Our Team
Leading with lived experience, CPLAN leaders reflect the community they aim to serve. These parents of color are a product of the public school system and currently have children attending different sectors.
Our team brings diversity of thought, socio-economic status, culture and educational experiences to deliver a holistic perspective to the work.
Ivelisse Caraballo
Executive Director
Ivelisse was a founding member of CPLAN and now serves as our Executive Director. She is extremely passionate about achieving racial equity in education and creating spaces to educate and empower families to take control of their child's educational experience. Her professional experience encompasses corporate, private, non-profit and academic sectors. Read more about Ivelisse's story and how she began her journey in educational advocacy!
Samantha Mariano
Assistant Project Manager
Passionate advocate for mental health and human rights. Fueled by the inequities she witnessed in the mental health care and education systems, she has been committed to pushing for more thoughtful and intentional solutions, with the input of the community that is affected.
Community Ethics Committee
These members of our Community Ethics Committee have been instrumental in shaping CPLAN's mission and vision. As our organization grows, these powerful women continue to advise best practices.
Paula Kelley
Mental Health Advocate
