About/Contact
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Our Mission
Wendy Chou – President
In her professional life, Wendy is focused on strategic marketing, branding and event planning. She is the President & CEO of CHOUmedia, a marketing and communications firm that partners with organizations in the intellectual property space to help them grow their businesses.
Wendy lives in Brooklyn with her 17-year old identical twin daughters and 15 -year old son. Her son and one of her daughters have Severe Type A Hemophilia, and Wendy and her other daughter are carriers.
Wendy can be reached at wendy.chou@nyhemophilia.org.
Bradley Schoenfeld – Vice President
Bradley can be contacted at bradley.schoenfeld@nyhemophilia.org.
Matt Porges- Treasurer
Matt has severe hemophilia A, which was diagnosed at birth. Matt attended hemophilia gatherings, including camps such as The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp as a child and teenager. As an adult, Matt has been involved with the hemophilia community to give back to kids and new hemophilia families.
Matt received a Bachelor’s of Arts at Brandeis University in 2000, a Juris Doctor from New England School of Law in 2004, and admission to the New York State Bar in 2005.
He lives in Brooklyn with his miniature pinscher (and top fundraiser) Rose. Matt is the captain of Team Good Blood, one of the top fundraising teams for the New York City Hemophilia Walk.
Matt can be reached at matt.porges@nyhemophilia.org.
Daniel has hemophilia and is very committed to giving back to the community. He has participated in NHF’s Washington Days, served on the NYCHC Gala Committee, and on the Governance and Finance Task Force.
Daniel can be contacted at daniel.kraus@nyhemophilia.org.
Kelly Anne Ambrosio, RN
Kelly is a Registered Nurse for the NSLIJ Health System. For the past eight years she has worked in high risk obstetrics, the emergency department, and currently works at NSLIJ Region Care, a home infusion company.
Kelly has a passion for helping others, and besides working as an RN, volunteers her time for the Lynbrook Fire Department Emergency Medical Company as an advanced medical technician, AEMT, for the past 10 years. Kelly currently holds associate member status in the Department.
Kelly is always willing to help and strives to become involved in the hemophilia community. She became involved in the first hemophilia Walk in 2006, and has been a top fundraiser for subsequent Walks.
Kelly, along with her husband and three children, live on Long Island. Her oldest child has severe hemophilia A, with inhibitors.
Kelly can be contacted at kelly.ambrosio@nyhemophilia.org.
Melissa Penn JD, MPH
Melissa Penn is a lawyer with an expertise in public health. She has spent her career in public service, from working with adults with developmental disabilities, to working as an attorney for the City of New York, and as the Administrator of the New York Blood Center’s National Cord Blood Program.
Melissa became involved with the Hemophilia Community after her oldest son was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A. To raise money for NHF, Melissa started the Hemophilia Walk in 2006 in Riverside Park, NYC, inspiring the National Walk Program which raised over $1 million dollars in its inaugural year. In 2008, to continue and expand he work the Walk had started, she founded the New York City Hemophilia Chapter, serving as its first Executive Director and later as the President of the Board.
Melissa received her undergraduate degree at Univ. of Massachusetts, law degree from Rutgers Law School, and her Masters in Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University School of Public Health. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and four children.
Melissa can be contacted at melissa.penn@nyhemophilia.org.
Sarah Asekoff Schapiro is employed by Nine Thirty Capital; a registered investment advisor based in New York that designs and manages customized investment portfolios for prominent families and institutional clients from around the world. Sarah is in charge of Communications and has been with the company since it launched in 2004. Sarah was previously employed for ten years by Jacobson Family Investments, Inc. (JFI), a diversified family investment company. At JFI, Sarah was responsible for setting up and maintaining the infrastructure of the company.
Sarah attended Rutgers University in NJ and she has a degree in Communications. She is involved in various organizations such as Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, and Temple B’nai Shalom. Sarah lives in West Orange, NJ with her husband and daughter. Sarah has become involved in the bleeding disorder community as she herself has severe hemophilia A.
Sarah can be contacted at sarah.schapiro@nyhemophilia.org.
Aliana Soto
Aliana enjoys giving back to her community and has served in a variety of capacities in non-profits throughout NYC as well as through internal employee networks. She has been a member of the New York Urban League Young Professionals serving them in many capacities including mentoring, fundraising, value proposition, growing and retaining membership, scholarship committee, and creating a new ambassador initiative. She was also a volunteer with Pets for Life (Formerly Safety Net) and the Humane Society helping low income NY’ers with resources to keep and maintain their pets. She was the Coordinator for the Homeless Shelter at her church which operated 5 days a week, providing beds and food to 10 women in NYC’s shelter system as a respite bed provider.
Aliana became involved with the bleeding disorders community as a way to support her nephew, a young boy with hemophilia. In addition to her role on the NYCHC Board of Directors, she is the Finance Chair for the Connect for Young Professionals Group at the National Hemophilia Foundation.
Aliana can be contacted at aliana.soto@nyhemophilia.org.
Staff
Jeremy Griffin – Executive Director
Jeremy joins NYCHC with over 15 years of professional experience leading growth for nonprofits. Most recently he served as the Senior Development Manager for the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) where he oversaw the creation and implementation of a robust individual giving program. He is adept at optimizing data analytics for organizational growth, has a proven, successful fundraising record and possesses deep ties to key influencers within the bleeding disorders community.
Jeremy can be contacted at jeremy.griffin@nyhemophilia.org.
Jeri Krassner – Manager
Jeri has served as the manager of the successful NYC Hemophilia Walk since 2009 and as the overall chapter manager since 2010. Jeri worked previously as office manager at the National Cord Blood Program of the New York Blood Center, and before that at Books for Kids and the Associated Press. Jeri has a Masters Degree in Fundraising from Columbia University. Jeri brings considerable organizational and administrative skills to her work with NYCHC and the bleeding disorders community and she looks forward to continuing to help the Chapter grow.
Jeri can be reached at jeri.krassner@nyhemophilia.org.
