Meet our Team
Staff
Sandy Marshall, Founder/CEO
Sandy Marshall has spent the past twenty years in nonprofit management, including work with the American Heart Association, Special Olympics and Easter Seals; she is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Three years after creating the national cause marketing campaign, NASCAR Day, Ms. Marshall founded The NASCAR Foundation, which is now a $5 million organization engaging millions of fans annually. In her nearly ten years at NASCAR, she believes her most important work was in the STEM area of NASCAR. Engaging the company and sport with non-profits and making STEM exciting and relevant through motorsports. Due to her passion for helping nonprofits that have the mission and infrastructure to make great social change, she started Sandra Marshall and Associates— a consulting group focused on fueling social impact, www.smaimpact.com. While funding national STEM initiatives through The NASCAR Foundation, Sandy learned of the disadvantages that girls and women have in STEM majors and careers, and became committed to doing what she could to make a difference in her own community - Project Scientist had lift off! Personally Sandy had experienced gender stereotyping and a lack of role models as she pursued a STEM major in college and as a result changed majors. As a mother of two young girls with a passion for science, Sandy remains committed to changing the status quo for her girls as well as girls across the country. Project Scientist began summer 2011 out of Sandy’s guesthouse in Charlotte, NC. The organization is now on four University campuses serving over 800 girls annually. Ms. Marshall attended the University of Southern California, where she received a BS in Public Policy with an emphasis on Nonprofits. She has a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of California, Irvine. Sandy and her family currently split time between Laguna Beach, Pasadena and Charlotte.
Regina Ossey, COO
Regina Ossey joins the Project Scientist team bringing with her an extensive 14-year career in operations. She attended the Univeristy of Southern California, studying English Literature with an emphasis in Pre-Law. After completing an internship in Manhattan with Limited Brands, Regina launched on a different path by accepting a role in retail management. In this position, Regina led the company’s top 10% performing teams in Los Angeles and South Bay markets. After a few years of consistently impressive results, Regina was asked to lead operations for Victoria’s Secret as they expanded into the Hawaii, testing the company’s first overseas market. Regina led a team that generated more than $40 million in revenue during their first year. She was then promoted to General Manager, where she stayed for five years, eventually increasing their retail footprint across the islands.
After starting a family, Regina decided to relocate to Orange County where she took on training facilitation for the Stores of Excellence. After the birth of her second child, she took some time off to dedicate to family. Opportunity came knocking soon after, however, when UBER recruited her as Senior Operations Manager for their leasing division. In this role, Regina was instrumental in raising customer NPS scores more than 90 points in her first five months. She perfected her project management skills and earned certificates in Executive Leadership and Business Strategy from Harvard Business School. Although her personal experience at Uber was pleasant, she was introduced to the many disadvantages that women and minorities faced in the tech world. After UBER experienced a shift in culture and CEO, UBER’s leasing division was eliminated. This provided the opportunity for Regina to meld her passion and purpose by founding WeStayOut, a family concierge service that focuses on providing family experiences in place of tangible gifts. Regina’s time at Uber also fostered a personal goal to help create a pipeline for girls in STEM, which led to her searching for ways to make a difference. Regina found Project Scientist online and signed up as a parent volunteer chaperone. It was in this capacity that she met Sandy Marshall. They soon discovered an aligned vision on the future-state of Project Scientist and Regina was hired on as an Operations Consultant. Shortly thereafter, it was determined that she could better serve the company’s mission by joining the team. Regina’s excited to support our mission and can’t wait to put her skills and experience to work.
