Meet Our Team

We're a group of driven students dedicated to making meaningful change in our community through our passion for filmmaking and creative expression.

We're a group of driven high-school students dedicated to making meaningful change in our community through our passion for filmmaking and creative expression.

📌   New Jersey

Mark Leschinsky

Founder,
Executive Director

An award-winning student
filmmaker whose films have been
selected by and screened at 30+
film festivals in over 10 countries.

📌   New Jersey

Michelle Tang

Director of
Strategic Initiatives

An award-winning filmmaker and
founder of her own production
organization that has been
producing films since 2018.

📌   California

Christian Lee

Director of
Communication

An accomplished filmmaker,
New York Times-Published
Photographer, and a student
journalist for the LA Times.

📌   Canada

Shivangi Aggarwal

Director of
Marketing & Promotion

A high-school student in Ontario,
Canada, and a proud advocate
for women globally in the STEM
and creative arts fields.

📌   Massachusetts

Amelia Settembre

Director of
Community Outreach

A passionate writer for Medium;
Amelia loves to explore the many
ways that one can express
themselves through creativity.

📌   New Jersey

Skylar Herman

Glen Rock, NJ Chapter:
Coordinator & Instructor

 A talented vocal and musical
performer who is also a student
filmmaker specializing in stop
motion and animation films.

📌   New Jersey

Hannah Shinder

Closter, NJ Chapter:
Coordinator & Instructor

A high school student skilled
in visual & performing arts who
is passionate about making
filmmaking accessible for all.

📌   Philippines

Jan Derick Esguerra

Student Volunteer at
The Lighthouse Initiative

As a student who is a graduate from
Far Eastern University in Manila, JD
organizes local creative workshops
in the Philippines to empower youth.

📌   New Jersey

Jonathan Plavnik

Student Ambassador of
The Lighthouse Initiative

A high school student at the
Bergen Academies and a leader in
his local community who engages
in tutoring and community service.

📌   New Jersey

Christina Sullivan

Student Volunteer at
The Lighthouse Initiative

A dedicated social work student
at the Ramapo College of New
Jersey majoring in psychology
and minoring in visual arts.

Adult Advisors

📌   Nevada

Nuntiya Smith

Strategic Advisor
& Mentor

As a Program Manager at the
Davidson Institute for Talent
Development, Nuntiya advises
many student-led nonprofits.

📌   New York

Marvin Baum

Strategic Advisor
& Mentor

As the founder of the largest
chocolate expo event in the US,
Marvin has 18 years of expertise in
event planning and coordination.

📌   New Jersey

Bernice Dvorina

Strategic Advisor
& Mentor

A leader in her local community;
Bernice is dedicated to spreading
awareness about creative
expression and filmmaking.