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.

JAKE DAVIDSON

Educator

Davidson is an educator and artist whose work concerns impending reconfigurations of human sight. He holds an
MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts, Bard College and most recently has
lectured in media art at Yale University. Exhibitions include Anthology Film Archives and MoMA
PS1 in New York and the 18th Festival of Different and Experimental Cinema in Paris. He’s held a
number of residencies including Art Center Nabi in Seoul, Taipei Artist Village Taiwan, and
Fondazione Antonio Ratti in Italy.

NATALIE DUDENSING

ReGeneration Corps Member

Natalie began working with Leave it Better in the spring of 2024, she is an Environmental Studies major at NYU and has a growing passion for environmental education. Growing up in California introduced Natalie to her love of nature and being outdoors although she loves the speed and creativity of New York City! She is thrilled to be part of the team and is looking forward to imparting her knowledge and love of the environment to students through the Leave it Better program!

ASHLEY GONZALEZ

Lead Educator

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.

CLAUDIA GOURDET

Educator

Passionate educator, Ms. Claudia Gourdet t brings over 7 years of experience in technology and non-profit management to Leave it Better. Her background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems Technology and a proven track record of success in fostering student growth. In her previous role, Ms. Gourdet designed and delivered engaging technology classes and STEM enrichment programs. She has extensive experience working with both foster care and unaccompanied youth, allowing her to create supportive and effective learning environments for all students.

SARAH HAMED

Director of Strategy + Lead Educator

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.

SANIYYAH KHALILALLAH

Educator

Saniyyah Khalilallah is a certified Montessori educator with over ten years of experience teaching children aged 3 to 6 years old. A passionate advocate of the Montessori philosophy, she shares activities that focus on practical life skills on her blog, skmontessori.com, and offers consulting and tutoring services to parents who are beginning their journey of setting up a Montessori-inspired homeschool environment. She lives in Brooklyn, New York where she continues to write, tutor, teach and consult.

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.

ILIANA RIOS

Communications Corps Member

Iliana is a native New Yorker that is a part of the environmental studies major at NYU. Being raised in the city has made her grow to appreciate the delightful urban nature and greenspaces available in every borough. She is curious of the varying levels of understanding that each individual has about the environment, inspired by their unique circumstances. Iliana is excited to combine her interests of education and advocacy at LIB and has made it an aim to seek compassionate paths towards environmental education.

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.

MAKINI VELAZQUEZ

Makini has taught English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) in New York City, to students with special needs, for eight years. In 2012, she has transitioned to working as an English Language Learner Coach, providing instructional support to ESL and bilingual education teachers serving students with disabilities in grades K-12.

Additional Board Members:
Briana Black, Ashley Gonzalez, Sarah Hamed, 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.