Kelly O'Brien, HR & Finance Manager
Kelly O'Brien has served on the Project Scientist team as our Office Coordinator, since 2016. Over her entire adult life, Kelly has lived her passion for education and for children. Working in education for more than 10 years, Kelly has taught Kindergarten, 4th grade, 6th grade and 8th grade. More recently, Kelly has managed administration and logistics for a property investment start-up. A Northern California native, Kelly moved to Southern California more than 15 years ago to pursue tertiary education. Kelly holds a single subject and multiple subject teaching credential; an MA in Education involving post graduate work at Chapman University and the National University; and a BA in English Literature with a minor in Deaf Education from California State University, Fullerton. A passionate athlete, Kelly believes deeply in fostering an active lifestyle from childhood. Kelly has coached children's soccer and softball and currently, leads a running group for children. Kelly and her husband have distinguished themselves as advocates for children and have elected to invest in an arts and healing program for children of incarcerated parents, founded in their belief that children of all socioeconomic backgrounds and life circumstances deserve equal opportunities to education and educational support programs. Kelly is a married, mother of two and lives in Laguna Beach, California.
Rebecca Sims, Program Manager
As a Kentucky native, Rebecca attended the University of Kentucky, where she received degrees in Natural Resource Conservation and Soil Science, and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where she completed graduate work in Plant Biology. Throughout college and graduate school, Rebecca coupled her coursework with outreach opportunities. Through these opportunities, she gained an expanded understanding on the issues that prevail in STEM education across all self-identifiers, particularly those related to gender. She became more aware that issues of gender and equity can affect students despite their aptitudes and interests in STEM fields. Rebecca is passionate about fixing these leaking pipelines early, and giving a young and diverse community an opportunity to explore their STEM curiosities and view a different future for themselves as she once had the opportunity to do. Rebecca is delighted at the opportunity to be a part of the amazing Project Scientist team where through advocacy, mentorship and education we can create a community where all children thrive!
Pia Grace Torres, Marketing & Communications Manager
Pia serves as the marketing manager for Project Scientist, advocating for girls and women in STEM in the community. She is passionate about philanthropy, and has been volunteering for different organizations since she was 6 years old. Her love for philanthropy paired with her zeal for communication led her to being the marketing manager for Project Scientist.
She began her communications career interning for a multitude of organizations, including Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, FOX Broadcasting and FX Networks. While interning and studying at Long Beach State, she also led as the Long Beach chapter president of PRSSA, a professional organization dedicated to providing resources and opportunities for public relations students. She has been recognized as a leader in communications, winning the “OCPRSA Shining Star Emerging Leader Award” and the Long Beach State “Professional Promise in Public Relations Award.”
Pia is thrilled to have the opportunity to pair her love for philanthropy with her passion for communication to serve as Project Scientist’s marketing manager, aiding in Project Scientist’s mission to empower girls to follow their dreams.
Kimberly Lewis, Community Outreach Coordinator
Kimberly Lewis joined Project Scientist as the Community Outreach Coordinator in 2019. With a background in Business Management from Hardin-Simmons University, Kimberly builds business and client relationships for Project Scientist, and assists in site location management at the national level. She is an integral part of furthering the development of the connections with the organization’s investors, participants, customers and volunteers. Kimberly embraces the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for giving girls the ability to learn and grow through STEM.
Before joining Project Scientist, Kimberly worked as a catering and event coordinator, a representative in service industry, a legal assistant, tutored children with disabilities and interpreted for the Deaf. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Kimberly and her husband have become Laguna Beach locals. For the past seven years, Kimberly has spent her time investing in her children as a stay at home mom, raising three girls who now actively participate and enjoy all things Project Scientist. Hopefully, a dog will become a part of the family picture soon.
Board Members
Jennie Ibrahim, Chair
Jennie has been a software engineer at Google since 2010. Prior to joining Google, she worked for Department of Defense contractors including General Dynamics Information Technology and BAE Systems. She holds a master’s degree in computer science from Northeastern University, Boston. Jennie frequently lectures on topics ranging from Java and Angular Dart to team dynamics and building professional networks.
Jennie has always been passionate about education and particularly about encouraging girls to enjoy STEM. Born and raised in Sudan, Jennie experienced poverty and saw firsthand how nonprofit organizations improved the standard of living of whole communities because of their investments in education and building schools.
Through her experiences as an immigrant in the U.S., where resources are comparatively abundant, it became clear that a more holistic approach incorporating education with the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of students is key in equipping them to achieve their dreams.
