Get to know the 41 members of Leadership Philadelphia’s 2021-2022 Keepers cohort

Philadelphia is rife with young leaders doing the work necessary to create a more equitable and inclusive city. Civic-minded professional development nonprofit Leadership Philadelphia is supporting their work — and encouraging them to stay for the long haul — by connecting those young leaders to some of city’s most prominent institutions and established leaders, and to each other.

Since launching its annual Keepers program in 2015, Leadership brings each invite-only cohort education, mentoring and networking opportunities over seven months. Repeat presenters at program meetings include Mural Arts founder and Executive Director Jane Golden and Philadelphia Eagles President Don Smolenski.

Keeping in line with last year’s cohort of 42 Keepers, this year’s group features 41 professionals, about two-thirds of its size before the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, last year’s cohort met mostly in a virtual capacity over seven months.

Leadership Philadelphia Executive Director of Engagement Jacqueline Lewis told Technical.ly this year’s cohort will use a hybrid model, with the first class being virtual, followed by optional in-person receptions. This year’s group will also get the chance to visit Lincoln Financial Field this fall, with future in-person experiences to be announced as health standards allow.

Keepers in this year’s cohort represent local creative professional brands like REC Philly, institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, nonprofits, city government and more. Technologists are well represented in this year’s cohort, with several Comcast employees participating and a Keeper representing Jarvus Innovations, whose CTO and past Keeper Chris Alfano designed the app that last year’s cohort used to stay in touch.

Members of Keepers’ class of 2019 at the Linc. (Courtesy photo)

Here’s the full 2021-2022 cohort:

• Alyssa Al-Dookhi, head writer, First Person Arts
• Martin Alfaro, director of business development, Al Día News
• Brian Balduzzi, trusted tax and estate planning attorney, Faegre Drinker
• Amanda Colon-Smith, director of community engagement, Rebuild, City of Philadelphia
• Rasheed Ajamu Davis, neighborhood advisory committee coordinator, South Kensington Community Partners
• Margaret DeWyngaert, associate director of annual giving, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
• Brianna Fletcher, associate producer QVC
• Elizabeth Frantz Director, housing and commercial real estate lending and market leader, Philadelphia Reinvestment Fund
• Will Freske, class giving director, University of Pennsylvania
• Nick Hand, director of finance, policy and data, City of Philadelphia Office of the City Controller
• AnAn He, senior full stack developer, Comcast
• Rachel Henry, executive assistant, One Day at a Time
• Christina Hernandez, deputy chief of staff, City of Philadelphia
• Chris Hupfeldt, agency director, REC Philly
• Ali Jaffar, founder and CEO, Key Medium
• Kat Jost, director, project operations Jarvus Innovations
• Elby Katumkeeryil, director of programs, Prevention Point
• Isaac Lief, manager of strategic initiatives, City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health
• Teresa Lundy, principal and founder, TML Communications
• Brynn MacDougall, director of development, Philadelphia Legal Assistance
• LaDeshia Maxwell, deputy Southeast regional director, Office of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
• Silvia Moreno Puentes, senior manager of software development and engineering, Comcast
• Dan Mozes, corporate and securities associate, Dechert LLP
• Savannah Mudd, senior loan administrator, PIDC
• Shane Nelson, support coach, Community College of Philadelphia and managing partner and cofounder, Reify Solutions, LLC
• Lauren Niesz, product manager, Comcast
• Robert Nonemacker, events & special projects manager, City of Philadelphia Office of the City Representative
• Senzwa Ntshepe, cofounder, Elivade
• Simone Partridge, director of communications, Read by 4th
• Adit Patel, software development and engineering, Comcast
• Steve Paul, Pennsylvania director, State Innovation Exchange
• Kenyada Posey, housing specialist, Family Service Association of Bucks County
• Nishant Rastogi, VP, New Rhein Healthcare Investors
• Siria Rivera, executive director, Providence Center
• Holly Rodgers, acute care nurse practitioner, surgical ICU, VA Medical Center
• Mike Sneed senior manager of data and analytics, Comcast
• Phil Spence, strategic partnership manager, Healthmonix
• Ananya Srinivasan, software development and engineering, Comcast
• Andrew Sy, analyst, Franklin Park
• Tara Tomasko, marketing operations specialist, OSIsoft
• Sarah Yeung, founder and principal, Sojourner Consulting