Our Team
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Rina Madhani
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rina Madhani began her career in education as a service member with AmeriCorps, where she oversaw the implementation of Reading Partners’ literacy curriculum in East Harlem. She also worked as an educator at M.S. 223 and Success Academy Charter Schools. As an educator, she realized that the biggest barrier to literacy was access to books and a lack of culturally affirming spaces in and outside of the classroom.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded Start Lighthouse to put the power of reading back in the hands of students and their families by building robust home libraries. Rina studied at New York University (B.A., Global Liberal Studies) and the University of Pennsylvania (M.S.Ed).
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Brittany Kramer
CO-FOUNDER
Brittany Kramer wanted to build an initiative that would foster a life-long joy of learning in children and their families from a young age to help bridge a healthy and fruitful transition into adulthood. She became interested in how health outcomes and literacy are so intimately intertwined during her 3rd year of medical school. She has a B.A in psychology from New York University and a D.O from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is currently a Family Medicine resident.
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Deborah Rose
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
Deborah Rose has more than 20 years of experience in schools. She began her career as a classroom teacher and then went on to design curriculum and mentor teachers. As a school administrator, Deborah oversaw the development and implementation of curriculum, supervised teachers, and created assessment tools to align with the school’s mission based goals. An avid reader, Deborah is passionate about helping children to discover the joys of reading. Deborah received a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University.
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Aura Valdez
SITE COORDINATOR
Aura is a first generation Latina with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has worked with immigrants, child abuse survivors, low income students and minority women. She has a background in arts and education. She is a native New Yorker with a deep love of literature and the arts. She has experience in curriculum development and book curation. She currently works with several organizations throughout NYC that provide resources and opportunities to underserved communities. She strives to make a positive impact in the lives of those around her through her work and advocacy. She is thrilled to be a part of the Start Lighthouse team.
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Kendall Serena
SITE COORDINATOR
Kendall has spent the past five years proudly serving our students as an educator in New York City and promoting a lifelong love of reading with children. Kendall began her career as an Americorps member through Teach For America, where she spent her time teaching elementary and middle school students in the South Bronx and the Lower East Side. Working alongside community leaders and New York City’s government has taught her how various stakeholders, from local government to non-profits to private businesses, play a pivotal role in supporting the city’s learners. Kendall is excited to join the Start Lighthouse team and support a love of literacy for our students.