Girls Write Now
Executive & Senior Team
Maya Nussbaum, Founder & Executive Director
Molly MacDermot, Director of Special Initiatives
Erica Silberman, Director of Curriculum & Engagement
Staff
Arnell Calderon, Intern
Andrew Eastwick, Senior Grant Writer
Spencer George, Special Initiatives Assistant
Kelsey LePage, Development & Operations Associate
Teresa Mettela, Intern
Lisbett Rodriguez, Community Coordinator
Amara Thomas, Senior Community Coordinator
Kyndal Thomas, Senior Community Coordinator
Maya Nussbaum has grown Girls Write Now over the last two decades from a loose association of women writers into a dynamic, volunteer-powered community, and a nonprofit after school program distinguished by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as one of the top 15 in the nation, by the Nonprofit Excellence Awards as one of New York’s top 10 nonprofits, by Time Out New York as one of the best places to volunteer, and by Youth INC with the Innovators Award for improving the lives of New York youth. Maya has been named one of the Top 40 Feminists under 40 by The Feminist Press, one of the Top 20 Philanthropists under 40 by The Observer, a Local Hero by Metro New York, an Education Hero by The New York Times, a Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) People’s Voice Nominee, and a 2016 White House Champion of Change.
Molly MacDermot found the teen years hard until she discovered books and a diary, which she wrote in daily. She thanks Charlotte Brönte and Harper Lee for paving the way. Molly served as Editor-in-Chief of five national magazines, including J-14, the #1 teen entertainment magazine in the US. She conceptualized and managed several teen websites and their social media components. Molly is a regular columnist, consults as a media strategist and has written five young adult books. Molly was featured in The New York Times, Adweek, Mediaweek, and Folio, and has appeared on MTV, Vh1, Inside Edition and several morning television shows to talk about pop culture and the youth market. Molly started her career at The New Yorker, and previously worked at Marie Claire (Australia) and Redbook.
Erica Silberman fell in love with Girls Write Now when she group-taught a playwriting workshop for them in 2005. Through the years, she has stayed involved with the organization as a mentor, a teacher in various outreach programs, and a member of both the Program Advisory Committee and the Host Committee. Erica has an extensive and wide-ranging background in the theatre as an actress, playwright, director, teacher, acting coach, and producer, as well as experience in the design world. She formerly served as co-president of the Women in the Arts and Media Coalition and on the board of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Erica is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Dramatic Question Theatre, where she runs a monthly literary and music salon.
Arnell Calderon is a writer and Girls Write Now alum, born and raised in Harlem, New York City. She received her BA in Literature at Eugene Lang College of The New School. With a passion for writing, storytelling, education, and social justice, she is excited to join the organization.
Spencer George is a writer and student based in New York City by way of the Appalachian South. She is a rising senior at Barnard College, pursuing degrees in English Literature, Human Rights, and Creative Writing. Her work is interested in the intersection of storytelling and empathy, and has been featured on platforms such as Girlology, Skirt! Magazine, the L’Ephemere Review, and Not Your Girl. Spencer was the 2019 recipient of the Peter S. Prescott prize for Prose Writing. She can usually be found trekking the woods, looking for the best coffee in New York, or in an airport.
Teresa Mettela is a rising sophomore at The City College of New York with the Macaulay Honors Program. She intends to major in International Studies and minor in Journalism and Economics. Through taking classes at City College, Teresa became immersed in writings by bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Silvia Federici, and she is so excited to further delve into these areas of interest through her internship with Girls Write Now. When she is not writing papers for college, you can probably find Teresa exploring the city with her boyfriend, writing poetry, or binge-watching Chopped on Food Network! As a Girls Write Now alumna, Teresa is especially looking forward to assisting the Girls Write Now staff in welcoming and engaging with the upcoming generation of girls that will soon change the literary and digital world!
Lisbett Rodriguez is a Girls Write Now mentee alumna and a Brooklyn College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English. While an undergraduate, she contributed to making two publications of the Brooklyn College literary magazine, The Junction. She has previously worked with two women’s organizations, Legal Momentum and the Brooklyn College Women’s Center, to help and empower women.
Kyndal Thomas has a background in nonprofit work, with experience volunteering for organizations like Best Buddies and Special Olympics and working for Poets & Writers, Inc. She received her B.A. from Northwestern University with a major in Creative Writing and a minor in African American Studies. From Texas to Chicago, Kyndal has landed in Brooklyn on the hunt for the best open mics and barbecue spare ribs. She is extremely excited to bring her love for intersectional advocacy and creative writing together at Girls Write Now.
