Meet Our Team

LAUREN

​Immigration Attorney, Founder, and Executive Director

PRETTY

​Community Advocate

KETIA

​The Brave Pod Host and Co-Founder of The Brave Space

POOJA

Outreach Coordinator and Co-Founder of The Brave Space

JESSIE

Mentorship and Volunteer Coordinator

MABEL

Growth Coordinator 

YEMELISSA

Community Advocate and Founding Member

​SHIYULLI

Mentorship Advisor 

SAM

Art Director and Community Catalyst

​​​​ALI

Youth Advocate & Avodah Fellow

DG

Community Advocate and Founding Member

Board of Directors

LORETTA

SABRINEH  

MIKELINA

EMILY

ASHLEY

NOBU NAKAMURA

Youth Advocates

HANNAH K

KETIA

MICHELLE

ELIZABETH

CRISTINA

CHUMI

KELSEY

HANNAH M

ALI

Lauren Blodgett

Founder & Executive Director.
​​Job. Immigration Attorney and Executive Director at The Brave House
​​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Having hope, finding joy, and spreading love, despite the fear, pain and obstacles that you encounter.

 

Biography. 
​Lauren is an immigration attorney and founder of The Brave House. Lauren was previously an attorney & Equal Justice Works fellow the Safe Passage Project, where she provided legal representation to refugee children fleeing gender-based violence. Lauren co-founded Las Mariposas (“the butterflies”), a girls empowerment group at Safe Passage, where she organized monthly activities aimed at wellness and community, such as self-defense, photography, and dancing. Lauren was recently honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Law and Policy and was in the New York Times regarding the challenges that immigration attorneys face during the Trump Administration. Lauren graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she served on the board of the Harvard Immigration Project and worked in non-profits in Morocco, Thailand, Jordan, Tanzania and Cambodia on various human rights issues. Before law school, Lauren spent a year as a Fulbright scholar in Innsbruck, Austria, and worked at a refugee center in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally from Boston, Lauren graduated summa cum laude from Boston College in 2011 with a double major in Political Science and German. When not in the courtroom, Lauren can be found going for a run in Prospect Park or on the dance floor at Daybreaker, an early-morning sober dance party hosted at locations throughout New York City. 

​​What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Portugal and Ireland ​​

Hannah Krutiansky

Youth Advocate. 
​Home. New York, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Following your dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem.
​

 

Biography. 
​Hannah was born and raised in NYC to a Jewish immigrant family. Growing up hearing her grandparent’s stories of surviving the Holocaust has motivated her to advocate for refugee and immigrant rights. She is a recent graduate of Middlebury College, where she studied geography and minored in Spanish and Portuguese. Hannah has interned for the family detention team at RAICES (The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) and for the Safe Passage Project, which represents minors in immigration court. She plans to attend law school and pursue public interest law in the next few years.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Argentina, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine

Pretty

Community Advocate. 
​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Brave is when you set yourself for success with integrity, confidence, selflessness and pride. When you are willing to perform courageous acts no matter who is looking. Brave is not something but someone you become to prove to others and unlock your inner power.
​

 

Biography. 
I am currently a full-time student at City Tech and a senior. This semester, FALL 2020 is my last semester so I will be graduating in the summer 2021 so I’m hoping it’s not virtual! I am also working part-time as a College Coach for a non-profit organization called Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. I work with high school students transitioning from college and assist then throughout their educational process. I reside in Brooklyn, NY and was born here as well. However, my family and I are from Dominican Republic so I have some family living over there, in New Jersey, Brooklyn and Queens. My passion is being able to be happy and satisfied with the roles I will take in my future career. Being able to bring a smile or help someone find their own happiness can truly be one of the hardest things to do and I’d like to be that helping hand for anyone out there. Becoming that person who saves someone’s life is priceless. Some advice from me to you: Never change yourself because the people that surround your daily life can’t accept you. Don’t ever let someone bring you down for something you accomplished and are so proud of. If anything let that negativity be your motivation to strive for more and for better. Everything has its purpose in life and it all starts with believing in yourself.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Dominican Republic

Alexandra Steinberg

Youth Advocate and Avodah Fellow. 
​​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Acknowledging what you do and don’t know and thoughtfully showing up for what you know is right.

