Our
leadership

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Richard Berlin, founding Chair of DREAM Charter School, served as DREAM’s Executive Director since 1997 and became co-Chief Executive Officer alongside Eve Colavito in 2021. Mr. Berlin began his journey with DREAM as a volunteer baseball coach in 1994. During his tenure, DREAM has grown from a summer recreation program with one staff member to a thriving community-based organization recognized locally and nationally with numerous awards for programmatic and operational excellence. DREAM now serves over 2,000 youth from Pre-K to pre-college across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a growing network of inclusive, extended-day, extended-year charter schools and community sports-based youth development programs.

Mr. Berlin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and attended a Master’s Program in Political Theory at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England. Additionally, he has completed certificate programs at Columbia University’s Institute for Not-for-Profit Management in both Nonprofit Management and Leadership Development.

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Eve Colavito is the co-Chief Executive Officer of DREAM, a network of inclusive, extended-day, extended-year charter schools and award-winning community youth development programs in New York City. Eve has overseen the strategic growth of the organization, which now serves over 2,000 Pre-K through postsecondary youth across East Harlem and the Bronx.  

Before being named co-CEO in 2021, Eve was DREAM’s Chief Education Officer and drove the design and integration of the organization’s Grow the Whole Child model, rooted in academic and social-emotional learning, health and wellness, and family engagement. Eve’s 13-year journey at DREAM began as Director of Instruction, then as Head of School, where she led dramatic achievement gains and oversaw DREAM’s expansion to Pre-K and high school. 

Eve started her career as a teacher in Mmabatho, South Africa, before returning home to New York City to teach in East Harlem. She went on to become a founding teacher and director at Bronx Charter School for the Arts and eventually served as co-Executive Director alongside the school’s founder. Eve has a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education, and is a graduate of New Leaders.  She has served as a Trustee of MESA Charter School in Brooklyn, NY and is an Aspen Scholar.  Eve lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.

Chief Financial Officer

James DiCosmo, Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for leading DREAM’s Finance, IT, Administration, Facility, and Real Estate functions across the organization. James’s tenure at DREAM began by providing analytical support during the annual budget process, where he quickly saw DREAM’s positive impact on its young people. Prior to DREAM, James traded US Credit at Whitaker Securities, a boutique New York-based brokerage firm. James received his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Leadership Studies from Williams College.

Chief Strategy Officer

Katie Doctor, Chief Strategy Officer, provides organizational leaders with data and strategy tools that enable continuous improvement and strategic planning. She started her career as a high school teacher in Philadelphia, where she developed a strong belief in the power and importance of data-driven instruction. Prior to joining DREAM, Katie worked as a Network Performance Analyst for the Achievement Network, where she created data reports that were used by school and district leadership teams to improve student performance across a network of 350 schools. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Providence College and a Master’s Degree in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chief Operating Officer

Chief Advancement Officer

Maria Griffin, Chief Advancement Officer, leads DREAM’s Advancement Team and fundraising and donor engagement strategy.

Maria is a former public school teacher, political consultant, and fundraising consultant. As a Vice President at CCS Fundraising, a consulting firm specializing in fundraising and nonprofit strategy, Maria managed fundraising planning studies and campaigns for local, national, and international organizations, including George Soros’ Open Society University Network, UNICEF, KIPP Foundation, Partnership Schools, Texas Children’s Hospital, and the Fund for Public Health in NYC. Within the consulting firm, Maria led as Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and oversaw the firm’s pro bono strategic initiatives.

After starting her career in the classroom with Teach For America, Maria served as a political coach for over 30 candidates, where she worked with current and former teachers running for local office across the country. She has worked with a diverse set of politicians, ranging from candidates running for local City Council and State Assembly, and specialized in political fundraising, communications, and endorsement strategy. She previously served as Communications Director for civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson, where she managed fundraising and communications during his campaign for Mayor of Baltimore. A chief strategist on the campaign, Maria planned and executed large donor fundraising events that raised the campaign budget by 50%.  

