LEAVE IT BETTER

ABOUT LEAVE IT BETTER FOUNDATION

Leave it Better Foundation was founded in 2009 with the conviction that youth are the key to healing our environment. Through hands-on activities, STEAM projects, gardening, and mindfulness exercises, we purpose to fill the void in our nation’s school system where environmental education is concerned. Our programs are designed to provide students with a space where they can master the art of being mindful towards themselves, each other, their communities and the world.

OUR TEAM

BRIANA BLACK

Executive Director & Lead Educator

Briana’s journey with LIBF is a unique one. When she was in middle school at age 11, she was a student participating in Leave It Better programs. She also did hands-on work to restore a neighborhood park in her community. Growing up, the concept of growing and eating her own food was foreign. Restoring the park, left her with a deeper understanding of the process of growing her own food and a sense of pride about being involved in her community.

CARLA PEREYRA

ReGeneration Corps Member

I am a Bronx native and current Environmental Studies student at NYU. Growing up, I was always aware of my community’s challenges, from air pollution and waste management issues to a lack of green infrastructure. But what stood out most to me was the little education around these problems. Most people aren’t taught how the environment impacts their daily lives, let alone how to protect it or advocate for change.

KENDALL LLOYD

Educator

Kendall was thrilled to join the Leave It Better team in Spring 2025. She has always cared about the environment, but discovered her passion for activism at Kenyon College where she served as Co-Presdient of the Sunrise Kenyon Hub. Her time at Kenyon also gave her the opportunity to work and volunteer at the Brown Family Environmental Center, teaching her the importance of providing programs that connect young people to the natural world. Since moving to NYC she has loved volunteering in her local community garden and is excited to provide students with their own opportunity to garden and learn about nutritious foods!

ASHLEY GONZALEZ

Director of Education

Born and raised in New York, Ashley always had a passion for creating art realistic to her and her community. She first joined Leave It Better team 2018 as a Video Editor working behind the scenes. She is now a Lead Educator at P94 and Dos Puentes. Through Leave It Better she has been able to bind her passion for film and healthier living in fast paced environments together.

DOMINIQUE PALOMA BIBLE

Lead Educator

Dominique is a self-directed educator with 15+ years of experience empowering learners of all ages. Born in Rio and raised in Brooklyn, they turned dropping out into a declaration of autonomy. With a Master’s in Community Education from Goddard College, Dom champions neurodiversity, mental health awareness, and culturally responsive and inclusive education—believing every learner is a genius. Dominique is the founder of Off Da Beaten Path Learning.

OLIVIA HERLEIN

Lead Educator

I have over 10 years of childcare experience, and 5 years of teaching experience. My work as a music teacher for Broadway Kids Camp as well as my nannying and childcare experience in educational and home environments has offered me the experience to become a confident, supportive, and professional childcare provider.

GRAHAM MERIWETHER

Partnerships + Operations

Graham is a lifelong lover of the outdoors who believes youth are the key to healing our planet. He is passionate about local agriculture, hands-on learning and independent film and is excited to be a part of Leave It Better.

EMMA ZUMBO

Supporting Educator

Emma is pursuing a Master’s in Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center and joined Leave It Better in the Spring of 2025. She loves hiking, scuba diving, and wandering the farmer’s market and is excited to share her love of nature and learning with students across New York.

LETICIA SANTOS

Communications

Leticia Santos is a recent graduate from NYU majoring in Environmental Studies and Psychology. Having grown up in Newark, New Jersey, she has had experience with urban life but hopes to leave the city’s environment more sustainable and leave her community more healthy.

OUR BOARD

JANNELY ALMONTE ORTIZ

As a Bronx native who attended boarding school in New Jersey, and currently teaches Spanish at Riverdale Country School, Jannely brings a wide range of experiences as a student and educator. Jannely believes in helping young people see the world with a new set of eyes. With a B.A in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University and an M.A in Teaching of Foreign Languages from the School for International Training, she has grown to understand the transformative power of learning about other people’s stories to better tell our own.In her personal life, she enjoys gardening, running, and bringing mindfulness into all aspects of her life with her family.

CLAIRE KLEINMAN

Claire is an artist and filmmaker who recently graduated from Cooper Union, she was born and raised in NYC. Despite growing up around concrete she has developed a deep appreciation for plants. She believes we have a lot to learn from children, and that children can learn a lot from nurturing their bond with the natural world.

MAKENA MUGAMBI

Makena recently received a B.A. in Politics and Environmental Studies. She believes that people who can recognize and respond to their own needs are better positioned to address the needs of the world around them. By working with LIBF, she hopes to help youth take better care of themselves, each other, their communities, and the world.

MONIQUE PAUL

Monique works for Miami Waterkeeper where she combats water quality issues that face Miami-Dade County and ensure that the people that live there have access to swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water. She grew up in Rockland County, New York and graduated from New York University with a Bacherlor’s in Environmental Studies and a minor in Psychology. She just recently graduated from University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) with a Master’s in Marine Conservation. For her Master’s thesis, Monique developed a fertilizer ordinance focused on environmental conditions and threats to South Florida’s waterways.

KARL ROSAEN

Karl is the Co-Founder of Real Time Farms, LLC. Mr. Rosaen previously served as Vice President of Technology at Food52, Inc. where has served as both lead project manager and lead engineer.

SARAH HAMED

Sarah graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies from Hunter College. Her connection with Leave it Better began in 2017 when she discovered promoting activity-based learning is one of her passions. She is motivated by experiences that challenge her to be better and has made it her goal to diversify learning not only in education but other fields as well.

Additional Board Members:
Briana Black, Ashley Gonzalez, Graham Meriwether and Leticia Santos (see staff bio)

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

URSULA CHANSE

Ursula is the Director of Bronx Green-Up and Community Horticulture at The New York Botanical Garden. Since 2005, she has managed Bronx Green-Up, the community gardening outreach program of The New York Botanical Garden, which provides horticulture education, training, and technical assistance to Bronx residents, community gardeners, urban farmers, local schools, and community organizations.

DR. JAMES BOYER

James is a botanist and educator at The New York Botanical Garden. He currently holds the position of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Vice President of Education, responsible for overseeing all student, teen, teacher, and family programs at the Garden.