2023 Power Players Rising

Jana Reed is incoming chief operating officer at Nonprofit Finance Fund, a national Community Development Financial Institution focused on racial equity. Reed will lead NFF’s Operations, People, and Culture. Previously, Jana was the COO at iMentor. Reed co-founded Ascend Learning, a network of charter schools in Brooklyn, NY. Early in her career, Reed worked for two Massachusetts governors. She is a member APIA Education Leaders and the Board of Trustees of Explore Schools, Inc.  

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
I have spent over two decades in education nonprofits and have loved every minute of it! In 2023, I made a personal career change from youth mentoring at iMentor to community building through lending and financial services at Nonprofit Finance Fund. For me, change is a big and an important step in my exploration of ways to eliminate barriers for historically underrepresented and marginalized people to live choice-filled lives. 

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
I am heartened that diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging has become part of so many workplaces. One thing that has been helpful to me is to remember that this work is a practice — it starts with a shared noble goal and then is built through individual and collective actions. Thinking about it in this way allows us more room for celebrating successes and accepting the failures that come along the way.   

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
Oh, wow! I cannot imagine doing anything else! I suppose if I were not doing this, I would be traveling the world with a game of travel Scrabble in my bag, and serving on lots of nonprofit boards. 

Kadeem Robinson is the director of policy and communications at the New York City Council. There, Robinson secures capital investments for housing and healthcare and passes legislation for affordable housing and healthcare. Previously, Robinson worked as a project manager for Caribbean Equality Project, advocating for LGBTQ+ migrant rights. From 2019-2022, they worked in policy for the Office of the New York City Public Advocate. Robinson holds a BA from CUNY and an MPA from NYU.

At Risa Heller Communications, Gwen Rocco advises companies and high-profile individuals on strategic and crisis communications. Previously, Rocco served as vice president of corporate communications for WeWork. She got her start in politics in NYC and went on to serve in senior communications roles for more than a dozen campaigns and candidates, including President Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton, former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. Gwen has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland and a Master’s of Public Administration from New York University.

Nikki Romolo is the VP of events for the New York Mets, overseeing the contract, sales, and execution of all non-Mets games events at Citi Field including concerts, festivals, NYCFC matches, and all private events. With a proven track record of consistently meeting and exceeding established event planning goals and objectives, she is currently responsible for 50% revenue growth for events in one of the largest markets in the U.S. Nikki has previously held leadership positions with Sporting Kansas City and Legends Hospitality, specifically with the Dallas Cowboys.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
In 2023, event revenue is projected to grow by 50%, showing the measurable impact on the Mets organization and the greater community. In 2023, our team hosted artists including Burna Boy (first Nigerian artist to headline and sell out a U.S. stadium), Romeo Santos, two Dead & Co. shows, and P!NK, with the aim of diversifying the programming slate to be more representative of the surrounding Queens community.

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
Always ask questions. People often feel intimidated to ask questions because they think they should already know the answer or they don’t want to look ill prepared. Getting over this fear has opened the door for me to learn way more than I ever thought I would.

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
In another life, I’d be a city planner. I am fascinated by the entire operation of planning infrastructure. Although, if you think about this, city planning is just large-scale event planning, so it makes sense!

Ali Rosa-Salas was recently elevated to Henry Street Settlement’s VP of performing and visual arts, building on her work with Abrons Arts Center where, as artistic director and chief curator, she redesigned its curatorial strategy to be more accessible for local communities and integrative of HSS offerings. An interdisciplinary curator, she’s organized programming for organizations including Jacob’s Pillow, AFROPUNK, and MoCADA. Rosa-Salas holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an MA from Wesleyan University.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
Like many of our arts and culture colleagues, Abrons Arts Center has been working hard to bounce back from the challenges of the last few years. Given that, I’m especially proud of how well-attended this past season was. In fact, we had record ticket sales for many of our performances. We look forward to continuing that momentum with the 2023-2024 season.

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
As they say, your network is your net worth. I genuinely believe that how you treat people is your currency — and that ultimately translates to the longevity of your career. The upshot: treating people with respect will ensure your success.

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
I would love to be a psychotherapist as I am drawn to helping support people through challenging emotional times. I do feel like I’m doing that in some ways with my work at Abrons and in the arts, as art does have the ability to be a support and salve for people in complicated moments. 

