Brandi Pretlow is the Vice President of Programs and Services at The Steve Fund. She earned her master’s degree in education from Lesley University and holds an MSW degree from the University of Chicago.
Brandi, a Californian at heart, has had the opportunity to work at the intersection of education and mental health for the past two decades in Boston, DC, and Chicago. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Leland Scholars Program at Stanford University where she expanded programs to support the holistic college-going experience for first-generation and low-income students. Prior to that role, Brandi practiced clinical social work at a middle and high school in Richmond, CA providing mental health and advocacy services, basic needs, and academic support. Brandi believes in utilizing a person-centered and holistic approach to create equitable systems that work alongside young people to support their mental health and well-being. She is excited to contribute to this work on a large-scale with The Steve Fund!
Brandi sustains her mental health by practicing yoga, hiking in the SF Bay area, entertaining others during karaoke sessions, and finding joy in the minutiae of life!
Annelle B. Primm, M. D., MPH, is the Steve Fund’s Senior Medical Director. During her career, Dr. Primm has been a physician executive at the American Psychiatric Association; a Senior Psychiatrist Adviser to Urban Behavioral Associates; a medical educator, administrator and clinician at Johns Hopkins Hospital Community Psychiatry Program; an editor of the books, Disparities in Psychiatric Care and Women in Psychiatry: Personal Perspectives; and a lecturer and video producer on the mental health of diverse and underserved populations. Well known for her leadership of community collaborations, Dr. Primm is the Convener and Chair of the All Healers Mental Health Alliance, a national network of mental health professionals, health advocates and faith community leaders that facilitates culturally tailored responses to the mental health needs of people affected by disasters.
John Tseng is the Steve Fund’s Director of Product and Technology and is responsible for reimagining the digital strategy and implementation to help the organization reach new and existing audiences at scale. He is passionate about constantly learning and applying human-centered design and experimentation to maximize the impact of technology solutions. Prior to joining the Steve Fund, John spent nearly a decade working on digital products and services. He has successfully designed and shipped products used by millions in the entertainment, healthcare, and education spaces.
Monica Ingkavet is passionate about expanding opportunities for vulnerable young people and has deep experience in the nonprofit sector, particularly in education.
She is currently Director of Programs and Partnership at The Steve Fund, working closely with non-profits, and colleges, and universities nationwide to support the mental health and well-being of young people of color.
Prior to The Steve Fund, she was Vice President at ExpandED Schools where she led the Expanded Learning initiative, a model of school-community partnership to improve school climate, student engagement, and academic achievement in underserved communities.
Before that, Monica was Program Director at the Posse Foundation, facilitating partnerships with top universities, including Vanderbilt, Rice, and DePauw, placing multicultural cohorts of students on full scholarship. Prior to that, she was Director of Summerbridge Hong Kong (international division of Breakthrough Collaborative), and Senior Trainer at Global Kids.
Monica earned her Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from SUNY Stony Brook. Monica is a native Spanish speaker. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son who studies at Brown.
Rahje Branch is the Steve Fund’s Director of Families and Special Projects. Prior to joining the Steve Fund, Rahje worked as the Deputy Director of Engagement in the office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Rahje led efforts to connect the office with communities around the country, focusing on the mental health crisis. A first-generation college graduate, Rahje earned her B.A. in Political Science from Pepperdine University and her M.Ed. from Harvard University. After completing her education, she worked to support students of color in higher education at Reach Higher, former First Lady Michelle Obama’s higher education initiative.
Based in Los Angeles, Rahje is a skilled organizer and is passionate about seeking justice, especially for Black and Brown communities. Rahje is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants and spending time with friends and family.
Alyssa Aloya is the Program Manager at the Steve Fund. Prior to joining The Steve Fund, Alyssa worked in the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Vanderbilt University as a program manager. She contributed to the creation and development of Identity Initiatives for institutionally marginalized community members, strategic planning, program development, and relationship building. While at Vanderbilt, Alyssa earned her Master’s of Education in Learning, Diversity, and Urban Studies from Peabody College and focused her studies on promoting equity and justice in higher education contexts. She engaged in Education Trust Tennessee’s Higher Education Policy Council and is a current board member of Persist Nashville: a non-profit that aims to increase the persistence rate for Nashville high school graduates, and the Tennessee Higher Education in Prisons Initiative: a non-profit that creates opportunities for incarcerated scholars to participate in degree programs.
Dominique Atkinson is the Program Assistant at The Steve Fund, where she currently provides administrative support for the Programs team.
She previously worked in administration at Northwell Health, where she had the opportunity to support the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for more than 70,000 employees. Prior to that, she held various positions at the YMCA of Greater New York. Throughout her time at the YMCA, she worked to strengthen the impact of youth and family programming through the development and implementation of administrative systems.
Dominique is passionate about equity in education for students of color. She provided College Access support for middle and high school students and led one of New York City’s most competitive paid high school internships.
Our Mission: Promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color