 

Biography. 
Hailing from NYC and its suburbs, Alexandra is passionate about learning from and with other people to help dismantle systems of oppression — including how they manifest in migration, criminal justice, housing, and education — and to co-create systems of accountability, healing, liberation, and equity. Alexandra recently graduated from Brown University with a degree in Public Policy. Previously, Alexandra interned with the Rhode Island Center for Justice, where she co-developed a coalition, informed by directly impacted individuals, to advocate for closing the Rhode Island supermaximum prison and ending long-term solitary confinement. Alexandra enjoys drinking tea, talking with her friends and family, and being outside. 

​​What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Canada​

Shiyulli Suriyakumar

 

Advisory Board.
​​Job. Client Solutions Partner at ClassPass
​​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​What “Brave” means to you.
Speaking up for yourself and others (especially when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular); not letting trauma or obstacles define you; bringing kindness, humility, and tenacity to everything you do.​

Biography.
Shiyulli currently works for ClassPass, a fitness and wellness membership that allows you to book thousands of fitness classes, gym services, and wellness services all over the world through one easy app. She partners with large companies to bring a custom ClassPass membership to their employees. Previously she worked at Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit that builds the capacity of other social change organizations, where she worked with multinational companies to design and scale high-impact skill-based volunteering programs. Shiyulli also sits on the Junior Board of Hour Children, a New York-based nonprofit providing wraparound services for women re-entering society and reuniting with their families after incarceration. When she’s not at work, you can find her rock climbing with friends in the Shawgunks, tinkering in her kitchen, or buried in a great book.​

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Sri Lanka

Dayanara Garcia

Community Advocate and Founding Member.
​Home. Queens, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers 
What "Brave" means to you.
"Brave" means doing the right thing even when it may not be easy.

 

Biography. 
​Dayanara is a mother, wife and social justice advocate. Growing up in a mixed status household enforced her support and work towards the immigrant community. Dayanara has recently, graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a dual degree and Honors in both Latin America and Latina/o Studies and Humanities and Justice. She also has a certificate in Dispute Resolution. Dayanara aspires to be a lawyer in family law. She has interned at the Appellate Supreme Court 1st division and the Kings County Supreme Court 2nd division, where she was published in The New York Law Journal. Dayanara was also a research assistant with the Puerto Rican Bridgade, where she learned and researched gender based violence in Puerto Rico. She has also worked at Safe Passage Project and assisted unaccompanied minor with status adjustment. When Dayanara is not working or school she is at home spending time with her family.  

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from? 
Mexico

Shiyulli Suriyakumar

 

Advisory Board.
​​Job. Client Solutions Partner at ClassPass
​​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​What “Brave” means to you.
Speaking up for yourself and others (especially when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular); not letting trauma or obstacles define you; bringing kindness, humility, and tenacity to everything you do.​

Biography.
Shiyulli currently works for ClassPass, a fitness and wellness membership that allows you to book thousands of fitness classes, gym services, and wellness services all over the world through one easy app. She partners with large companies to bring a custom ClassPass membership to their employees. Previously she worked at Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit that builds the capacity of other social change organizations, where she worked with multinational companies to design and scale high-impact skill-based volunteering programs. Shiyulli also sits on the Junior Board of Hour Children, a New York-based nonprofit providing wraparound services for women re-entering society and reuniting with their families after incarceration. When she’s not at work, you can find her rock climbing with friends in the Shawgunks, tinkering in her kitchen, or buried in a great book.​

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Sri Lanka

Yemelissa Rosario

​Community Advocate and Founder Member.
Home. Queens, NY
​​Pronouns. She/her/hers
What “Brave” means to you.
​Helping someone accomplish their goals despite the struggles they may face.

 

​Biography. 
​Yemelissa was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She migrated to the U.S at the age of seventeen with the goal of getting a college degree. From a young age Yemelissa discover her passion for justice and pursue her career in Justice and counseling from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She worked in numerous non-profit organization such as Safe Passage project, where she worked with children who are underrepresented in the immigration system. She also worked in the counseling department of John Jay mentoring incoming students. Yemelissa is currently working in the Youth Advocate Programs Inc as a Youth Advocate where she mentors, counseled, and work with family reunification. When Yemelissa is not working or in school, she is learning new innovates things.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from?
Dominican Republic

Pooja Nayyar

Outreach Coordinator.
Home. Manhattan, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What "Brave" means to you.
Being brave is to be fully and authentically yourself. 

