Staff

Leadership

Carson C. Hicks, Ph.D. | Executive Director

Carson C. Hicks is the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity. She has held various senior leadership positions since joining the office in 2007. Most recently, she was the Acting Executive Director and prior to that she was the Deputy Executive Director. Before joining NYC Opportunity, Carson was a Teaching Fellow at Columbia University and Managing Editor of the Journal of Sociological Methodology. She completed her undergraduate degree at New York University and received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University.

Adam Cohen | Special Policy Advisor

Adam Cohen is Special Policy Advisor for NYC Opportunity. In this role, he works in a variety of areas, ranging from offering advice on policy issues and legal matters to helping to plan communications strategy. He has played a significant role in helping to draft a mayoral executive order on equity and in developing a privacy policy for the City's public housing broadband service. Prior to joining NYC Opportunity, Mr. Cohen was the chief speechwriter for the Mayor. Before coming to the City, he served as a senior policy advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Brigit Beyea | Director, Strategy & Operations

Brigit Beyea is the Acting Director of Strategy and Operations at NYC Opportunity. She is responsible for overseeing the budget, contracting, human resource management and operations of NYC Opportunity's two office locations. In her role, she leads the office-wide work on diversity, equity and inclusion and supports special projects related to community-based mental health. Prior to NYC Opportunity, Ms. Beyea held leadership roles in various non-profit and governmental organizations focused on early childhood education, civic engagement and public health. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, and a B.A in Economics and Latin American Studies from Oberlin College.

Darnell Sessoms | Product Director

Darnell Sessoms leads the Product Team and oversees the strategy, ongoing delivery, and success of our digital products and services. The team's portfolio connects millions of New Yorkers to benefits and services each year and supports City and community partners to better serve their constituents. Starting as a Product Manager on the team, he's launched several products in our portfolio and led projects to help case workers digitize their workflow and improve the experience of LGBTQ youth and youth who experience homelessness. Darnell is a native New Yorker, with extensive lived experience navigating the social safety net. He has a BA in Anthropology from Skidmore College and MA in Communication and Technology Management from NYU.

David S. Berman | Director, Programs and Evaluation

David S. Berman is the Director of Programs and Evaluation for NYC Opportunity. In this role, Mr. Berman helps to launch new NYC Opportunity initiatives, and oversees the NYC Opportunity team that works with City agencies on program development, implementation, performance monitoring and evaluation for all of NYC Opportunity's initiatives. David's past work at NYC Opportunity has included helping to create new performance management strategies, and overseeing innovative workforce development initiatives, as well as programs serving and disconnected youth and NYC Opportunity's public health programs. Previously, David worked with the AIDS Service Center of NYC (now the Alliance for Positive Change). He holds master's degrees from Columbia University in both Public Administration and Public Health, and graduated from Oberlin College.

Lyndsey Marie Richardson | Studio Director

Lyndsey Richardson is the Acting Director of the Service Design Studio. In this role, Lyndsey oversees the Studio's operations and strategic planning, design project portfolio, and team. Lyndsey brings a deep commitment to the design justice movement and an understanding of participatory practices to strengthen the Studio's collaboration with people who directly administer and use public services. Prior to NYC Opportunity, Lyndsey served as the Deputy Director of Special Services within the Family Independence Administration (FIA) at the Human Resources Administration(HRA)/Dept. of Social Services (DSS). In this role, Lyndsey managed a portfolio of workforce development programs, co-developed the Youth Services division, facilitated technical assistance offerings for youth serving practitioners, and facilitated a variety of youth-led programs such as the Youth Experience Advocates (YEA) peer-evaluation program and the Youth Leadership Council.

Design

Deana Yu | Design Lead
Demetrious Canty | Design Lead
Victor Martinez | Design Fellow

Poverty Research

Product

Programs & Evaluation

Strategy & Operations

Cris Martinez | Strategy & Operations Fellow

Recent Fellows

Abigail Sindzinski | Data Fellow, Winter/Spring 2023
Adelaide Phillips | P&E Fellow, Winter/Spring 2023
Awwab Siddiqui | CUNY Fellow, Summer 2023
David Baltazar | CUNY Fellow, Summer 2023
Dominique Dukes | Graduate Fellow, Summer 2023 - Spring 2024
Marivi Sifuentes | Coding it Forward Fellow, Summer 2023
Oskar Lelko | Coding it Forward Fellow, Summer 2023
Michael Guerrero | P&E Fellow, Winter/Spring 2024