Stephen Hagood, Vice-Chair
Steve Hagood is senior vice president and chief information officer at Ingersoll Rand and a member of the company’s Enterprise Leadership Team.
Steve leads the company’s global information technology (IT) organization and is responsible for the development and execution of Ingersoll Rand’s information technology strategies, including enterprise technology infrastructure, information security, and business IT solutions.
Prior to joining Ingersoll Rand, Steve spent 19 years with the Goodrich Corporation, most recently as the company’s vice president and chief information officer. With more than 30 years of experience, he has held multiple executive and financial leadership roles in the aerospace and defense, manufacturing and service industries.
Steve’s leadership extends beyond his role at Ingersoll Rand. He serves as executive sponsor of the Ingersoll Rand Asian Employee Network, and he regularly lends his leadership to industry and community organizations, including the Charlotte CIO Executive Summit. He serves on the Boards of Apparo, Project Scientist, and NIBCO Inc. He is also a prior director for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Technology Advisory Board, among other service roles.
Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal as ‘CIO of the Year’ in 2014.
Stephen Jenvey, Treasurer
Stephen is director/vice president of architecture and strategy for the Capital Group Companies, based in Irvine, California. He and his team are responsible for defining technology strategy and architecture for the company’s sales, marketing, and service divisions.
Stephen’s career of more than 25 years in financial services has covered both technical and business functions with prior roles at Merrill Lynch, Fidelity Investments and Lehman Brothers. Stephen has a passion for emerging technology and innovation and the positive impact they have on businesses and individuals. He is a frequent public speaker on topics such as innovation in the enterprise, digital and fintech fields.
A longtime advocate for educational opportunities, Stephen has served on the board of directors for his children’s private schools and serves as a peer mentor at Capital Group for women in STEM. He currently resides in Orange County, California with his wife Tracy and their two boys, two dogs, a cat, and five chickens.
Stephanie Head, Secretary
Stephanie has over fifteen years of experience in data analytics and reporting in a variety of industries across the country and has always been passionate about STEM subjects. Stephanie currently leads the data management and reporting functions for PwC's Corporate Responsibility team. She leverages her data analytics background to help the team quantify, monitor, and analyze various data metrics in support of all PwC’s Corporate Responsibility programs including social and environmental initiatives. Prior to joining the Corporate Responsibility team, Stephanie was a Manager in the Advisory Forensic Technology Solutions practice of PwC for 8 years. Here, Stephanie worked with a variety of clients where she specialized in leading teams in the analysis of large, complex data sets, particularly in the context of litigation support and investigations. Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in Decision Sciences from Miami University in Ohio and is looking forward to sending her daughter to Project Scientist in 2019!
Ashley Aagard, Member
Ashley Aagard is founder and managing director of Talent Design Co., a new Minneapolis-based Talent development company. Created to help companies optimize teams and empower women in hte workplace. For more than 10 years, Aagard has specialized in developing, partnering and creating world class talent acquisition and development for both loarge corporation and integrated agency settings. She has a passion for leading organizations in areas of inclusion, diversity, and gender equality and works close with her teams to bring talent that embodies all.
Prior to founding Talent Design Co., Aagard supported, recruited, and built an internal agency for Best Buy's creative, marketing and interactive team. She also lead talent acquisition teams and inclusion initiatives for advertising agencies Barkley and Colle McVoy.
When not nurturing great talent, Aagard loves exploring new places with her husband and three kiddos.
Lori Friedman, Vice Chair
Since 2004 Lori has served as senior director of translational oncology at Genentech. After earning a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, Lori completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, U.K. Lori was a scientist at Exelixis for six years prior to joining Genentech.
A strong supporter of opportunities for women in STEM fields, Lori serves on the Women in Cancer Research (WICR) Council for the American Association of Cancer Research and chaired Genentech's Women in Science and Engineering (gWISE) group. She also received the Rising Star Award from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at her Iowa high school. She has published 86 scientific papers and has 24 issued patents.
