UNCOMMON INDIVIDUAL FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of College Readiness, OnTrack, UIF
Andrew has worked with OnTrack since it was brought to the Uncommon Individual Foundation in 2012, and he feels strongly about the importance of closing the opportunity gap. Andrew helped OnTrack grow from a program with less than 10 partners to one with more than 150. OnTrack has helped more than 10,000 students since 2012. He oversees the operations and logistics of OnTrack and is excited to see the program grow and reach students across the country. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Ithaca College and a Master's of Communication from Villanova University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Entrepreneur Mentoring, UIF
Ben has worked with UIF since 2013 and helped launch UIF's Caruso Incubator and UIF's Caruso Challenge. He enjoys the opportunity to work with talented students and to see the value they offer to emerging companies. Ben believes in teaching entrepreneurship and echoes Dr. Caruso's philosophy of "thinking like an entrepreneur." Ben enjoys spending his free time with family and growing ondawave, an international nonprofit that creates healthier lives by increasing access to proper, effective care in rural Dominican Republic. Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts from La Salle University in Sociology and Criminal Justice and a Master's of Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Operations and Outreach Coordinator, UIF
Christine has over 25 years experience building relationships between organizations and individuals. She joined UIF in 2017 and serves as the Operations & Outreach Coordinator. In addition to supporting the Foundation's leadership team, she helps develop partnerships with area colleges, universities, and community-based organizations in Philadelphia. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Drexel University and spent 10 years as a Medical Sales Representative for Hoffman-La Roche, Baxter Healthcare, and Synthesis. Christine also founded "Transitions", a concierge personal service business that focused on interior home redesign, reorganization, and re-purposing solutions. She is a proud "sports" mother of two children, Alexandra and Sean, and is a PIAA trained Lacrosse Referee in West Chester.
Job Titles:
- Director, Technology Mentoring, UIF
Chris joined UIF in 2015. He graduated from West Chester University in 2005 with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Management and began his career in the medical devices (biotech) industry. A lifelong athlete, Chris has an interest in education, coaching, and mentoring. Chris began his duties at UIF with the Entrepreneur Mentoring Program. Through the foundation's access to technology and connections in education, Chris developed the Technology Mentoring Program. The goal of the program is to expose youth to emerging technologies through project-based learning and to support educators with technology integration. Chris leads a team of technology educators, science and engineering professionals, and recent university graduates.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, UIF
Job Titles:
- Director of Legal Affairs, General Counsel
Jeff is responsible for defining and implementing legal policies and procedures that strengthen the operation and effectiveness of the Foundation. He advises on a wide range of issues, as well as retains and supervises the work of outside counsel.
Since 2002, Jeff has litigated complex commercial matters, as well as performed transactional work for an array of national and international corporate clients. Jeff was ranked No. 1 in his law school class and went on to work for some of the region's best firms, including Morgan Lewis and Cohen Seglias. Jeff also serves as Vice-President and General Counsel at Provco Group, LLC, a Real Estate Development and Venture Finance Company in Villanova, PA. Jeff is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Founding Executive Director, UIF
John is the founding director of the Uncommon Individual Foundation. Prior to starting the foundation with Richard Caruso in 1986, he was superintendent of schools for twenty years in Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, Peabody College of Vanderbilt, and Teachers College, Columbia University.
He continues to run the Corporate Mentoring Program by designing curriculum, training mentors/mentees, and evaluating the mentoring process for corporations, schools, government, and multiple entities. His research shows that spontaneous or natural mentoring almost always works; structured mentoring is an attempt to create the most fertile environment for natural mentoring to occur.
John's book Built to Help Each Other: Mentoring in the Life of Richard Crusoe: An Uncommon Man (2019) shares the three cutting-edge systems of mentoring developed by his partner Caruso and how he started Integra LifeSciences, the groundbreaking medical company that produced the first artificial (real) skin for burn victims. More importantly, readers learn how mentoring really works and how to truly value both structured and natural mentoring to help themselves and others lead lives of meaning and purpose. For over three decades, with passion and perseverance, John has done what Richard asked of him: "Do for others what others have done for us."
