Libraries Without Borders US Staff

Nina Safane

Executive Director

Nina (she/her) is a community-based leader who has built and led systems, teams, and organizations that increase access to education and public health services. Most recently, she led COVIDCheck Colorado, a social benefit enterprise that partnered with communities across the state to support Coloradans to safely return to community amidst the pandemic. Prior to this work, as co-founder of the Girls Athletic Leadership Schools, Nina spent over 10 years designing, building, and leading an innovative school model in Denver, Colorado. She worked as a coach for rising school leaders within the network and through Columbia University’s Summer Principal Academy. Nina has a BA in Education Studies from Brown University and an MA in Education from Columbia University.

Vanesha McGee

Program Manager

Vanesha (she/her) is a community advocate with a background in education. She has ten years of experience as an educator, building communities within classrooms. She has five years of professional writing expertise focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion across industries. Vanesha is also a photographer and poet. She develops art that uplifts stories of Black and marginalized communities. Vanesha holds a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Alex Aldarondo

Program Manager

Alex Aldarondo serves as a facilitator trainer for the Agile Learning Centers Network and as an education consultant for various independent community-based projects in Puerto Rico and abroad. Engaged in the field of education for over 15 years, Alex specializes in self-directed learning initiatives and community development framed in agile management, emergent strategies, and evolutionary stages of organizational development. He has collaborated with and helped initiate self-directed learning communities in México, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.

Keani LaGasa

Project Coordinator

Keani (she/her) is deeply passionate about community-driven initiatives and has made meaningful contributions to humanitarian programs in the health equity, cross-sector fundraising, and sustainable development sectors. Motivated by an unwavering commitment to humanity, equity, and justice, Keani focuses on trauma-informed approaches and amplifying underrepresented voices. Keani holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from Chapman University and an M.S. in Global Affairs from New York University. In addition to her work, she also enjoys solving logic puzzles, trying out new DIY projects, and immersing herself in a good book. As a lifelong learner, Keani is fueled by a deep curiosity that propels her to explore new ideas and engage with diverse perspectives

José Luis Vargas

Project Coordinator

José Luis Vargas (he/his/el) is a visual artist, art professor and independent educator and cultural community producer. He is a graduate of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, he earned an MFA at Pratt Institute and from the Royal College of Art. His paintings have been exhibited across the world. José Luis served as community radio coordinator for the Channel 6 Communication Project, and he has created youth media centers for various non profits. In 2011, he founded the first youth media center for Boys and Girls Club in Puerto Rico which created and produced comic books and video campaigns and spots touching on human rights and health-related themes.

Michelle Sullivan

Operations & Program Specialist

Michelle (she/her) grew up in Denver and graduated from MSU with a degree in Human Nutrition & Dietetics. She is passionate about community health and feels called to encourage connection, bolster education, and increase access to resources in underserved areas. Michelle is an authentic, entrepreneurial thinker who thrives in ambiguity: creating structure, driving special projects, and integrating workflows across various business functions. After a diverse career journey, she is thrilled to bring her expertise in Operations, Marketing, Project Management, and Client Services to Libraries Without Borders. Outside of work hours, you may find Michelle upside down in a yoga class, playing ukulele, or designing floral arrangements.

Kathryn Treder

Data Analyst

Kathryn (she/her) is especially interested in answering questions related to place, inequality, and marginalization in a data-informed manner. She graduated from Stanford University as a double major in Political Science and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity with a concentration in data science. Since graduating, Kathryn gained experience as a research associate in MIT’s Political Science Department and at Harvard’s Center for Population and Development Studies, but most recently as a data scientist at a tech start up. In her free time, Kathryn plays rugby which has allowed her to travel and build community not only across the country, but around the world.

Jerome Robles Rivera

Technology and Media Arts Coordinator

Jerome Robles Rivera is known for his interpretations in the film industry as a professional actor on Netflix, HBO, Pepsi and others. He is a video editor, writer, event animator, host and motivational speaker. Jerome has been involved in the film/tv industry for over 12 years building and accumulating knowledge and experience in different fields with a diploma in Digital Cinematography. He has been part of human rights movements such as Paz Para La Mujer and others. In 2010, he created his first Poets Community, and in 2012 he started his first poetry open mic session called Juntes Poeticos. He became the first Youth Video Editor and Coordinator of the Boys and Girls Club of Loíza, PR ’s Youth Media Center.

Félix Meléndez

Community Outreach Coordinator

Adventurer, artist, yogi, and nature enthusiast. Working up close with different communities through the years, Felix Melendez has helped with the access to information, and development of community projects and programs for more than 8 years. He has been a citizen reporter, traveling actor, and loves to learn and share his knowledge. He has a BA and MA in Hispanic Literature and is in the process of completing his PhD. He is also an NAI certified guide, Certified Yoga Teacher & Certified Yoga for Kids Instructor, Beekeeper, Organizer of events. As an artist, he has participated in multiple readings, he organizes some in turn, he is an editor & co- editor of various written manifestations. He has published poems and essays in different sources. Has a published book that was made 100% by hand. He is co-founder of CabaCoop, a workers cooperative, where he is, among other things, a heritage interpreter.

Andrés Claudio

Data Analyst and Directory Manager

Andrés holds a master’s degree in advertising and marketing management from Michigan State University. He has led the development of strategic marketing and communications platforms, as well as data management for global and local brands. Andrés led the first “Generation Y” marketing study, the “M Trend” on metrosexual
behavior, “The Profile of the Puerto Rican Shopper,” “Urban Tribes,” an anthropological look at the country’s social classes, “The brands that university students love and hate,” and “The Boricua mediaverse” among others. He is a professor at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón and the UAGM where he teaches courses on data analytics strategy and audiences, media, consumer behavior and marketing.

Board of Directors

Amber Koonce

NAACP Legal Defense Fund/Fried Frank Fellow

Antonio García Padilla

Dean Emeritus at University of Puerto Rico School of Law

Chelsea Stieber

Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Catholic University

Eric Parrie

Managing Director, Operations at Open Philanthropy

Gary Stewart

Managing Director at Techstars NYC

CEO at FounderTribes

Katherine Reisner

Senior Counsel at States United Democracy Center

Patrick Weil

Founder and Chairman of the Board

Georges Lurcy Visiting Professor of Law & Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale Law School

Senior Research Fellow at the French National Research Center in the University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne

Peter Sahlins

Deputy Chairman of the Board

Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Department and Professor of History at UC Berkeley

Marie-Monique Steckel

President of MMS Advisors

Nate Hill

Executive Director at Metropolitan New York Library Council

Nicholas C. E. Walter

Treasurer of the Board

Counsel at Jones Day

Owen Fiss

Sterling Professor Emeritus of Law at Yale Law School

Rebecca Duane

Adjunct Assistant Professor, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

Sara McDougall

Professor at John Jay College and the CUNY Graduate Center

Tse-Sung Wu

Biotech Drug Development Leader

Yves Istel

Deputy Chairman of the Board

Senior Advisor at Hanseatic LLC