Co-President and Founder (she/her)

Mina is a masters student at Tufts University studying biomedical engineering. Mina is very enthusiastic about fostering an appreciation for STEM and its opportunities among young women and girls and enjoys connecting this passion with her love of the medical, engineering, and biological mindsets. Mina is currently working as a Research Assistant in the Kaplan Intestinal Group Lab at Tufts University. Her work includes cell culturing and silk scaffold experimentation to model the intestinal epithelial lining using multi crypt-villus structure scaffolds. She is also a Mentor for Science Club for Girls in the Medford/Somerville area, an organization that fosters confidence and literacy in STEM for girls and young women from underrepresented communities with free, experiential community-based programs. Mina has also worked as a Volunteer Research Assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Autism Research and an Intern at Drexel University’s Center for Functional Fabrics. She is thrilled to contribute to the organization’s ultimate goal of getting more women involved with STEM from a young age.

Co-President and Founder (she/her)

Sydney is graduated from Penn State Schreyer Honors College in biomedical engineering in May 2023. Sydney is incredibly passionate about the intersection of science, medicine, technology, and engineering, which is why she felt inspired to found Girls Code the World with her peer, Mina Shokoufandeh. Sydney has worked at Johnson & Johnson as an intern in Ethicon Medical Devices, Biosurgery Research and Development during Summer 2021, and she consulted for Verity, a robotics and systems engineering venture-back startup based out of Switzerland, in Fall 2023. Sydney now works at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Philadelphia. Sydney served as Penn State’s Student Body President, where she consistently advocated for underrepresented communities to administration. Sydney’s engineering thesis focused on reusable menstrual products and economic solution for refugees in Malawi, Africa. She is incredibly excited and grateful to be a part of Girls Code the Word and to continue pushing their mission forward everyday.

Director of Finances and Accounting (she/her)

Katie Galaska is an audit and accounting director with Kreischer Miller, a public accounting firm located in Horsham, Pennsylvania, specializing in not-for-profit organizations and manufacturing companies. As part of her MBA capstone project, she was instrumental in the founding of Kreischer Miller’s RISE (Retain | Invest | Support | Empower), a comprehensive program for women that provides them with opportunities to connect as a team, learn from one another, and grow their careers. Katie is thrilled to be part of the Girls Code the World organization as she is passionate about encouraging girls and women to build their confidence, get excited about their futures and to expand the skills needed in STEM fields including critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication. As the daughter of lifelong learners, she was raised doing math problems at restaurants while other kids were coloring which gave her the faith in herself to pursue any type of career, especially one using math on a daily basis! Katie currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and son

Director of Curriculum (she/her)

Kristen has been an educator for over 18 years. She was a mathematics teacher at the Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, New Jersey for several years. It was through the Christina Seix Academy that Kristen met Sydney and Mina and was given the opportunity to be introduced to Girls Code the World. It was an instant connection and Kristen has been excited and proud to support the program ever since. She has witnessed first hand the impact that Girls Code the World has had on her students who have had the opportunity to participate. Taking on the role of Director of Curriculum is an honor and a privilege and Kristen is delighted to witness the program continue to evolve and positively impact so many young women. Kristen currently lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Director of Mentorship (she/her)

Isabella Webster is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where majored in Security and Risk Analysis- Intelligence Analytics and Modeling. Throughout college, Isabella participated in numerous other programs aimed at providing women and girls with access to science and technical opportunities. After graduation, Isabella worked for IBM as a technology consultant where she is also involved with several organizations supporting women working in male-dominated fields. A year later, Isabella returned to school to get a degree in nursing through George Washington’s accelerated program. Isabella now works as a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Registered Nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Isabella is thrilled to be able to serve as Director of Mentorship for Girls Code the World and, through that position, hopes to provide as many women and girls as possible with both the formal and informal mentorship opportunities needed to aid them along their journey towards success in STEM fields.

Director of Partnerships (she/her)

Christine began her professional career in healthcare over 20 years ago as a physician assistant with a passion for improving the lives of people. As she grew in her field, Christine realized that she could make a BIG impact by coupling her clinical background with her interest in technology. As a leader in healthcare technology with over 15 years of experience in leveraging technology to transform care and mom of 12 year old twin daughters, Christine is passionate about advancing female leaders. Christine can't wait to advance the mission of GCTW.

Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations (she/her)

Erin Boas is an executive search analyst in the Education and Social Impact practice at Spencer Stuart. In this role, she engages with emerging leaders in academia, industry, and the nonprofit sectors. She is a recent graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in International Relations and served as the University Park Student Body President. Throughout her collegiate career, she worked alongside students, faculty, administrators, and Board members to enact policies and initiatives centered around access and affordability, women's empowerment, and educational equity. She is inspired by the mission of Girls Code the World, and could not be more excited and grateful to a part of this community as we collectively work to empower the next generation of STEM leaders.