The 40 Brooklyn Leaders Shaping Our Next Spark Prize

At Brooklyn Org, we’re proud to partner with community members to guide our grantmaking across the borough. One standout example of this is the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize Committee, and we’re excited to introduce you to the 2025-2026 cohort.

This year’s committee brings together 40 brilliant Brooklynites — artists, advocates, educators, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders — each with deep ties to our borough and a shared commitment to racial justice.

Committee members review hundreds of applications, interview finalists, and ultimately help select the five organizations that will receive our $100,000 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize.

Meet our partners helping to shape the future of the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize, and stay tuned as we share more about them on our social media in the coming months.

2025-26 COMMITTEE

Martin Bell

Partner at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett

Brooke Safford Cohen

Founder, BES Dwellings

Lisa C. Cohen

Founding Partner, Schindler Cohen & Hochman LLP

Isabel Cristo

Writer and Journalist

Bethany D’Meza

Fashion Stylist, Investor and Fundraiser

Kenneth Ebie

Founder and Principal, Ebie Strategies

Adina Erwin

EVP, Operations, Barclays Center

Sophie Ferrer

Independent Advisor

Amy Freesun

Interpretation Specialist

Lillian Goldenthal

Community Member

David Golub

Founder, Agentic Foundry

Helen Hadzismajlovic

Small Business Owner and Hairdresser, Bee + Malu Salon

Erica Hamilton

CEO & Founder

Meredith Hostetter

Clinical Psychologist

Melissa Jamal

Lawyer and Educator

Lauretta Joseph

Advocate

Deitra Mara

Strategy and Operations Consultant

Alison Maschmeyer

Community Activist/Philanthropist

Tamika Matheson

Educator

Gregorio Mayers

Professor

Lindsay McCann

Nonprofit Consultant

Salvador Muñoz

Artist

Robyne Walker Murphy

Arts and Culture Strategist

Amanda Sue Nichols

Attorney and Philanthropist

Angela Outlaw-Matheny

Sr. Executive Manager, Research and Investments; Pivotal Advisors

Lindsay Pizzi

Community Member

Melissa J. Prober

Attorney

Jenna Shapiro

Partner, Women’s Brain Trust

Harry Schiffman

LMSW

Esmeralda Simmons

Esq.

Anne Sperling

Vice President, Government and Community Relationships, NewYork-Presbyterian

Karen St. Hilaire

Chief of Staff at NYC DSS

Laurie Tamis

Non-Profit Advisor

Seble Tareke-Williams

Principal, Marchtree Group

Adrian Techeira

Community Member

Marc Wancer

Principal, School Investments at Equitable Facilities Fund

Jackie Wilson

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, BSE

Jessica Yager

Senior Director, Housing Justice Initiatives at the Center for Justice Innovation

Selin Zalma

Senior Partner and Managing Director at BCG