Our Team
Dream Team
Katie Eichenauer,MSSA
Katie has served Believe in Dreams since its inception in 2014, first volunteering as a Program Developer and Dream Coordinator, and then in 2017, Katie was hired as the Executive Director. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Child & Family Studies from The Ohio State University. Katie has worked with children and families for over 24 years. She began her career in early childhood education and then spent 18 years in child mental health working as a School Based Clinical Therapist and then a Clinical and Program Supervisor in the School Based Counseling program at Bellefaire JCB. Her focus is in Human Development, Child Mental Health and Child Advocacy.
Logan Firehammer
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Logan is a passionate nonprofit leader with a deep commitment to expanding opportunities for youth who have faced adversity. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education- Integrated Language Arts from Ohio University. As the Director of Development at Believe in Dreams, she leverages her experience in fundraising, donor engagement, and strategic partnerships to drive the organization’s mission forward. Prior to joining Believe in Dreams, she served as the Director of Programs and Partnerships at Can’d Aid, where she played a key role in scaling nationwide initiatives and establishing corporate support. Motivated by her belief in the power of mentorship and community support, Logan is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunities and resources to reach their full potential. She is excited to build meaningful connections with supporters and champions of Believe in Dreams to expand its impact.
Kristen Sklodowski, MSSA, LISW-S
DREAM PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Kristen was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio before moving to Cleveland for graduate school. Kristen has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Cleveland State University and is a Licensed Individual Social Worker. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Youngstown State University. Kristen has worked in the social work field for over 13 years in a variety of settings in social work. Before becoming part of the team at Believe in Dreams, she was a School Based Therapist for 9 years at Beech Brook. She currently resides in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, daughter and two amazing rescue dogs, Honey and Willow. Kristen is most looking forward to helping kids build a stronger relationship with their communities and helping them realize that all of their dreams are possible.
Sheena Lewis, LCSW, LISW
DREAM COORDINATOR
Sheena Lewis, LCSW, LISW, is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 13 years of experience advocating for children and families, including serving as a Guardian ad Litem and supporting youth involved in the foster car and juvenile justice systems. She is passionate about helping young people recognize their strengths, dream beyond their circumstances, and feel supported as they pursue their goals.Â
Gabbi Di Marino
DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Gabbi is a dedicated project manager with a background in copywriting for a wide-variety of outlets, including the nonprofit sector. She earned her bachelor’s from Columbia College Chicago and is a native Michigander who made the move to Cleveland in 2020. She is thrilled to be a part of the Believe in Dreams team and to put her passion to work towards helping create life-changing experiences for kiddos in need. She lives in Cleveland Heights with her two rambunctious kitties, Theo and Tilly, and an angelic german shepherd husky mix named Juno.
Kristen Sklodowski, MSSA, LISW-S
DREAM PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Kristen was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio before moving to Cleveland for graduate school. Kristen has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Cleveland State University and is a Licensed Individual Social Worker. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Youngstown State University. Kristen has worked in the social work field for over 13 years in a variety of settings in social work. Before becoming part of the team at Believe in Dreams, she was a School Based Therapist for 9 years at Beech Brook. She currently resides in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, daughter and two amazing rescue dogs, Honey and Willow. Kristen is most looking forward to helping kids build a stronger relationship with their communities and helping them realize that all of their dreams are possible.
Intern & Volunteer Team
Eddie Cheyfitz
SPONSORSHIPS & EVENTS COORDINATOR
Inzul Motiwala
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGY VOLUNTEER
Inzul was borne and raised in Pakistan and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, where she developed a strong interest in human behavior and community impact, and volunteered with several nonprofit organizations. She later completed her Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, further strengthening her understanding of people, performance, and organizational growth.Â
Inzul currently works in marketing for a consulting firm, where she manages social media strategy, sales enablement initiatives, and proposal development. She is passionate about using her skills to create meaningful connections and drive positive change. As a volunteer with Believe in Dreams, Inzul is excited to support children in building confidence, strengthening their communities, and believing in their potential.Â
Cece Bettinger
DREAM COORDINATOR INTERN
Dr. Tanya Quinones-Santiago, DPT
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Suzanne Singerman
DREAM SHOPPER VOLUNTEER
Board of Directors
Rob Platt
BOARD CHAIR
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT,Â
ORT AMERICA
Rob Platt has lived in Cleveland for 52 years. He attended the Ohio State University and received a Bachelor of Arts & Science Degree. Rob is the Director of Development for Ohio, Western PA, and Texas for the American Technion Society (ATS). ATS supports the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. The University is often referred to as the MIT of the Northern Hemisphere. Before becoming a professional development specialist in the nonprofit world, Rob was a successful serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, having built two steel companies and a promotional products marketing company from scratch.