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Technology Mentoring, UIF
Jon graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Temple University and joined UIF in 2017. With experience in robotics, programming, and teaching, Jon brings those skills into the classroom. As assistant director, he also assists with teacher and staff training, professional development, and day-to-day management of the technology mentoring program. Jon looks forward to supporting and growing the program, allowing students opportunities to explore technology and gain meaningful experiences in the process.
Since joining UIF in 2014, Joe and his team launched the Foundation's Entrepreneur and Technology Mentoring initiatives. During this time, they mentored over 70 start-up, several thousand elementary and middle school students, and created partnerships with universities and organizations across eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. With 25+ years of experience in the finance and education fields, Joe held executive lending and underwriting positions in the banking and insurance industry before being recruited by Rutgers University's Center for Organizational Development and Leadership (ODL) where he facilitated university-wide, six Sigma-based improvement initiatives. Joe also is a founding partner in SB Innovations LLC, a food science and product development company based in Buffalo, New York, and an Adjunct Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Rider University's Norm Brodsky College of Business.
Job Titles:
- Controller, UIF
- UIF As Controller
In 2018, Kathleen joined UIF as Controller. She has worked in the Caruso family business since 2002 when she joined The Provco Group as a Real Estate Accountant, responsible for the day-to-day activities related to tenants.
Kathleen received her B.S. degree in Accounting from Villanova University, earned her CPA, and worked for Touche Ross. In 1985, she joined The Glenmede Trust Company as an Accountant. During her 15-years at Glenmede, she held various positions including Senior Vice President and Controller, and was responsible for accounting, property management, and human resources. Kathleen resides in Wayne, PA with her husband Ed. They have two children Kiera and Liam.
Job Titles:
- Chief Communications Officer UIF, UIF REC Studio
- Expert Communication
Lucy is an expert communication-integration strategist, focused on messaging and story delivery across various media platforms including television, radio, social media feeds and the web.
Prior to launching the UIF REC Studio, Lucy worked as a reporter and anchor in Canada for CTV News in Ontario and Corus Entertainment. Lucy worked in Toronto - Canada's largest media market - for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), where she covered local and national stories. In addition to her accomplishments as a broadcast reporter and video journalist, Lucy worked behind the camera as a writer, producer, and editor.
Lucy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Ryerson University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Media Mentoring, UIF, UIF REC Studio
Mike is a graduate of Drexel University who brings more than 25 years of experience in many disciplines of Graphic Design to UIF REC Studio. He has worked in video production within the healthcare, nonprofit, and technology industries. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor at Delaware County Community College, where he teaches Motion Graphics and Digital Imaging. Mike enjoys sharing his design knowledge with the UIF community.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Youth Literacy Mentoring, UIF
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of College Readiness, OnTrack, UIF
Samira has worked in out-of-school programming in Philadelphia-North Philadelphia specifically-for the past seven years. Through this work, she has seen many students struggle to understand what is expected of them in the college preparation process. It is her intention to be a resource for all students and teach them the access points, tips, and tricks of preparing for college. She is passionate about making a difference in their futures through OnTrack. Samira received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies and Production from Temple University and a Master's of Education from Villanova University.
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator, Technology Mentoring, UIF
Sean joined UIF in 2018. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and delivers workshops to students and teachers focused on emerging technology. Through UIF's internal professional development, Sean gained proficiency in various STEM offerings. He delivers many of the 3-D printing and coding classes and handles the printing of 3-D models with students at the various schools supported by the Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of College Readiness, OnTrack, UIF
Shakia has worked in college access in Philadelphia and North Carolina for the past five years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master's of Education in Urban Education from Temple University. As a first-generation, low-income college graduate, Shakia understands the difficulty of preparing for, attending, and completing a post-secondary education. Through both professional and personal experience, Shakia aspires to help students envision their futures by motivating and equipping them with the confidence and knowledge necessary for life beyond high school. She's excited to mentor students through OnTrack-both online and in workshops.