Sasha has dedicated her career to connecting talent with opportunity. She began her journey working with alternative schools in NYC, supporting students in re-engaging with education to earn their diplomas. Most recently, at Multiverse, she led the Global Apprentice Support team, focusing on expanding access to technical career pathways through apprenticeships.

Sasha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Education with a specialization in School Counseling. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA. Her commitment to workforce equity and youth development continues to drive her work in creating meaningful pathways for undiscovered talent.

Melissa is a results-driven leader with 20+ years of experience leveraging technology to make learning more accessible, personalized, engaging and effective. Melissa started her career as a Teach for America Corps Member in New York City, where she taught for eight years. After leaving the classroom, Melissa has held leadership roles at organizations like Peer Forward, Adobe, Code.org, and General Assembly where she has worked to increase access to careers in tech for folks from non-traditional backgrounds. Before joining Break Through Tech, Melissa led Engineering Enablement at Shopify where she was responsible for early career programs, learning and development, culture and communications for a global team of 4,000+ developers and data scientists. At Break Through Tech, Melissa oversees the successful delivery of our programs across our national and regional sites.

Debbie is a seasoned education administrator focused on the intersection of education and technology. Before joining Break Through Tech, Debbie served as the executive director of computer science education at the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), where she founded and led the city’s CS4All initiative, a 10-year, $80 million public-private partnership to bring computer science instruction to all NYC public school students. Prior to that, she developed educational technology innovations at several organizations, including Columbia University, Fathom.com, WNET, and The New York Times.

Christian is a program builder and educator dedicated to increasing diversity in tech by tackling the college to career transition. He founded new CS programs, led national partnerships with non-profit organizations, and designed education products that collectively reached more than 10,000 students from 200+ colleges and universities globally. In addition, Christian has previously served as a high school educator and builder at an emerging non-profit startup, where he cultivated his passion for the transformational impact of educational innovation.

Amanda is a finance and operations expert dedicated to helping innovative and high-growth organizations build capacity and increase impact. She scaled the technology company behind LinkNYC—the world’s largest and fastest municipal wi-fi network. As COO at Vote Run Lead, a national nonprofit helping underrepresented women run for office and win, she oversaw 600% organizational growth and launched a bold program to achieve gender equity in state legislatures. She is passionate about empowering women and girls in leadership, bridging digital divides, and permanently closing the diversity gaps in STEM and in our democratic systems.

Hari brings a background in social impact and education program and product development to Break Through Tech, where he leads the AI Studio: a space for undergraduate students to work on real world challenges from industry and the nonprofit sector, and thereby begin building out their technical portfolios and professional networks. In his previous role with IBM CSR, Hari partnered with ISTE to develop a free AI Foundations course for young people, and managed a Future of Work AI research collaboration through IBM’s Science for Social Good initiative. He has served as a member of the AI4K12 Advisory Board, and was an Education Pioneers Graduate School Fellow in 2014.

Kristina is an industry agnostic business development professional with a passion for bridging the opportunity divide. She is best known for balancing innovation with procedure, and has built a career structuring and scaling high-growth startups.

Kristina’s held roles in go-to-market strategy, new product development, and business operations to align critical stakeholders across cultures and time zones. Kristina spearheaded strategic partnerships with Fortune 500s, universities, nonprofits, and government organizations, at the local, state, and federal levels.

Most recently, Kristina co-founded OrgVitals – an integrated data, and predictive intelligence platform that provides leaders with enriched insight and capacity-building support to meet the needs of the modern workforce. Kristina is a mentor at the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator, an advisor to the Plug & Play Tech Center, and a member of Latinas in Tech.

Ilyssa Rosenzweig is a partnership professional passionate about making technical careers accessible for all. At Break Through Tech, Ilyssa brings in new partnerships to support and grow the organization’s mission, pairing employers with the Break Through Tech program that will help them achieve their strategic initiatives.

Prior to joining Break Through Tech, Ilyssa has held industry, university, and student facing roles within the education landscape, cultivating a unique understanding for how these groups interconnect. Her expertise in building impactful partnerships and collaborating with top tech companies has significantly enhanced career opportunities for students, aligning with Break Through Tech’s mission to diversify the tech industry. Ilyssa believes that fostering change in the diversity of the student population in areas like Machine Learning and AI needs to start at the undergraduate level.

