Our Leadership
Who we are
We are a team of change-makers who believe that every helping hand can create a better future for our students.
At We Love Philly, we work hard to provide an ownership based education to Philadelphia teens who have been left behind by mainstream institutions.
We’re a grassroots nonprofit started by certified PA educators that believe strengthening community ties is the way to close the achievement gap in Philadelphia.
Our Executive Team
Carlos Aponte
Founder & Executive Director
Carlos is a lifelong Philadelphian who traces his culture to the Island of Puerto Rico Carlos’ background is in Secondary Education with a concentration in African American and American History. After close to a decade inside of the classroom, Carlos realized the shortcomings of traditional education. With the help of his students, Carlos decided to create his own 501c3 non profit organization, We Love Philly. We Love Philly that teaches volunteerism, entrepreneurship, meditation, ownership, and content creation to youth left behind by mainstream institutions. After completion of the program students earn credits towards their high school diploma. We Love Philly is currently scaling their curriculum to be implemented in schools across the Philadelphia area as a state recognized pre apprenticeship and apprenticeship sponsor. Carlos also sits on the board at The Penn Treaty Museum, which is located at 324 Richmond Street, in Philadelphia PA.
Clancy Philbrick
Director of Development
Clancy Philbrick is an interdisciplinary artist and educator with a passion for social justice and healing. His artwork explores problematic dominant norms around masculinity and hypercapitalism while reimagining idealistic futures, often through the lens of athletics and sports. Clancy’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and his participatory projects have been featured by BBC, New Yorker Magazine, WHYY/NPR, HuffPost, and Ethiopian TV.
As an educator, Clancy has worked at the high-school and university level, collaborated with the ROTC and the Oskiin Leadership Institute, and co-created an international peer-support program for teens struggling with depression and related mental health challenges. Clancy also serves as the vice president of the board for The LiveWell Foundation.
Salaah Muhammad
Director of Development
Salaah Muhammad is a social justice advocate and community organizer with a passion for equity and justice. He has been actively involved in grassroots campaigns for the past four years, including advocacy for reparations, education reform, and criminal justice reform. Through sharing and training others on the power of public narrative, Salaah builds power around social justice movements, inspiring and motivating others to join the fight for a more equitable and just society. He recently achieved a social justice win by advocating for reparations for Bethel AME Church in Pittsburgh, winning them 65,000 square feet of land back. Salaah’s leadership and advocacy have earned him recognition in his community, and he remains dedicated to fighting for the rights of marginalized communities. His unwavering commitment to social justice inspires others to take action and strive for positive change.
Salaah Muhammad’s enthusiasm knows no bounds as he eagerly prepares to join We Love Philly, ready to leverage his exceptional skills and talents to make a significant and positive impact within the organization and the community it serves. With unwavering dedication and a drive to succeed, Salaah embraces this opportunity to contribute his unique abilities, propelling We Love Philly toward even greater heights.
Namarah McCall
Founding Educator
Namarah is a multi-disciplinary artist, performer, and coach from South Jersey who has performed nationally and internationally. Her musical talent has been experienced in podcasts, collaborative albums, and her own musical projects streaming on music platforms. An active Philadelphia Chapter Board of the Recording Academy member, Namarah advocates for access and creative exploration through the arts and beyond.
Believing in the power of the arts to create transformation in the individual along the continuum of their life, Namarah is excited to serve as the Founding Educator by pulling her real-world experience as a creative entrepreneur to model and inspire youth.
Cory Zoblin
Founding Educator
In 2012, Cory graduated with his Master’s from the Teacher Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Afterward, he immediately began teaching High School English in Philadelphia, including nine years in Kensington. In 2020 he joined the founding board of We Love Philly and played a vital role in establishing the governing principles of the organization.In 2024, he joined the staff of We Love Philly as a Founding Educator, helping to launch the Cybersecurity Pre-Apprentice Program.
Chris Davis
Director of Business Development
Chris is a CRM implementation consultant from Upper Darby, PA. In a post-college stint as a cast member at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, Davis assisted with retail operations and volunteered through local organizations, all while learning how to run a sustainable business through digital marketing. A self-taught web designer and content creator, Davis is a staunch believer that many important skills can be learned through non-traditional education, such as YouTube videos.
