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Mia Barksdale is committed to personal growth and creating opportunities for others to thrive in their academic and personal journeys. Throughout her career, Mia has worked at the Osborne Association and NYC Police Department as a 911 Dispatcher, where she honed her skills in crisis management, youth engagement, and advocacy. Passionate about social justice and education, she brings a compassionate approach to her work, drawing on her extensive experience to connect with diverse populations. Mia received her B.S. in Criminal Justice from Mercy University in 2021. Mia currently serves as the Coordinator of Onboarding Services and is one of the primary points of contact for prospective students. In this role, she supports individuals transitioning from incarceration into education and workforce training programs, ensuring each student receives a personalized onboarding experience that meets their specific needs.

Ben Harker joined the Institute as the Manager of Data & Information Systems in March 2023, where his responsibilities include managing all student data via Salesforce, assembling grant reports for funders, using data to evaluate program effectiveness, and more. He has worked in reentry for over four years, with the bulk of his experience being in program management and administration.

Javier Irizarry is the Tech Coordinator for Support Programs at the Institute for Justice and Opportunity. Additionally, Javier is a seasoned IT professional with over 10 years of experience in supporting multi billion-dollar corporations. He is also a passionate social worker with a B.A in Psychology and over five years of experience as a domestic violence senior case manager and counselor. 

Jordan Guillen (Perry) started her career in criminal justice reform with the NYC Department of Probation, where she co-created and ran an Alternative to Incarceration program for Brooklyn youth. Jordan later went on to be a Probation Officer for young adults in East New York, Brooklyn, where she co-founded and facilitated a women’s group.

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.

Melannie joined the Institute in February 2021 as the Program Associate for the Prison-to-College Pipeline program (P2CP).

Maya Colello-Wilson joined the Institute as an academic counselor in October 2022. She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a Bachelor's Degree in December 2023, achieving a GPA of 3.8 and earning honors in Criminal Justice.

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 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.

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 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.