Our Approach
Our Team
LaKisha N. Williams is the Director of #DegreesNYC, a data-informed collective impact movement co-lead by young people to expand access to education in New York City. As such, she represents #DegreesNYC and Goddard Riverside on many groups, including the Government Relations and Human Relations Committees of the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling, the National College Access Network Policy Council, and the CUNY Rising Alliance. She serves on the Steering Committee of the New York State Poor People’s Campaign, as well as on its Coordinating and Faith Committees, where she organizes moral fusion direct action against systemic racism, poverty, militarism & ecological devastation. Recently, she was honored with the United Neighborhood Houses Award for Achievement in Civic Advocacy in recognition of her social justice work. Williams holds a BA from William Smith College and a Masters of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary of New York.
Rachel Bork is the Data and Research Coordinator at #DegreesNYC, where she leads and supports student-centered research focused on educational equity and institutional change. Rachel has worked alongside students, researchers, and community organizations on projects examining transfer student success, youth mental health, and the readiness of New York City educational institutions to support students through the Student-Ready Schools framework. Her previous work includes institutional research at Reed College focused on socioeconomic and racial disparities in a dual-enrollment program, as well as partnerships with grassroots nonprofits to design curricula, develop research projects, and author reports.
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Rachel is particularly interested in participatory research that is built with, rather than simply about, communities and that produces findings that are accessible, useful, and accountable to the people they concern.
Nia Wallace​ is the Coordinator of Advocacy and Community Voice for the Innovation and Justice Department at Goddard Riverside. In her role, Nia collaborates across Goddard Riverside's programs to support community advocacy and engagement with #DegreesNYC and the Amsterdam Houses.
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Nia is a Master's of Social Work graduate from Fordham University. She brings a well-rounded perspective to the systemic injustices and barriers that impact the lives of children and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), especially those with English as a second language. She has a rich and varied professional background, including experience as a mental health social practitioner at Fountain House, a case manager and family advocate at Safe Horizon Manhattan Child Advocacy Center, and a field organizer for a state assembly campaign. She also has international settlement work experience with Oxford House in London. Lastly, Nia interned with the Innovation and Justice department from January through May of 2026, where she developed a deep appreciation for the agency’s culture, mission, and brand promise.
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Denise Y. is the Administrative Assistant for the Innovation and Justice Department at Goddard Riverside. She returns to Goddard after spending four years at a corporate firm, where she gained new administrative skills and experience that she's excited to bring back with her.
Denise previously spent about eight years at Goddard, working in different programs from Day Care to Meals on Wheels and the Senior Center. Goddard has always been special to her because it’s part of the community where she lives and raised her family. Her children attended Goddard's daycare, so her connection to the organization has always been both personal and professional.
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She is excited to learn more about and contribute to the important work at #DegreesNYC with the Innovation and Justice Department. She looks forward to supporting the team, being part of its different projects and initiatives, and seeing the impact of the work firsthand.
Our Steering Committee
Co-Chairs
Gregg Betheil, President, PENCIL
Marcia Cantarella, Advisor to CUNY Black Male Initiative, educator, author, & activist
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Members
Alison Overseth, Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Afterschool Education
Allison Palmer, Associate Executive Director, New Settlement Apartments
Calvin Zhou, Data Fellow, #DegreesNYC Youth Council
Chad Franklin, Associate Vice President—Education Pathways & Director of The Options Center, Goddard Riverside
Ethan Milich, New York Communities for Change
Habibah Aldakak, Data Fellow, #DegreesNYC Youth Council
Lan To, Senior Consultant, Community Resource Exchange
Latiqua Washington, Deputy Director & Director of Postsecondary Access and Success Counseling of The Options Center, Goddard Riverside
Megan McAllister, Senior Program Officer, The Altman Foundation
Michael Partis, Executive Director, Red Hook Initiative
Nermen Elkallini, Data Fellow, #DegreesNYC Youth Council
Robert Rotunda, Executive Director, New York State School Counselor Association
Susan Matloff-Nieves, Vice President - Innovation and Justice, Goddard Riverside
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Our Organizational Partners*
*As of March 2021
Altman Foundation
Arch Forensics, LLC
Baruch College - Office of College Now & Collaborative Programs
Beverly L. Smith Empowerment Initiative
Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring
Bottom Line
Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM)
Bronx Documentary Center / Bronx Junior Photo League
CARA NYC
Center for Youth Employment
Children’s Aid
Classroom, Inc./Read to Lead
College Bound/ MMCC
CollegeSpring
CUNY Black Male Initiative
DreamYard Project, Inc.
East Harlem Tutorial Program
East Side House Settlement
Education Beyond the Core Consulting
Edquity
First Star CSI Academy
Friends of WHEELS
Futures and Options
Goddard Riverside Options Center
Good Shepherd Services
Harlem Educational Activities Fund
iMentor
Internationals Network for Public Schools
KIPP Through College & Career
Legal Outreach, Inc.
Mizz P. Post-Secondary Success Consulting, LLC
New Settlement Apartments
New Visions for Public Schools
NYC Department of Education/Office of Safety and Youth Development
NYU Metro Center College Prep Academy
OneGoal
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow
Partnership for Afterschool Education
PENCIL, Inc.
Phipps Neighborhoods College Access Program
Sadie Nash Leadership Project
South Asian Youth Action
South Bronx Community Charter High School
South Bronx Rising Together
Teens Take Charge
The Door - A Center of Alternatives
The Eagle Academy Foundation
The Education Trust-NY
The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation
The Opportunity Network
The Urban Assembly
uAspire
Urban Upbound
Young Invincibles
Youth Development Institute
YWCA Brooklyn
Our Data Co-Op & Learning Network*
*Members of the Data Co-Op come from the following organizations, as of August 2025:
#DegreesNYC
Advocates for Children
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Basta
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
Ed Trust—New York
El Puente
Empowering Minds for Tomorrow
ExpandED
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
Goddard Riverside Learning to Work
Goddard Riverside Options Center
Goddard Riverside Star Learning Center
Haydn Foundation
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Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI)
iMentor
Internationals Network for Public Schools
KIPP NYC - KIPP Forward
Legal Outreach Inc.
Mathematica
Mission Society of New York City
New Alternatives for Children
New Settlement
New Visions for Public Schools
NYC Outward Bound Schools
NYS School Counselor Association
OneGoal
PENCIL
Public Prep Network
Read Alliance
Student Leadership Network
Student Success Network
The Business Council
Transition Alliance
Working the Gap Initiative
YMCA