2023-2024 Executive Board

Brian Ward

Co-Director of Partnerships

Brian is a third-year MBA/MPA candidate at NYU Stern and NYU Wagner, studying cross-sector partnerships and corporate human rights strategy.

Prior to moving to New York for graduate school, Brian was a Senior Consultant in Deloitte Consulting’s Government and Public Sector Practice, engaging with health and human services agencies to transform and modernize public services. Most recently, Brian joined TALEA Beer Co., New York’s first and only women-owned production brewery, as Chief of Staff.

Brian lives in Brooklyn with his partner and their chihuahua mix, Harvey. You are likely to spot him exploring the city’s parks with leash, coffee, and bagel in-hand.

Qianqian Zheng (Vicky)

Director of Communications

Vicky is a full-time second-year MPA-PNP candidate at The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, specializing in Social Impact, innovation, and investment(SI3). She pays attention to aesthetics and details and comes to SIIA so she can better help this organization increase its impact. She was born and raised in Shanghai, China, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Russian at Fudan University.

During her undergraduate, Vicky was the president of the Russian Club, where she worked to connect international and local students in cultural exchanges. She has participated in several international volunteer programs, including assisting rural education in Thailand and assisting in ESOL for refugees and immigrants in the New England area. Her field of interest is global food sovereignty.

In her spare time, Vicky loves trying new recipes and baking artisan breads in free time. She's also a licensed Chinese dance teacher.

Rachel Fleischer

Co-Chair

Rachel Fleischer is a part-time Wagner Student, specializing in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. She is entering her third year and looking forward to connecting new and continuing students to the many resources that SIIA can provide. She is currently working full-time at Solar One, a non-profit dedicated to solar education and workforce development, as the Director of Clean Energy Communities.

Previously, she spent six years working with climatetech startups at the Urban Future Lab. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati and spent five years working as a designer in the fashion industry before joining Solar One. She spends her free time drinking electrolytes and bullet journaling.

Nicole Jagernauth

Co-Director of Events

Nicole is a second-year MPA student at NYU Wagner, specializing in Social Impact, Innovation and Investment. Whilst pursuing her degree, she currently works at Bloomberg LP as a Sales Account Manager covering NYC based Asset Managers. Prior to this, she held the role of a Bloomberg Team Leader for 3 years, managing a Portfolio & Risk Analytics team. She also played a key part in promoting inclusivity for underrepresented Bloomberg employees through various DE&I initiatives.

Nicole currently serves as the co-chair for the BRC, Leadership Council, a non-profit that provides resources to those experiencing homelessness in NYC. Nicole holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Rutgers University Business School and is passionate about bringing more economic opportunity for low income communities of color.

Lee-Anne Andanje

Co-Director of Events

Lee-Anne is a full-time second-year MPA student at NYU Wagner, specializing in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. She was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to Wagner, Lee-Anne worked as a corporate banking graduate. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Pretoria. Her field of interest is financial inclusion. She is very detail oriented and comes to SIIA so she can better help this organization increase its impact and connect with like-minded peers and industry professionals. In her free time she works as a volunteer at the Andanje Foundation, which is focused on uprooting individuals and reducing the poverty gap in Kakamega, Kenya.

Loren Sass

Co-Director of Alumni Relations

Loren is a nonprofit professional specializing in development initiatives and strategy. She joined itrek as the Director of Development & Institutional Giving in June 2022, and stewards a $12M+ annual campaign. From 2017 through 2022, she served in various development roles at Gibney, a performing arts and social justice organization based in Lower Manhattan.

Loren began as the Institutional Giving Manager, and subsequently held the role of Senior Manager of Institutional Giving before transitioning to Deputy Director of Development, where she steered all aspects of the department, including institutional giving, individual giving, board management, and events.

Loren participated in the year-long Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel and holds a B.A. in Dance and Business Administration from Muhlenberg College, where she graduated magna cum laude. At NYU, Loren is an MPA Candidate specializing in Social Impact, Innovation & Investment, as well as a 2023-2025 UJA Graduate Fellow.

In her free time, Loren enjoys hiking and kayaking, and can often be found catching a theater or dance performance around the City (Let her know if you want to go to anything!). Loren lives in Brooklyn with her orange tabby cat, Sal, and is thrilled to join the SIIA Board this year.

Ivan (Xiaoru) Fang

Co-Director of Partnerships

Ivan (Xiaoru) Fang is currently pursuing his Master of Public Administration from New York University with a specialization in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. Most recently, he served as an Impact Measurement intern with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Prior to attending NYU, he worked as an Investment fellow at Origin Investment and DigitalDX, two venture capital firms focused on early-stage biotech/biopharma investments.

Ivan has also conducted independent research on the anti-poverty effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit program (EITC). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Andrew Garrett

Co-Chair

Andrew Garrett (he, him, his) is a tri-sector (public, private, nonprofit) strategist focused on leadership, culture, community and convening. He is passionate about belonging and rebuilding societal trust across social and sectoral divides through conversation, partnerships, arts participation, and civic engagement. Andrew is currently pursuing his Masters of Public Administration degree from New York University with a specialization in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment.

