Board

Jeb Bush, Jr. currently serves as Managing Partner for Jeb Bush & Associates, LLC and President of Bush Realty, LLC. Jeb Bush & Associates, LLC provides management consulting services.  The firm leverages its worldwide network of business relationships and draws on its broad perspective on the economy, business, and politics to help companies at all stages of the corporate life cycle achieve their objectives. 

Jeb Bush, Jr. is also involved in community outreach and philanthropy. He serves as Chairman of the Friends of St. Jude, a young professional organized to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis and is on the National St. Jude Board and is Co-Founder of Sunpac, a Florida based Hispanic Outreach program that promotes conservative values and principles to the Hispanic Community. Bush is also a board member of BBVA Compass South Florida Advisory Board; a board member of the National Immigration Forum based in Washington D.C; a board member of Habitat for Humanity – Miami; and a host committee member of the WGC – Cadillac Golf Championship at Doral, FL.

Bush earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.  In 2008, Bush earned a master’s in International Real Estate Finance from Florida International Universit

Debbie Dauman is Vice President and Secretary of The Philippe and Deborah Dauman Family Foundation, which focuses on education and health. She is an active fundraiser for a number of philanthropic organizations. She served on the Board of KIPP NYC from 2011 to 2018.

Mrs. Dauman grew up in New York City where she attended The Chapin School.  She graduated from Miss Porter’s School and has a B.A. in English from Georgetown University.  She is married to Philippe Dauman, Chairman and CEO of PPD Investments, LLC and former Executive Chairman and CEO of Viacom, Inc. They reside in Palm Beach and have two sons, Philippe Jr. and Alexandre.

Curtis is an Audit and Assurance Managing Director with close to two decades of experience providing high-quality audit and assurance services to public and private companies primarily in the financial services industries. Curtis’ industry focus includes real estate services such as traditional and non-traditional mortgage REITs, banking and capital markets focused primarily on mortgage banking and HUD compliance, and insurance sectors, specifically with regard to title insurance and agency companies. Curtis received his BS in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and is a Certified Public Accountant, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Todd J. Gross is Portfolio Manager of Powell Investment Advisors. Prior to joining Powell Investment Advisors, Mr. Gross was an Associate for Trivest Partners, L.P., a private equity firm in Coral Gables. In this role, Mr. Gross was responsible for the analysis of investment opportunities, identification of strategic acquisition targets and monitoring of existing portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Trivest, Mr. Gross was an investment banker at Bank of America Securities and a tax associate with KPMG in New York. Mr. Gross received his B.S. in Accounting and Master of Accounting from The University of Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Gross holds the Series 65 license.

Billy Krauss currently serves as the Sub Complex Manager for Morgan Stanley. He previously worked for J.P. Morgan Securities in 2018 tasked with opening their Miami footprint, he has over thirteen years’ experience in the financial services industry. His other work experience includes Institutional Fixed Income Trading at Morgan Stanley in New York, as well as part of Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management Division servicing LATAM clients also in NYC. In 2012 Billy moved to Miami to become the Sales Manager for Merrill Lynch’s off-shore offices in Coral Gables and Brickell. His most recent role was as the Business Development Manager and then the Associate Complex Manager for the Miami offices of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management helping oversee 6 branches with 235 Financial Advisors and $48 Billion in AUM. His community involvement includes the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, KIPP Miami, Lotus House, Legal Services of Greater Miami Dade and The First Tee. He is a graduate of Christopher Columbus H.S. and received B.S.B.A. from the University of Florida. His current Securities Licenses include: Series 7, 63, 65, 9, and 10.

Zarifa is currently the CEO and President of Royal Neighbors of America.  Royal Neighbors of America’s mission is to protect women financially and empower them to improve their lives, families, and communities.  

Zarifa has a stellar background in developing and executing complex growth and business strategies across financial services, insurance, and healthcare organizations.  She was formerly with Guardian Life Insurance Company leading a national sales, account management, and underwriting team focused on supporting small businesses.  Before joining Guardian, Zarifa was head of corporate development at the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) of America. 

Zarifa started her career as a lawyer and prior to joining TIAA she was a partner at Greenberg Traurig, an international Law Firm.  Zarifa attended Brown University, Oxford University and Harvard Law School.

Natalie Wilson-Chow works as a field merchandise coordinator and has been employed in the retail/wholesale industry for 15 years, after graduating with a degree in Fashion Merchandising with a Minor in Business from Florida State University in 2007.

