Our Team

MAMICHELO

Donate

Menu

Who we are
What we do
Newsroom
- Press Release
- Policy Updates
Resources
- Detained Immigrants
How to help
Contact us

Donate

Our Board Members

Yanet Candelario

PRESIDENT

Yanet Candelario

PRESIDENT

Yanet is the founder and president of The Mami Chelo Foundation, Inc. Before, she worked in business development for Colony Hills Capital, a private equity group. Yanet is Cuban-Canadian and is fluent in four languages — French, Italian, Spanish, and English. She is currently learning Romanian. Yanet completed the WIFT-T mid-career program in business management for media professionals at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an award-winning actress, producer, and writer. She received training in Cuba, Canada, England, and the United States — most notably at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in contemporary drama in London, England. Yanet has written, produced, and co-directed numerous plays, TV shows, and a few films. Yanet has completed the Basic Immigration Law Program at St. Francis of Assisi, for the Board of Immigration Appeals Accreditation. She also graduated from the entrepreneurship program at Harvard Business School. Yanet is currently preparing to take the bar exam in California. When she is not traveling, she spends her time between NYC and Los Angeles with her family and two dogs.

Email:[email protected]

Angel Aloma

Angel Aloma

Angel Aloma, President of Aloma Fundraising Strategies, has a passion for helping faith based and secular nonprofit organizations achieve their mission through proven fundraising strategies supported by the latest social science. Angel spent the last two decades as Executive Director and Chief Marketing Officer at Food For The Poor (FFTP), one of the largest international charities in the country. During his tenure there, Angel inspired the direct mail department to repeatedly break records – with a single newsletter tripling its performance to gross more than $1.3 million. His donor centric strategies doubled the net income of the lowest performing mailers by focusing on the psychology of the donor. And his approaches to donor stewardship grew the number of monthly givers for the organization by more than 200%. Angel served as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the DMA (now ANA), becoming one of the most respected presenters at almost all their conferences. Angel was a sought-after presenter at many other conferences, here and abroad. As a teacher of many years at Roman Catholic schools in South Florida and then in the nonprofit world, Angel’s desire to share his knowledge with others has always been his driving force. Angel has identified the framework and key pillars that elevated Food For The Poor’s standing as one of the most successful charities in the country. Now, Angel is poised to help more charities apply these techniques and achieve excellence in fundraising in order to generate inspiration and inspire generosity in their donors. Angel is of Cuban and Lebanese roots. Completing his primary education in Santiago with Spanish Jesuits. He continued his secondary education with American Jesuits in Jamaica. He went on to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in Canada at Assumption College (now University of Windsor) and a Master of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Angel and his wife, Denise, have been together for more than 50 years and are enjoying the warm weather and their beautiful family with nine grandchildren in South Florida!

Walter John Thompson

Walter John Thompson

Walter is a New York City is a private practice attorney, that provides legal services in criminal defense, civil rights, personal injury and medical malpractice to individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. He is the former Vice President of the Children's Tumor Foundation. John specializes in Civil Litigation, Divorce, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Real Estate Transactions, and Employment Law. Walter has a B.A in Literature from Columbia University, NY and graduated from Fordham University School of Law. He is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

Soraya Miré

Soraya Miré

Soraya Miré, Author of The Girl with Three Legs and an award-winning director, in addition to being a writer and activist. Her credits include a featured segment of The Vagina Monologues on female genital mutilation (FGM) and the award-winning documentary Fire Eyes, which highlights the barbaric practice of FGM. Fire Eyes was featured at the International Women’s Conference in Beijing, the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and The United Nations in Geneva. Miré’s activism has been recognized with many prestigious awards such as the “Humanitarian Award” at the United Nations Sub-Commission Sessions, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice “ Wi n n i e M a n d e l a Aw a r d , ” “ B e s t Documentary” at the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the “Human Rights Award” at the Third International Symposia on Circumcision at the University of Maryland, and Intact America’s “Personal Courage Award 2009.” Born in Somalia, Miré immigrated to Europe in 1978 at age seventeen. She lived in Grenoble, France where she studied literature and political science at the University of Grenoble. Miré left her studies in order to expand her mission to end violence toward women and children. In 1984, Miré moved to Los Angeles where she began her career in film by working in several production studios. At the UCLA Extension, while attending film school, she assisted professor and documentary filmmaker Douchin Gersi. Miré has demonstrated her persistence as she brings awareness, education and changes in policies and laws regarding the practice of FGM. She has appeared on Oprah, CNN and Nightline with Ted Koppel. Miré has lectured at Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, Morehouse College, UCLA, Vanderbilt University, Stanford University, Spelman College, Emory University, San Francisco State, Howard University, USC, Moorpark College, Mount Saint Mary’s College and Lesley University. Miré has stood before committees at the United Nations, the U.S. Senate Human Resources and Health Assembly and the World Health Organization. She has worked with medical professionals, government officials, and with women and families who have been affected by FGM, all in her tireless pursuit of protection of human rights for women and girls. Miré’s forthcoming book The Girl with Three Legs: A Memoir (Lawrence Hill Books, October 2011) is a dramatic chronicle of the personal challenges she overcame as a survivor of FGM, a firsthand account of the violent global oppression of women and girls, and a testament to the empowerment of women.

