Community of Unity

Staff

Eric Komoroff, Founder and Executive Director

As founder of Community of Unity, Eric has created, designed and delivered Life Skills and Youth Culture Building theories and programs that have reached hundreds of schools, enrichment programs, therapeutic environments, and tens of thousands of youth, families, and educators around the world. He is a recognized leader and expert in the fields of youth development, program development, urban education, relationship building, and youth empowerment. He has taught School Culture Development and Advisory Program Development at The Bank Street College of Education, and parenting classes at The A-HA! Learning Center, and special education classes in therapeutic nurseries and day treatment centers throughout New York. He is a collaborator with organizations including A Better Chance, The Institute for Student Achievement, Northside Center for Child Development, The New York City Department of Education, Union Seminary, The YMCA of NY, and Big Brother Big Sister of NY. He is the host of YOUTH EMPOWERED, a weekly Blog Talk Radio show, and a frequent speaker at conferences nationwide. Eric sits on the Educational Advisory Board of Newsday Newspaper and is a member of the Alumni Board Task Force at The Bank Street College of Education.  Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Special Education from SUNY Empire State College is a certified Art Therapist from The New School for Social Research, and a Certified Mentor Supervisor from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Josh Borkin, PhD, Director of Youth Culture:

Dr. Borkin graduated from Clark University with and MA/BA in American History in 1997. An interest in Religion and Social justice led him to Chicago where he led peer facilitation workshops for high school students for the Institute for Cultural Affairs. From 1999 until 2004 Josh directed youth programming for the Council for a Parliament of the Worlds Religions. Internationally, Josh helped organize parliament events in Cape Town, South Africa, and Barcelona, Spain. Locally, he helped develop an inter-religious organizing immersion course for Chicago Colleges and organized an inter-religious coalition of diverse religious institutions in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. For the last five years Josh has been enrolled in a doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Josh also works as a program associate at Auburn seminary.

Julia Ahumada Grob, Director of Youth Programs:

Julia graduated from Brown University with BA in Africana Studies in 2005. She has been working in youth development for the past six years. An activist born and raised in New York City, Julia has taught for Girls Inc. (Oakland, CA), New Urban Arts (Providence, RI), Ovideu Rom- Romania, and Community Works – New York City. She is the founding Theater Teaching Artist of the Life Stories Youth Ensemble, a project of the New Group/Urban Arts Partnership. Her collaborative video and activist curriculum, The Beat Back Bush Workout, has toured nationally. Julia’s writing has been published in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the U.S. (Oxford University Press, 2005), and We Got Issues! A Young Woman’s Guide to a Bold, Courageous, and Empowered Life (Inner Ocean Press, 2006). Julia currently sits on the board of Action for Health in the Americas, a foundation set up to help support the development of sustainable, community-based initiatives promoting justice and health among economically marginalized communities in Latin America.

Marisa Brown Zullin, Director of Special Projects:

Marisa is a doctoral candidate in New York University’s Department of Teaching and Learning, where she plans to focus her research on the history of academic structures in secondary education. For the past 10 years, Marisa has worked with elementary, middle and high school students in both New York City and Atlanta, Georgia. At New Design High School, she served as Chair of the Science Department and coordinator of a Regents-level Biology course. In previous teaching appointments, she mentored teachers in the International Baccalaureate Programme of Inquiry, and developed and implemented inquiry-based curricula for elementary and middle school students. As part of her Master’s level work, Marisa developed a collaborative scriptwriting process, which was presented at the convention of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 2005. As part of her doctoral work at New York University, Marisa has taught Inquiries into Teaching and Learning III, a master’s level course in the foundations of pedagogical philosophy. The teaching strategies she developed for this course focused on the use of technology for collaborative research, and were presented at the NCTE convention in 2007. In the early years of her teaching career, Marisa worked as the Assistant Director for an overnight camp in Atlanta, Georgia, where she organized creative programming for campers, and trained staff to meet the holistic needs of children ages 7-16. Marisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Emory University, and a Master’s degree in English Education from New York University.

David You, Grant Writer, Development Associate:

David received his Bachelor of Arts in Education from Colgate University, and a Masters of Science in Public Policy from CUNY Hunter College. Through he studies, he conducted research via qualitative interviews and applied statistics in a quantitative format. He worked closely with the New York Immigration Coalition with their efforts of becoming a greater umbrella organization for all immigration needs. As a consultant for the Human Resources Administration David wrote policy directives and bulletins concerning different social services for New York City residents such as unemployment, immigration, and cash assistance. Furthermore he coordinated with different City officials to determine the best way in which to inform New York City residents about the program offerings.

