Board of Directors

Ariel Rojas, MS, MA - President.
Having completed Masters degrees in Sociocultural Anthropology (Columbia University, 2003) and Social Psychology (University of Havana, 2000), Mr. Rojas, founder of Transdiaspora Network, is aware that creating a meaningful community-focused HIV prevention network requires leadership to visualize the future while engaging all actors in society: individuals, governments, civil society, private sector and most important, local communities. For 10 years, his experience has encompassed work in the non-profit sector concerning social research, cross-cultural facilitation, youth development, HIV counseling, and mental health. This has broadened his perspective and field of knowledge, and given him the ability to think strategically and interact effectively with different audiences, especially with adolescents. While working as a Program Coordinator at a community-based organization's supportive counseling family stabilization program for HIV-infected individuals in Brooklyn, Mr. Rojas realized that the effects of the HIV epidemic pervade every aspect of family members' lives. It allowed him to understand the meaning of new alliances between social service providers and the community in order to better help underserved social groups regarding education and prevention, and to promote good quality services. He has a proven track record of performing exceptional outreach, assessing adolescent's family needs and forging fruitful relationships with various constituencies from the private and public sector. Additionally, he has solid experience building proactive team environments as well as person-to-person social interactions, and his understanding of community comes from a grassroots level. He served as Borough Coordinator for the Mental Health Association of New York City attending borough-based council meetings, community forums, and city-wide conferences as well as assisting community-based organizations with public education and training activities. In 2006, Mr. Rojas was the only New York City representative nation-wide selected to participate in the training "Building System of Care for Children and Families," at Georgetown University's National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health, Washington, DC. He also holds the honor of having been invited to the United Nations' Fourth Forum for Social Development in 2004. He came from Cuba to the United States in 2000 as the first Cuban young researcher to be accepted, unanimously, at Vassar College's Hispanic Studies Department in its Latin American Culture Fellowship. As an Assistant Research at the Center for Research and Development of Cuban Culture, Mr. Rojas did fieldwork for Dr. Carolina de la Torre's book "Identities: a Glance from Psychology" (2001). He earned his B.A. in Psychology at the University of Havana (1998) and is a published author with his book of poems "Trepidaciones" (2007). In 2001, Mr. Rojas was awarded with the Hispanic American Physicians Association's Certificate of Excellence in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In 2008, he was granted with the We Are All Brooklyn (WAAB) Fellowship by the Jewish Community Relation Council of NY, and also received a prestigious scholarship from the Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Murray Nossel to attend  his Experiential Storytelling Workshop. Currently, Mr. Rojas is pursuing a Master's degree at Columbia University mayoring in Social Enterprise Administration with a minor in International Welfare.

Lina Cherfas, MS - Secretary.
Ms. Cherfas is the Program Manager of the Building Bridges, Building Knowledge, Building Health (BBKH) Coalition, a community coalition in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx that addresses health disparities impacting the African American and Latino populations there. She is responsible for organizing and implementing all of the coalition's programming, which is currently centered on a multi-level diabetes prevention and management project. Upon first joining the public health sector in Manhattan, she worked in central and southern Brooklyn, conducting outreach, health education, and networking among various organizations. Previously, she served as a Research Specialist at the Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict, where she focused on capacity building collaborations regarding psychosocial initiatives with conflict-affected communities, particularly in Sri Lanka. Ms. Cherfas holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and European History from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's degree in Forced Migration from Oxford University. Her master's thesis focused on organizational aspects of access to healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK living with HIV. In addition to other publications, she co-edited a volume of essays entitled 'Peacemaker 101: Careers Confronting Conflict'. The socioeconomic and psychosocial determinants of health continue to be interests that are central to her work. Mr. Cherfas was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and grew up in the U.S.

Sophie Cardona, MA - Treasurer.
Ms. Cardona is a LEED accredited sustainability professional with a diverse background that includes experience in the US and abroad, in the private and non-profit sectors, in multilateral organizations, governmental agencies and research institutions. She completed her MA in International Relations and Latin American Studies, with a specialization in economic development and emerging markets from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. While pursuing her degree, Ms. Cardona conducted in-depth research on various economic, political and financial issues affecting growth and sustainable development in various parts of the world. With solid knowledge of international economics and international development issues, she brings a global perspective to problem-solving and is adept at delineating connections between economic, political and social forces. Currently, Ms. Cardona is pursuing a career promoting sustainable development in the context of an energy services company with a focus on low income communities in New York City. Ms. Cardona believes in the transformative power of volunteerism. She has volunteered as a French translator at Trickle Up, a microfinance agency, and at the UN United Nations Young Leaders Peace Building Retreat. She also volunteered at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting and at the Genesis Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping displaced children in Colombia. Ms. Cardona also holds a BA in Economics and Psychology from Barnard College, and an Associates degree from The Parsons School of Design. She is a founding member of Transdiaspora Network.