Cara Lesser
Founder & Executive Director

Meet the committed people behind the movement to remake education and empower the next generation with the skills to invent the future.
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Meet the committed people behind the movement to remake education and empower the next generation with the skills to invent the future.
Leadership Team

Under Cara’s leadership, KID Museum has grown from an idea to become an anchoring regional institution, offering high-impact maker learning through deep, embedded partnerships with schools, weekend and after school programs, camps, and community events. With a focus on K-8 students, their families, and classroom educators, KID Museum builds pathways for sustained student growth and development. Deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and access, the museum consistently prioritizes populations traditionally under-represented in STEM fields.
Prior to founding KID Museum, Cara held a number of leadership positions in the field of health policy and health services research. She received her Masters of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Bachelors of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Holly Christensen
Chief Operating Officer

Lisa O’Brien
Chief Advancement Officer

Jackie Eyl
Chief Program Officer

Monica J. Goodwyn, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Managing Director, People and Culture

Liza Manfred
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives
Education

Laurel Harrington
Director of School Engagement

Amanda Puerto Thorne
Director, Pedagogy & Learning Innovation

Hannah Cline
Maker Educator

Gavin Donnelly
Maker Educator

Craig Freeland
Maker Educator

Reid Henkel
Education Program Manager

Sydney Lee
Maker Educator

Cori Leyden-Sussler
Maker Educator

Kate Loux
Maker Educator

Odalys Lugo-Morales
Senior Manager, Community and Partner Engagement

Maya Oliver
Education Program Manager

Kevin Sheehy
Senior Maker Educator

Barbara Stemler
Senior Education Program Manager

Dia Stone
Education Program Manager

Venu A. Toolaram
Program Facilitator

Becky Zeisel
Senior Education Program Manager
Development and Operations

Mia Augostini
Development Manager

Allie Mulrow
Senior Manager, Visitor Services

Megan Shpak
Operations Manager

Kendra Woodfolk
Teen Volunteer Coordinator
Marketing and Communications

Jake Neuman
Senior Manager, Marketing

Emma Sussman Starr
Senior Communications Advisor, Editorial and Storytelling
Board of Directors

Prior to joining Cambridge, Sam was the founder of 4AFRI Media; a venture backed mobile software start up focused on the African Continent. 4AFRI was funded as the Africa version of 4INFO (www.4info.com) the leading SMS services provider in the US. 4AFRI had offices in both Ethiopia and Cameroon developing mobile-based solutions in entertainment, lottery, health, jobs and many other sectors. 4AFRI had reached over 5million customers in less than a year and produced over 100 applications. Sam also lead the creation of 4AFRI’s subsidiary, Lotophone S.A. in West and Central Africa based on exclusive license to run lottery services on the mobile phone
Samuel started his professional career in Silicon Valley as a serial entrepreneur as founder of three successful tech ventures before his 23rd birthday. Sam began creating companies while enrolled as an undergraduate at Stanford University. He was an Associate at Venrock Associates (Rockefeller Family Venture Firm) investing in consumer media and mobile applications. 4AFRI was initially incubated at Venrock but was funded independently by a consortium of investors including SpringHill Equity and leading angel investor Josh Mailman. Sam has worked in various countries in Africa including Cameroon, Gabon, Senegal, Mali, Algeria, DRC, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and South Africa.
Sam Alemayehu
Cambridge Industries Energy

Board of Directors, Vice Chair
Executive Committee
Permanent Home Committee, Chair
Finance Committee
Governance Committee
Robby Brewer
Lerch, Early & Brewer

Board of Directors, Treasurer
Executive Committee
Finance Committee, Chair
Permanent Home Committee
Chris Carpenito
Cooper Construction

Co-Founder, KID Museum
Board of Directors, Secretary
Development Committee, Co-Chair
Governance Committee
Strategic Communications Committee
Jill Chessen
Long and Foster

Board of Directors, Chair
Finance Committee
Governance Committee
Strategy Committee
Strategic Communications Committee
David Goldberg
Goldner LLC

Governance Committee
Strategy Committee
Strategic Communications Committee
Susan Hendrickson
Arnold & Porter

Dr. Shanika Hope
Google

Development Committee
Charles J. LaDuca
Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca

Corporate Leadership Council
Governance Committee
Strategy Committee
Development Committee
Strategic Communications Committee
Corinna Lathan
AnthroTronix

Under Cara’s leadership, KID Museum has grown from an idea to become an anchoring regional institution, offering high-impact maker learning through deep, embedded partnerships with schools, weekend and after school programs, camps, and community events. With a focus on K-8 students, their families, and classroom educators, KID Museum builds pathways for sustained student growth and development. Deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and access, the museum consistently prioritizes populations traditionally under-represented in STEM fields.
Prior to founding KID Museum, Cara held a number of leadership positions in the field of health policy and health services research. She received her Masters of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Bachelors of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University.
Founder and Executive Director, KID Museum
Cara Lesser
KID Museum

Development Committee
Michael Lin, Ph.D.
Formerly National Institutes of Health

Development Committee
Corporate Leadership Council
Alexandre H. Rene
Ropes & Gray LLP

Development Committee, Co-Chair
Strategic Communications Committee
Sally A. Rosenberg
McDermott Will & Emery

Strategic Communications Committee
Joshua P. Starr
PDK International

Strategy Committee
Finance Committee
Governance Committee
Permanent Home Committee
Strategic Communications Committee
Brian Taff
Streetsense

Strategic Communications Committee, Chair
Development Committee
J. Antonio Tijerino
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Special thanks to our advisors and corporate supporters:
Strategic Planning Advisors
Shirley Brandman
Bob Buchanan
Alyse Graham
Erik Heyer
Shanika Hope
Scott Joftus
Dorothy Jones-Davis
Lee Manfred
Rudy Ruiz
Alejandro Yepes
Corporate Leadership Council
Sam Alemayehu, Cambridge Industries Energy
Angela Franco, DC Chamber of Commerce
Susan Hendrickson, Arnold & Porter
Shanika Hope, Google
Corinna Lathan, AnthroTronix
Glenn Leon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Alexandre H. Rene, Ropes & Gray
Christi Swanson, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