Karla Moreno

Karla Moreno

Karla is an investment professional at Avivar Capital with 8 years' experience in the impact investing and social finance fields. The focus of Karla’s career has been moving private capital into communities across the US and Mexico. In both her professional career and her advocacy work, Karla has an established track record of mobilizing unlikely partnerships within the private, political, and philanthropic sectors. Karla was recognized as one of Hispanics in Philanthropy’s Lideres in 2021. She earned her BA in Political Science at Saint Mary’s College with a concentration from the Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame.

Rev. Luis Octavio Huete Altamirano

VICE PRESIDENT AND FAITH BASED INITIATIVES

Rev. Luis Octavio Huete Altamirano

VICE PRESIDENT AND FAITH BASED INITIATIVES

Rev. Father Luis Octavio Huete Altamirano was born in Nicaragua. In 2005, he was ordained as a priest under the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Managua. Rev. Luis completed his studies at College Bautista and at College Fatima. He later attended the Institute Experimental Mexico in Managua, Nicaragua. Rev. Luis has a degree in Philosophy and Theology from the Catholic University of Nicaragua, where he focused on Ontology and the Primacy of Peter. Rev. Luis became a Catholic priest due to childhood experiences. After listening to announcement of the Kerygma, he discovered his calling, and felt immense compassion to serve the marginalized around the world. In his service to others, Rev. Luis has worked as a Parish Administrator, Secondary Academic Director, and as a missionary throughout Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala), Bahia, Brazil and Cicilia, Italy. Rev. Luis has also spent time doing pastoral work in different prisons. From 2005 until 2010, Rev. Luis was a Director and Administrator of the school, San Ignacio de Loyola. He was the President of the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Foundation and later served as a Parish Administrator of the San Mateo Evangelista Parish in Managua, Nicaragua. Rev. Luis collaborated with the Archdiocesan Commissions of Penitentiary Pastoral, University Pastoral, and Pastoral of Consecrated Life of the Archdiocese of Managua to serve the needs of the community. Since 2018, Rev. Luis has resided in New York. He collaborates with various Catholic entities, literary academies, nonprofit organizations and with the Spanish-speaking Community to help and support those in need. He is currently the General Director of Catechesis at St. Peter's Lutheran Church (SPC) and is a member of the Homeless Ministry of the American National Catholic Church (ANCC), in Manhattan. He is also the Cultural Ambassador for the Academy of Modern International Literature in New Jersey. Rev. Luis joins the team at the Mami Chelo Foundation in New York, to help immigrants within the community.

Ashvini Persaud

Ashvini Persaud

Ashvini Persaud has twenty years of experience in financial services, banking and insurance sectors. She is skilled at making strategic new connections for sustainable business growth and long-term business development. Ms. Persaud has worked closely with organizations as a business banking relationship manager and go to advisor to business owners. She has been awarded a business excellence award from NYC Business Solutions, has received an Honorary Citation from the State of New York and was nominated by NYC business solutions for Craine's 40 under 40. An Immigrant to the USA and twin daughter to immigrants, she hails from Guyana and has attended Queens College-CUNY as a foundation Scholar. She later attended Columbia University and Fashion Institute of Business and Technology, pursuing studies in social service administration, sales strategies and economics, respectively. Ashvini serves as an advisor on Finance and Real Estate Committees of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, Mami Chelo Foundation, Hearts of Change, GOPIO-CT, Grace Works, and non-profit virtual and pop-up community projects: International Museum of The Saree and Green Fashion, Art & Design Museum. She is a multicultural community artist, published poet in Tuesday Night Live and community promoter of upcoming children’s E-book, Kaieteur Teddy & Friends, inspired by multiculturalism and Oneness. Having lost dear ones to cancer, she is a fierce advocate of cancer awareness and early cancer screenings.

