Margarita Bamba
Margarita Bamba was a founding volunteer of HOTR's predecessor organization and was part of the Outreach program through March 2006.
Margarita volunteered with New York Cares for three years, working in a variety of children’s education, arts and food service programs. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Harvard in 2001 and was the Co-captain of the Harvard Crimson Dance Team for three years. She received an M.S. in Strategic Communications from Columbia in 2005.
Margarita worked in the Marketing and Sales group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in New York until 2006 when she relocated to the Tokyo office. After four years in Tokyo, she spent six months on the fundraising team with Save the Children in London. She is back with PwC's Marketing and Sales team in the New York office.
Heather Childs
Heather Childs was raised in Texas studying ballet, tap and jazz. During her younger years, she was President of an international teenage girls’ volunteer organization, where she spearheaded efforts to build an orphanage in Honduras and a medical clinic in Mexico. Heather graduated from New York University Law School in May 2006 and now works for the U.S. Attorney in Nashville, Tennessee. Before pursuing law, Heather earned an honors degree from Harvard University in History and Government where she danced with the competitive Crimson Dance Team and in various musical productions. Heather also taught history, philosophy and dance at the Bryanston School in England. The founding Treasurer of the Board of Directors of HOTR, Heather was an Outreach volunteer from 2004 to 2006.
Elizabeth Darst
Elizabeth Darst joined the board of HOTR in February 2007 to support her belief in the transformative power of dance for children of all ages. She attended the School of American Ballet in New York City and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Harvard College, where she performed with the Harvard Ballet Company in over 40 performances. Prior to attending Harvard Business School she worked in the Principal Investment Area at Goldman Sachs, pursuing her passion for dance throughout. Currently she works at ESL Investments, where, borrowing a phrase from Warren Buffett, she "tap dances to work."
Jonathan Hatch
Jon Hatch is honored to be able to serve as a director for HOTR and help to further its mission. Jon is currently an associate at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP in New York, where he works in the litigation department. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics, and with honors from the NYU School of Law. Prior to joining HOTR, Jon served as a director and as the regional training coordinator for the Unemployment Action Center, Inc., a law student-run non-profit corporation dedicated to providing free representation for claimants for unemployment benefits in hearings before the New York State Department of Labor.
Lani Ludwick
Lani Ludwick is thrilled to combine her love for dance with her interest in working with children. Lani was an Outreach volunteer from 2006 through 2008 and now continues her involvement with HOTR on the Advisory Board. Over the years, she has studied a variety of dance forms, including hip-hop, jazz, swing, salsa and hula. She was a performer and choreographer in both her high school and college dance troupes. Lani graduated from Stanford University in 2001 with undergraduate and graduate degrees. She worked for BMW overseas in England launching the MINI brand vehicles, and then for the next seven years worked in real estate private equity in New York and San Francisco. She is currently pursuing a comedy research project out of personal interest.
Rachel McGregor
Rachel McGregor was the founding President of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of HOTR and served in those roles from October 2005 through October 2008. Rachel was also one of the founding volunteers of HOTR’s predecessor organization, House of the Roses. Rachel participated in the Outreach program from March 2004 through June 2007 and worked with more than 100 children during that time. Rachel has danced since the age of 12 and has long been a believer in the power of dance to build confidence, inspire discipline and allow for positive self-expression. Past volunteer work includes two years as a dance teacher with Harvard University's CityStep program, which is dedicated to teaching dance to underprivileged children in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rachel graduated with honors from Harvard in 2000 and has spent the majority of her professional career working in finance.
Barry Podber
Barry Podber joined the HOTR board in August 2008 and brings significant experience in the marketing and business consulting fields to his work for the organization. Barry began his professional career at Procter & Gamble. Barry then spent six years at Coca-Cola USA as the Vice President of Marketing for North America. Subsequently, he spent 18 years as Executive Vice President of the consulting arm of Marketing Corporation of America (MCA), a privately held, $450 million marketing, consulting and diversified business company. In his capacity at MCA, Barry led business teams devoted to providing strategic marketing consulting services to clients including IBM, General Electric, 3m, General Motors, Kraft Foods, Kimberly-Clark, The American Heart Association and The Easter Seals Foundation. Barry has served as President of the Greater Cincinnati United Way; as President of the Cincinnati-area Red Cross Organization; and has recently become a charter member of the newly formed Fairfield Arts Alliance, dedicated to fostering the growth of and increasing support for the arts in 15 towns across Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Becca Marcus
As a life-long lover of dance and a believer in it as a uniquely uplifting form of creative expression, Becca Marcus was thrilled to become acquainted with HOTR in 2007 as a member of the gala committee for the organization’s annual fundraiser. She is now honored to continue her involvement with HOTR as a member of the board of directors. Becca earned her B.A. from Columbia University in 2000 and her M.D. from New York Medical College in 2006. Having completing an internship in general surgery, she is now a resident in the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center. Becca studied classical ballet throughout her childhood and adolescence and still enjoys stepping out of her scrubs and into a dance class at every chance she gets!