David was also a director at SCORE! an educational center where he was responsible for overseeing the Extended Advantage Program which aided students ages 4-16 with their academic studies while acting as a positive role model. David was a Peace Corps volunteer in the children, youth, and families at-risk program. During his tour he worked with PANI, the Costa Rican child protection services in cases of abuse. In conjunction with local community leaders he carried out various workshops on self-esteem, communication, drugs, etc. that enriched the lives of many young people. He also created and implemented programs including Prevention Projects for neighborhood children and adults, founding The Summer School Makeup Exam Program for students, leading Adolescent Boys Group to teach outdoor education and build self-confidence, and helping to organize and implement a Domestic Violence and Self-Esteem Conference for adolescent girls. David is currently a Sergeant in the New York Army National Guard. Having graduated in the top ten percentile from Basic Training and with High Honors from Advanced Individual Training.

Jean C. Artiles

Clevins Brown

Board Members

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean MacAdams…Board Chair

Ocean is Senior Vice President, Programming, Current TV and a multi-award winning television producer with over 15 years in the media industry. He joined Current TV in 2009, and is responsible for all areas of programming and production for the Network. Under his purview, he is charged with building out Current TV’s development slate of news, information, and documentary programming, including the Emmy- nominated “Vanguard” investigative journalism series.
Previously, MacAdams worked at MTV Networks, where he first began his career as an assignment editor at VH1 News. Over the course of 13 years, he worked his way up the MTV News division, and held a variety of positions which eventually lead to his role as Senior Vice President, MTV News. In that role, MacAdams oversaw all of MTV News’ television and digital efforts. During his tenure, he helped produce groundbreaking programming from the Week In Rock to President Obama’s Youth Inaugural Ball. He was part of the team that created MTV Overdrive, one of the first broadband channels, and created MTV’s first original series for mobile phones. After leaving MTV, he was a freelance producer and consultant, most recently producing the annual White House Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
MacAdams’ work has been recognized by a number of industry organizations including : a 2007 GLAAD nomination for “The Equality Ride”, a 2006 Prism Award for “Jack Osbourne – Back fro Rehab”, a 2006 Emmy Nomination for “Diary of Gideon in Pakistan”, and 2004 Beacon Award for “At War with Iraq.” the recipient of a number of awards including the 2007 GLAAD, Prism
MacAdams holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Columbia University and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with his family.

Eric Komoroff…Founder of Community of Unity

Since 2001, over 30,000 youth around the world have been touched by COMMUNITY of UNITY programs. In North America, over 200 schools have engaged its professional development workshops, support services, and materials. A recognized leader in the fields of youth development, urban education, school culture, youth spirituality & empowerment, and relationship building, Eric is a collaborator/presenter/trainer to organizations including A Better Chance, BOOST Conference, The Institute for Student Achievement, Northside Center for Child Development, The New York City Department of Education, Union Seminary, Face2Face, Auburn Theological Seminary, The YMCA, The Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, The Center for Mindfulness:The University of Massachusetts Medical School, Hoops 4 Hope (South Africa & Zimbabwe), The Genesis Society, and Big Brother Big Sister. He hosts a weekly internet radio show YOUTH EMPOWERED, and sits on the Educational Advisory Board of Newsday Newspaper, the Alumni Board Task Force at The Bank Street College of Education, the Advisory Boards of New Design High School & The Urban Assembly Academy of Law & Justice. Additionally, Eric has taught School Culture Development and Advisory Program Development at The Bank Street College of Education, and  “Authenitic Parenting” at The A-HA! Learning Center.

David Nudo…Secretary

David is a publishing sales professional who rejoined the business side of The New York Times after most recently consulting for several publishing and technology companies after leaving his post as Director of Sales and Marketing for Shelfari.com, a popular social networking site for book lovers, which was acquired by Amazon.com in late 2008. He was formerly the Vice President, Publisher of the well-known book publishing magazine Publishers Weekly (PW). Previously, he was Managing Director, Book Advertising, for The New York Times. Prior to that, he held various roles in advertising sales working with the the book and entertainment categories in a career which includes Library Journal and The New Republic. He currently serves as board president of the Publisher Advertising & Marketing Association (PAMA) and holds a seat on the advisory board of the MS Society’s Books For A Better Life Awards.

Kamau Hixon…Treasurer

Kamau an investment banking professional at Gordian Group, LLC, a restructuring advisory investment bank based in New York City, where he focuses on providing clients in distressed situations financial analysis is and advisory services. Previously, he worked at UBS Investment Bank in the Esoteric Asset Backed Securitization Group, focusing on whole business securitization for corporations across all industries, and in the Media and Telecommunications Group within the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse. Kamau earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College with a concentration in Finance. He was a volunteer mentor with Explore Charter School and StreetWise Partners. Additionally, he completed the United Way of New York City’s Linkages Board training program in 2009.

Holly Rudnick Kurtzberg

Holly a practicing physical therapist for the last 18 years, Holly received her degree in physical therapy from SUNY Syracuse Upstate Medical Center in 1991. She received her advanced specialization in mechanical diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders in 2000 through the McKenzie Institute in New Zealand. She has practiced in multiple settings throughout the tri-state area including Kessler Institute, St. Barnabas Medical Center and presently at the Hospital for Special Surgery in the Sports Rehabilitation Department. In 2005, Holly edited the spine section and co-authored a chapter in the Post Operative Rehabilitation Guidelines text book by Elsevier Publishing. She has also taught classes in the physical therapy programs at both Hunter College and Columbia University. Holly is also an accomplished musician and mother of two girls.

