Stoop Stories Collective
Erica Ross
Daily Operations Associate
Erica Ross is an experienced business professional from Bed-Stuy with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare information technology and business operations. Her career reflects a strong foundation in client engagement, strategic partnerships, business development, and project leadership. She is passionate about helping early-stage entrepreneurs build the strong foundations needed for sustainable growth.
Talia Krausz
Associate Producer
Talia Krausz is a filmmaker, photographer, social media wiz, and lifelong learner. Raised in New York, she’s always appreciated the city’s rich diversity and creative spirit—but her love of storytelling has also taken her around the world, where she seeks out meaningful exchanges with people from all walks of life.
Bridget Bartolini
Oral Historian | Workshop Leader
Bridget Bartolini, founder of Five Boro Story Project, is an oral historian, socially engaged artist, educator, writer, and native New Yorker who hails from the beautiful borough of Queens. She feels lucky to have grown up with a stoop where family and friends gathered to shoot the breeze.
Noel Lagdamen
Financial Advisor
Noel Lagdamen is a finance executive and native Brooklynite. He has worked internationally for over 15 years based out of Singapore and is enthusiastic about reconnecting with his hometown and giving back to the community. With a strong background expanding businesses and growing start-ups, Noel brings a collaborative and roll up your sleeves approach to any project.
Tyler Townsend
Director of Strategy & Operations
Tyler is an operations consultant and project manager who believes good systems are an act of care — for the people doing the work and the communities they're trying to reach. She carries 15 years of NYC — most of it in Fort Greene, Brooklyn — in her bones and into her work. Now based in Laguna Beach, CA, that deep connection to people and place never left her, and it's a big part of what drew her to Stoop Stories.
Stephanie Y. Cole
Community Builder | Storyteller
Stephanie Y. Cole is a storyteller and native New Yorker who loves leadership philosophy, self-help books, science/fantasy fiction, classic comedy, salsa dancing and calypso music. Her love runs deep for Old School Soul Music (vinyl format preferred), and she lives, works and podcasts from Harlem, New York City.
Evan Li
Production Associate
Evan Li is a New York City-based filmmaker and visual storyteller with a BFA in Film Production from Brooklyn College. With a strong background in cinematography, editing, and documentary work, Evan brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to every project. He has worked across a range of roles—Director of Photography, Producer, Editor, and Sound Mixer—on independent films and documentaries.
Lirie VanSchaik
Project Manager / Graphic Designer
Lirie is an experienced freelance project manager for creative, digital and tech workflows. She is passionate about partnering with creatives and thought leaders to create impactful solutions for our communities. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lirie-vanschaik
Marj Kleinman
Founder | Executive Director | Photographer | Filmmaker
Marj Kleinman (she/her) is an award-winning visual storyteller, recent Eisner Prize Fellow, and the founder of Stoop Stories, a community collective that connects New Yorkers through documentary storytelling and programs, with a mission to increase social connection, preserve neighborhood stories, and revitalize communities through stoop culture and intergenerational connections. As a proud native Brooklynite still living in her childhood brownstone, she is deeply committed to passing on her parents’ legacy of 1970’s Brooklyn stoop life.
Jennifer Peck
Education & Editorial Volunteer
Jennifer Peck is a dedicated educator and community builder with a passion for enriching the lives of students of all ages. With a Master’s Degree in Education from Lehman College and a BA in History from Fisk University, Jennifer brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as an ELA & Social Studies teacher...
Andrea A. Resendiz Gomez
Events & Social Media
Andrea A. Resendiz Gomez is a multilingual creative based in the New York City area. She has contributed to productions and large-scale events across the city, working in roles including event manager, production assistant, talent coordinator, and artist liaison.
Amaya Whitehead-Bust
Volunteer
Amaya Whitehead-Bust, originally from Denver, Colorado, is a freshman at Vassar College. She is thrilled to be supporting Stoop Stories with photography, videography, research, and outreach.
Amaya has a passion for food justice and agriculture, has worked on multiple farms, and is excited to explore the intersection of storytelling, land, and place-making. In her free time, she loves to collage, play her drums, and perform in plays!