Meet Some of our Advisors & Mentors
Our mentors and advisors bring real-world experience across industries, guiding students with practical insight, leadership, and career-focused support.

Joana Marques
Freelance Media Relations Expert
Why I help students
I love helping students bridge the gap between what they learn about in school and what to expect when they start a career in public relations. I believe true mentorship can make all of the difference.
About Me
I am trilingual professional who has worked in the public relations space for more than 10 years. Throughout my decade-long career, I have represented a variety of clients around the world including hotels and resorts, tourism boards, real estate developments, restaurants, luxury tour operators and non-profits.
.jpg)
Steve Reid
Assistant Director of Grants & Financial Analysis
Why I help students
Why I help students: Having mentors helped me on my path to success and, I would like to pass along the same experience to current students. I'm hoping to be a resource to hear their ideas and offer sound advice.
About Me
I've spent my time in higher education at Villanova and Columbia University, where I earned my Master's in International Finance and Economic Policy. I've enjoyed applying my finance background, overseeing projects and budgets from $30-800M, as well as applying my background in foreign policy, working on climate change and other humanitarian aid projects in Mexico and Afghanistan. I'm now working on fusing both backgrounds and skillsets in a role that oversees asylum seeker expenses and FEMA claims.
.jpg)
Nesha Dripchak
Conflict Resolution Specialist & Mediator
Why I help students
I experienced frequent change throughout the first decade of my career, which deepened my appreciation for mentorship and timely, strategic support. College is such a brief yet impactful time, so I do what I can to help others make the most of it.
About Me
Having worked in many different environments and mediated at the EEOC, Nesha developed a passion for proactively identifying and addressing organizational conflict. As a Conflict Resolution Specialist in city government, she uses restorative practices to foster and maintain psychologically safe, collaborative, and effective work relationships. She is particularly drawn to promoting DEIB and empowering individuals through facilitated dialogue. Nesha is also on the board for The Association for Conflict Resolution of Greater New York (ACR-GNY), leading the organization's Student Ambassador program.
.jpg)
Keith Dore
Litigation Associate
Why I help students
A college education is a very valuable thing, but universities don't always do the best job of preparing students for the "real" world. I volunteer with Commence to help give students considering a legal career advice about law school and insight into what they can expect about life as a practicing attorney.
About Me
I'm passionate about helping students understand workplace dynamics, career development, and how to effectively navigate the job market.

Tim Bristow
Strategy & Operations | Chief of Staff
Why I help students
We ask students to work hard, follow the rules, and trust the system -yet too often, we fail to give them the tools they actually need to succeed in life. I'm proud to share the hard-earned lessons I've learned so the next generation can build happier, healthier, and more secure futures.
About Me
An impact-driven operator, I’ve charted my career to work across functions – including Ops, Growth, Strategy, Transformation, Marketing, and Change & Culture – to forge an end-to-end perspective and skillset that includes the best from each discipline. Leading teams for organizations that range from <10 employees to the Fortune 10, I excel at building and executing strategies that transform ideas into tangible results.

Anthony Caputo
Chief People Officer, Chief Operating Officer & Principal Investigator
Why I help students
I serve because I know, personally, how costly it is to learn the rules of work late. I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and I've seen what happens when talented students lack guidance, confidence, and exposure at the moment it matters most. Commence exists so students don't have to navigate this journey alone, and I'm on the board to help make that promise real.
About Me
I serve on the Board of Directors of Commence because I believe education is the most reliable engine for social mobility. This is especially true when it includes both the formal curriculum and the informal, 'unwritten rules' of work. Too many students do everything "right" in school and still feel unprepared for what comes next. Commence closes that gap through mentorship, exposure, and practical skill-building so students can move from ambition to purpose with confidence.
I see my responsibility on this board as stewardship: protecting the mission, supporting the team, and helping Commence grow in a way that stays deeply student-centered. That means keeping our work grounded in real student needs, removing barriers to access, and ensuring every student is met with dignity, high expectations, and real support.
I bring an operator's lens to this work. I'm a social-organizational psychologist and a Founding-Operator at a technology startup-up company in NYC, and my day-to-day job is building environments where people can learn, perform, and thrive under pressure. I also teach organizational psychology, which keeps me grounded in what actually drives success in the world of work.

Xavier Roliz
Insurance Agency Owner, ex Corporate Risk Insurance Sales
Why I help students
I consider it a privilege to help students navigate this pivotal time. Just as their decisions during this time can have an outsized impact, so too can the help we extend to them.
About Me
After 6 years in banking and over a decade in Insurance, I've opened up my own insurance agency, a franchise of Allstate. I've always been passionate about serving others. Whether it be through supporting ministry efforts, leading the Latinos in Insurance employee resource group, or elsewhere, I'm excited to serve the community with our growing, personal lines insurance business.

Nicholas Gregoretti
Global Hr Strategist & Operational Innovator
Why I help students
I'm passionate about helping students understand workplace dynamics, career development, and how to effectively navigate the job market.
About Me
Steering multimillion-dollar global hr innovations, I focus on a transformative approach that produces lean and systematic hr operational workflows and continuously optimizes human capital management (hcm). Leaner. Faster. Cost-effective. Core areas where I’ve broadened the roi of hr operations have included talent acquisition/recruitment, onboarding, training, performance development, compensation/benefits, and improving employee experience.
.png)
Jessica Paddock
Entrepreneur & ex-Talent Acquisition Leader
Why I help students
I'm passionate about helping students understand workplace dynamics, career development, and how to effectively navigate the job market.
About Me
I'm passionate about helping students understand workplace dynamics, career development, and how to effectively navigate the job market.