Over a Decade of Impact
For nearly a decade, One Bead worked exclusively in the after-school space, running leadership programs with elementary and middle school students. Then, the pandemic hit.
Students transitioned to remote learning and many nonprofits were forced to pause programming. At One Bead, we did the opposite–rallying support from the community to launch a virtual adaptation of our program, called the Local Leader Spotlight series. The purpose of the program was to connect youth with leaders in the community. The series has since become an integral part of One Bead’s model, motivating and inspiring young students of color to see themselves as future leaders.
Today, our team is back in schools supporting students and using everything we learned during the pandemic to build one of the most reputable youth-led speaker series in the city.
Core Values
We bring these standards to everything we do. Have an idea on how to push a value forward? Let us know.
Youth Voice
We put our students first—their voices, their ideas, and their ambitions.
Community
We commit to reflect, engage, and uplift the communities that we serve.
Empathy
We are humans. Relationships are complicated. In our roles as mentors, partners, colleagues, &/or friends, we practice empathy.
Humility
We stay hungry (for feedback). We are ever evolving and evaluating our work.
Our Team
Sara Wroblewski
CEO & Founder
Sara@OneBead.Org
Kouree Peeler
Local Leader Spotlight Series Director
Kouree@OneBead.Org
Reynaldo Benzan-Martinez
Program Director
Reynaldo@OneBead.Org
Michelle Perez
Program Director
Michelle@OneBead.Org
Board of Directors
Chair: Ian Martins
Directors: Nicolás Estrella (Vice Chair), Dahiana Duarte Pena (Treasurer), Victoria Phillips (Secretary), Crystal Fantry, Shane Godek, Laura Camila Rivera, Mary Ann Skewes Aguasvivas, Shannan Taylor
Emeritus Board: Quinn Anderson, Michaela Criniti, Ashley Davis
We started in a dorm room.
The name "One Bead" is symbolic of our Founder's own philanthropic experience in Kenya. In 2011, Sara collaborated with Kenyan artisan, Anselm Croze on a service project supporting the local community. Sara led fundraising efforts for this initiative by selling Anselm's handmade, recycled glass beads to friends and family members back home. Sara is thankful for this community and the lessons she learned as a young female entrepreneur. Anselm continues to be an invaluable mentor to Sara and has maintained a firm belief in the organization’s mission and vision.