Adam Clayton Powell

Adam Clayton Powell

Adam Clayton Powell served in the New York City Council and in the New York State Assembly for nearly twenty years. Over the past ten years Adam has been lobbying and consulting. He founded POWELL SOLUTIONS LLC which does Government Relations & Business Development with clients in the private sector and in government. He also represents clients before the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) and the newly-created Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). With over thirty years experience, he has helped to navigate the complex bureaucracy of government agencies at the city, state and federal levels.

Collin Peck-Gray

Collin Peck-Gray

Collin Peck-Gray is a graduate of Williams College and experienced marketing professional. He has lead growth at MakeSpace and Care/of, two venture-backed consumer disruptor companies, and now works as the Director of Growth at Redesign Health, a venture capital firm in New York City that founds and funds new businesses in the Healthcare space. He also operates his own growth marketing consulting agency, helping retail SMBs grow their online sales.

Edward Oleschak

Edward Oleschak

Edward Oleschak, Producer , Cinematographer, Film Editor, Consultant and Visionary, is a state of the art 2D & 3D and spherical media producer with solid knowledge of the entire process of movie, documentary and commercial production and postproduction. Aside from formal education in Architecture, photography and Visual Arts, Edward’s wide range of training and experience includes; over six years as on- staff producer in the JDK Group practicing the art and technology of producing and distributing motion pictures, thirty years as a hands on independent film and media producer and head of his own production company, WORLD ENTERTAINMENT. He was accepted and has been an active member of the Producers Guild of America since 2002 and an Executive Member of the International 3D and Advanced Image Society since 2011. In his twenty-nine years of work in Hollywood, Edward had produced films and contributed his talents in projects starring famous artist such as Rinko Kikuchi, Bai Ling, Rod Steiger, Jerry Lewis, Joan Plowright, Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madson, Mini Driver, Phil Spector, Timothy Dalton, Kelly Preston, Nastassia Kinsky, Cheraldine Chaplin, Diane Baker, Mimi Rodgers, Tom Arnold, Scott Baio, Maedchen Amick, Desiree Nosbusch, Dieter Meier, Ulli Lommel, Coolio, Gino Vannelli, Patrick Swayze, Radha Mitchell, Tyne Daly, Sally Kellerman, Julian McMahon, Josh Lucas, Angus MacFadyen, Rod Taylor, Dina Merrill, Peter Dinglage, Michael Panes, Ethan Suplee, Julie Bowen, Rebecca Broussard, Ed Begley Jr., Harrison Young, Marc Lawrence, Rance Howard etc. His award-winning work contributed to get independent film projects to Sundance, Berlin, Worldfest Houston or Cannes International. Film festival. Studied Visual Arts and Fine Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Film Directing with Paul Grey (L.A.). Degree in Architecture from Technical University, Graz, Austria. Practical, creative, artistic education at all fields of intl. film/ TV-production including PR (Publisher and Chief Editor of monthly Magazin T1), writing, directing, (creative) preproduction, development, working budgets, graphic Edward later turned his creative attention to focusing on 3D and stereoscopic content creation. Edward works with leading professionals as a hub of international independent 3D developments, productions and distribution.

Marie Driscoll

Marie Driscoll

Marie Driscoll is Managing Director, Luxury & Retail at Coresight Research. She is a noted subject matter expert on fashion, luxury goods, retail, and sustainability, works directly with Coresight’s retail and brand clients, is frequently quoted in the press and speaks at industry events. She is one of Rethink Retail’s Top 100 Retail Influencers in 2021. Marie has served in key analytical and business development roles in leading financial research firms and was recognized three times in The Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street” analyst survey, including first place ranking in the Clothing & Accessories industry. Marie started Driscoll Advisors to provide consulting services to academia, industry, investors and non-profits. She has contributed content to The Robin Report, Sourcing Journal and ICSC publications and consulted with Shoptalk. As a thought leader, her contributions include white papers for CohnReznick, Luxury Daily and Deloitte’s Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2014, and content development at LIM College and Parsons, The New School. Marie joined New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 2016 where she is part of the Entrepreneurship Program at the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology. She is an adjunct instructor teaching Equity Analysis at CUNY’s Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College and teaches Funding Beauty & Fashion at Parsons.

Our Staff Members

Sally Pillay

DIRECTOR

Sally Pillay

DIRECTOR

Sally Pillay, is a native of South Africa who is an anti-apartheid and a progressive activist for immigrants rights. Sally’s commitment to immigrant rights began in 2008, baring witness to the impact prolonged isolation has on the psyche of immigrants in detention instilled in her a passion to continue to fight to end the incarceration of immigrants and asylum seekers. She obtained her MSW in International Community Development, with a focus in Human Rights and Social Justice. Sally believes that we all have a responsibility -moral ethical responsibility- when we see injustices that we to should stand up and raise our voices.