Lori is married with two daughters and lives in San Francisco.
Dan Fromm, Member
Dan Fromm is president and chief operating officer for Barkley, an integrated marketing and advertising agency with offices in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Boulder. Barkley is a creative idea company, helping brands build their biggest possible future through strategy, design and communications.
After graduating from Boston University with a degree in film and television, Dan worked in production at ESPN for six years. He then started a sports marketing firm, which Barkley bought in 2003.
Dan lives in Kansas City with his wife, two daughters and son and is a founding member of the Kansas City regional board for Teach For America. Dan’s commitment to STEM opportunities for girls has grown through his daughter’s interest in science, his work with Teach For America, and through clients like Build-a-Bear Workshop and Goldie Blox.
Betsy Grider, Member
As chief strategy officer at Patron Technology Betsy thrives at the intersection of strategy and technology in the sports and entertainment industry. At Patron Technology Betsy focuses on strategic planning, corporate development and opportunities to grow a premiere live event enterprise technology platform. Prior to joining Patron Technology, Betsy built, launched, and led NASCAR’s Technology Development and Integration division.
Betsy is a frequent keynote speaker on sports innovation, virtual and augmented reality, strategic alliances, and women in sports and technology. She most recently served on the boards of directors for the Humane Society of Charlotte and the Charlotte Smart Cities Council.
Betsy lives in Charlotte with her husband, son, and daughter, where she actively participates in public education advocacy.
Stephanie Hewlett, Member
Stephanie Hewlett is an assurance partner with the professional services firm PwC, LLP. She has 20 years of experience providing accounting and auditing services to public and private companies in the technology and media industries. Stephanie specializes in financial statement audits, mergers and acquisitions, internal control assessments, Sarbanes-Oxley 404 implementation, adoption of new accounting standards, carve-out audits, initial public offerings, debt offerings, and SEC reporting. During her career she has spent time in PwC's New York, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City offices. Stephanie serves as Diversity Leader in her PwC office.
Stephanie graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors in Science. She is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Stephanie was recognized by Utah Business Magazine as Forty under 40 in 2017 for her contributions in transforming the business world as we know it. Stephanie is the diversity leader in her PwC office and is passionate about mentoring women professionals and helping them embrace their strengths.
Mary Izadi, Member
Mary Izadi is the Constitutional Policing Advisor for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. As a member of the Executive Command, she makes recommendations and advises on issues related to accountability, adherence to best practices, and policies and procedures.
After graduating from UC Hastings College of Law, Mary spent over 11 years as a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. She brings her extensive legal experience and leadership skills with her to the Project Scientist Board.
After Mary’s daughter participated in the Summer STEM Academy, it was clear that Project Scientist was going to be a staple in her daughter’s summer programs. She watched her daughter's natural interest in science and engineering ignite while exploring exciting STEM careers. Mary hopes to provide other young girls the same opportunity to find their inner scientist.
Mary enjoys mentoring other professional women and volunteers for multiple organizations focused on the needs of women and children in the community. Mary lives in Orange County, California, with her husband, daughter, and son.
Leslie Johnson, Member
With over twenty years of arts education experience, Leslie has provided strategic, creative and visionary leadership in the development, operation and evaluation of K-16 arts education, community engagement and audience development programs for some of Los Angeles premier arts and cultural institutions. Currently the Director of Education and Community Partnerships at Center Theatre Group, she previously served as the Director of School Programs for the Music Center, the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County; and Associate Director for the Los Angeles Arts & Business Council (ARTS, Inc.). She is president of the board of the directors for 24th Street Theatre and is a past chair of the board for the California Alliance for Arts Education– the local affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center’s National Alliance for Arts Education and co-chaired the KCAAEN National Advocacy Committee. Leslie regularly contributes her expertise to the field, including her service as an advisor to the California state PTA and state superintendent of public instruction and secretary of education to determine key policy priorities for arts education equity statewide; and recent work on the National Corporate Theatre Fund’s Impact Creativity Task Force.