Prior to joining DREAM, Maria worked at nonprofits Teach For America and Leadership for Educational Equity. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for Emerge New York, an organization that inspires women to run for office. A Brooklyn resident, she was raised in San Diego, CA but refined in Nashville, TN where she attended Vanderbilt University. She’s also a fan of Broadway musicals, Serena Williams, and local live music venues.

Chief People & Equity Officer

Kalila Hoggard, Chief People & Equity Officer, joined DREAM in 2014 to design and oversee the implementation of academic and SEL programming in the organization’s after-school and summer programs. She now leads the organization’s Out of School Time Program Team (afterschool and Summer), as well as the Social-Emotional Learning, College Success, and Health and Wellness Programs. After graduating from Columbia University, Kalila joined Teach for America New York and taught 3rd grade in the South Bronx. While teaching, Kalila pursued a master’s degree in Childhood Education. Since leaving the classroom, she has continued work in education through leading Youth Development Programs.

Chief Education Officer

Crystal Lane, Chief Education Officer, is responsible for building, developing, and leading our Network School Leadership Team including principals, curriculum leaders, and critical central staff. Crystal supports the strategic development of our School Leadership Teams and our Network Curriculum Team to ensure transformative academic outcomes for our youth. A Teach for America alum, Crystal started her teaching career at The Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science in the South Bronx. Crystal has worked in education for the past 9 years spending the last 7 years at Ascend Public Charter Schools. During her time at Ascend, Crystal served as a Humanities Teacher, Dean of Instruction, Principal-in-Residence, and Principal, leading the top performing middle school in the network. Crystal has a Bachelor’s degree from Villanova University, a Master’s Degree from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a Master’s Degree from Columbia University; she is currently a Doctoral Candidate for the Educational Leadership Program at The University of Pennsylvania. 

Chief of Staff

Alice Tan, DREAM’s Chief of Staff, leads the execution of complex, organization-wide initiatives and projects in close partnership with leaders across the organization and oversees management of the executive office, ensuring that the co-CEOs’ time is consistently focused on the highest priority areas and planned strategically. 

Ali’s career in education and youth development spans the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. She began her career as a high school English teacher and Director of Diversity at Deerfield Academy and served NYC middle school students and families as Assistant Director of the academic program and Director of Placement at Prep for Prep. Committed to advancing educational opportunity, equity, and systems-level change, Ali worked as a Senior Consultant in KPMG’s public and nonprofit sector advisory practice and grantmaker at a family foundation, where she first learned of Harlem RBI, now DREAM. At the NYC Department of Education/Fund for Public Schools and The New York Public Library, Ali led strategic initiatives, working with leadership and partner organizations to drive program development, fundraising, and communications for system-wide early childhood, after school, summer learning, and ESOL programs. Most recently, Ali served as Chief of Staff at Children’s Aid, where she served as key advisor to the CEO, providing leadership on mission-critical issues and initiatives, including organizational strategy, cross-functional activity, and board management, and co-chaired the Children’s Aid Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council.

Ali earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Managing Director of Operations

Naisha is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in the education sector, focusing on developing policies and implementing strong systems and structures that reflect the needs of children and families in the communities she serves. Holding a dual master’s degree in Public Administration and Social Work from Binghamton University, Naisha has established a solid foundation in both administrative leadership and social welfare.

Previously serving as Regional Director of School Operations at KIPP NYC, Naisha led initiatives to promote educational equity and operational excellence across multiple schools. Her career has been marked by a passionate commitment to advocating for change and empowering communities.

Naisha also holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Baruch College, enhancing her ability to lead and innovate within social service organizations. Outside of work, she finds rejuvenation through kickboxing and yoga, which reflects her dedication to personal well-being and resilience.

She is also actively involved in the Social Work Advisory Council at Binghamton University, contributing to the development of future social work leaders.

