Associate Board

Kadijat Sylla (Chair)

Management Consultant at Accenture

Kadijat is an alumna of Scholarship Plus and a 2020 graduate of University of Pennsylvania, where she obtained a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She works as a Management Consultant  at Accenture, partnering with companies to implement large-scale transformation programs.

Outside of work, she is passionate about providing career development resources to others along with additional advancement opportunities. During her free time, Kadijat enjoys reading and cooking.

Vasiki Konneh

Sales Operations Analyst, Aircall

Vasiki currently works as a Sales Operations Analyst on the Revenue Operations team at Aircall, a French-founded SaaS startup. He spends most of his day turning raw data into narratives that help leaders drive their teams towards revenue growth. Vasiki was a Scholarship Plus recipient of the 2016 class. He is also 2020 graduate of Colby College where he studied physics and anthropology. He enjoys reading, writing, photography, and cooking.



Ian Lopez

Strategy Consultant, Altman Solon

Ian is a people-driven strategy consultant and executive coach. He manages projects for Altman Solon, a strategy firm specializing in telecom, technology, and media. As a coach, he supports business leaders and other individuals to navigate inflection points and pursue meaningful personal development. Ian previously worked as a consultant for Mars & Co, a global boutique strategy consulting firm.

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 dog, Echo. He credits much of his success to the generous donors who supported his high school and college education through scholarships and financial aid.

Ochi Nwokoro

Associate, Early Career, Sony Music Entertainment

Ochi Nwokoro is a champion of diverse perspectives and equity programs. She has contributed to process improvement initiatives including research to redefine internship program requirements at Sony Music and has facilitated social justice conversations for undergraduate students while serving as Graduate Facilitator at NYU.

Ochi earned a master’s degree in Media, Culture, and Communication through New York University. She received her B.S. degree in Advertising from Towson University. You can usually find her playing tennis, enjoying non-dairy dessert, or curating Alternative RnB/Soul playlists for fun.

Desiree Sim 

Data Coordinator & Trainer, 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. 

Autumn Von Plinsky

Art Director, LifeSci Communications

Autumn is a Georgia native currently working as Art Director at LifeSci Communications, and a freelance illustrator. She has a strong interest in natural science, museums, education, and all the planning and design that go into those things. 

Autumn received her bachelor's degree in Art/Art Studies from Yale University.