Launch of the Young Executive Board!
Thrive For Life is excited to announce the launch of the Young Executive Board! The Board will work to support Thrive For Life’s mission to transform lives behind and beyond U.S. prison walls. In pursuit of that mission, the group will serve an invaluable role in expanding Thrive For Life’s reach and partnerships through the personal and professional networks of its members. Members will additionally contribute to community building through fundraising and volunteer activities in support of the organization’s various ministries behind and beyond the prison walls, most notably the Ignacio House of Studies.
Since the kickoff of the project, we are excited to welcome seven young men to our ranks!
Dr. Kyle Malstrom, a practicing orthodontist, recently moved to New York City after completing his residency at St. Louis University. Originally from Buffalo, Kyle was a member of a 20-person team that led weekly gatherings and Kairos retreats at the Wende Correctional Facility in Upstate New York. He is passionate about combining educational resources with Ignatian Spirituality to help make a difference in the lives of people affected by incarceration.
Lorenzo Manuali joins us from Harvard University where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Government and a citation in Spanish. During the pandemic, Lorenzo conducted cooking classes through Zoom for the resident scholars at Ignacio House and has been a frequent volunteer with Thrive for Life throughout his high school and college career. Currently, Lorenzo is a post-baccalaureate research assistant at Stanford University’s Center for Ethics in Society where he conducts research in political philosophy.
Samuel Tuero, a recent graduate of Rutgers University, currently works as an Associate at Precision Strategies in New York City where he helps implement digital strategy for a range of advocacy, nonprofit, and corporate clients. Prior to joining Precision, Sam was an intern at Mi Familia Vota, a national nonprofit that works to build Latino and immigrant community political power through civic engagement. Sam graduated with a degree in political science and a certificate in national security from Rutgers University-Camden. He is originally from North Bergen, New Jersey.
Cristian Gonzalez hails from Chicago and is a recent graduate of Cornell University where he double majored in Near Eastern Studies and Government. Currently, Cristian works for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as a litigation paralegal where he supports attorneys on a range of cases including capital sentencing appeals, asylum applications, matters before the International Criminal Court, and various COVID-19 related relief clinics for residents of NYC. He is passionate about carceral reform and is excited about the work that Thrive for Life is doing to equip formerly incarcerated people with the means and resources to reenter society.
Goziem Ononye is an investor, speaker and leader. He studied Electrical Engineering at the Grove School of Engineering at CUNY City College of New York where he acquired his Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering Degree. He currently works as a Security Solution Architect for a Global Tech firm. He also serves as a Co-Leader for the Social Justice Ministry at Saint Francis de Sales in NYC. Goziem was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He arrived in NYC in August 2000 with his family. He has two brothers and two sisters. Goziem enjoys exercising, participating in volunteer activities, watching sporting events, playing soccer and reading business, spiritual, philosophical, leadership and personal development books.
Jack Sweeney joins us from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in Chemistry, Jack accepted a position at Regis High School as an Alumnus Mentor in which he supports the academic and curricular needs of students through the school’s guidance department. While at Holy Cross, he completed the Holy Cross premed track, performed research in a chemistry lab, and was heavily involved with various service organizations around campus such as HC4aCure and Holy Ballers.
Peter Vanderslice joins us from Yale University where he graduated summa cum laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in East Asian Studies. At Regis High School, he was part of the inaugural group to conduct the “Regis for Rikers” volunteer project with Father Presutti at Rikers Island Jail. Peter works as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley.
Thrive for Life is excited to welcome these young men to our family of supporters and looks forward to all the good work they will do to help serve our brothers and sisters behind and beyond the U.S. prison walls.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Young Executive Board, please contact Tara DeWorsop (tdeworsop@thriveforlife.org) or Vincenzo Guido (vguido@thriveforlife.org).