Outside of work, Ilyssa enjoys traveling, walking around the city with her dog, and cooking.

As Managing Director of the Sprinternships™ program at Break Through Tech, Ashlee leads the strategic and operational delivery of our nationwide micro-internship program. She oversees program operations, collaborates with internal and external partners, cultivates strategic relationships with universities and corporate stakeholders, and drives data-informed decisions to enhance program quality and impact.

Prior to joining Break Through Tech, Ashlee started her career as an 11th Grade US History teacher with Teach for America. During this experience, she developed foundational skills in leadership, organization, and driving student success. She built on this foundational experience as a Business Operations Manager at Success Academy Charter Schools, where she oversaw school operations and implemented systems that improved key performance metrics, family satisfaction, and financial efficiency. Transitioning to the tech and education sector, Ashlee served as the Director of Delivery at Flatiron School, where she led a team that taught Software Engineering to thousands of students looking to launch their careers in tech. Most recently, she served as Head of Operations at A/B Strategy Consulting where she led operations and built capacity for growth at a small consulting company.

Ashlee is passionate about building and leading teams that create a meaningful impact in the world. Her work is deeply rooted in a commitment to supporting women of color, empowering them to unlock their inherent power and achieve the careers of their dreams. As the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant, she is profoundly shaped by her identity and community. She is immensely grateful for the opportunities she has been given, driving her dedication to creating safe spaces where others can thrive.

As the Director of Career Services, Bradford is responsible for scaling and growing Career Services to ensure that all fellows at Break Through Tech get access to high quality career readiness programming. Bradford also focuses on generating relationships with companies interested in hiring Break Through Tech fellows–connecting our fellows with relevant industry partners. 

With a background in recruiting and technical Career Services, Bradford has built large scale teams delivering Career Services at the national level, serving many thousands of students every year. Through development of standardized, high quality curriculum while leading teams of impactful career counselors, Brad has helped ensure equitable employment for underrepresented students for over six years across the country. 

Bradford is passionate about making sure that the hidden rules of hiring that companies tend to obfuscate are accessible to everyone to ensure that every fellow has an equitable chance of finding meaningful employment. 

Mario dedicates his career to access and equity work, advocating on behalf of minoritized students. He brings experience mentoring over 1,500 first-gen students, developing tailored trainings, advising, and instructional design. With a Master’s in Human Resources and background in talent acquisition, Sprinterns have an expert in their corner helping leverage their greatness as they navigate from campus to career. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Education (Design of Learning Environments), piloting a first year, first semester intervention that aims to increase the retention of first-gen students.

Hey! I’m Amelia. I am an empathetic, data-driven program leader and relationship builder, with a passion for workforce development and emerging talent programming. Most recently, I spent 7 years leading Employer Partnerships at coding bootcamp, Flatiron School, and come to Cornell Tech with 10 years’ experience developing cross-functional talent programs and partnerships across SaaS, startup, technology, non-profit, and corporate ecosystems, creating pathways to tech for career-changing adults, early career and emerging talent, & underrepresented minorities. Knowing I get to help folks from all types of backgrounds find a career they love is what gets me up in the morning.

As a Program Manager at Break Through Tech, Caroline helps oversee and support the mentorship program, ensuring that fellows receive meaningful guidance and career development opportunities. Caroline helps manage the structure and execution of the mentorship program by facilitating mentor-mentee engagement, and implementing strategies to measure program success. 

With most of her professional experience in the education sector, Caroline has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to achieve their professional goals. Her journey in this space began in career services, where she honed her ability to guide diverse learners toward meaningful career pathways. Over the past few years, she transitioned into program management, leading the development and execution of software engineering educational programs. In this role, she has driven initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional education and the tech ecosystem.

As a passionate advocate for breaking down barriers to entry in education and technology, Caroline thrives at the intersection of innovation and access. She believes in creating inclusive, impactful programs that equip learners with the skills and confidence to thrive in competitive industries. Caroline’s work is fueled by a commitment to upskilling and expanding opportunities for all.