About Us — OLASTEO

The idea that would eventually become OLASTEO came to Ceci and I in 2015. We were on a trip to learn about the Holocaust through the personal story of a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, Eva Mozes Kor.

As we learned about Eva’s journey, we thought that the overall idea of understanding different stories and perspectives could be inspiring to students from underserved communities who face additional challenges in their young lives. We believe that diversity and differences can, and should, unite us, rather than divide us.

We always knew that we wanted to support students in South Los Angeles and found an ideal first partner in College Track Watts. I was working at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and was helping on the Jordan High School campus when the Partnership started managing the school. Several years later, we started OLASTEO in step with College Track Watts and have grown alongside them ever since. It is this same desire to create lasting relationships with our partner organizations that drives our expansion plans and goals. OLASTEO still has a tremendous amount of work to do, but we are motivated to continue cultivating catalysts for social impact and expanding OLASTEO’s unique programming to new cities and partner organizations for many years to come.

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Positive change starts with your contribution! Our inclusive programs spark connections, encouraging understanding between individuals, and bridging the gap between cultures.

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Educational Partners

Our educational partners serve as the connection point to our students. They are at the forefront of community-based efforts to improve student outcomes in underserved communities. We partner with high schools, school districts, and other nonprofit organizations that support high school students. If you are interested in becoming an OLASTEO partner and bringing our unique programming to your students, please contact us to learn more!

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Our Team

Board of Directors

Aaron Friedman

CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A native New Yorker, Aaron has always been intensely service oriented and is inspired by the words of the great James Baldwin - “The questions which one asks oneself begin, at last, to illuminate the world, and become one’s key to the experience of others.” He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad in China and immerse himself in a community unlike that where he grew up or went to school. After working for over a decade in the healthcare IT space, Aaron currently works as a People Solutions Leader, cultivating winning organizational cultures. He co-founded OLASTEO with his wife, Ceci, in order to create experiences for underserved students that open their eyes to the larger world beyond their immediate community.

Ceci Friedman

CO-FOUNDER

Ceci (pronounced “Sessy”) is a first-generation college graduate who attributes her success in life to the amazing support and love of a strong-willed, Peruvian-born, single-parent mom. She is a Midwesterner at heart and earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. She has enjoyed a long career in technology and operations and is currently an IT leader, supporting information technology projects for a leading healthcare organization in the U.S. Ceci co-founded OLASTEO with her husband, Aaron, as a way to provide opportunities to underserved students and support them as her mom supported her.

Dave Butler, MD

BOARD MEMBER

Dave was born and raised in a small rural Central Texas town called Marlin. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Houston – Medical School but reps his undergraduate Texas A&M Aggies during football season. Dave is a trained Internist & Pediatrician from Baylor College of Medicine who has spent the last 20 years as a doctor delivering bedside care and also as a physician executive while managing the dynamic intersection of clinical care delivery and healthcare technology. Dave is active in his community as well as his fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He is passionate about mentorship and coaching underserved youth. Dave enjoys online gaming, chess, drone photography, and relaxing with friends and family.

Jareck Horton

BOARD MEMBER

Jareck, a proud husband and father of three, comes from the land of 10,000 lakes, otherwise known as Minnesota. In every aspect of his life, be it family, athletics, professional, or scholastic, he has made it his duty to uplift others in order to help them reach their greatest potential. Jareck earned his Bachelor's degree in African American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was also a member of the wrestling team. He is currently a Sales Representative with Liberty Mutual Insurance, coaches youth football, basketball, and soccer, and is an active member of his local chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Jareck joined OLASTEO because he is passionate about serving those who he can lift as he continues to climb.

Leilany Ponce

BOARD MEMBER

Leilany was raised by a single mother in Watts, CA. As a high school freshman, she joined a college prep program called College Track Watts and graduated from Jordan High School. She is currently a first-generation college student and a small business owner. After graduating from college, she plans to become a Physician Assistant. Leilany is motivated to pay things forward by helping expose fellow neighbors in Watts and those from other similar communities to the type of perspectives and possibilities that have been accessible to her. After having attended both the 2018 and 2019 Washington D.C. Excursions, and the 2021 Winter Virtual Experience, Leilany became the first-ever OLASTEO Henry Oster Memorial Student Alumni Board Member.

Greg Root

BOARD MEMBER

Gregory was born and raised in Southern California, by a high school-teacher father and a medical-professional mother, always valuing the immense power of education and community involvement. Currently a university medical center Information Systems and People Operations leader, Greg received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a fullback on the Badgers football team. He later went on to complete his Executive MBA graduate studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Through his athletic, educational, professional, and community endeavors, Greg carries a passion for the power of a diverse and inclusive “we” versus anything one can accomplish single-handedly.