Our Team

Lisa Brown, Board Chair, is an illustrator, author, designer, and cartoonist. Her award-winning picture books for children include The Airport Book, Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert, Emily’s Blue Period by Cathleen Daly, and The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming by Lemony Snicket. Her writing and illustration has been published in a variety of publications, including NPR, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Lucky Peach, and The New York Times. She has been joyfully involved in 826 Valencia since its founding; as a donor, field trip illustrator and leader, workshop instructor, and publication contributor. Lisa teaches in the Illustration Department of the California College of the Arts. She received a BA in Humanities from Wesleyan University and an MS in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in New York City.

Ambar Bhattacharyya is a Managing Director at Maverick Ventures, a $400m venture capital fund based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Maverick, he was a Vice President at Bessemer Venture Partners. Ambar began his career at Bain & Company. He also served as assistant to the CEO at MinuteClinic, where helped the company grow its national footprint prior to its acquisition by CVS. Ambar holds an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in economics and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Ambar previously served as a board member for the Bay Area Board of Generation Citizen and UP Academy in Boston and Dorchester. Ambar has been selected by the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper and as one of the top 50 individuals in digital health by Rock Health in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he was also selected to be an advisor to the California Healthcare Foundation Innovation Fund.

Liza Ramrayka is a social justice journalist with over 25 years of experience working for online and print media. A freelance features writer, columnist and commissioning editor for outlets including The Guardian, HuffPost and NewsDeeply, much of her work explores aspects of social exclusion, and aims to amplify the voices of marginalized communities. An early pioneer of solutions journalism – which uncovers effective responses to social problems – Liza writes about refugees and migration, equality, and diversity. She is also a journalism mentor, media skills trainer and editorial consultant. A board member at Children’s Day School, she is passionate about how education, and writing in particular, can connect students to their wider environment. Liza holds a BA in English and French literature and language, and a post-graduate diploma in journalism. Originally from the UK, she now lives in San Francisco with her partner, children Ella and Jake, and their beach-loving rescue pup, Biscuit.

Tom Bochenek is a former Managing Director of Wells Fargo Bank, where he led finance and administration for several business units, including Business Banking. Tom has worked with community organizations on long-term planning, funding diversification, and operational strategy. Through The Acceleration Project, Taproot Foundation, and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center, he has provided pro bono consulting to nonprofits and small businesses in underserved communities, focusing on financial sustainability and growth. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Tom lives in San Francisco with his wife; their two children grew up in the city before heading off to college.

Beth Borchers is a lifelong educator whose experience ranges from teaching high school English to elementary science. She first connected with 826 Valencia as a volunteer and has witnessed its powerful impact on students both in the classroom and at the Centers. Passionate about closing the education gap, Beth has served on several nonprofit boards, including as chair of The Athenian School. She is thrilled to join the 826 Valencia Board and continue supporting young writers. Beth holds a BA in Secondary Education & English from Boston College.

Bill is co-CEO at Mission North, a strategic communications firm serving the technology and life sciences industries. He has more than 25 years of experience advising technology companies at every stage — from stealth to Fortune 50. Bill specializes in helping companies navigate major moments of inflection and transformation with integrated corporate communications programs designed to grow reputation equity and create new categories. When he’s not advising clients, Bill focuses on developing Mission North’s award-winning culture and leading the agency’s corporate philanthropy program E3thos. He is a frequent commentator and contributor on the future of technology, media and communications. His articles have been published in Adweek, Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch and VentureBeat.

Ipek S. Burnett, Ph.D. is a Turkish-American author who provides a psychological critique of social, cultural, and political issues.

Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Ipek came to the United States to get a bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Modern Culture & Media and International Relations. She received her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies. She has a doctorate degree in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Ipek is the author of A Jungian Inquiry into the American Psyche: The Violence of Innocence and the editor of the upcoming volume Re-Visioning the American Psyche: Jungian, Archetypal, and Mythological Reflections. She is a contributing writer at CounterPunch and author of two published novels in Turkey.

Ipek serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations and foundations that specialize in social justice and human rights. She is the Co-Chair of Human Rights Watch’s Executive Committee in San Francisco.

Bianca Catalan is an 826 alum who started participating in 826 programs when she was a 7th grader at Everett Middle School. Since then, she has participated in various other programs, been on staff, and served on our Alumni Board. She is currently the Director of Engagement of San Francisco University High School, where she attended as a student. She is also a board member for San Francisco Youth Theater.

Shikha Paul Donde is an attorney with over 17 years of in-house experience at technology companies, specializing in Ethics and Compliance. She earned her degree in Political Science with a minor in Law and Society from UC San Diego, and her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. As a mom to two sons growing up in San Francisco, Shikha knows firsthand how transformative writing skills can be for young people. She’s thrilled to support 826 Valencia’s work empowering students to tell their stories, build confidence, and write their own futures—because when kids find their voice through writing, they unlock possibilities in school, work, and life.