Clifford Cohen

Cliff is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Since 2002, he has worked for the NYC Department of Education as a Related Services Counselor and currently provides counseling services at four Manhattan high schools. In addition, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College, CUNY, in the graduate counseling program which includes school, rehabilitation and mental health counseling. He is also an Adjunct Instructor at the Steinhardt School at NYU as part of a team teaching panel on the Social Responsibilities of Educators addressing drug and alcohol education, child abuse identification, school violence prevention and AIDS/HIV education.

Christopher Oliver

Chris is the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Dimension Data. In that role he oversees all M&A and post merger integration activity across the Americas, as well as driving mid and long-term strategic growth initiatives for the organization. Prior to that, Chris was Director of Operations for Dimension Data Americas business ventures in Latin America and Canada, overseeing the daily business operations of Dimension Data Brazil, Dimension Data Canada, Dimension Data Chile and Dimension Data Mexico, driving strategy for growth within the Americas, and building/executing operational plans against those strategies. Chris sits on the North American Operating Committee for Dimension Data Americas as one of its charter members. He is executive co-chair of the strategy and planning sub-committee. Chris is also a member of Dimension Data’s Global Leadership Forum. Over the course of Chris’s 11 years with Dimension Data Americas, he’s held senior roles in marketing, sales, and operations. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Brown University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Yale University.

Marene Jennings

Marene is a Vice President in the Investment Management Division of a major Wall Street firm where she works as a Product Manager.  Her team provides external long-only investment strategies to high net worth and institutional clients.  Prior to this role, she was a member of the corporate strategy and business development team at Fidelity Investments and a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group.  Marene holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  Marene has previously been on the Boards of two other non-profit organizations and is currently an officer for her Dartmouth class.  A native of The Bronx, Marene now resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Joe Farris

Joe is an entrepreneur, investor and operator in the information technology and digital health space. With more than 15 years of industry experience, he focuses on issues surrounding innovation in social media, mobile health, search, online privacy, emarketing, prevention, disease management, pharmaceutical sales and marketing, and online customer service. Farris is currently working with several startup companies and has recently launched the Digital Health Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on fostering innovation in the online health sector, and currently serving as its founder and President. In 2008, he (founder, COO and then President) and his partner sold their company, Manhattan Research, a leading provider of market research and advisory services focused on digital marketing in health care. Prior to Manhattan Research, he was an original member, senior account executive and then Director of the Health Practice at Cyber Dialogue, a New York-based internet marketing services firm. His other experiences include various engineering, sales and management roles at Eastman Chemical Company and Ashland Oil. Farris holds a B.S. and M.Eng in Chemical Engineering with high honors from the University of Louisville’s Speed Scientific School. A native of Kentucky, he currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and two kids.

Advisory Board Members

Flora Backer

Flora, internationally recognized lingerie design “icon”, a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology with a Masters Degree from the Pratt Institute. Her lingerie line was an immediate success and remains one of the most recognizable lines in the world today. Flora has received many honors from her industry including the prestigious LINGERIE AWARD, and one of her designs is acknowledged as the most knocked-off garment in lingerie history.

Jason Zullin

After graduating from Hofstra University in 1997 with a degree in International Business, Jason began his financial career at PaineWebber/UBS as an equity derivatives trader on the floor of the American Stock Exchange. He soon began trading Institutional Equities for UBS, and in the fall of 2001 Jason joined the GFI Group as a Senior Vice President to head the Equity sales and trading desk. Jason is currently initiating the global expansion of GFI equities in Asia, Europe, and South America. Jason’s interests include golf, tennis, skiing and travel. Although Jason is proud of his many accomplishments in the business world, he is most proud to have become Mallory’s dad in February 2009.

Sissy Silva

Sissy has worked in the administrative field for over 20 years.  A legal secretary in a major New York law firm and single mother of 2 boys ages 19 and 12.  Introduced to Community of Unity while her son attended New Design High School, she quickly realized the significance of the work it does and the assistance it provides to local youth and was more than happy to become a part of  the Organization.

Chris Mancini

Chris has been working for Northwestern Mutual for almost three years now as a junior representative, thus far setting many company achievement records. Born to a large American/Italian family, close relationships and familial connections are highly valued by him. His favorite experience is when he studied abroad the summer of 2006 and learned to speak Italian “molto bene” that summer in which Italy won the World Cup. Though not married, he looks forward to creating his own family one day. For now, whenever he can help someone in need he gets true gratification out of doing so.

Ina Howard-Parker

Charlie Conard

Ronnie Krunsel

Jodie Patterson Becker

Joel Zighelboim

Mia Andres

Jamie Conners

Janna Kahr

Susan Lazar