Ayanna Clarke Joined the Institute in January of 2023 as the Executive Assistant for the Director of Programs. Ayanna is responsible for managing the schedules and communications of key company executives and staff members.
People
Melannie Insignares
Melannie joined the Institute in February 2021 as the Program Associate for the Prison-to-College Pipeline program (P2CP).
Angelina Garcia
Angelina joined the Institute as a Program Associate in February 2018. She is a board member of the Independent Review Board (IRB) for The Office of the Ombudsman within the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Angelina is currently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice at Hostos Community College.
Langston Blackwell III
Langston joined the Institute in October 2022 as a Fellowships Coordinator with the Institute's Career Pathways team, working predominantly with the TOW Policy Advocacy Initiative and Pinkerton Fellowship Initiative fellowships programs.
Nakita Vanstory
Nakita Vanstory joined the Institute in June 2024 as Senior Director of Programs and Services. She brings years of experience in workforce and economic development, helping hundreds of New Yorkers—especially those with arrest histories gain access to employment and education. Nakita has led citywide initiatives focused on outreach, recruitment, and community partnerships, and is known for building inclusive programs that promote long-term economic mobility. She holds degrees from Hunter College and NYU, and is currently pursuing a Master’s at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Ashley Rodriguez
Ashley joined the Institute as the Director of Finance and Operations in January 2023. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Director of Operations at East Harlem Scholars Academies, where she managed business operations for a network of five charter schools serving over 2,000 students from grades K-12.
LaShawn Lindsey
Katheryne joined the Institute in April 2019 as the Director of Human Resources. Kathy brings more than ten years of Human Resource experience in various work environments, including start-ups, for-profits, non-profits, and government
Denisse Martinez
Denisse joined the Institute as Program Manager for Prison-to-College Pipeline (P2CP) in November 2020, and she was promoted to Director of P2CP in January 2022. Before this, she was an Administrator for CCNY’s STEM Institute. There, she worked on designing, implementing, and overseeing several college-ready programs for historically-excluded students in Northern Manhattan.