Chicago Management Team
Ryan Evans – President and Director of Test Prep
Ryan began his tenure with Minds Matter as a test prep instructor in 2014. He graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in business and earned his J.D. from DePaul University. When not helping Minds Matter students maximize their standardized testing potential, Ryan is a trial attorney in Chicago specializing in medical malpractice and health care defense.
Tim Blasius – Director of Senior Program
Tim joined the Chicago chapter of Minds Matter in 2015 with a belief in education as a means to overcome inequalities, and transitioned to the management team in the role of Director of Senior Program in 2018. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. As a Chicago native, Tim is an avid local sports fan and enjoys staying active through a variety of athletics. He currently works for ITW Magnaflux as a Product Manager.
Bo Won Koo – Director of Junior Program
Bo joined the Chicago chapter of Minds Matter in 2018 with a passion for education and mentorship. He is now serving the Minds Matter organization as a Director of the Junior program. Bo obtained his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He currently works for KPMG's consulting practice, specializing in financial transformation.
Uma Blanchard – Director of Junior Program
Uma recently joined the MMC team and is excited to be supporting the junior class. She has worked with youth in a variety of settings— ranging most recently from leading a 6-week backcountry sea kayak trip in Alaska, to working in a high school as an Educational Counselor for the Schuler Scholar Program. Uma graduated from Bowdoin College and is a current PhD student at the University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development.
Erin Lansky – Director of Sophomore Program
Erin joined Minds Matter Chicago as a mentor in 2014 and has also served as a Team Lead, interviewer, and member of the 15th Anniversary Committee. In her seventh year with Minds Matter, Erin is excited to partner with Nick Goralka as Directors of the Sophomore Program to foster a strong sense of community for our newest students. Erin received her AB, magna cum laude, with Highest Honors from Dartmouth College, where she majored in Economics and Spanish/Hispanic Studies and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. As a healthcare private equity investor, Erin has partnered with numerous mission-driven founders to achieve sustainable growth and maximize their impact.
Michael Bongiovanni – Director of Summer Programs
Mike Gredlics – Director of Summer Programs
John Marshall – Director of Test Prep
Brendan Griffin – Director of Data & Analytics
Brendan joined Minds Matter in 2016 as a member of the Associate Board where he worked with the events team for two school years. In 2018, he joined the Data & Analytics committee and is excited to harness the power of data to drive the Minds Matter mission. Brendan graduated from the University of Illinois with a BA in Industrial Engineering and currently works at Accenture as a Technology Consultant.
Kristen Ignaczak – Director of Data & Analytics
Eric Mintzer – Director of Volunteers
Eric has been a mentor for Minds Matter Chicago since 2014. He joined the management team in 2017 after his first mentee went off to college. Eric studied Economics at Williams College and is now a trader at Gelber Group.
Abby O'Neill – Director of Technology
Abby joined Minds Matter as a mentor in 2018 before joining the management team. Abby has a BS in Computer Science from Fordham University and works as a data engineer at Allstate.
Sylvia Yu – Director of Finance
Sylvia initially learned about Minds Matter through a college friend who volunteered with organization's San Francisco chapter. She was impressed with her friend's dedication to helping his mentee succeed and wanted to make the same impact. After moving from California to Chicago in summer 2016, she joined Minds Matter Chicago as a mentor and served on the Associate Board from 2016-2018. Sylvia earned her B.S. from the University of California, Davis. She currently works with British Petroleum's renewable energy trading business. Outside of work, she enjoys longboarding, snowboarding, and golfing.
Ted Kang – Director of Corporate Fundraising
Ted joined Minds Matter in 2018 as both a mentor and member of the Finance team. He now serves as the Director of Fundraising, and helps oversee the chapter’s fundraising strategy for corporate, charitable foundation, and individual donors. Ted always had a passion for volunteering and firmly believes in advancing the mission at Minds Matter. Ted graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor's degree in Finance. He is currently an investment banker for a boutique investment bank in Chicago. As a California native, Ted enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and attending music festivals.
Zach Ozog – Director of Associate Board
Zach joined Minds Matter in 2019 as a mentor and a member of the Associate Board. He is passionate about learning and education and was originally drawn to Minds Matter by their mission to help make college more accessible to students in the Chicagoland area. Zach currently serves as Co-Head of the Associate Board and is responsible for several fundraising and organizational initiatives. Zach graduated from Indiana University with bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Accounting and currently works for an investment firm in Chicago.
Associate Board
The Associate Board oversees the fundraising efforts of Minds Matter of Chicago and is comprised of two committees: Corporate Fundraising and Event Planning.
Corporate Fundraising Committee
Ted Kang - Director of Corporate Financing
Monica Chen
Will Burns
Yelena Svetlichnaya
Eugin Lee
Spencer Oh
Gian Paulo Sese
June Huang
Kevin Phelan
Daniel D'Hondt
MBA Fellow
Nicole Smith
Events Committee
Becky Sulentic - Director of Events
Amanda Caldwell - Subcommittee Head
Eileen Jowlowski - Subcommittee Head
Brendan Griffin - Subcommittee Head
Mel Quigley
Katherine Schaaf
Sandie Xu
Tracy Kwan