Having been in the for-profit sector for over ten years, Beverly joined BUILD after witnessing BUILD’s impressive student entrepreneurs at the 2013 Gala.  Beverly currently leads the National Talent Team and brings her passion for equity into her daily work and connections with BUILDers across all of our regions.

Beverly lives in the San Francisco, Bay Area with her husband, three children and cat.  When not supporting our team with the important work, she enjoys watching competitive sports, learning about different cultures, trying new recipes and spending time outdoors.

Dianna Nguyen is the Junior Staff Accountant at BUILD. She handles account payable activity and trains BUILD staffs on the most effective ways to use Concur. Prior, she was a part of San Jose Grant Thornton Audit team. Dianna had experienced in teaching and working with students during her years in college as a Supplemental Instructor at San Jose City College. She was a member of BAP, a prestigious Accounting Club running by students where she gained an insight Accounting. She also worked at The Health Trust and Bank of America. Dianna is a proud Spartan, graduated from San Jose State with a Bachelor degree in Accounting.

She always believes that “success doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”.

Liz has been with BUILD since the spring of 2018 and is currently the Development and Program Systems Manager, helping to manage fundraising, student data collection and analysis, and social media/communications. Previously employed by Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts and Arlington Free Clinic, Liz has always had a passion for helping others and working for organizations which put people at the center. She was initially drawn to BUILD because of its mission – helping underserved youth recognize and harness their potential for greatness – and continues to be blown away by the affect BUILD’s programming has on students’ personal growth. In her spare time, Liz refinishes old furniture, volunteers at the local dog shelter, and cheers on her Boston sports teams. Liz graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Studio Art and Family Life Cycle Studies.

Felicia serves as the Development and Communications Manager to the CEO where she leads communications and thought leadership initiatives to elevate BUILD’s presence as a leader in the fields of equity, youth entrepreneurship, and education.

Julie brings her passion for visual storytelling, entrepreneurship and digital design to her position as the National Communications and Marketing Manager. She uses her positive energy and strategic digital tactics to bring the spark to BUILD’s national communications plan, digital campaigns and video production.

Julie comes to BUILD after working with the United Nations as a digital content analyst/video producer where she produced, edited and shot promotional videos in Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Hawaii to spotlight grassroots organizations and local sustainable development solutions to be showcased at the UN Climate Change Summit. Julie’s passion for entrepreneurship comes after co-founding the nonprofit organization, Design Xchange in 2019, a startup providing training to Ugandan social enterprises in digital communications. While working in Liberia as a Visual Storytelling Consultant at the nonprofit Accountability Lab, Julie developed her interest for nonprofit communications while producing digital marketing content promoting accountability and exposing corruption.

Julie first developed her passion for education as a teacher during her 2 year Peace Corps service in the small village of Zvan, Macedonia. Julie’s love for teaching only grew while teaching internationally in Morocco and Myanmar in the years following her Peace Corps Service. Julie completed her MPA in Development Practice at Columbia University with a specialization in Technology, Media and Communication. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design with a minor in Film Production from the University of Virginia.

Nitita currently serves as the National Manager of Data Systems and Evaluation supporting regions with data management and reporting in Salesforce and leading national evaluation projects to measure student impact and growth. Nitita was one of the founding staff members of BUILD Boston as an AmeriCorps service member and later became the College Access Program Manager. When she moved to New York, she had roles as the Operations & Human Resources Manager at a Brooklyn charter school, Strategic Data Facilitator at New Visions for Public Schools, and Senior Data Analyst at NYU Langone Hospital before she returned to work for BUILD National. She has dedicated her career to using data and technology to support youth and communities. Nitita is also a certified ESL teacher and children’s yoga teacher. As a first-time mom, she doesn’t have much free time, but if she did she would run long distances while listening to audiobooks and start training for her next half marathon. Nitita says, “I choose to be a BUILDer because the BUILD team tirelessly and passionately always put students at the center.”

Pepper Hayes loves to crunch numbers and look for patterns in data. She uses these insights to coach BUILD’s development teams to raise the funds we need to support BUILD students. As Director of Development Operations and Communications she maintains our infrastructure for fundraising operations and oversees donor communication and stewardship. As an entrepreneur herself, Pepper knows first-hand how empowering the experience can be and was immediately drawn to BUILD’s mission, which inspired her to leave her career in law in 2014 to join the BUILD team. Pepper is an enthusiastic cat-lover and blogs about her knitting adventures in her spare time. She holds a BA in History, Philosophy, and Gender Studies from Westminster College and earned her JD at the Boston University School of Law.

Ryan joined the BUILD family in 2016, stepping into her current role in 2018. She is responsible for gift processing and helps manage BUILD’s donor database. Ryan works closely with Pepper Hayes to develop data and tools that grease the wheels of BUILD’s development team.

Originally from Austin, TX, Ryan now lives with her husband near BUILD headquarters in Redwood City, CA. She earned a BA in Sociology from Eckerd College in 2015. Education has been a guiding beacon of her professional and volunteer efforts. Serving as a math and statistics tutor through high school and college, Ryan found that thinking outside the box with her teaching style helped transform even fervent math-haters into A+ students. As someone who fell through the cracks early in school, Ryan is immensely grateful to have found an alternate path to education that reignited her love of learning. She is proud to draw on her own experience and is determined to support those with diverse paths to achieve their education goals.

Steve Mea joined BUILD in 2016 and currently serves as Operations Manager for the National Shared Services team. In this role, he supports our organization by keeping tabs on our technology, government filings, insurance coverage, external vendors and contractors, and student program operations. Before stepping in to this position, Steve was a member of the Boston Program team as a Youth Engagement Coordinator and Student Experience Program Manager, in which he supported students, teachers, mentors, and staff in all aspects of the BUILD program. Prior to his time with BUILD, Steve worked for the Germantown Historical Society in Philadelphia and led educational tours of historic homes for 4th and 5th graders. Steve attended Millersville University of Pennsylvania where he studied History and Governmental & Political Affairs, and currently resides in Philadelphia with his Fiancé, rabbit, and two cats. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the drum kit for his band at local Philly-area venues.

“I BUILD because of the incredible impact the program has on students, school communities, and families. I saw this first hand as a member of the Boston Program team, and am fortunate enough to continue this work remotely in Philadelphia. An education in business provides a young person with 21st century skills that their normal course load does not have the time to cover. It empowers them to realize their dreams, and graduate from high school with a vision for the future.” -Steve Mea

Virginia Duke is proud to be in her sixth year as part of the BUILD family. She currently serves as BUILD’s National Manager of Systems Improvement and Knowledge Management, a role that draws heavily from her previous positions as both a grant writer and program manager, teaching BUILD juniors in Oakland how to run their own businesses and prepare for the college application process.

Prior to BUILD, Virginia taught English in Nepal on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant fellowship and taught eighth grade math in rural Alabama through Teach for America. Born and raised in Montana, she is a 2011 University of Oklahoma graduate (Boomer Sooner!). Virginia lives in Austin, Texas, is an avid reader, and is writing her third novel.