our STAFF
Angela Armendariz, Ph.D.
Director of Operations
Angela Armendariz, Ph.D. (she/her), brings to Genspace a diverse skill set and passion for nonprofit operations and management. A scientist by training, with strong management experience she has previously overseen the Life Sciences lab at the Exploratorium, a science museum; served as the Lab Manager and Director of Operations at Genspace; was the Deputy Director of Upward Roots, an Oakland-based nonprofit enabling youth-led community service; and was most recently the Associate Director of Finance and Operations at West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project an environmental justice organization.
Angela cares deeply about social justice, access to science, and community engagement and is excited to bring her nonprofit operations, finance and HR management skills to help Genspace achieve its mission.
She has over ten years of research experience in molecular biology laboratories, and has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and conducted postdoctoral work at Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute.
Vanessa Fleury champagne
Development and Communications Manager
Vanessa Fleury Champagne (she/her) is the Development Manager and Development at Genspace. She is passionate about social service and community building. She has worked in nonprofit development for over 10 years. Her work has included program planning and development, outreach, fundraising, special events and social media management. She studied Public Relations and International Studies at the University of North Florida and is an Americorps Alumna. She has a love for community service and the desire to create sustainable impact in communities by building community accessibility and equity.
Arden Feil
Biohacker Boot Camp Instructor
Arden Feil (she/her) is the Biohacker Boot Camp Instructor at Genspace. She is a researcher and educator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center in Downtown Brooklyn. She has a M.A. in Biology from Wesleyan University and was a Research Specialist at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on using molecular and genetic tools to understand fundamental life processes, specializing in meiotic cell division and tissue growth. Arden believes that the power of science comes from sharing it with others and is dedicated to making hands-on science education accessible and relatable to everyone.
Leyla Hernandez Tavarez
Education Manager
Leyla Hernandez Tavarez (she/her) is the Education Manager at Genspace. Before joining Genspace, she worked at the CUNY's Office of K-16 Initiatives, contributing to STEM accessibility and education. Her work focused on serving middle and high school students by developing inclusive science curriculums, overseeing mentorship in science research programs, and training instructors to deliver successful science content to students of diverse backgrounds and learning abilities. Her studies at her Alma mater, the City College of New York, in ecology and evolution, cultivated experience in research, fieldwork, and teaching, forming her passion for making science accessible to all in both traditional and non-traditional settings.
CASEY LARDNER, Ph.D.
executive Director
Casey Lardner (she/her) holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed postdoctoral research at Columbia University. Building on a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, much of her research used molecular neuroscience techniques and next-generation sequencing in mice and wild, urban rats to model and understand the human brain. As a graduate student, she co-directed an outreach group called “MINDS” and produced a science storytelling show called Studying the Brain. After her postdoc, she pursued full-time science communication and informal science education as a program coordinator in the Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone. She is the president of BraiNY, a regional organization of the Society for Neuroscience in NYC and is enamored with all brains and minds – whether they belong to mice, pizza rats, people, or other living things.
Sarai Mena
Program Associate
Sarai Mena (they/she) is a Program Associate at Genspace. They studied Environmental Studies and Natural Systems at SUNY ESF and want to work on blending art and science in education, science communication, and museum science. They are going to be pursuing this through teaching in formal and informal education settings, aiming to inspire and empower students’ creativity and ownership of their learning.
Serena Wessely
LAB and EDUCATION Associate
Serena Wessely (she/her) holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a M.S. in Biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University. After pursuing organic and analytical chemistry, her work shifted to synthetic biology. Her graduate research focused on utilizing CRISPR knock-out techniques to determine the biosynthetic pathway of Dynemicin A, a bacterial secondary metabolite. After graduating, she spent 3 years teaching school-age children in Maine and beginning her bioart practice. She conducted workshops and created an after-school program, The Outdoor Art & Science Show, for schools in both Maine and New York. The programs taught students how to create educational installations based on their exploration of the natural world.
INSTRUCTORS
Our Board
Neda Afsarmanesh, M.A., President
Director, Research Strategy and Program Development at NYU Langone Health
Neda Afsarmanesh, M.A. is Associate Director for Research Strategy at NYU Langone Health, helping shape the future of biomedical research at the Institute. Previously, she worked in media outreach and science communication, with a decade of experience working with scientists and journalists to improve our discourse about science and research in public forums. Neda has a B.S. from Caltech in biology, and a Master's degree from Boston University School of Medicine in neurobiology, focusing on autism. When not indoors working, she likes to hike up mountains, and down valleys.
Issa Fakhoury, treasurer
Director, Anheuser-Busch.
Previously a Venture Partner with ZX Ventures, Issa is passionate about the possibilities of biotechnology and a future of sustainable food. He brings a decade of strategic and operations experience and will provide financial and operational guidance as Genspace expands its operations beyond today’s location.
Karl Schmieder, M.S./M.F.A.
Founder, MessagingLab.
Two decades communicating innovative biotechnology solutions to the world position Karl to guide Genspace’s brand and communications strategies.
Susan Schofer, Ph.D.
Partner at SOSV global venture capital firm and serves as Chief Science Officer at HAX. She brings many decades of executive leadership of high growth deep tech companies, extensive expertise in materials and biotech sectors, and has experience in roles spanning all elements of technology commercialization from lab to market, including R&D, product development and product management, and leading business development and partnerships.
Founders & Board Emeritus
Jonathan Badal, CEO, OpenTrons
Nurit Bar-Shai, Artist; Genspace Co-Founder
Russ Durrett, Head of Alliances, Aperiam Bio; Genspace Co-Founder
Daniel Grushkin, Executive Director, Biodesign Challenge; Genspace Co-Founder
Dorothy Jones-Davis, Ph.D., Executive Director, Nation of Makers
Janina Jeff, Ph.D., Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Illumina
Ellen Jorgensen, Ph.D., CSO, Aanika Biosciences; Genspace Co-Founder
Kathy High, Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Sanctuary for Independent Media + NATURE Lab
Tom Knight, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Ginkgo Bioworks
Laura Maher, M.A., Secretary, Relationship Manager, Siegel Family Endowment
Oliver Medvedik, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, The Cooper Union; Director of Science, Terreform1; Genspace Co-Founder
Mark Merrill, Co-Founder, Poncho Solutions
Beth Tuck, M.A. , Former Executive Director