 

Biography. 
​Pooja was born and raised in New Jersey, but is currently a junior studying political science at New York University. She is the daughter of two Indian immigrant parents and is extremely passionate about immigrant and refugee rights. Pooja hopes to one day work as an immigration lawyer. During her free time, you can find Pooja painting, taking photos, or binge-watching Netflix. 

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from? 
India

Jessie Himmel

Mentorship and Volunteer Coordinator.
Home. Manhattan, NY
​​Pronouns. He/ him/ his 
​What "Brave" means to you.
Brave means feeling the fear, and doing what you’re afraid of anyway.​

 

Biography. 
​I was born and raised in Manhattan. I am majoring in Sociology and minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies at NYU. By way of background, I interned for 18 months with “Safe Passage Project,” a non-profit legal organization that provides free counsel and support to immigrant children facing deportation. I also help Wizard World, a national science-fiction/pop culture convention tour, to research and facilitate the donation of used graphic novels/books to local non-profit organizations. To date, I have successfully organized the donation of over 2,500 books/graphic novels to different non-profit organizations around the country. As for future goals, I plan to attend law school and pursue immigration law in the next few years. I am passionate about ethics. Specifically, as part of my independent study this semester at NYU, I researched and designed a semester-long middle school curriculum to teach students normative ethics through superhero comics. The curriculum includes robust lesson plans, discussion points, projects and readings. In my free time, I like to run around the reservoir, rollerblade around central park, take my dog for walks around the city, read comics and hang out with my friends.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from? 
Ireland, Hungary, Poland and Germany

Mabel Smith

Growth Coordinator.
Home. Manhattan, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers 
​What "Brave" means to you.
Being comfortable out of your comfort zone.​

 

Biography. 
​I grew up in Berkeley, CA, playing rugby and jazz trombone in my free time. I am now attending Columbia University studying Economics and Hispanic Studies, and am interested in continuously finding ways to constructively apply the logic of Economics to the social justice world. Besides landscaping, construction, and pizza slinging, I've worked in youth development programs in the Bay Area and in New York, including Mexico City based non-profit Education for Sharing.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from? 
Greece and Sweden

Ketia Miriam Jeune

The Brave Pod host and Youth Advocate.
Home. Manhattan, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers 
​What "Brave" means to you.
To be fearless.

 

Biography. 
​Ketia believes her life is art, and she embodies that in everything she does. She’s been a part of the performing arts community since elementary school where she immersed herself in music, dance, and poetry. By high school, she was accepted to New World School of the Arts in Miami, Fl where she was surrounded by the most talented students in Miami-Dade County.After graduating from FSU, Ketia went on to New York University (NYU) and obtained her Masters in Public Relations with a concentration in Corporate Business Communications. Recently, Ketia became the host of the Brave Pod, a weekly podcast that features members, volunteers, and immigrants from all over the world to share their experiences. She's also one of our many youth advocates and works directly with our members.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did you / your family immigrate from? 
Haiti

Loretta Lopez Carstensen

Board of Directors member.
​Job. Case Manager, Sanctuary for Families
Home. Queens, NY
​​What “Brave” means to you.
Listening to the voices of the unheard and recognizing that they have stories to tell.

 

Biography. 
​Loretta was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. She immigrated to NY at 18 to study Creative Writing at Bard College. Since then she has lived in Texas, Vietnam, and Queens, NY, her current home. She is a writer, aspiring illustrator, and a non-profit professional focused on bettering the lives of refugees and survivors of gender based violence. She's currently a graduate student on the clinical track at Columbia's School of Social Work.

​​What song is energizing you today?

​​​Where did your family immigrate from?
Mexico

Sabrineh Ardalan

Board of Directors member.
​Job. Assistant Director and Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
Home. Cambridge, MA

 

Biography. 
​Sabi is the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program’s assistant director, as well as assistant clinical professor of law at HLS. Sabi supervises and trains law students working on applications for asylum and other humanitarian protections, as well as appellate litigation and policy advocacy. She teaches courses on immigration and refugee law and advocacy and on trauma, refugees, and the law. Sabi previously clerked for the Honorable Michael A. Chagares of Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable Raymond J. Dearie, Chief District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. She also worked as the Equal Justice America Fellow at The Opportunity Agenda and as a litigation associate at Dewey Ballantine LLP.

