Our Team

David Oblath
Executive Director

David is a life-long tutor who understands that the most effective learning comes from one-on-one experiences and meaningful connections. Since inception in 2001, David has spearheaded the organization with his relentless pursuit for understanding how students think. David’s deep interest in the learning process and the ways students grasp or fail to grasp knowledge, persistently drive him to develop new approaches for enhancing student learning and improving test scores. Even before his students walk into their SATs, they are equipped with test-taking tools tailored specifically for them.

David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Manhattan and loves playing tennis, basketball, soccer and golf. David is an avid reader of non-fiction and is learning to play the guitar.

Deborah Brewer, LMSW
Deputy Executive Director

Deborah has been helping children in need for over twelve years. In the midst of a successful marketing career in Australia, she moved to Los Angeles in 1998 with her husband Jeffrey to raise their son Sean. Yet she soon found herself wanting to help some of the thousands of street kids she saw in her every day travels around her new home. Deborah volunteered for a wonderful organization called Stand Up for Kids and was immediately made Director of all L.A. operations. After three hectic years in Los Angeles her family moved to New York where she became a volunteer child advocate for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Deborah served as both an advocate for nearly ten years and as a Board Member for three years.

Deborah holds a Masters of Science Degree in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work, New York.

Jennifer Arcure
Deputy Executive Director/ Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer worked as a Senior Director of Planning and Executive Communications for Pfizer's US Pharmaceuticals Group. Prior to joining Pfizer, Jennifer was a consultant with Price Waterhouse’s Managed Care practice. Her career started at the Health Care Advisory Board managing market research projects and reports for US and Canadian hospitals. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, holding a BA in History and Political Science, as well as an MBA in Finance and Strategy. Currently, she a dedicated volunteer for the Calhoun School in New York City and a freelance speechwriter for corporate and non-profit clients.


Elz Cuya
Development Director

Elz is a fundraiser, arts consultant and writer living in Harlem, New York. Prior to entering the non-profit world, she spent a decade in the broadcasting industry (KNBR Sports, KCBS News). In 2001, she founded the Poetry Mission, a still-thriving poetry performance series in San Francisco, California. Elz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of California, Berkeley.