Jake Braithwaite, S.J., GABELLI ’11, GSAS ’15—moderator
Jake Braithwaite, S.J., is a Jesuit regent. Jake is a 2011 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business and a 2015 graduate of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. After a short stint on Wall Street and three years working at Fordham, Jake entered the Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus in August 2015. He currently teaches 7th and 8th grade math at Brooklyn Jesuit Prep.
Brandon Kim, FCRH ’15
Brandon Kim is a co-founder at Brevitē, a direct-to-consumer backpack startup based in Brooklyn, NY. Brevitē is a socially conscious brand committed to creating lasting change for the greater good, having most recently committed $150K worth of backpacks to the homeless in NYC. Brandon received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Fordham University and his Masters of Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Brandon currently sits on the board of RISD E’ship and the associate board of the Fordham Foundry, two college startup incubators fostering student entrepreneurship. Prior, Brandon served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Fordham University and a peer-entrepreneur-in-residence at Brown University.
Jessica Morales, FCRH ’97
Jessica I. Morales is the founder of
Be You Bloom®. She is a professional speaker and organizational coach on the science of training your brain and developing positive psychological capital—the resources one uses in terms of career, success, and growth. She has authored articles in
Psychology Today such as "The Heart's Electromagnetic Energy Field Is Your Superpower" and "Can Passion Cost You? Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passion." She recently completed an audio meditation on Neurotheology: The Science of What Happens To Your Brain and Body When Connected To God. She is the creator of the
"Journal for Mind Optimization: Mind Mastery for Joyful Living" and earned her bachelor's degree in communications and media studies from Fordham University.
James Olearchik, FCRH ’99
James Olearchik never imagined he would have spent the last 17 years working for the New York City Department of Education. Currently, he is the Director for Restorative Justice Programs for Brooklyn and Queens schools, helping to disrupt systemic racist policies and practices in schools by creating welcoming and nurturing cultures where all students are welcomed and needed. Prior to this work, James was the principal of the School for Democracy and Leadership, a 6-12 school in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He began his educational career by answering the subway ad for the NYC Teaching Fellows’ program and became a middle and high school English teacher for seven years. Before his experience in education, James thought he had the dream job as he worked his way up from copy editor to senior editor for a travel magazine, getting paid to go on vacation to the Caribbean for two weeks every month. While at Fordham, James was a member of the Honors Program, an editor for the Ram Newspaper, a driver of the Ram Van, and a participant in the study abroad exchange program with Oxford University. He has been living in Brooklyn since graduation in the Bronx in 1999.
Meggan Schilkie, FCLC ’02
Meggan Schilkie graduated from Fordham in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in performance and directing. At Fordham, she participated in the honors program and interned at the Coalition for Behavioral Health Agencies, where she was when 9/11 occurred. After the tragedy, Meggan focused her energy on political advocacy for greater funding for mental health services for individuals affected by the events of that day. Since then, Meggan has spent the past 20 years helping healthcare providers and state and local governments develop and expand innovative health and behavioral health services. She is the regional vice president for the northeast at Health Management Associates, a national healthcare consulting firm. Meggan is also the interim executive director of Queens Coordinated Care Partners, a health home, which provides care management to individuals with complex needs on Medicaid. She previously was the managing principal of the New York office and the executive director of the Coalition of NYS Health Homes. She spent 10 years at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, including as chief program officer. She also was a senior adviser to five executive deputy commissioners for mental hygiene and a legislative liaison. She has an MBA from Columbia University and her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University. She lives in Astoria, Queens with her husband whom she met at Fordham.