​​What song is energizing you today?

​​​Where did your family immigrate from?
Iran

Mikelina Belaineh

Board of Directors member.
​Job. Program Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice
​Home. Roxbury, MA
​What “Brave” means to you.
To be your most authentic self when the world tells you to be something or someone else.

 

Biography. 
​As a program associate in Vera’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections, Mikelina's work focuses on reducing jail incarceration and racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system through research, writing, and providing technical assistance to local jurisdictions. Prior to joining Vera, Mikelina served as the Chief Program Officer for the nonprofit social enterprise InnerCity Weightlifting, a street violence reduction program serving street and gang-involved young adults by connecting them with new resources, networks, and opportunities. She now supports the organization's work in an advisory role.

​Mikelina became interested in social justice issues in college, where she spent her four years organizing around LGBTQ issues in rural parts of Texas. In law school, she narrowed her focus to issues around criminal justice, recognizing it as a system that has implications for all areas of social justice, and therefore an opportunity to facilitate great impact. Mikelina holds a JD from Harvard Law School, where they served as co-president on the board of Lambda and co-founded the Queer and Trans People of Color student organization. Mikelina also has a BA with honors from the Texas A&M University. Mikelina was born and raised in Arlington, TX, where her family and community settled after immigrating from Ethiopia. ​

​What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Ethiopia and Eritrea

Emily Nash

Board of Directors member.
​Job. Associate, Foley Hoag LLP
Home. Boston, MA
​​What “Brave” means to you.
Trusting yourself and your inner strength to carry you forward--in your principles, choices, words, and actions--despite whatever pressure you face to do the opposite.

 

Biography. 
​Emily is an associate at Foley Hoag LLP in Boston, where she works in litigation and labor and employment, and a pro bono practice including civil rights litigation and immigration.  She received her JD from Harvard Law School in 2016, after which she clerked for the Honorable Denise J. Casper, in the U.S. District Court for District of Massachusetts. 

Emily grew up in Armonk, NY, and she received her BA in sociology from NYU in 2011.  Emily's experience working with nonprofit organizations began in college, when she spent a semester as an intern at Amnesty International USA.  After graduating, she spent a year teaching English to children in Metz, France, after which she worked as a project manager at Innovative Philanthropy, providing development consulting and assistance--largely through grant review and major fundraising event planning--to nonprofits and foundations in New York City.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Italy and somewhere in Eastern Europe

​Ashley Ezewuiro

Board of Directors member.
​Job. Owner of & designer at EastTaylorInc.com, Financial Accountant at Big Bus Tours
​Home. New York, NY
​​What “Brave” means to you.
Following through when fear is holding you back from taking a leap of faith; realizing that if something scares you, it's all the more reason to face it.

 

Biography. 
​Ashley is currently an accountant at Big Bus Tours and the owner of East Taylor Inc. In 2014, Ashley graduated from Rutgers Business School (New Jersey) with a degree in accounting and a concentration in Supply Chain Management. After graduating, Ashley immediately began working for Enterprise Rent A Car as a staff accountant. In 2016, Ashley left Enterprise for a new accounting opportunity at Big Bus Tours in Manhattan. Being immersed in a such a stimulating city, she felt the urge to feed her creative side. Prior to working in finance full time, Ashley designed clothes as a hobby. With years of accounting experience, the heart of a designer, and being the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Ashley decided to create an Afrocentric Home Décor company called East Taylor.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Nigeria

Michelle López

Youth Advocate.
​Home. Queens, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Being unafraid and willing to break through the societal chains that are placed to hold you back from following your dreams.

 

Biography. 
​I’m a proud first generation Mexican American. My parents migrated to the United States a little over 30 years ago from Puebla, Mexico. I graduated from John Jay College in 2017 as a double major in Economics and Latin American Studies. I currently work at Safe Passage Project, a legal non profit dedicated to providing free legal services to unaccompanied minors. During my free time, I love exercising, spending time with my family and reading books. I’m very passionate about mental health and providing children with opportunities for self growth and self love.

