Meet Our Speakers

Moderator:
Marcel Braithwaite
Director Community Engagement
Police Athletic League 

Marcel Braithwaite currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement for the Police Athletic League. Marcel is an experienced professional who in addition to his primary work has served as a trainer, adjunct professor and management consultant in the field of youth development. Marcel has a Master’s in Business Administration from Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts from The Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Braithwaite is a Board Member with New York State Network for Youth Success and an Advisory Board Member for the Youth Studies Program at the City University of New York, School of Professional Studies.

Panelist:
Robyn Rocondino
Director Direct Response
City Harvest

As Director, Direct Response at City Harvest, the world’s first and New York’s largest food rescue organization, Robyn Rocondino is responsible for designing the strategy, development, and execution of City Harvest’s Direct Response fundraising program, including new donor acquisition, donor cultivation, monthly giving, and workplace giving, as well as overseeing the growth of digital revenue streams. Robyn is charged with raising the Direct Response program’s multimillion dollar annual budget in support of City Harvest’s mission to rescue and deliver food for New Yorkers. Prior to City Harvest, Robyn managed acquisition marketing at Forbes Media, LLC. She graduated from Iona College.

Panelist:
Christine Bove
Manager Individual Giving
Police Athletic League

With over 20 years of experience in sports and fundraising, Christine Bove began working with the Police Athletic League as the Manager of Individual Giving in March 2020 (just as the pandemic began). Christine previously worked in fundraising at Saint Saviour High School in Brooklyn (where she is also an alumna) and at the National Basketball Association where she began her career, working in licensing on trading cards and collectibles. She is a graduate of Seton Hall University (BA) and New York University (MS) and enjoys spending time with her dog, Vito, in Prospect Park.

"Over these past two years, I have taken great pride in communicating with PAL donors and supporters, expanding the outreach via email, direct mail and social media. I enjoy the challenge of finding new ways to share PAL's mission of supporting and inspiring young people with the help of the law enforcement community.  Being able to share impactful stories about the importance of PAL programs and activities is also meaningful to me as have two sisters who are NYPD."

Panelist:
Barbara Kancelbaum
Vice President Marketing and Communications
Henry Street Settlement

Barbara Kancelbaum is the VP of Marketing and Communications at Henry Street Settlement. She has more than 25 years of experience working as a writer, editor, and communications strategist in the social services, health care, higher education, and environment sectors. Prior to Henry Street, her consulting clients included New York University Colleges of Nursing and Dentistry, Arcus Foundation, Literacy Partners, Columbia and Cardozo Law Schools, and Health & Disability Advocates. Previously, she was the communications director of the U.S. office of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. Barbara serves on the board of the Reproductive Health Access Project and was the organization’s chair from 2007 to 2013. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn