Anne Thompson, J.D.
Anne L. Thompson is a co-founder and current Chief Executive Officer of Laurus. She serves as the grant-writing lead and provides evaluation services to non-profits and school districts in the New York City area. As a grant writer, she has secured major federal, state, foundation and corporation grants for a variety of clients, including universities, school districts, and non-profit organizations.
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Prior to founding Laurus, Ms. Thompson served as an independent grant writer and evaluator. She has also been the Director of Evaluation and Special Projects for New Jersey After 3, Program Officer for The After-School Corporation (TASC, now ExpandEd), and Curriculum Developer, Program Supervisor and Site Coordinator for the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation (now New York Edge). She also worked as a health care attorney in Atlanta and New York City for six years. Ms. Thompson has a B.A. from Williams College and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Christine Corriston, LCSW
Christine P. Corriston is a co-founder and current President & Managing Partner of Laurus. She serves as the evaluation lead, managing evaluation projects for school districts and non-profit organizations in New Jersey and New York. Through her expertise in technical assistance and professional development, she has provided support to more than 50 organizations, including afterschool programs, health organizations and social service agencies.
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Prior to forming Laurus, Ms. Corriston was the New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition’s Director of Special Projects; Director of Social Services at Newark’s Aids Resource Foundation; and Co-Director of a Summer Youth Employment Program for over 1000 teens. She was also the Director of one of the first 21st Century Community Learning Center programs in the nation, located in Boston. She is a New Jersey Licensed Certified Social Worker, has a Masters of Social Work, Group Work Concentration, from Hunter College School of Social Work, and a Certification in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy from Boston University Graduate School of Social Work. She received a B.A. from Fordham University.
Meet the Team
Jamie Bellissimo, LSW
Director of Evaluation & Operations
Yolanta Kornak-Bozza, Ph.D.
Program Evaluator
Jamie Bellissimo began working for Laurus in 2018 with a background in social work and a passion for using data to improve outcomes for community services. Utilizing a systemic-centered approach, she analyzes and strategizes ways for programs to be creative with data collection and implement quality improvement. Before joining Laurus, Jamie worked in a variety of settings, including academic research and mental health and addiction treatment. Jamie holds a Masters of Social Work degree from Marywood University, a Bachelors degree in Psychology from New York University, and an Advanced Certificate in Program Evaluation from Washington University in St. Louis' Brown School.
Yolanta Kornak-Bozza joined the Laurus team in April 2023 as a Program Evaluator, bringing expertise in assessing afterschool STEM and youth development programs. Holding a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from The Graduate Center, CUNY, Yolanta is passionate about self-efficacy, motivation, and youth success, and extends her dedication to fostering youth empowerment and program excellence. Prior to her role at Laurus, she served as a Research Analyst in the CUNY Office of Institutional Research, and later held Postdoctoral positions at Hunter College and Montclair State University. Yolanta is committed to data-driven decision-making and improving educational outcomes.
Gina McCormack, M.S.Ed.
Jordyn Rush, B.A.
Data Specialist
Program Evaluator
With over 30 years of experience in the field of education, Gina McCormack joined the Laurus team as an evaluator in August 2023. While serving as a middle school principal and curriculum supervisor, she oversaw curriculum development, teacher training, and school improvement initiatives. As an evaluator, she is committed to supporting research-based initiatives that close opportunity gaps and empower children to reach their full potential. She earned her B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Teaching from Fordham University and completed her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Saint Elizabeth University.
Jordyn Rush joined the Laurus team in May 2023 as an Evaluation Intern and was later promoted to full-time Data Specialist in March 2023. Jordyn brings passion for and skillfulness in data collection, analysis, and interpretation to the team with experience in undergraduate research as part of an honors thesis program. Jordyn holds a B.A. from William Paterson University Honors College in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Experimental Psychology at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Robyn Schreiber, B.S.
Consultant
Megan Sacchi, MScIH
Program Evaluator
Robyn Schreiber is an evaluation, research, and grant-writing professional who collaborates with programs to design and track progress toward identified outcomes, develop useful evaluative materials, and build data analysis into strategic planning and program implementation. Prior to joining the Laurus team Robyn worked as a public health and community-based programming researcher and grant administrator, contributing to both global and local multi-year projects. Robyn holds a B.S. and B.A. in Public Health and Anthropology from Rutgers University.
Megan Sacchi joined Laurus in September 2023 as a Program Evaluator. She brings experience from her role as a Senior Program Manager at a non-profit, where she oversaw numerous youth development programs and managed a 21CCLC grant. Megan has refined her skills in data analysis and advocacy for public health needs through managing projects with NHS Scotland, the Leeds City Council, and at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Megan holds a Master of Science (MSc) in International Health from the University of Leeds and a B.S. in Health from the University of North Florida, with a focus on child health prevention.
Laura Silva, M.A.
Program Evaluator
Laura joined Laurus in April 2024 as a Program Evaluator. She holds a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Kean University and is deeply committed to supporting student growth and social-emotional well-being. With over fourteen years of experience as a program manager in the non-profit sector, Laura has a proven track record of ensuring program excellence across multiple initiatives in New York City. Her expertise in program evaluation and dedication to fostering positive student outcomes make her a valuable addition to the Laurus team.
Anthony Buonpane
Chief Financial Officer
Anthony Buonpane brings over 25 years of small business and non-profit experience to his consulting business and is recognized as a leader in his field. He manages financial and company development for social service and affordable housing organizations. Anthony is certified and highly qualified in accounting software, fundraising, and database management. Currently, he is consulting with businesses to enhance their financial and operational performance. By designing comprehensive controls, processes, and systems, he offers his clients fiscal peace of mind.