A creative pioneer, Carolyn has over 20 years of experience leading marketing teams and building creative and effective marketing strategies for high-profile companies. Most recently, she was Dropbox’s Chief Marketing Officer. She led Dropbox’s global marketing organization, driving initiatives to develop the company’s iconic and enduring brand, engaging and acquiring customers, and building lasting relationships that help Dropbox users around the world unleash their creative energy. Before joining Dropbox, Carolyn spent time advising emerging brands from tech to beauty—including Pure Storage, where she was responsible for building the company’s digital marketing strategy and developing their brand and messaging architecture. For over a decade, Carolyn ran Global Consumer Marketing at Electronic Arts, helping to define the strength and personality of EA SPORTS and developing high impact campaigns for franchises from Madden Football to FIFA to Battlefield. She also led the company’s digital transformation across its marketing effort.

Jenny Lam is a distinguished public service leader with over 25 years of experience leading bold education policy and driving systems improvement across the city and state levels. From 2019 to 2025, she served on the San Francisco Board of Education, including as Past President, where she led governance reforms, strengthened accountability, and advanced policies focused on student outcomes. She currently serves as Director of Policy, Communications, and Strategic Partnerships at the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, helping align city investments that expand access to high-quality early learning and family supports. Previously, as Education Advisor to Mayor London N. Breed, she advanced initiatives including universal childcare expansion, school-based mental health services, and Free City College. Prior to joining the city government, she served as State Engagement Manager at EducationSuperHighway, helping connect 47 million students nationwide to broadband for digital learning. Born and raised in the Bay Area and a first-generation college graduate, Jenny lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children, both SFUSD graduates now in college.

Osvaldo Marquez has been part of the 826 Valencia community for over 15 years. He started as a student tutee but soon joined other programs at 826 Valencia. He received a scholarship in 2010 from 826 Valencia to attend Pitzer College, where he majored in Sociology and Spanish. In 2014, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. He now works in the financial industry and lives in San Francisco. He believes that organizations like 826 Valencia make a significant and impactful difference in student’s educational goals and accomplishments.

Dave Mullen is a Partner at Pinegrove Venture Partners, where he helps lead the firm’s Primary Equity strategy, focused on fund and direct investment underwriting. Dave advises both founders and funders on strategy and fundraising and has been featured in TechCrunch and on Medium. Named a 2025 Venture Capital Journal Rising Star, Dave previously invested with Wells Fargo’s venture investing arm and began his career at J.P. Morgan. Dave holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.B.A. from the University of Georgia.

Silpa is Managing Director of Global Equities at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where she serves on a team investing the foundation’s endowment, with a particular focus on equities, both public and private. Prior to joining the foundation, Silpa held investment roles at Seneca Capital, R6 Capital, and the Carlyle Group. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Economics from Yale University. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Breakthrough San Francisco, an intensive, year-round academic enrichment program for 5th–12th grade students with limited educational opportunities. She also serves on the investment committee of UWC-USA, an international school for 11th and 12th graders, whose mission is to make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. She and her college sweetheart, Chris, live in San Francisco with their three children.

Scott Rubin leads brand, marketing, and communications for Lux Capital, a venture capital firm investing in frontier technology at all stages of growth. Previously, Scott held multiple roles in public policy, communications, and marketing at Google, Andreesen Horowitz, and Atlassian. Scott earned his AB at Harvard University, with a concentration in Literature and a (very unofficial) secondary focus in Primate Anthropology. He received his MA from The Writing Seminars (Fiction) at Johns Hopkins University. He is the co-author of In Every Tongue, a book exploring the intersection of race and religion. When he’s not at his desk, Scott keeps bees and grows apples, pears, plums, and figs at Lazy Dog Farm, his century-old family farm in Sonoma County, CA.

Lindsy is a Bay Area native who has called San Francisco home for 25 years. A seasoned finance professional with a BA from Colorado College, she brings clear-eyed judgment, steady curiosity, and a knack for untangling complexity to her new role on the Board of 826 Valencia. As a proud mother of two daughters—one in college and one a high-school senior—she understands how education and creativity shape confidence and opportunity. A lifelong lover of words, Lindsy treats language like both compass and key: a way to find direction and open doors into others’ stories. She’s thrilled to help spark and amplify the next generation of San Francisco writers.

Rachel Swain Yeaman is a writer, communications consultant, and long-time advocate for social justice and civil rights. Over the course of many years, Rachel conceived and directed winning media and communications campaigns for many national and regional advocacy organizations, including the ACLU. She has served on the boards of several nonprofits, including the Breast Cancer Fund and Children’s Day School, where she chaired the capital campaign that enabled the purchase and construction of a new independent, progressive middle school in the heart of San Francisco. Rachel holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is thrilled to bring her passion for social justice and children’s writing to the board of 826.