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Puebla, México​

Elizabeth Rivera

 

Youth Advocate. 
​​​Home. Queens, NY
​​What “Brave” means to you.
“Brave” means becoming the impossible change while standing boldly against all odds.​

Biography. 
​Elizabeth Rivera is a Paralegal at the Safe Passage Project, where she works with attorneys in immigration and family court litigation. Elizabeth works with children in New York and assists in their cases to pursue immigration status in the United States. Elizabeth is the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents and is married to a former DREAMer. She is aware of the injustices that vulnerable and underrepresented communities face in this country due to their immigration status and as a result is a fierce advocate for immigrant rights and social justice. Elizabeth graduated from the City University of New York – John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a major in Law and Society in 2015.​

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Guerrero, Mexico

Cristina Trinidad

 

Youth Advocate.
Home. Queens, NY
​What “Brave” means to you. 
​Listening to the voices of the unheard and recognizing that they have stories to tell.

 

Biography. 
​Loretta was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. She immigrated to NY at 18 to study Creative Writing at Bard College. Since then she has lived in Texas, Vietnam, and Queens, NY, her current home. She is a writer, aspiring illustrator, and a non-profit professional focused on bettering the lives of refugees and survivors of gender based violence. She's currently a graduate student on the clinical track at Columbia's School of Social Work.

​​​What song is energizing you today?

​​​Where did your family immigrate from?
Mexico

Chumi Gonzalez

Youth Advocate.
​​Home. Queens, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Being really good friends with the unknown.

 

Biography. 
I was raised in Paraguay and have been living in New York for the last 10 years. I'm a first-generation Latin American and only child of two Paraguayan immigrants who mean everything to me. I think, dream and speak fluently in both Spanish and English. I'm passionate about my family, Latin culture, personal & spiritual development, bringing ideas to life, connecting with people, raising human consciousness, positively impacting our world and reggaeton.

​​What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Paraguay

Kelsey Dion

Youth Advocate.
​​Home. Manhattan, NY
​​Pronouns. She/ her/ hers
​What “Brave” means to you.
Being your authentic self, using your voice, and pursuing your goals in the face of fear or adversity.​

 

Biography. 
​Kelsey grew up in Georgetown, MA. After graduating from Tufts University with a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish in May of 2019, she moved to Manhattan, New York. She currently works as a corporate paralegal for Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton with a focus in Latin American capital markets. She is passionate about human rights law and has worked on projects promoting the Domestic Violence Justice Survivors Act and the abolition of the death penalty. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, listening to podcasts, and being a politics nerd.

​​What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
France, Canada, Ireland and Italy

Hannah McGowan, Ed.M., C.A.S ​

 

Youth Advocate. 
​​Home. Brooklyn, NY
​What “Brave” means to you.
Extending grace to ourselves and acting always with love.​

 

Biography. 
​Hannah strives to dismantle inequitable systems and foster environments where young people are empowered to reach their fullest potential. She is currently a College Persistence Counselor - partnering with students throughout their college careers to accomplish their educational goals. Hannah became a licensed school counselor after obtaining her Masters of Education and Certificate of Advanced Studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2019. Outside of her counseling work, Hannah partners with community mental health centers and consults with entrepreneurs and advocacy groups who are innovating ways to effectively support youth. Her previous career was as a professional trainer and coach at a healthcare and education consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a focus on International Business and Latinx Studies.​

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Poland, Norway, Ireland

Sam Giarratani

 

Community Catalyst. 
​​Home. Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, NY
​What “Brave” means to you.
To love openly and honestly. 

 

 

Biography. 
Sam works as a public art manager for a professional artist in NYC, and is a learner, teacher, and artist herself. Before she worked as an art administrator, she taught high school art for 6 years in Boston. Teaching further cemented her love for artistic play and processes, and she adamantly taught her classes with the focus on womxn and artists of color. As fulfilling as it was to have the freedom to build this kind of curriculum, she quit in order to travel to 30 states with a public art project called, In Search of the Truth (The Truth Booth), where she helped collect diverse, nationwide truths ahead of the 2016 Presidential election. Now she is responsible for ideation and coordination of large artworks and continues to travel across the country to realize projects both temporary and permanent. Her personal work focuses on her own empowerment, and she endeavors to create artistic platforms for voices that feel unheard. ​

What song is energizing you today?

Where did your family immigrate from?
Sciacca, Sicily, & Edinburgh, Scotland