The Taproot Foundation’s second office opened in October 2003 in New York. The office leads the Taproot Foundation’s national marketing practice and serves as the regional office for the organization’s efforts on the East Coast.

Staff
Advisory Board
Account Directors

Tanya is a successful social entrepreneur with a strong interest in public/private ventures. As the Senior Manager for Corporate Programs, she is responsible for creating a model for making pro bono work part of the ethic of corporate America. She manages our strategic partnership with Time Warner that serves as a pilot of our corporate programs.

Tanya, a New York City native, spent eight years prior to joining Taproot at the Children's Aid Society (CAS) developing innovative programming. As an administrator at CAS, Tanya was responsible for developing countless programs, most notably the Economic Empowerment Initiative (EEI), a financial literacy program for underprivileged families, where her ability to implement exemplary programming in a collaborative approach earned her the Annie E. Casey Award. In addition, she was instrumental in obtaining support from the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation as well as Deutsche Bank Foundation. Her nonprofit experience began at ASPIRA, where she administered and designed academic projects for at-risk Latino Youth. Tanya's business experience includes work as an analyst at MetLife.

Tanya is bilingual and holds her undergraduate degree in Sociology from New York University and a master's degree, as a Jacob Kaplan Fellow, in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from the New School. She is an alumnus of the Inroads program, co-chairs a corporate advisory committee and is on the Board of Minority Interchange. She was recently accepted into the Coro Leadership Class of 2005 in New York City.

Lara brings over five years of nonprofit program experience to the Taproot Foundation. As Senior Manager of Development, Lara works to ensure the financial stability of the New York office by developing ongoing relationships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other funding partners. Prior to her current position, Lara served as Senior Account Manager, managing Taproot Foundation's Service Grant program to deliver consistent, high-quality services to our grantees in New York.

Before joining the Taproot Foundation, Lara was a program coordinator for the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization assisting refugees and victims of oppression and violent conflict. Prior to that post, she was the administrative director for United States Servas and a research associate for the Institute for Urban Environmental Research. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for United States Servas. Lara holds a BA and MA from the George Washington University, with a focus on community and international development.

Blake brings five years of social marketing experience to the Taproot Foundation. As Senior Manager - Programs, Blake oversees the selection and successful execution of the portfolio of grants in New York - ensuring the delivery of consistent, high-quality services to our grantees and fostering a volunteer community of dedicated professionals. He is also responsible for volunteer recruitment and communications in New York and manages all grants related to Taproot Foundation’s corporate partnerships.

Prior to the Taproot Foundation, Blake served as a Campaign Manager at The Advertising Council where he led the creation of PSA campaigns addressing diverse social issues such as after-school programs, AIDS awareness and energy efficiency. He holds a BA from Wake Forest University.

Kandace brings seven years of advertising, marketing, project management and public relations to the Taproot Foundation. In her role as Program Manager, Kandace oversees the selection and successful execution of the New York grant portfolio, ensuring the delivery of consistent high-quality services to our grantees and fostering a thriving volunteer community of dedicated professionals.

Prior to joining the Taproot Foundation, Kandace worked as an Account Supervisor with J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in both the St. Louis and New York markets. She worked with a wide variety of clients in the retail, financial services and technology industries. Her duties included project management, media planning and brand management. Prior to JWT, Kandace worked with Fleishman-Hillard STL and as a Program Manager for tutorial services geared to inner-city students in the St. Louis Public School system. Her nonprofit experience includes brand development for the Boys & Girls Club of America and the creation of a program with the YWCA – Women to Work – which assisted drug rehabilitated individuals reenter the workforce with confidence. Kandace has a BA from Hampton University.

Pauline comes to the Taproot Foundation with a passion for the nonprofit sector and a strong commitment to social change. As a member of the program team, she is responsible for coordinating quarterly grant cycles and providing a high level of service to nonprofit applicants and volunteers. In her development capacity, she supports the Senior Manager of Development to ensure the financial stability of the New York office by developing ongoing relationships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other funding partners.

Pauline received a BA in political science from Hunter College, with a minor in philosophy. Prior to joining the Taproot Foundation, Pauline interned at the Vera Institute of Justice where she wrote a communications plan to promote Vera’s innovative research to child welfare agencies around the country. She also served as tutor and workshop facilitator at Kingsborough Community College, where she helped a predominantly immigrant population of students learn college level reading and writing skills. Pauline’s volunteer experience includes a role as Advertising Manager and Publisher Liaison for Logos Journal, a quarterly online publication.