Alumni

Neil Desai

Neil is a senior account executive at Blanc & Otus, a leading technology public relations agency, which he joined in 2011. He works with a diverse range of leading technology companies to devise communications strategies, from media relations to social campaigns to content development, that strengthen their position in the market. Prior to joining Blanc & Otus, Neil worked on current California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

Passionate about education, Neil also serves on the Fremont Unified School District Financial Advisory Committee where he advises the Board of Education on budget allocation and submits recommendations on improving community communications.

Neil graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in Political Science in 2010.

Stephanie Reiter

Stephanie brings over 15 years of expertise in strategic and financial planning to her role as Finance Committee Chair and Board Member of Capture the Dream, Inc. After obtaining her BS in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Stephanie built a career in finance with expertise in financial analysis, capital markets, acquisitions and project management. Her résumé includes several Fortune 500 companies such as BlackRock, Yahoo! and Goldman Sachs, and she currently holds the title of Vice President of Finance at Lending Club. Stephanie’s leadership and vast experience in financial strategy and management greatly benefits Capture the Dream, Inc. and the clients we serve.

Stephanie Sibal

Stephanie Sibal joins the Capture the Dream’s Board of Advisors with expertise leading strategic PR campaigns for a variety of high-profile companies. Stephanie is currently Global PR Manager at AdRoll, leading the popular ad tech company’s news strategy across the world. Previously, Stephanie has successfully executed PR campaigns ranging from thought leadership campaigns to IPO launches for a variety of clients in the technology sector while at Highwire PR and Edelman Public Relations. Pro bono and nonprofit work have always been a passion for Stephanie: In 2010, after reading Muhammed Yunus’ book “Banker to the Poor,” she packed her bags for Cambodia and served as a fellow for Kiva.org, documenting the rural borrowers’ microfinance success stories for Kiva’s blogs and marketing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stephanie is excited to help tell Capture the Dream’s incredible story and share its vision that no career is unattainable and no dream is too big.

Leslie Mehta

Leslie has served as Legal Advisor for Capture the Dream, Inc. since 2010, and has joined the board with over a decade of legal experience, including numerous civil rights cases. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in English Literature and Howard University School of Law in 2002. Leslie became interested in Capture the Dream, Inc. to fulfill her desire to serve her community. As a board member, she will continue to strengthen her dedication to serving families in the Bay Area. Leslie looks forward to finding new and innovative ways to grow Capture the Dream, Inc., building on its strong foundation to increase the impact on her community.

Aurice Guyton

Aurice was born and raised in Oakland, CA. After graduating from Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, she achieved her dream of attending HBCU (Historically Black College and University). She accepted a scholarship to Paul Quinn College, where she graduated with a BS in Business. She pursued an MBA in Marketing at the University of Dallas, worked in the corporate world, and ultimately left to join the Peace Corps. Aurice lived in the small farming village of Blue Creek, Belize, and worked supporting underprivileged Mayan youth at an alternative high school. She facilitated donations and grants for the school while encouraging the creation and marketing of sustainable products to help students offset the cost of education. Her work has had a profound impact on the village, that continues to sell these products today. She joined Capture the Dream Inc. to lead our fundraising events, drawing upon her passion for community service and her extensive experience as a youth mentor, entrepreneur, and event organizer. Her dream is to grow Capture the Dream Inc. into one of the most efficiently run and successfully operated organizations in the state, with the hope of fostering future growth in other states.

Andrew Burmester

Andrew was born in New York and raised in the Los Angeles area. Upon graduating from Taft High School, he attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he majored in Linguistics.  After college, he moved to San Francisco, where a temporary position at Levi Strauss led to a career in marketing. A position at the newly-reopened California Academy of Sciences led to him to marketing an educational message for a non-profit institution, an experience he found much more rewarding than marketing for the fashion industry. He is currently the Marketing Manager at Z Space, a non-profit theater in San Francisco’s Mission District. He joins the Capture the Dream, Inc. board, offering his expertise in marketing to a non-profit that relies on ingenuity and networking in lieu of advertising dollars, while maintaining professional standards and creating a long term strategy. A life-long love of learning about linguistics, philosophy, literature, history, science, fuels his desire to help Capture the Dream, Inc. provide educational opportunities to all who have the passion and ambition to pursue their educational dreams.

Sumant Dhall

As a Board Member of Capture the Dream, Inc., Sumant Dhall brings over 14 years of expertise in technology strategy, product, and program management. He has held leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies such as Sun Microsystems, Oracle and Walmart and is currently a Management Consultant specializing in technology and business strategy, product management and large-scale program delivery. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Physics from St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, Sumant earned a Masters of Engineering in Information Technology from RMIT University, Melbourne and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sumant is an avid reader and life-long learner, who believes a quality education is a fundamental right and a key to happy, successful and responsible citizens.

Kevin Potter

Kevin T. Potter has over 25 years’ experience as a Healthcare Executive in financial and executive roles. He has been with ten different healthcare organizations that ranged in revenues between $50 million and $ 300 million (200 beds to 400 beds). He has a strong reputation in executive leadership, strategic planning, financial management, and organizational development. He has achieved demonstrated results in quality management, customer satisfaction, revenue cycle management, productivity improvement, and financial turnarounds. Mr. Potter has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare organizations and systems.

He also has international experience. Mr. Potter has presented at conferences nationally and internationally; served on various Boards of Directors; and has received multiple awards/recognitions. He achieved “Fellow” status in Healthcare Financial Management Association and is currently a member American College of Healthcare Executives.

Mr. Potter has an MBA degree from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, and a BSBA degree in accounting from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Victor Cabrera

Victor Cabrera was born in Lima, Peru and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, Vic obtained his BS in Business from Santa Clara University. He has over 25 years of experience in financial management and has held financial leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente, Applied Materials, and El Camino Hospital. He brings expertise in process improvement, budgeting, financial reporting, and financial analysis. He currently holds the position of Director Financial Planning and Analysis at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. Vic feels strongly that education is critical in giving every child the opportunity to fulfill their potential and looks forward to supporting Capture the Dream mission in order to give deserving youth the opportunity for a quality education.

Lawrence Patrick

Lawrence Patrick is a senior strategy consultant with Jupiter KSA. A pioneer in digital media, he published his first web site in 1994 and is co-founder of NewsLibrary.com, the largest online newspaper archive in the world.
A longtime charter school advocate, Mr. Patrick has served on the Board of Directors of the National Charter Schools Institute; the Washington, D.C., Public Charter School Board; and the Charter School Leadership Council, where he served as its Chairman.
Mr. Patrick served on the Advisory Committee for the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University for seven years. He also worked on global education policy issues as a Commissioner to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Education Committee for three years. A native of Detroit, Mr. Patrick is an honors graduate of Cass Tech and Florida A&M University. He also completed the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders Fellowship program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Originally from the Metro Detroit area, Kelly McDonald has lived and worked all over the country. Kelly has over a decade experience in operations and is currently the Vice President of Sales Operations at Movoto Real Estate, one of the largest online real estate brokerages in the nation. Previously, Kelly has successfully helped streamline the operations of many organizations both in the companies she has worked in and her through her own consulting firm Sales for Ninjas. Kelly’s passion for helping others achieve their potential runs deep and she is known for her ability to help groups come together to achieve a common goal. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Kelly is excited to help Capture the Dream reach its targets and change lives for the better.