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YMI Staff
YMI Staff
Nathifa Forde is the Acting Executive Director with the Young Men's Initiative. She is responsible for overseeing the ongoing operations and procedures for YMI, in addition to strategically developing policies, programs, and partnerships that support youth and young adults of color in eliminating disparities and structural barriers that continue to negatively impact their pursuit of a high quality of life.
Prior to joining the team, Nathifa was the Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships with the NYC Center for Youth Employment, where she focused on developing inclusive workforce strategies for special populations. She has also served as a National Urban Fellow, in which Nathifa was placed at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and utilized her extensive background as a youth developer towards incorporating youth voice into the grant-making process. She has had a decade-long career in the NYC non-for-profit sector in various roles, from a Performing Arts teacher to a Program Director.
Nathifa is a proud alumna of Medgar Evers College, where she currently teaches within the Public Administration department. She has also earned her M.P.A. as a National Urban Fellow at Baruch College.
Jahvaris Fulton currently serves as Program Analyst for the NYC Young Men's Initiative (YMI). In this role, he assists YMI's efforts with both public and private agencies to create opportunities for young people of color, specifically in the areas of juvenile justice, health, education, and employment. Mr. Fulton also contributes to YMI's community engagement strategies, identifying opportunities and platforms to better engage young people of color in YMI's programming.
Prior to joining YMI, he was a congressional intern in the Office of Frederica S. Wilson, serving three consecutive summers in both her district and DC office. Mr. Fulton is a graduate of Florida International University with a B.S. in Information Technology.
Mahbuba Hossain currently serves as Program Manager for the NYC Young Men’s Initiative. Prior to joining YMI, Mahbuba was an Urban Fellow at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services working in the Office of Education and Employment Initiatives. Additionally, she’s worked at the New York City Department of Education as a Strategic Planning Associate in the Chancellor’s Office and interned for former United States Representative, Joseph Crowley, in immigration affairs at his Queens District Office. Mahbuba is a graduate of Fordham University with a B.A. in Political Science.
Richard Chandler serves as Special Assistant for the NYC Young Men’s Initiative. Before joining YMI, Richard interned at the NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development. In this role, he assisted in site visits for various youth enrichment events, including supporting enrichment opportunities for 100,000 young people. Richard helped manage communications with a variety of schools and nonprofits.
Richard is a graduate of Purchase College with a B.A. in Political Science with plans to attend law school.
Patrice Brown is the Administrative Coordinator with the NYC Young Men’s Initiative. Within her current role, Patrice is supporting YMI by facilitating interdepartmental communication and interactions between internal and external parties as well as assisting in social media marketing.
Before joining YMI, Patrice worked with the NYC Health & Hospitals within the Public Affairs department and curated marketing for small businesses, like Sweet Pea Beauty and large businesses such as Victoria Secret PINK. Prior to her marketing background, Patrice interned under Justice Deborah Dowling in the Kings County Supreme Court.
Patrice graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in Strategic Communications and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. Patrice is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated where she regularly participates in community service work to help enrich underserved communities. She plans to return to school for her M.P.A.
Thomas Scarabino is the External Affairs Manager for the NYC Young Men's Initiative. In this role, Thomas engages with NYC Communities, cultivates partnerships, manages media campaigns, social media efforts, and all publications. Before starting at YMI, Thomas also worked in the non-profit sector. He was the Assistant Director of Communications at Kings County hospital, overseeing all press and government relations, events, paid advertising, and more. Before that, he served as the Marketing Associate at Cayuga Centers. Thomas is a graduate from St. John's University with a B.S. in Public Relations.