The focus of Rob’s lay leadership has always been centered around underserved youth, whether it’s from medical or non-medical trauma. Some of his favorite appointments included serving on the following Boards of Directors: Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, the 250 Committee, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Temple Tifereth Israel (now known as Congregation Mishkan Or), and the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce. He is passionate about fundraising and helping organizations make meaningful progress. In his spare time, Rob enjoys traveling the world with his best friend and wife, working out, playing with his dogs, reading business books, and spending time with family and friends. He lives in Chagrin Falls with his wife Jane. They have five adult children: Carly, Katie, Rachel, Sam, and Ben.
Lesa Evans
BOARD VICE CHAIR
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER,
MAI CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Lesa is the Chief Human Resources Officer at MAI, joining the firm in 2019. She is responsible for all aspects of Human Resources, providing both strategy and operational execution in partnership with the leadership team. Lesa’s experience includes succession planning, talent management, recruiting, onboarding, employee development, training, culture leadership and compensation structures. Prior to MAI, she worked for KeyBank as the Chief Administrative Officer for the corporate and investment banking divisions. Prior to that role, she was the HR Director supporting 2,500 associates in corporate bank, risk management and asset management. Lesa has earned several certifications in industry programs including the the 360° Feedback System, Lominger Career Architect and Myers Briggs.
Stephen Crooks
VICE PRESIDENT-SALES
SURETECO
John R. DiJulius III
CHIEF REVOLUTION OFFICER
THE DIJULIUS GROUP,
BELIEVE IN DREAMS FOUNDER
John serves as an International consultant and is a best-selling author of three Customer service books. His latest book, The Customer Service Revolution (Greenleaf Books 2015), instantly hit #1 on Amazon. John works with world class companies including The Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Nestlé, Marriott Hotels, PwC, Cheesecake Factory, Progressive Insurance, Harley Davidson, Chick-fil-A, and many more.
Camille Ho-A-Lim, CPA, CGMA
Camille Ho-A-Lim has proven ability utilizing her extensive accounting, auditing, and finance knowledge and experiences providing sound business advisory solutions to the non-profit boards she serves. She is passionate about giving of her time, talent, and monies to non-profits whose mission and values support children. She is currently also the treasurer of Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development (HPCC) and an active member of HPCC’s finance and investment committees.
Prior to joining HPCC as a board member in June 2020 and becoming its current treasurer in July 2022, she was an active board member and served in the capacity of operational treasurer of Cleveland Academy of Scholarship, Technology and Leadership Enterprise High School (C.A.S.T.L.E.) during its operational treasurer transition and was instrumental in its selection and implementation of its new accounting software system and accounting records. In addition, she was the past treasurer of Christ Episcopal Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and was responsible for the modification of its annual budget and ad hoc reports for ease in use and presentation to the board.
As a current Senior Manager in the Private Business Advisory Service Department at HW & Co. CPAs & Advisors, Ms. Ho-A-Lim is responsible for leading, coaching, and managing staff during audits, reviews, and compilation engagements. She works closely with her Firm’s clients’ owners, chief financial officers, controllers, and other accounting department members to achieve the proper recording and disclosure of financial transactions in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). In addition, Ms. Ho-A-Lim has proven experience in the performance of for-profit, non-profit, employee benefit plans, and local and state government audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.
Ms. Ho-A-Lim has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from John Carroll University.Â
She is a member of the:Â
- American Institute of Certified Public AccountantsÂ
- Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants
Mandie Kijinski
EXPERIAN
Mandie Kijinski brings over 13 years of leadership experience in sales and business development to the Believe in Dreams Board. As Vice President of Sales at Audigent, a part of Experian, she specializes in driving growth, fostering strategic partnerships, and delivering innovative solutions for clients. Mandie holds an Executive MBA, which complements her expertise in leadership, strategy, and organizational growth. Mandie is dedicated to supporting Believe in Dreams’ mission to inspire hope and empower youth to achieve their dreams.
Erin E. Leebow, Esq.
Erin most recently served as in-house legal counsel for Fairmount Santrol Holdings Inc., a publicly traded sand mining company, from 2014 to 2017, with primary responsibility for securities and compliance matters through the company’s transition to a public company. Previously, she was in-house legal counsel for GrafTech International Ltd., an international manufacturing company in the carbon and graphite business, and led the company through several mergers and acquisitions from 2010 to 2012. From 2004 to 2009, she served as a transactional lawyer for large, international law firms – Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP and Jones Day. Erin graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School and Law and Weatherhead School of Management with a JD/MBA degree and cum laude from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in political science and international studies.
