Governance

Juliet Cullen-Cheung is President of Steiner NYC, the real estate development arm of Steiner Studios, the 50-acre film and television facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she oversees real estate development and residential property management.

Prior to joining Steiner in 2006, Juliet worked with the City of New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development for five years in affordable housing finance and redevelopment.

She holds an MS in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a BA in Visual Art and Anthropology from the University of Chicago. As a parent of twin students in the network, with experience on several neighborhood boards, including Community Board 2, and having earned an International Baccalaureate diploma through the Chicago Public School system, she shares an affinity with the principles of Brooklyn Prospect Charter School.

Joanne, an Afro Latina from Washington Heights, is currently the Director of Diversity Initiatives at New York University (NYU). 

She directs an array of programs and services to support students with career exploration, planning, and development. She maintains relationships with campus, employer and global partners to expand the professional prospects of NYU students. Joanne previously lived abroad for 7 years and worked in learning and development. Her higher education experience in the areas of admissions, recruitment, enrollment management, and operations includes Columbia University, INSEAD Business School, Murdoch University and St. Thomas Aquinas College. Joanne has an MA in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College, a BA in Architecture from Barnard College, a Professional in Human Resources Certificate from the HR Certification Institute and is fluent in Spanish.

Maya Petrocelli lives in Brooklyn, which she has called home for over a decade.

Maya is the founder and principal at Petrocelli Law, PLLC, a law firm that represents clients across various industries with a focus on commercial litigation and general business disputes, as well as Article 78 proceedings against various government agencies. She is a member of the bar in New York. Maya received both the Rising Star and Super Lawyer awards from Super Lawyers NY Metro, as well as the Power Women in Business Award from Star Network. Maya has a JD from Suffolk University Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston College.

Michelle Ramírez is a physician specializing in pediatric intensive care.

She practices in the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center and divides her time between the clinical care of the sickest pediatric patients, teaching and training future physicians and conducting clinical research. Michelle was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland United Stated to complete her undergraduate studies at Tufts University in Medford, MA. She returned home to begin her medical education at the University of Puerto Rico and then went on to Florida for her general pediatrics residency training at the University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, before settling down in New York to complete her training in pediatric critical care at the Weill-Cornell/New-York Presbyterian Hospital. In the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria to her native Puerto Rico, Dr. Ramírez joined a new formed non-profit organization founded by female physicians. She is currently the Disaster Relief Director of said organization, Puerto Rico Rise Up, where she continues to work with low income and in need communities on the island.

Sara Keenan is the Managing Director of the Charter Network Accelerator, a national program that supports leadership teams of small charter networks in building the foundation they need to grow with quality.

Sara joined Achievement First in 2008 and worked there for 5 years as the VP of Leadership Development. In that capacity, she managed the professional learning for principals, created leadership pipeline programs, and strengthened the network’s talent strategy and practices. Before working at Achievement First, Sara was a high school English teacher in Wisconsin, a middle school English teacher in Chicago, and a coach, supporting New York City teachers on integrating technology and media into their classrooms. Sara is an alum of Education Pioneers and the Broad Residency. She received her undergraduate degree in English Education from the University of Wisconsin and a masters degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. Sara and her husband, Vance, live in Brooklyn with their two kids.

Angela Kurzawa lives in Brooklyn with her husband Adam and their three sons, who currently attend 3 different divisions of Brooklyn Prospect Charter School, elementary, middle and high school.

Angela has spent the last decade working as a family advocate for multiple schools. She started as a Grade Level representative when her oldest began 6th grade at Windsor Terrace Middle School and has continued to volunteer her time and resources to helping advocate for all families within the network of Prospect Schools. She is currently the Founding President of the PTSO at Sunset Yards Elementary School.

Angela enjoys being a small business owner. She explores her creative side through her fiber arts boutique and loves supporting her clients as a wellness coach.

Sagar Desai is a continuous learner who brings more than 15 years of experience in improving education and economic mobility outcomes, having worked with nonprofits, for-profits and NGOs in start-up, scaling and sustaining roles. He is currently an Executive Coach and Senior Consultant for Nonprofit Leaders and Organizations helping clients move towards their hoped-for future and impact.

Previously Sagar was the Managing Director of innovation at StriveTogether, where he built and scaled training programs for community leaders to transform systems in service of more equitable outcomes in communities across the country. Prior to StriveTogether, Sagar was a senior consultant with Ballmer Group, where he built and executed a national strategy to attract and prepare more racially diverse and proximate leaders to work in community partnerships, investing $35 million in national training and fellowship organizations.

Prior to Ballmer Group, Sagar served as a managing director and COO for the Commit Partnership in Dallas. The Partnership is the largest educational intermediary in the country: a coalition of more than 200 organizations serving 750,000 students. In 2019, Sagar launched a statewide campaign to systemically reform how Texas funds public education, resulting in a $6.5 billion increased investment in public education. In addition, he has incubated and scaled regional coalitions to systemically and equitably improve educational outcomes, helping to ensure that every student has an effective educator and that every student graduates college and career ready .

Sagar received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. He currently sits on the Board of Govern for America and Brooklyn Prospect Charter Schools.