Robert H. Rosenzweig, RPLU, is the New York Region Leader. In this role, Rosenzweig oversees all of the region’s professionals across commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and private client services. Rosenzweig is also responsible for coordinating the region’s overall strategy. Rosenzweig currently holds the Cyber COPE Insurance Certification from Chubb and Carnegie Mellon University and a designation as a registered professional liability underwriter. Rosenzweig received his Bachelor of Arts in Government and Economics from Hamilton College.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
Continuing to grow our business in the NY region both organically and via mergers and acquisitions for the benefit of our clients. We have continued to add talent with a focus on specialty expertise to be better positioned to help our clients in a constantly evolving marketplace.

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
Be present and raise your hand for opportunities to connect with colleagues outside of your team. This will serve you well as you figure out your career path. Additionally, strong communication skills are tremendously important. If you are able to distill complex subject matter concisely, then you will go far.

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
I have no idea, but I’d like to think something related to the business side of sport. While not athletic enough, sport has always been a passion of mine.

Scott Rothkopf is the Whitney’s senior deputy director and the Nancy and Steve Crown Family Chief Curator. In November, he will take over as the museum’s director. Educated at Harvard, Rothkopf earned degrees in the history of art and architecture. Rothkopf began his curatorial career at the Harvard University Art Museums and joined the Whitney in 2015. From 2004-08, Rothkopf served as senior editor of Artforum International, and frequently contributed feature reviews and essays.

In 1989, at fifteen years old, Yusef Salaam was tried and convicted in the “Central Park Jogger” case along with four other Black and Latinx young men. The Exonerated Five spent between seven to 13 years behind bars for crimes they did not commit. Over the past two decades, Salaam has become a family man, father, poet, activist, and inspirational speaker. Currently, Salaam is the Democratic nominee for the New York City Council’s 9th District.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
Connecting with my village of Harlem in a way that I never had before. Turning my pain into purpose and winning the June primary has been incredibly restorative for me and my family. I look forward to jumping into the world of public service and being Harlem’s voice in the New York City Council for years to come.

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
Always remain true to yourself. In my career as a public speaker, and my recent foray into politics, I have always remained Yusef Salaam. Even when the system failed me, I was able to never lose sight of who I am and what I stood for. 

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
If I were not currently running for office, I would be focused on traveling the world and sharing my story with people of various cultures from across the globe. I want to make sure nobody has to experience the pain that I was subjected to at a young age. 

Daphany Rose Sanchez, CEO and founder of KC3, is a community organizer and expert at climate sustainability with a community and social justice focus. Born and raised in NYCHA public housing, she witnessed and lived through the intersections of housing discrimination, climate divestment from communities of color, and economic injustice. She is a graduate of NYU Tandon School of Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management from the New School.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in 2023?
We partner with and support minority-owned nonprofits in the areas of housing, migrant relations, and development through helping them get funding and uplift what they’re already doing. This year, we found out that two of our housing advocate partners we had been supporting for an opportunity to work with New York had won. That’s a big win for our organization and for the work we’re aiming to do as a community. 

What advice would you give to someone starting off in your industry?
Don’t be afraid. In this industry, there can be a lot of jargon and technicalities, but I tell those starting out to remain confident in their skill sets and remind them how needed they are in their sector. I’m incredibly supportive of those seeking a new career path in this field and showing them how to fight back against imposter syndrome. 

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you be doing?
When I started my career, I knew I wanted to pave the road for sustainability or provide support to those with housing and tenant issues. I knew my passion existed within an intersection of loving where I’m from and my upbringing and wanting to improve my community through working alongside community members. Ultimately, I ended up in the intersection of those two paths and I’m incredibly grateful to be doing the work that I’m doing. 

Ronald T. Sarubbi, former chair of the firm’s financial transactions practice, leads the corporate trust practice, which focuses on transactional matters, defaults and bankruptcies, indenture trustee-related litigation, and risk-mitigation and compliance advisory work. Earlier this year, Sarubbi was named as managing partner of its office in New York. Sarubbi is a member of Perkins Coie’s LIBOR task force and the blockchain, digital assets, and custody industry group.