Email:[email protected]

Carlos Molina

GENERAL MANAGER

Carlos Molina

GENERAL MANAGER

Carlos has years of experience in the oil and gas industry, 11 years of experience in Risk Management, 9 years of experience in Security as well as experience organizing events for community services and nonprofit organizations through volunteering. He holds a diploma in Statistic Fundamentals and Operational Risk Management from the Latino-American and Caribbean University, Venezuela, a certificate in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) from Det Norske Veritas and Professional Competencies ISO 31000, also has a certificate in Industrial Engineer Mention Processes from the José María Vargas University, Venezuela and is the most recent studies he has obtained a master's degree in industrial organization and business management, carried out at the University of Seville, Spain.

Email:[email protected]

Luz M. Rodríguez

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, TEXAS DIVISION

Luz M. Rodríguez

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, TEXAS DIVISION

Luz María Rodríguez has been in Business Management and Billing Coordinator for over 10 years and in the Medical Field for 7 years she worked as a Medical Assistant and Obtained her Pharmacy Technician at South Texas Vo-Tech on McAllen, Texas. Luz María was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Mexico and she is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is the daughter of Immigrants that would travel to Chicago, Ill and her great grand father was contracted by the Railroad commission and that is how they obtained their citizenship. She also studied at South Texas College of Rio Grande City, Texas. She has done over 100 hours of volunteered at her local town with the Battered Women and Immigrants.

Email:[email protected]

Esther Montano

PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Esther Montano

PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Esther Montano born and raised in Brooklyn, New York is the proud daughter of an immigrant “Trinidadian” parent. Esther has an A.A.S degree in Networking Technology. Her activist years arose in 2013, as she bared witness the unethical actions against humanity within the privatized detention centers. Esther’s broad background and experience created a quality to communicate at all levels serving as an Acting Lieutenant and Officer with integrity in the detention center. From within the facility, Esther worked to make a positive change for those detained, providing compassion, being a ray of sunshine, and given people a sense of hope in a bleak dark world. Through these experiences, Esther is inspired to work and make a difference to change the infrastructure within the systems that oppress the human race, fighting for equality and fairness for all.

Email:[email protected]

Nala Gurung

EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR

Nala Gurung

EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR

Nala Gurung, is a passionate immigration advocate from Kathmandu, Nepal. She has experience in both the non-profit and legal fields in the U.S. and Nepal. Nala has witnessed at first hand and personally struggled with the complexities of the U.S. immigration system, which ignited her desire to help others in similar situations. After completing her undergraduate studies in Sociology and Political Science from Ithaca College in 2020, she earned her Masters degree in Human Rights from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2022; both degrees summa cum laude. She is currently on track to attend law school to continue to help immigrants navigate the legal system.

Joselin Pérez

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR AND ADVOCACY

Joselin Pérez

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR AND ADVOCACY

Joselin Perez was born in Honduras and migrated to the United States at the age of six. While leaving her country behind, she quickly adapted and is fluent in Spanish and English. Joselin is a committed activist in immigrant rights, as she has witnessed and experienced the impact of being a first-generational immigrant. Bearing witness to the injustices and unethical actions against humanity within detention centers, she is dedicated to helping others while sharing her own story. Joselin has worked tremendously to pursue her dreams and while attending Penn foster college with high aspirations of being a lawyer, she also has 14 years of experience as a master barber and has dedicated her time serving her community at local charity events.

Legal Advisor

Dilli Raj Bhatta

Dilli Raj Bhatta

Dilli Raj Bhatta is the founding member of Bhatta Law and Associates, PLLC. He has extensive experience in all phases of commercial transactions, litigation, and intellectual property law. Aside from commercial litigations, Mr. Bhatta advises and represents business entities on international trade and transactions, commercial arbitrations, contractual disputes, Intellectual Property matters, and Mergers and Acquisitions. He received his LLM degree focusing on Intellectual Property Law and Corporate Law from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Federal Court of the Eastern District of New York and the United States Federal Court of the Southern District of New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, American Bar Association, and New York County Lawyers' Association.

Español

Icon-facebook Instagram Twitter Whatsapp Linkedin-in

The Mami Chelo Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. EIN number 84-1868004
©2023 The Mami Chelo Foundation, Inc.

modal-check

DONAR

This will close in 20 seconds