As a parent who has been a vital and primary component in her children’s academic success since preschool, she understands the importance of familial responsibility regarding education. While she acknowledges that talented, qualified instructors and innovative learning institutions weigh heavily upon a student’s ability to thrive, it is ultimately up to the parent to ensure their child(ren) has the necessary resources to meet and surpass their social and educational potential.

Natalie is the mother of Isabella Chow (3rd grade) and Mia Chow (Kindergarten). Her interests include fashion, dance, traveling and spending time with her loved ones.

Rose Ellen Green has lived in Miami for over 50 years. She transferred to the University of Miami in 1967 and a year later received a B.A. in political science. She was awarded a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1977 from Barry College. She spent her clinical career working with a team of psychiatrists at Grant Center Hospital, a private children’s residential psychiatric treatment facility.

She has had a life-long commitment to the arts and education. She is member of the Board of Trustees of the Perez Art Museum Miami and served two tenures as Chairperson. From 2003-2013, she chaired the committees to plan, design and construct its iconic waterfront building by Pritzker Prize award winning architects Herzog de Meuron. She serves on the Board of Directors of the New World Symphony and is a recent past Chairperson. Mrs. Greene was a founder and Vice-President of the Miami City Ballet. She is a member of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and was an officer of the Boards of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, The Florida Philharmonic, and Miami’s Performing Art Center Foundation.

Mrs. Greene, with the Teach for America Program, volunteered weekly for eight years at Jesse J McCrary Jr. Elementary School in Little Haiti. With Florida International University, she established a multi-year program to transform the educational experience in this underserved neighborhood. Additionally, she was president of the Board of Trustees at Ransom Everglades School.

Mrs. Greene is a member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees. She chairs the President’s Commission on Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Issues and the Visiting Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences. She also chaired the Academic Committee and was Vice-Chair of the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Mrs. Greene has been honored for her community service with the Miami Conference of Christian and Jews Silver Medallion Award and The Knight Foundation Arts Champion Award.

Gordon Eric Knowles currently holds the position of President and CEO of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce and serves as its fifth sitting President. Established in 1974 it is the oldest Chamber in the state of Florida that focuses and advocates for black businesses, minorities, and women. Previously he served in several capacities within the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium) organization for fifteen years. Eric began his career in sports as the Director of Community Relations, which also included media and public relations, Sr. Director of Guest Services, Sr. Director of Operations for Sun Life Stadium, and Sr. Director of Government Affairs. Eric was responsible for the daily schedule of the $350 million stadium renovation during Wayne Huizenga ownership to insure the daily operation of the stadium was not interrupted.

Throughout his career Eric has served on several non-profit boards in South Florida. Currently Eric serves as a Board Member and past Chairman of the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, Board Member of Miami Dade Beacon Council, Board Member of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Board Member of the Business Assistance Center (BAC), Board Member of Access Florida, a member of the 100 Black Men of South Florida, and the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Program.

Eric attended Miami Dade Community College and Florida International University where he received an AA and a BS degree in Apparel Management.

Hannah Richman is an Advisor to the Level Field Facilities Fund. In that capacity, she is working with Level Field Partners to develop a flexible real estate sub-debt fund to address a wide range of facilities financing challenges encountered by public charter schools.

Previously, she was the Real Estate Consultant for the KIPP Foundation. In that role she advised and supported KIPP Schools throughout the country on their real estate projects, including financing, construction, partnerships, and board development. She also oversaw KIPP’s Credit Enhancement Program (“KCEP”), which is a program made possible by a grant from the US Department of Education and is designed to support charter school real estate project financing.

Prior to working with the KIPP Foundation, Hannah was the Director of Strategic Engagement for KTAF where she was responsible for board development, and managed other strategic external relationships, such as with lenders, donors, as well as City and State entities. She also served as the Director of Real Estate, in which role she was responsible for leasing, acquiring, financing, renovating, and constructing facilities. She supported approximately $130,000,000 in real estate development projects, utilizing many creative financing and development models. Prior to her real estate work, she served as CFO and Development Director for the network of schools.

Hannah received her BA from Oberlin College and her MPA (Masters in Public Administration) from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. She served as a member of the Oberlin College Board of Trustees from 1995-1998 and on the Oberlin College President’s Advisory Council from 2014-2017, as well as on the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees from 2009-2017.