Meet our team
Evren Gunduz
CEO & Co-Founder
Evren Gunduz, Ed.M., is a Massachusetts award-winning public educator of 10 years, a mental strength and athletic coach, and a pioneering authority in positive leadership and empowerment education for teens. Evren received his Master’s in Education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education with concentrations in leadership, team studies, and human development. He has been recognized for his contributions to the lives of teens with the Goldin Foundation Excellence in Education Award, the Harvard Intellectual Faculty Contribution Award, the Hopkinton Community Hero award, and the Tri-Valley League Soccer Coach of the Year Award. In addition to being the CEO of Enjoy Life Education, Evren pursues his passion of athletics through head coaching Dover-Sherborn's Women's Soccer, and through competing in ultramarathons upwards of 100-miles.
Tom Coburn
COO & Co-Founder
Originally a student in Evren's 8th grade class, Tom went on to attend Boston College where he co-founded Jebbit Inc., a thriving digital marketing company in Boston. Tom is a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree and Jebbit was named as one of the “Top 25 Most Promising Companies in the World" by CNBC. Tom’s impact as a leader of Jebbit has been recognized worldwide, yet he credits his success and overall happiness to what he learned from Evren's teachings. In addition to being the CEO of Jebbit, Tom serves as the COO of Enjoy Life Education to help grow the organization and spread it's mission.
Tara Gunduz
Leadership Academy Co-Founder
Tara Beth Gunduz, M.Ed., is a co-founder of the Leadership Academy and a member of the Board of Directors for Enjoy Life Education. Tara has a Master of Education from Framingham State University, and holds certifications in Yoga, Mindfulness, and several other holistic healing disciplines. In addition to her role with Enjoy Life Education, Tara is an AP Calculus and General Math teacher at Natick High School, the Varsity Girls Soccer Assistant Coach at Dover-Sherborn High School, and she teaches yoga classes for local studios and corporations. Her personal mission is to encourage others to live each day with purpose, actualize their potential and nurture the best version of themselves possible.
Meredith Saeger
Leadership Academy Co-Founder
Meredith Saeger is a founding member of the Leadership Academy. She designs curriculum and equips the Leadership Academy staff with the tools to deliver the best educational experience possible. She holds bachelor degrees in business and design from Principia College and a mediation certification from the Illinois Bar Association. In addition to her role with Enjoy Life Education, she also serves as Director of Organization Development at Jebbit.
Advisors
Robyn Glaser
Advisory Board Chair
Robyn Glaser is Vice President of The Kraft Group, a global enterprise that focuses on sports and entertainment, private equity and venture investing, real estate development, and philanthropy directly and through its various subsidiaries including, the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium and International Forest Products. Robyn holds a joint JD/MBA from Washington University School of Law and the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University. She serves as a member of the Executive and Steering Committees for Womenomics, an initiative of MA Competitive Partnership. She advises a number of organizations and initiatives in Boston seeking to empower and support inner-city communities. She is also an alumni (2017) of LEADBoston, a year-long program that develops cross-sector, socially responsible leaders, and a Class of 2016 Inductee into the Bay Path University 21st Century Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame.
Patricia Hunt Sinacole
Advisory Board Member
Patricia Hunt Sinacole is the CEO and Founder of First Beacon Group LLC, a Human Resources (HR) consulting firm that provides HR services to a wide variety of companies across New England. Pattie holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA from Babson. Pattie’s diverse industry experience includes technology, financial services, construction, real estate development, biotechnology, healthcare, higher education, e-commerce, professional services, marketing/public relations agencies, medical devices, life sciences and non-profits. Pattie also serves as a regular “Job Doc” columnist, speaker and blogger for Boston.com and the Boston Globe.
Dana Plunkett
Advisory Board Member
Dana Plunkett is Director of Guidance and Counseling at Wellesley High School. She joined the department in 2017 after serving 10 years as a School Counselor and teacher at Needham High School. Previously she worked at Wayland High School and Ashland High School as a School Adjustment Counselor. Dana holds an MSW from Boston College, an M.Ed. in Organizational Management from Endicott College, and is a licensed Social Worker.
George Stewart
EF Advisor
George Stewart is the Executive Director of Education and New Markets for EF Education First and Head of School for EF Academy. Previously, he has worked at a variety of prestigious schools including Middlesex School as Head of the Language Department. George holds a B.A. in Spanish and Political Science from Bates College, an M.A. in Comparative Literature from Middlebury College, and was a Kingenstein Fellow at Columbia University. He is an expert in teaching and creating experiential and collaborative learning programs.
2019 Academy Staff
Enjoy Life Associates
Eliza Claire Carroll
Enjoy Life Associate: Relations
Eliza has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2012, and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Relations team. Eliza studied Exercise Physiology, Leadership, and Psychology at the University of Delaware. She is now traveling the country as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
Favorite starred thought: "The happiest of people don't have the best of everything, they make the best of everything they have."
Matthew Patrick Bird
Enjoy Life Associate: Media
Matt started as a Leadership Academy student in 2015 and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Media team. Matt is passionate about photography and videography, and will be attending the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst in the fall.
Favorite starred thought: "Life is full of experiences, but a full life is taking advantage of them all."
Inna Kagan
Enjoy Life Associate: Operations
Inna started as a student at the Leadership Academy in 2015 and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Operations team. She is currently pursuing Dietetics at the University of Connecticut and will be interning with UConn's Sports Nutrition Director this summer.
