Advisory Board
Richard Bennett
Director of Operations and Business Development, AGS Benefits Group
Before joining AGS in 2005, Mr. Bennett was an Associate Analyst in the equity research department of CIBC World Markets covering diversified financial services companies including large-cap public asset managers, brokers, and small- to mid-cap e-finance and insurance-brokerage companies. Prior to his work with CIBC, Bennett was a financial analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions department of JPMorgan Chase & Co. At JPMorgan, Bennett gained both sell-side and buy-side experience on large and small transactions, before concentrating on sell-side private equity transactions throughout 2003, his last year with JPM.
Bennett is originally from Syracuse, New York, and graduated with honors from Harvard University with an A.B. in economics. Bennett holds Series 7, Series 63, Series 86 and Series 87 licenses, and he earned the right to use the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) designations in 2006.
Harry Berberian
Director of Education Policy, Planning and Practice, Graham Windham
As Director of Education Policy, Planning and Practice at Graham Windham, Harry Berberian is tasked with improving the educational outcomes of the children in Graham Windham’s care. Berberian leads Graham Windham’s team of educational coordinators in employing teaching methodologies that increase the number of high school, college and trade school graduates.
Prior to Graham Windham, Berberian was the Queens representative of the Providing Education Assistance to Kids Unit of the Legal Aid Society Juvenile Rights Practice.
Berberian earned a BA in History from New York University and a JD from the City University of New York School of Law.
Robert Bittencourt
Apollo Global Management, LLC
Philip Gartenberg, PhD
President, Fulcrum Associates, LLC
Mr. Gartenberg has a decades-long track record of leading organizations known for their stature in human services, philanthropy and education. For the last 21 years, he has held senior positions with two of the largest and most diversified philanthropies in the United States-the UJA/Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Greater New York and the American Friends of The Hebrew University. UJA/Federation has both an international and domestic agenda. It supports over 100 agencies in the New York metropolitan region dealing with the entire spectrum of human services as well as assisting comparable services abroad. The American Friends of the Hebrew University is a nation-wide organization focused on supporting a world-class center of higher education in Israel. For eight years, he served as chief operating officer and chief financial and administrative officer for three New York State agencies-the Division for Youth, Department of Social services and Department of Labor-where he worked closely with the not-for-profit community on human service program development and implementation as well as funding issues. Philip Gartenberg also was the budget director of the University of Massachusetts during its transformation from a single campus to a thriving, multi-campus institution.
Mike Musiker
Founder, Musiker Teen Tours and Summer Discovery
Elizabeth Vanzura
Associate Professor of Marketing, Emerson University
Elizabeth Vanzura is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Emerson University. As a member of the A-List Education Advisory Board, Vanzura provides strategic counsel to the company and plays a hands-on role in the marketing of Vocab Videos.
Prior to her current teaching position, Vanzura was a former global director of marketing for HUMMER and Cadillac, General Motors Corporation. Before HUMMER, Elizabeth was the director of marketing for Volkswagen of America from late 1996 through 2000. In that capacity, Vanzura directed one of the most recognized and successful advertising campaigns in automotive history, including the historic relaunch of the Beetle, as well as four other new Volkswagen models.
Highlights of Vanzura’s career include three-time Automotive News All-Star (advertising), 2004 Gold ADDY Award/Best in Show TV finalist, 2003 Brandweek Top Marketers of the Next Generation Award, 2003 Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune Best Ad of the Year, Advertising Age 2003 Highest Recalled and Most Likeable Advertising, 2002 Business 2.0’s 20 Young Execs You Need to Know, 2001 Advertising Age Top Women to Watch Award, among many more. Vanzura has been a featured speaker at a number of marketing and advertising conferences and serves on the board of the Detroit Adcraft Club.
Vanzura received her BS in Mechanical Engineering with honors from General Motors Institute and her MBA from Harvard University as a General Motors Fellow.