After his time at Disney, Davis worked as a freelancer specializing in UX/UI web design, SEO and social media marketing and content creation before partnering with Jason Bramble to start Revcarto. In 2019, Davis was named to The New York Daily’s “30 Under 30” list for his role as a game-changer and influencer in the world of media. He has been a keynote speaker at leading companies, including BluHorn, HubSpot, and WSFS, and was recognized as one of MADcon’s Top 100 Marketing and Advertising Leaders for 2020.
Andrea Santiago
Digital Marketing Apprentice
Serena Haeuser
Emotional Support Coordinator
Serena is a children’s author, educator, and graduate student at the University of Southern California, obtaining her Master’s Degree in School Counseling. Serena’s passion lies within our children and youth and making a difference in the community. An overall change agent. She works extensively with the homeless community and travels internationally to volunteer in African orphanages and schools. Serena notices that many people are ready to give up or let difficult times get the best of them. She wants to — and will — make a difference in this world. Her work strives to instill positivity, warmth, and encouragement while restoring individual feelings of love and care..worldwide.
Our Board Members
Taylor Cromwell
President
Taylor Davis is the Associate Director of Career Exposure for KIPP New Jersey. Taylor’s ultimate goal in life is to empower young people to pursue their dreams by providing them with the support and resources necessary to succeed, and by restructuring the system that robbed them of these supports in the first place. She believes in the power of community and preparing the next generation to be better than the one before it. Taylor has presented at several conferences, facilitating workshops on violence prevention, LGBTQ+ youth advocacy, and healthy relationships. She has dreams of one day becoming a leader in education reform. Taylor graduated from Temple University and lives in Francisville with her partner, cat, and 20+ plant babies.
Suezette Dominguez
Secretary
Suezette is a North Philly native and has been dedicated to support healing of generational trauma not often discussed in the neighborhoods that raised her. As an alumnae of both West Chester University of PA and Temple University, Suezette completed her education with a Masters in Clinical Social Work (LCSW) As a clinician, Suezette has ample experience with Philadelphia youth in areas including the foster care system, homelessness, school setting, and most recently, as part of a mental health crisis team. She has been fortunate enough to work alongside youth, families and local partnerships to assure the health & safety of others. Previously serving as Director of Emotional Support at an alternative school in the city, Suezette was able to collaborate with other professionals to fully create the social and emotional support program as well as provide cultural competency training to staff members. As part of her new role as a Clinical Supervisor, she is able to provide intense behavioral health support to youth experiencing a crisis as well as support families to better understand their needs. She also serves as a service lead for kids’ ministry at her local church, where she focuses on building intentional and powerful relationships with children under 5. Suezette is a dedicated mother, partner, daughter and sister and identifies her family as her driving force. She is committed to making a safe and healing environment for others. Her personal motto of Mission OVER Preference, believing though we may not always wish to do things, if it will positively impact the greater good, it’s worth it!
Nisiar Smith
Finance
Nisiar Smith is a dedicated, passionate, and well-respected finance professional who is a driven leader with a goal to positively influence others. Created from his experience working for a commercial bank, Nisiar Smith – CEO and Founder of Well Kept Money has made it his goal to educate the low-income communities on finances through his nonprofit financial literacy organization. Well Kept Money mission is to help enhance the minds of individuals by teaching the fundamentals of personal finance with the intent of inspiring innovation amongst the community. Nisiar is also the Founder of Philly Phinancial Literacy Week, a weeklong celebration of financial education workshops that take place in recreation centers across Philadelphia touching multiple communities. In any environment he is able to make a mark through hard work, a vibrant personality and winning or growing in every situation.
Yael Futer
Board Member
Jadan Foster
Student Board Member
Being a Philadelphia native all his life brings a unique and new perspective to everything he does and a special dedication to giving our students a voice in We Love Philly’s evolution.
