Leadership Team
Anne Harrison, Executive Director
We are excited to welcome Anne Harrison as M&E's new Executive Director. Anne brings a wealth of knowledge in nonprofit management, youth development and creative entrepreneurship and is ready to put her knowledge to work at M&E. Anne joins us from the Out of School Time Department in the Office of Children and Families. Previously, Anne led the Children and Youth Departments at Congreso de Latinos Unidos and Fleisher Art Memorial. As an artist and consultant for national projects, Anne also brings an entrepreneurial spirit and creative process to her work.
“This is exactly the right time to lead a small business and support young people who have been excluded from opportunities. The mission is bigger than the moment. Innovations are built during challenging times, when we are all willing to dig deeper, connect authentically and make things happen!”
Stay tuned for more from Anne and her future plans for The Monkey & The Elephant.
Lisa Miccolis, Founder
Lisa Miccolis, our Executive Director/Founder of The Monkey & The Elephant, has more than eight years of experience working as a barista and café supervisor. She spent a year coaching low-income youth at YouthBuild in North Philadelphia before journeying abroad to South Africa, where she met Ephraim, the young boy who inspired The Monkey & The Elephant. Since earning a B.A. in Psychology at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, Lisa has dedicated considerable time to building The Monkey & The Elephant from the ground up.
Rai Lewis, General Manager
Rai Lewis, our General Manager, spent five years working in youth development in Philadelphia, including leading life skills classes for youth under the Department of Human Services’ care. Rai earned BA in Psychology from Hampton University. After completing her Masters in Business Administration at Eastern University, Rai launched her own vegan food business. Rai’s experience working with youth combined with her training in business administration and passion for food make her a key member of our leadership team.
Meghan Ryan, Program Coordinator
Meghan Ryan, our Program Coordinator, comes to us from Brooklyn, NYC where she specialized in adolescent development and community based programming. After earning BSW from Temple University and an MSW from Hunter College's Silberman School of Social Work, Meghan's career took her to the Red Hook Houses where she intensely mentored over 50 adolescents over a span of 10 years. These close relationships gave Meghan an understanding about the complex realities of adolescence for bright young people who have been under resourced and experienced systemic oppression. Meghan's work is at the intersection of helping young people to gain the skills and resources they need for personal growth and transformation, while shedding light on and fighting against the systems and realities in our society that perpetuate racism and injustice.