Helen Kogan is the Executive Director of New York and New Jersey (Metro) regions at NPower. She joined NPower in 2014, working her way towards increased responsibilities as Program Director of the Brooklyn site, then as Executive Director of NPower New York and adding Executive Director New Jersey responsibilities to her portfolio in 2020.  She believes that NPower serves as a strong connector between untapped talent that needs the right training and opportunity to thrive and industry that is looking for a diverse, tech talent pipeline. As Executive Director, Helen oversees strategic partnerships, advocacy, development, and high-level program administration.

Before NPower, Helen honed her workforce development skills as Director of Career Services at three colleges in New York. At these schools, her passion for helping young adults navigate their careers blossomed into a life-long ambition.

Chris Starling is the Assistant Vice President of Skillbridge. Prior to joining NPower in 2019, Chris worked at Vets in Tech and at the Marines’ Memorial Association in San Francisco.   Chris is a US Marine Corps veteran with over 26 years of active duty.  He completed ten overseas deployments including three combat tours in the Middle East.  Command assignments included Kilo Company 3/3 in Kaneohe Bay, HI, Second Battalion, Second Marines in Camp Lejeune NC, and the 23d Marines in San Bruno CA.  Chris’s staff assignments were varied and included instructor duty at the US Military Academy, West Point, NY, an operations planner at Joint Task Force 5 in Alameda, CA, and as the Partnership Division Chief of US Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.   

José Reyes serves as the Executive Director of NPower Michigan. He is responsible for leading NPower’s strategic direction, overseeing its administrative management, and directing collaborative partnerships within the region. 

Throughout his career José has worked at the nexus of education, government, non-profits, and the private sector creating collective impact strategies to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities. 

Before joining NPower, Reyes served as Deputy Director of Detroit’s Workforce Development Department where he led the transition of the city’s department into one of the largest and best performing nonprofits in Michigan. He was the co-architect of Detroit Employment Solutions Corp (DESC), the programmatic and fiscal agent of the City of Detroit workforce board. Reyes has also been nationally recognized for his expertise on workforce development, particularly the White House recognized TechHire initiative that provided IT training to people in Detroit and others from around the region. Most recently, José served as the Director of Workforce & Community Development for Washtenaw Community College, where he was instrumental in developing Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) strategies among growing and emerging sectors of IT and Healthcare. 

José is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Social Work. He is a Board of Governors Emeritus for the School of Social Work. José also attended the University of Detroit’s law school. He is a life-long Michigander, born and raised in Detroit. In addition to his professional endeavors, José is active in the community and continues his involvement with groups that promote strong communities and enrichment opportunities for children and families.

Ben Kesler is the Executive Director of NPower Missouri based in the St. Louis metro region and proudly serving more than 400 alumni.

Ben has 15 years of experience in the higher education and non-profit space, with the last 7 years focused on workforce development. Prior to being named the Executive Director, Ben served as both the Program and Placement Director at NPower Missouri – where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Tech Fundamental program, while simultaneously providing the strategic framework for internship, apprenticeship, and full-time hire success for their numerous alumni. Ben is committed to providing access to high-wage careers for all learners from all socioeconomic backgrounds and creating opportunities for those from non-traditional education paths. In addition to his bachelor’s degree, Ben earned a graduate certificate from the University of Missouri in Nonprofit Management.

Before joining NPower, Ben was the Director of Career Services at recording artist, Nelly’s music production school (EI by Nelly) in downtown St. Louis. Ben has a record of success in the music industry, himself, working with ten GRAMMY-winning artists in the roles of either audio engineer or guitarist. He is also a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMYs) and an adjunct professor at Webster University School of Communication’s audio department. Additionally, he is a board member for the St. Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective and an advisory board member for Maryville University’s College of Computer Sciences.

Ben resides in St. Louis with his wife and two children. You can find him around town eating at all the best restaurants and watching his kids participate in soccer and competitive dance.

Demetrius Goodwin is a native of Anniston, Alabama.  As a Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army Signal Corp, Demetrius served four years supervising a team of data, voice and satellite communication specialists for the 29^th and 67^th Signal Battalions.  Demetrius has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology from August State University. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Demetrius has served as Program Director for the NPower Maryland Region since 2018.  He and his team were responsible for the IT training, certification and technology job opportunities of over 350 trainees.  Prior to NPower, his experience includes over 12 years of government contractor staffing, recruitment, account management and business development.  This includes managing a 200 person government contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and a 400 person IT MSP contract with the District of Columbia.  Some of his hobbies include woodworking, reading, music production and travel.  

Demetrius has a tremendous passion for his community and its continuous progress and future empowerment.  As a personal mission, he seeks to be a beacon of courage, determination and resilience for his family and colleagues. He, his wife and 15 year old daughter are proud residents of Baltimore City and look forward to continuing to serve the NPower Maryland region. 

A native New Yorker and proud Harlemite, Leah joined NPower with its expansion to the East Harlem, New York office in October 2011. With nearly 20 years of workforce development and nonprofit management experience, she has overseen the implementation of multiple WIOA grants for underrepresented youth in In-School and Out-of-School Time programs. She is passionate about working with programs and policy advocacy that address and close the wealth gap in opportunity communities across the country through equal access to education, economic resources and investments.

In her current role as Executive Director, Programs and Field Operations, Ms. Cullum is accountable for the efficacy of program delivery. She leads a team responsible for documenting standard operating procedures and best practices, implementation of pilot programs nationally with a focus on using data to improve program outcomes and processes. Most notably, Ms. Cullum serves as project manager for NPower’s first Randomized Control Trial. 

Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Leah is certified as CPI 260 and MBTI Facilitator and leadership coaching experienced in program assessment and design. Ms. Cullum holds the seat of co-chair on the Alumni Global Network Committee of the American Express Leadership Academy. She is trained in executive coaching, succession planning, group facilitation and adult learning and development. She passionately believes that changing the life of one is the first step in shifting generational trajectories