Managing Director of Advancement Strategy & Operations

Jessica Brenner, Managing Director of Advancement Operations, joined DREAM in 2012 to manage the organization’s special events. She is now responsible for driving the strategy and day-to-day operations of the development, events, communications, and operations teams to support the organization’s growth. Prior to DREAM, Jessica worked at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum where she built their special events and donor programs along with Mayor Bloomberg’s office. Jessica received her Bachelor’s Degree in Family, Youth, and Community Science with Minors in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Florida.

Managing Director of Elementary and Middle Schools

Elizabeth Dodge, Managing Director of Elementary and Middle Schools, is responsible for developing and leading a portfolio of elementary and middle school principals in order to drive exceptional outcomes for students, families, and staff.

Previously, as Middle School Principal, Elizabeth lead grades sixth through eighth at DREAM East Harlem. She displayed exceptional leadership of both her students and staff, demonstrating high teacher retention rates and increasing EHMS’s percent proficiency from 2021 by +13% in ELA and +26% in Math.

Elizabeth began her career teaching through Teach for America as a high school science teacher in Boston where she supported the development of grades 9-12 science curriculum. Elizabeth transitioned to DREAM in 2014 where she was a founding science teacher at the East Harlem Middle School. She continued to grow and develop as a leader at DREAM as she then became the founding STEM Department Chair and then transitioned to the founding Academic Dean. In this role, Elizabeth fell in love with adult learning, building capacity in others, and leading with excellence in mind. In 2018, Elizabeth transitioned to the Principal role and is now honored to be entering her fourth year leading her team. Elizabeth completed the New Leaders Emerging Principal Program and earned her Masters in Education from Boston University. Elizabeth is committed to be a lifelong learner, a lover of all things middle school, and a partner with all families here at DREAM.

Managing Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Adam Feiler, Managing Director of Curriculum and Instruction, is responsible for the creation, development, and distribution of DREAM’s curriculum and supports the training and implementation of the academic program within DREAM’s schools. Adam works with the Network’s Curriculum and Instruction Team to provide a constructivist, culturally responsive, and critically conscious curriculum that promotes academic rigor and educational justice for DREAM’s youth.

A Teach for America alum, Adam was a 4th grade teacher and instructional leader in Newark, NJ before becoming a Dean of Curriculum and Instruction in two elementary schools. Adam then served for five years as the Director of K-4 Curriculum and Assessment at Uncommon Schools, where he led the network’s 20 elementary schools to reverse the opportunity gap.

Before his journey in education, Adam worked in politics as an organizer on the Obama 2008 presidential campaign and as a pollster for members of Congress. Adam loves collaborating with other educators to share best practices to meet the needs of all learners, and has led trainings for district and charter school leaders and teachers in 10 states.

Adam has a Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, was an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at the Relay Graduate School of Education, and is currently a Master’s candidate at Johns Hopkins University’s Education Policy program.

Managing Director of High School and Leadership Development

Jared R. Francis, Resident Managing Director of Leadership Development and former DREAM Charter High School Principal, leads the formalization of DREAM’s leadership pipeline programs and builds a vision for mentor teachers who will support DREAM’s Teaching Fellowship. In addition, he drives leadership competency work and trains some of DREAM’s next-generation leaders. As DCHS Principal, he focused the work of DREAM Charter High School on developing highly-skilled and critically conscious young people.

Jared was recently selected as an inaugural participant in TNTP’s NY Charter PLUS program, a leadership development program for aspiring charter school leaders. Jared began his career working in after-school programs and later co-founded a secondary school in Brooklyn, where he served as a teacher and leader. Prior to joining the team at DREAM, Jared worked as the Assistant Principal at a turnaround charter school in Brooklyn. Jared holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from New York University. He is a graduate of the State University of New York, Empire State College, where he studied American Politics. He was raised in East Harlem and is a product of New York City public schools.

Managing Director of IT