Ayanna Lott
Board Member
Ayanna Lott-Pollard is a transformational leader known for her ability to inspire and develop individuals and teams while driving strategic growth. With over 20 years of experience across various industries, she has a proven track record of effective communication and leadership at all organizational levels. Ayanna began her career in the White House Upper Press Office, gaining valuable experience in high-stakes communication and strategic planning. Her dedication to excellence and passion for developing others define her leadership style. Currently, Ayanna serves as the Executive Director of Resilient Coders, where she has significantly contributed to the organization’s growth and impact. Under her leadership, Resilient Coders received its largest donation of $2.5 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, a testament to her strategic vision and operational excellence. She oversees multiple departments, including finance, human resources, marketing, facilities, sales, and fundraising, ensuring seamless integration and efficiency. Before becoming Executive Director, Ayanna was Chief of Staff at Resilient Coders, providing strategic support and laying the groundwork for her current role. She is also the Founder and President of The Leadership Collective, offering executive coaching, leadership training, and strategic consulting services. Ayanna’s extensive experience includes roles such as Director of Operations at Virtua Health, Operations Manager at the Salvation Army, Constituent Care Operations Manager at the American Cancer Society, Administrator at Community Bible Church, and Account Executive at Beach Advertising.She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BA in Journalism from Temple University. Her leadership credentials are further strengthened by certifications from DiverseForce on Boards, Columbia Coaching Certification Program, Harvard Extension School, Disney Institute, and The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. Ayanna resides in Philadelphia, PA with her best friend and husband, Gregory and fur baby, Leo.
Mari Gonzalez
Board Member
Maridarlyn Gonzalez is a senior researcher with Pew’s Philadelphia research and policy initiative, focusing on immigration, equitable infrastructure, and the annual State of the City report. Gonzalez has prior experience in housing, transportation, public engagement, and community development. Before coming to Pew, she worked in shelters and managed a bi-state housing and energy conservation program. At Women Against Abuse, she was part of the team that helped the organization achieve its Sanctuary Model certification. Gonzalez also supported transportation and English proficiency initiatives at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Mari serves as the President on the Board of Philadelphia’s League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) council. While serving on LULAC’s board, Mari brought meaningful programming through the Cafe Con Leche Series. Through her leadership and knowledge of geospatial information, LULAC Philly created a map of people whose first language is Spanish and provided that map to poll office volunteers to better place interpreters. She is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and serves as the ULI Americas, Young Leaders Group DEI co-chair. ULI YLG steering committee oversees programs in Canada, the US, and Latin America. In this role, she advocates for equitable development and challenges people to consider cities and their neighborhoods as ecosystems. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geoscience, energy, and policy from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s in geospatial technology and geodesign from Thomas Jefferson University. Of all her achievements, Mari is most proud of her humble beginnings in the Dominican Republic and those unexpected lessons she learned as a youth in North Philadelphia that drove her resiliency, creativity, and purpose.
Chuck Morris
Board Member
Dr. Chuck is a dedicated scientist and coach who has impacted thousands of lives worldwide. Known as “Dr. Chuck” or “Coach Chuck,” he serves a diverse range of clients from all walks of life, including Super Bowl champions, Olympic Gold Medalist, C-suite executives, Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals, stay-at-home parents, collegiate and high school athletes. His mission is to help people become better versions of themselves, believing that we all strive to live well, live strong, live long, and leave a legacy. Dr. Chuck’s work reflects his commitment to enhancing the human experience and providing the tools for others to achieve their best. As the founder of Fulcrum Performance and Midtown Biohack, Dr. Chuck bridges the gap between the boardroom and the locker room. His life science companies aim to evolve health and human performance for all, redefining sports performance to include the game of life. Additionally, as the former CEO of the NFL Alumni Performance Lab, Dr. Chuck has leveraged his expertise to benefit a broad spectrum of clients, positively influencing countless individuals and households globally.
TJ Butler
Board Member
T.J. Butler established 45 Solutions in 2023, just outside Philadelphia in Bucks County, PA. With over 25 years of professional experience and twenty years of experience in HR Leadership, Talent Acquisition Management, and Recruiting Management, T.J. started 45 Solutions to assist businesses in maintaining the human aspect of HR services. His primary focus is supporting and empowering organizations to achieve their goals and vision while creating a rewarding career path for their employees. T.J. strongly believes that honesty and integrity are crucial in any business relationship, and he runs his business using a servant leadership model. When he’s not working, T.J. enjoys spending time with his family, which includes his wife and two children, serving his community, and watching any football he can (Go Birds).