Erin has contributed to various non-profit organizations over the years, acting as an advisor to the Board of Directors of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors (Treasurer) of Heartbeats, a Vice President of the International Lawyers Group of Cleveland and a volunteer for Global Volunteers.
Erin enjoys hiking, yoga, sports, health and wellness and spending time with family and friends, husband Jonathan, and their six children, Justice, Natalia, Max, Maya, Alexander and Miles.
Tani Malhotra, MD
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
Tani Malhotra is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician in Cleveland, OH. Dedicated to caring for underserved patients she focuses on patients with significant social determinants of health. Much like adverse childhood experiences and social challenges in childhood have been linked to adverse outcomes in adulthood, significant social determinants have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. It was therefore an easy decision with Tani to become involved with Believe in Dreams where she was able to contribute to giving children hope to improve their future health.
Jess Pischel
HUMAN FIRST AI CONSULTING
Jess Pischel was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. She attended Cleveland State University where she majored in Business Communications and earned her MBA.Â
Egon P. Singerman, Esq.
Egon was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the Ohio State University and received a B.S.B.A. degree. He then attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he earned his JD. Egon was admitted to the practice of law in the state of Ohio in 1988. For his career, Egon practices Law in the area of employment and business-related services. He is also the CEO of a benefits and corporate wellness company.Â
Egon is currently a member of the Board of Trustees, Executive Committee at The Temple Tifereth Israel, where he serves as Assistant Treasurer. He continues to support various local and national charities both financially and in a hands-on capacity. Â
Egon enjoys tennis, fitness-related activities and spending time with his family and friends. He lives in Solon with his wife, Suzanne. They have three adult sons, Zach, Kyle & Justin.
Mike Mancuso
EIS IT CONSULTING
Mike Mancuso is a results-driven sales and business development leader, entrepreneur, and baseball professional. As a senior leader at EIS IT Consulting, Mike helps drive company growth, develop new business opportun-
ities, and build long-term client relationships through innovative technology solutions.
A graduate and former baseball player at the University of Georgia, Mike went on to play professionally in the Chicago White Sox organization. His experience as collegiate and professional athlete shaped the competitive mindset, discipline, and leadership he brings to everything he does.
Mike is also the Director of Force Ohio Baseball, where he is passionate about developing young athletes and helping players reach their potential both on and off the field. He combines his professional experience and baseball background to mentor the next generation of players and leaders.
Shannon Smith
LENORA LYNNE MEDIA
Shannon Smith is an Emmy-nominated journalist, media strategist, host and founder of Lenora Lynne Media, a media and personal brand development company helping people own their presence, tell their stories, and show up with confidence. After more than 13 years in television news,
Shannon has built a career rooted in connection — whether delivering breaking news, interviewing community leaders, commanding a live stage or mentoring thenext generation of journalists. Most recently, she served as a morning news anchor in Cleveland, where she became known for her engaging style, authenticity and ability to make audiences feel like part of the conversation.
A proud South Side Chicago native, Shannon’s roots in media stretch back to True Star Magazine, where she began developing her voice as a storyteller
before earning her degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign. She’s built a television career that took her across the country, with stops in Rockford, Omaha, Fresno, Buffalo and Cleveland.
Beyond her work in media, Shannon is passionate about mentorship, community engagement and helping young people recognize the power of their own voices. She’s been an instructor at Ohio Media School, member of the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters and is currently a board member for Believe in Dreams. Shannon is the proud dog mom of a mini poodle mix Sebastian and legacy member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Marya Strand, MD, MS
Akron Children's Hospital
Marya Strand, MD, MS, is a neonatologist, physician leader, and passionate advocate
for children and families. As Chair of the Department of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Akron Children’s, she has dedicated her career to caring for some of the most vulnerable children and to building programs and teams that help families thrive.
Marya believes deeply that every child deserves the opportunity to discover what is possible for them, regardless of their circumstances. She is drawn to Believe in Dreams because of its commitment to seeing the potential in each child and creating
experiences that build hope, confidence, and connection.
In her professional and community work, Marya brings a love of learning, a drive to make a meaningful difference, and a belief in the power of people working together toward a common purpose. She is honored to support Believe in Dreams in helping
young people feel seen, valued, and inspired to dream about their futures.
Mandie Kijinski
EXPERIAN
Mandie Kijinski brings over 13 years of leadership experience in sales and business development to the Believe in Dreams Board. As Vice President of Sales at Audigent, a part of Experian, she specializes in driving growth, fostering strategic partnerships, and delivering innovative solutions for clients. Mandie holds an Executive MBA, which complements her expertise in leadership, strategy, and organizational growth. Mandie is dedicated to supporting Believe in Dreams’ mission to inspire hope and empower youth to achieve their dreams.
Friends of Believe in Dreams
