Associate Board



Ian Lopez, ACC - Chair

Executive Coach & Founder, Cambio Leadership

Ian partners with emerging and established business leaders to navigate career-defining challenges, often the most complex roles or circumstances in their careers to date. He pairs warmth and authenticity with structured thought partnership to provide a comfortable yet challenging space for clients to take on their growth edges. Ian's fundamental commitment to clients is to position them to develop personally so they may lead more effectively. 

Client outcomes include improved executive presence and credibility, better working relationships, more versatile and strategic mindsets, and enhanced internal and situational awareness. Ian’s clients own their development journeys and bring to the fore their most pressing issues right now as they face inflection points. In this way, Ian enables his clients to take meaningful and sustainable development steps.

As a strategy consultant for nearly a  decade prior to coaching, Ian has worked closely with leaders in large corporations across diverse geographies and become a trusted advisor to clients from analyst to CEO. His strategy work spanned topics including market disruption, distribution, net revenue management, acquisitions, capital management, and internal process change.

A native of San Antonio, TX, Ian holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College and currently resides in New York City with his wife, Alexa, and their Australian Shepherd mix, Echo. When he’s not coaching, you might find him exploring Central Park, playing basketball or volleyball, or eagerly awaiting his next slice of pizza.

Desiree Sim (SP '15) - Vice Chair

Project Administrator, Urban Resource Institute

Desiree is currently a Data Coordinator and Trainer at a social service agency in NYC. In her role, she facilitates training sessions for staff members that serve vulnerable populations and leads special projects with an emphasis on data analysis. She received her bachelor's degree in social work and business from Skidmore College (Class of 2019).

Outside of work, she enjoys reading, visiting new food places, museums, and watching Netflix. She has a strong interest in expressing herself creatively whether that's through writing, painting, or photography. Desiree is passionate about helping others in any way she can.

Youssef Hasweh (SP '20) - Alum Liaison

Social Media Manager, Anyway

Youssef Hasweh (SP ’20) is a Scholarship Plus alum and Associate Board Alum Liaison, as well as a Social Media Manager at Anyway and content strategist for Chirsti Lukasiak from Dance Moms. He is the founder of a scholarship and college access platform that has reached 10M+ students, helping first-generation and low-income students navigate financial aid, scholarships, and college admissions.

As an active SPlus alum, Youssef is passionate about strengthening the scholar and alum community. In his role as Liaison, he is focused on building meaningful connections, expanding programming, and ensuring scholars feel supported throughout their college journey and beyond.

Tamara Frith (SP '20)

College Access Youth Development Specialist

Initially joining the Associate Board as SPlus' inaugural Alum Liaison, a position created to help the AB stay in touch with the most recent alumni and cater to their needs more effectively, Tamara has transitioned to general programmatic support as she prepares to apply to law school.

Tamara graduated in 2024 from Cornell with an honors degree in Sociology and minors in Psychology and Inequality Studies. She currently wears many hats at South Bronx Community Charter High School.

Parker Muir

Software Engineer, Citadel

Parker is a software engineer who has worked at Amazon on the Prime Video streaming product and at Citadel on the hedge fund's pricing data. He's led teams, mentored junior engineers, and tackled hard technical problems. Prior to his career in engineering, Parker was a professional poker player. He learned a lot about decision-making under pressure with incomplete information. He's passionate about helping scholars navigate internships, first jobs, and major career decisions.

Parker attended high school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and later moved to NYC after earning his bachelor's degree in Finance from Boston University. He lives in Queens with his wife, and they are expecting their first child. He likes to play volleyball, do yoga, cook new dishes, and go for hikes upstate. He has recently been spending time learning to play guitar and sing.

Sasha Ramani

Head of Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing

Sasha Ramani is the Head of Corporate Strategy at MPOWER Financing, a mission-driven fintech firm where he leads global expansion, M&A, and the organization's AI strategy. A CFA Charterholder and seasoned management consultant, Sasha previously advised investment firms on innovation and business growth at Deloitte Consulting and Mars & Co in New York City. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and dual degrees in Mathematics and Business from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Driven by a commitment to social impact and educational equity, Sasha also serves on the Executive Committee of the U.S. for Success Coalition and as a Board Member for the vacation rental startup CasaVoya. Through his work on the Scholarship Plus Associate Board, he is dedicated to supporting first-generation and low-income students as they navigate their college journeys and career readiness. Originally from Mississauga, Canada, Sasha is an avid traveler and "travel hacker" who enjoys recreational computer programming and remains a dedicated fan of the Hamilton soundtrack.

Phuong Tran

Program Manager, Reflex AI

Phuong is a program manager at a mission-driven behavioral health tech startup, where she manages private and public partnerships and large-scale technology migrations. Her career spans program management, strategic partnerships, and consulting in behavioral health, higher education, and executive leadership sectors. She is passionate about advancing socioeconomic equity through educational access, and dismantling mental health stigmas. 

Phuong received her Bachelor of Science from Emory University in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology, and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. Outside of work, you can find her wandering around shooting film photography, making seasonal Spotify playlists, or discovering a new restaurant in NYC.