He is currently working for Cause Strategy Partners, and the Sorenson Impact Center. He volunteers as the Co-Chair of NYU’s Social Innovation and Investment Alliance and serves on the Associate Board for Covenant House New York. Andrew has 10+ years of experience as a theatre artist, administrator, and educator; 10+ years of hospitality and service experience; 2+ years of experience in mental health and youth homelessness social services; and is currently working in local government, B Corporations, and consulting.

Prior relevant work experience includes the US Conference of Mayors, Covenant House International, Fountain House, and New York Theatre Workshop. The professional experience that has most shaped him is facilitating New York Theatre Workshop’s Mind the Gap: Intergenerational Theatre Workshop. Teaching this program, which fosters understanding between elders and youth, sparked Andrew’s passion for community engagement and public service.

Outside of work, he enjoys the outdoors, spending time with his girlfriend, traveling, hosting parties, playing basketball, and the arts. Andrew grew up near Seattle, Washington and has lived in New York, Syracuse, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and London. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Acting from Syracuse University.

Devashish Taknet

Co-Director of Partnerships

Devashish Taknet is a development professional with a flair for sustainable finance and strategic partnerships. Holding a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Management from ISDM and a Bachelors in Commerce (Hons.) from the University of Delhi, he's a skilled navigator of the social impact landscape.

Recently, Devashish has contributed to diplomatic efforts, assisting Consul (Trade) at the Consulate General of India, New York. His accomplishments shine as Senior Manager for Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships at Barefoot College International, expertly managing $2.3M+ to empower rural women and children across India with sustainable livelihoods. Currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, his focus lies in social innovation and impact investment.

Devashish's leadership has garnered him esteemed recognitions, including the First Affirmative Financial Network's 2023 ESG for Impact Conference Scholarship and participation in the NYU Impact Investment Fund. He clinched third place in the NYU Stern CSB Sustainable Business Pitch Competition and received the 2023 Ellen Schall Experience Fund, showcasing his commitment to professional growth. His journey has been spotlighted in the documentary series 'Planeta A,' representing Barefoot College International. Outside of his professional pursuits, Devashish finds joy in sports like basketball, golf, and exploring new places.

Nirav Shah

Co-Director of Alumni Relations

Nirav is a second-year MPA student at NYU Wagner, specializing in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. Prior to Wagner, Nirav was an entrepreneur with experience in consumer goods and food tech. The brand rights to his first company, Jivi, were acquired by Amazon. This past Summer, Nirav worked in El Salvador as an Operations Consultant to Acceso, increasing the efficiency of their microlending program to smallholder farmers, during Acceso’s transition to a growth-stage social enterprise. He is passionate about measuring and scaling impact in organizations focused on food and sustainability. Nirav holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from NYU.

Faculty Advisor

Andrea Armeni
Director of Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment Specialization

Andrea Armeni is Associate Clinical Professor of Social Finance and Public Service and Director of Social Impact, Innovation & Investment at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Transform Finance, a non-profit research, education, and implementation partner that supports investors and social change actors to challenge legacy investment approaches, seed transformative investment models, and build movement power.

A corporate lawyer by training, Andrea has spent the last decade exploring how capital can be made more just and equitable and how social change can be achieved both in and through finance. His current explorations focus on distributed governance mechanisms at the enterprise level as a fairer alternative to shareholder primacy.

He is the co-author, most recently, of “Grassroots Community Engaged Investment: Redistributing power over investment processes as the key to fostering equitable outcomes” and “Addressing Capital's Effects on Racial Justice: How investments drive injustice and what investors can do about it.” Andrea’s NYU Wagner course on finance and social justice received the 2021 Award of Excellence from the Financial Times and the Impact Finance Faculty Consortium.

Andrea holds a B.A. in analytic philosophy from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from the Yale Law School.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaarmeni/

Previous Executive Boards

2022-2023

Alexandra Kotis, Andrew Garrett, Annie Schonberger, Ben Goodwin, Devashish Taknet, Ellie Kiernan, Felipe Ramirez, Lamba Najib, Madison Friedman, Nirav Shah, Serena Desai and Tyler Rice

2021-2022

Alexandra Kotis, Annie Schonberger, Emily Farley Chang, Felipe Ramirez, Hilarina Casie Chitty, Jordana Grunfeld, Juan Junca, Kyle Roland, Madison Friedman, Serena Desai and Tyler Rice

Newsletter + Membership

Keep in touch for the latest SIIA events by subscribing to our newsletter!

Want to be a SIIA member at large? Sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be invited to our bi-annual community meetings.

2023-2024 Executive Board

Faculty Advisor

Andrea Armeni Director of Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment Specialization

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Newsletter + Membership

Keep in touch for the latest SIIA events by subscribing to our newsletter! Want to be a SIIA member at large? Sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be invited to our bi-annual community meetings.

Andrea Armeni
Director of Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment Specialization

Keep in touch for the latest SIIA events by subscribing to our newsletter!

Want to be a SIIA member at large? Sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be invited to our bi-annual community meetings.