Favorite starred thought: "Live for yourself because when you do, you give others the power to do the same."
Reilly Elizabeth Kopp
Enjoy Life Associate: Education
Reilly started with Enjoy Life Education as a student in 2011, became an Enjoy Life Teacher in 2015, and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Education team. Reilly studied Psychology and Education at UMass Amherst and will be working for a nonprofit in the fall.
Favorite starred thought: "If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten."
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Lexi Demetra Levine
Enjoy Life Associate: Operations
Lexi started as a Leadership Academy student in 2012, became an Enjoy Life Teacher in 2015, and has been an Associate for our Operations team since 2017. Lexi graduated from Assumption College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She is currently a clinical research coordinator in the Neuromuscular Unit at Boston Children's Hospital.
Favorite starred thought: "Great leaders ask for help."
Allison Lynn Onofrio
Enjoy Life Associate: Flow
Allison started as an Enjoy Life Teacher in 2014, and has since become an Enjoy Life Associate for our Flow team and helps run our Community Empowerment Events year round. She studied Neuroscience & Animal Behavior at UNH and currently works as a Community Animal Welfare Specialist at the MSPCA and as Assistant Marine Mammal Trainer at the New England Aquarium.
Favorite starred thought: "Make friends, learn something, and have fun."
Emmalene Robinson Plunkett
Enjoy Life Associate: Education
Emma started as a Leadership Academy student in 2014 and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Education team. Emma currently studies Art History at the University of Denver and recently hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Favorite starred thought: "Life is full of opportunities, a full life is taking advantage of them all."
Grace Nicole Schacterle
Enjoy Life Associate: Flow
Grace started as a student at the 2014 Leadership Academy and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Flow team. She is currently studying Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, is an EMT on her college campus, and is minoring in art.
Favorite starred thought: "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust the sails (if you know how)."
Evan James Sisitsky
Enjoy Life Associate: Relations
Evan began as a student at the 2015 Leadership Academy and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Relations team. He will be attending Loyola University Maryland in the fall.
Favorite starred thought: "Whether you are at your best or your worst, you are still you."
Hunter Harris Temple
Enjoy Life Associate: Relations
Hunter started as a Leadership Academy student in 2014 and is now an Enjoy Life Associate for our Relations team. He is currently studying Finance at Providence College.
Favorite starred thought: "Don't wait to communicate."
Enjoy Life Teachers
Abby Ella Druffner
Enjoy Life Teacher
Abby started as a student at the 2013 Leadership Academy and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2018. She is currently studying Biobehavioral Health at Penn State on a Pre-Med track and recently obtained her EMT certification.
Favorite starred thought: "You don't have to light yourself on fires to keep others warm."
Veronica Mary Lee
Enjoy Life Teacher
Veronica started as a Leadership Academy student in 2013 and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2016. She is currently working at the International Rescue Committee for female refugee populations in Salt Lake City, Utah. She plans to return to UMass Amherst in the fall where she is studying
Favorite starred thought: "The surest way to happiness is to give it to someone else."
Christina Mangano
Enjoy Life Teacher
Christina started as a student at the 2014 Leadership Academy and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2018. She is currently studying Biology at Loyola University in Chicago and plans to go to medical school after graduating.
Favorite starred thought: "What time is it?!" "Now!"
Emily Paige Mastroianni
Enjoy Life Teacher
Emily started at the Leadership Academy as a student in 2013 and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2017. She is currently studying Marketing at Providence College and recently became an Admissions Ambassador.
Favorite starred thought: "Everyone knows what they want to do, they just might not have it figured out yet."
Kayla Marie Michaud
Enjoy Life Teacher
Kayla started as a student at the 2014 Leadership Academy and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2018. She is currently studying Education at Penn State and danced on a Division 1 team this year.
Favorite starred thought: "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust the sails."
Patrick Dale Murphy
Enjoy Life Teacher
Patrick started as a student at the Leadership Academy in 2014 and this is his first year as an Enjoy Life Teacher. Patrick is studying Finance and Supply Chain Management at University of Maryland's Business School. He recently joined the Smith Undergraduate Association as the Vice President of Fundraising.
Favorite starred thought: "Life is full of opportunities but a full life is taking advantage of all of them."
Andrew Timothy Opio
Enjoy Life Teacher
Andrew started as a student at the 2015 Leadership Academy and this is his first year as an Enjoy Life Teacher. He is currently studying Computer Science at UPenn's School of Engineering and Applied Science and will be taking graduate courses next year.
Favorite starred thought: "Don't let adversity define you, let it refine you."
Olivia Grace Spar
Enjoy Life Teacher
Olivia started as a Leadership Academy student in 2013 and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2017. She is currently studying Elementary Education and Applied Psychology and Human Development at Boston College. She recently led a service trip to Washington County, Virginia with fellow classmates.
Favorite starred thought: "Leadership is at its best when it is shared."
Mike Midura Spector
Enjoy Life Teacher
Mike started as a student at the 2013 Leadership Academy and has been an Enjoy Life Teacher since 2016. He is currently studying music business at UMass Amherst and plans on pursuing a career in music after graduating.
Favorite starred thought: "You don't need to set yourself on fire to keep others warm."
Landon Perini York
Enjoy Life Teacher
Landon started as Leadership Academy student in 2015 and this is his first year as an Enjoy Life Teacher. He will be studying Neuroscience at the University of Vermont in the fall and wants to pursue a future career in psychiatry.
Favorite starred thought: ""You can't lead others until you can first lead yourself."