Leadership

MLT’s Senior Management, Governing Board, and Advisory Board unite some of the strongest thought leaders in business, education, and philanthropy to provide the strategic insight and guidance that informs the direction of the organization and helps to drive the results that MLT is able to deliver for its partners and Rising Leaders.

Board of Directors

 

  • John Rice MLT Founder and CEO
  • Andy Florance CoStar Group, Inc.
  • Christy Haubegger Founder of Latina Magazine
  • David Carlock Machete Group
  • David deWilde Private Investor
  • Frances Messano NewSchools Venture Fund
  • Ime Archibong Meta
  • John Legend Grammy-Winning Recording Artist
  • Ken Coleman EIS Group Ltd.
  • Mac LaFollette Graduate Capital
  • Marc Jones Aeris Communications
  • Matt Halprin YouTube
  • Michael Ryan Bullet Point Network
  • Susan Schuman SYPartners
  • Tyler Dickson Citigroup
  • Valentino Carlotti Brown Brothers Harriman

 

Management Team

 

John Rice, MLT Founder and CEO
20 years of experience with the National Basketball Association, The Walt Disney Company, and AT&T. MLT CEO since 2001. MBA, Harvard Business School; BA, Yale University. Click to Read John’s full bio. Follow MLT on LinkedIn and on Instagram.

 

Cristal Baron, Head of Development
Over 20 years of experience in finance, business development, and general management. After 8 years at Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan, Cristal became the CFO and ultimately President of a small investment banking boutique before joining MLT. She earned her MBA from McGill University in Montréal and her Bachelors in Journalism with a Business Minor from Howard University.

 

Daryl Dickson, Vice President of Talent Development
Over 25 years of leadership experience in human capital including executive roles with AlliedSignal, The Quaker Oats Company, and Bausch & Lomb. Daryl earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Masters in Education, and Bachelors in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan.

 

Shartoyea Scott Dixon, Vice President of Campus Programs
With over 15 years of leadership experience in the technology and education space, Shartoyea is a strategic executive with strengths in operations, people management, process improvement, and data-driven innovation. Prior to MLT, Shartoyea held leadership positions at Kaplan Inc. and Lutron Electronics. Shartoyea holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Shartoyea is an alum of MLT’s MBA Prep Program.

 

Kevin Donahue, Vice President of Capital Growth
Over 10 years of experience with Advisory Board Company, American Express, and MLT. BSBA, University of Pittsburgh.

 

 

Damian Saccocio, Vice President of Technology and Analytics
Over 20 years of experience as a tech strategy leader and innovator in digital media and higher education including leadership roles at America Online, Open Text, and several startups with Course Gateway being his most recent. Damian has long served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business where he has taught Tech Strategy for over a decade and holds a Ph.D. from Rensselaer, a Master’s from MIT, and a BS in Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University.

 

Mark Taguchi, Vice President, and West Coast Managing Director
Over 20 years in executive and senior management roles in technology at Silicon Graphics, Openwave Systems, Marketocracy, and Alchiba. BS, Stanford University and MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business.

 

Tina Gilbert, Managing Director of Advisory Services

Tina is responsible for the delivery of client services and the development of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion leading practices, and insights.  She brings 10 years of DEI Leadership (4 years global), 15 years of Strategic Consulting, and 25 years of corporate experience across different industries to this role. Throughout her career, she has led efforts to transform organizations’ operating models, business processes, and employee culture to create measurable impact.

 

Bill Gildea, Chief Partnerships Officer
Over 15 years of experience as CEO, COO, and CFO for public, mid-stage private, and start-up software companies. Bill also has previous experience as a sell-side financial analyst and attorney. William & Mary (B.A.), University of North Carolina (MBA), Catholic University of America (J.D.).

 

Wil Priester, Chief Financial Officer

More than 25 years of dynamic financial management experience at nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Wil spent the last 10 years leading financial strategy & operations for Arabella, a professional services firm that provides customizable services to clients in the philanthropic sector, including institutional & family foundations and non-profit organizations. He has an MBA from Georgetown and a bachelor’s from the University of Virginia.

 

Casey Recupero, Chief Operating Officer

Casey spent 18 years at Year Up building the organization to its current scale ($180M, 800 staff serving 5,000 participants annually. Most recently, Casey headed Year Up’s direct service work with young adults and major employers, where he managed a team of 350 and a $100M P&L. He also led an internal innovation group that tackled Year Up’s most challenging growth constraints.

 

Vanessa Tiongson, Chief Marketing Officer

With over 20 years of experience launching award-winning campaigns for lifestyle and luxury brands, Vanessa joins MLT as the Chief Marketing Officer. Coming from US-based nonprofit, Upstream, Vanessa served as CMO for over 4 years and helped transform the organization from a policy advocacy group into a public-facing thought leader in the reuse and plastic pollution movements. Her work in the nonprofit sector, particularly during the challenges of the Covid pandemic, showcases her innovative approach to brand development and public relations which will help MLT grow its impact, especially during this critical moment for racial justice. Vanessa’s expertise in traditional marketing, thought leadership, and a successful track record of integrated, omni-channel strategies will be a game changer for our growth moving forward. As MLT prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, Vanessa will focus on developing the organization’s narrative strategy, increasing brand visibility, and positioning MLT as a leader in closing racial wealth gaps.

Tia Price, Chief People Officer

Tia brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources, specializing in talent management, talent acquisition, performance management, talent development, and process innovation. Prior to joining MLT, Tia held leadership positions at Enterprise Community Partners, Allegis Global Solutions and Walker & Dunlop, where she honed her skills implementing broad reaching HR initiatives, improving employee satisfaction, and driving organizational change. A strong advocate for career development and internal mobility, Tia will oversee all aspects of MLT’s human capital strategy, including talent acquisition, employee development, compensation and benefits, and organizational culture. Her focus on employee experiences and development will be instrumental in ensuring that our team feels valued and empowered.