Next Gen Committee
Hannah Bernard has been involved with ABC since high school, having had the opportunity to volunteer at Echo Park. After college, Hannah spent two years working in ABC’s central office as a development associate. Even though she left ABC to attend law school, she keeps its mission in mind every day, now working to represent Manhattan’s young people in criminal proceedings.
Leila Biederman was introduced to ABC close to ten years ago by Neuberger, where she currently serves as Deputy General Counsel, Private Markets. Leila has been volunteering with ABC since then and is deeply committed to furthering ABC’s initiatives.
Janelle Bradley has a deep personal connection to ABC, having attended Merricat’s from ages 2–5 and grown up watching her dad dedicate nearly 45 years to the organization. Through him, she inherited a genuine love for all children and has seen firsthand the impact of ABC’s programs on the families and communities they serve. Professionally, she has spent her career creating opportunities for people to connect over shared interests and challenges, and it’s been incredibly meaningful to stay involved with the ABC community as an alum and member of the Next Gen Committee.
Harmonie Coleman is a cultural worker fostering collective learning, joy, and justice. She specializes in community co-design, coalition building, participatory research, healing-centered practice, and workshop design and facilitation. She first became involved with ABC as the organization's inaugural director of the Dinkins Center for Equity. She currently works at NewComm as their Director of Learning and leads her own community engagement firm, withharmonie studio.
Maggie Andrew Edwards is Director of Social Media at Martha Stewart Magazine and has managed accounts for People, Yahoo, and Team USA. She first got involved with ABC as an attendee and volunteer at Thanks for Giving, and has since helped shape the organization’s social media strategy. Maggie is also an ABC parent whose son currently attends the Graham School.
Annie Feeney is a Vice President at KKR in the Finance group. She first became involved with ABC through KKR’s book fairs and holiday toy drives for the students at Cassidy’s Place and now helps organize these initiatives. Through visiting the school and spending time with the children over the years, Annie has seen firsthand the impact of ABC’s work and is proud to support the organization’s mission.
Arisa Hara was first introduced to ABC through her mother, who joined the organization via Project Hope. Through this, Arisa became involved with Camp Calvin, where she volunteered. Building on that experience, she later volunteered at Merricat’s Castle School, further strengthening her ties to the ABC community. Arisa is currently working as a temp at Industrious, gaining valuable hospitality experience. She hopes to pursue a career in event planning and event management, where she can bring her creativity, organization, and passion for meaningful experiences to life.
Kayla Hamot is a Vice President in the Finance department at KKR, where she became involved with ABC through volunteer initiatives including the annual holiday gift-giving program and spring book fair. Through these experiences, Kayla developed a deep appreciation for ABC’s impact on the community and its commitment to helping children overcome adversity. Giving back and volunteering have always been important to Kayla, particularly opportunities focused on helping children access the support and resources they need to reach their full potential.
Will Holtzman began his relationship with ABC as a Merricat’s student over 35 years ago. Since then, he has been involved in the organization in a variety of ways, from visiting his mom (who works at ABC) after school at Merricat’s and Cassidy’s Place, to volunteering with ABC’s afterschool program, to a (brief) stint assisting the IT team at Cassidy’s Place, to now being on the NextGen Committee for over ten years. Will is an entertainment attorney and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their two cats.
Teddy Nuttall has been fortunate to be involved with the ABC community since he was a kid volunteering on Saturdays. Touching many different aspects of the organization — from Thanksgiving drives, to the Vaccine Task Force, to running the 2024 NYC Marathon — Teddy holds a dear place in his heart for ABC. A recent graduate of Brown University and an analyst at Morgan Stanley, he looks forward to continuing to connect and grow with the ABC community.
Samantha O’Donoghue is a preschool teacher on the Upper East Side. She volunteered at ABC when she was in high school and loved the experience so much that she applied to work there after graduating college. Although Samantha is now working somewhere else, she has stayed involved in the ABC community as a volunteer. This November, she will be running the NYC Marathon for Team ABC.
Yardley Peresman is a Principal at Apollo Global Management on the Private Equity Portfolio Performance Solutions team and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. As native New Yorker, Merricat’s alum, and former Cassidy’s Place volunteer, Yardley is deeply committed to community service and to supporting ABC’s programming. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Ana Lorena Ramos is the proud mother of two Cassidy's Place alumni. She currently serves as the Treasurer of ABC’s Policy Council, which gives a voice to parents’ interests and concerns. Professionally, Ana is a private equity investor with over 15 years of experience.
Jamie Shedrofsky has been lucky to be connected to the ABC community since they were a kid and before they lived in New York City. The Next Gen Committee has been a constant as Jamie navigated a big change to becoming a social worker and therapist. Jamie loves working with teens and young adults who want to learn how to love and celebrate their unique minds.
Maya Sydnor became involved with ABC through her desire to support organizations that create opportunities and meaningful experiences for children and families. She currently works in supply chain as a buyer supporting various strategic sourcing verticals. Before pivoting to supply chain, Maya built her career in retail buying and category management, developing expertise in planning, vendor partnerships, and product strategy. She is excited to bring her organizational skills, business experience, and passion for community engagement to ABC and is proud to support the organization’s mission.
Looking to give back to your local community and meet like-minded people in the process. You could be our newest Next Gen Committee member!