Leon Krolikowski, Attorney
Leon M. Krolikowski was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, raised in Stratford, Connecticut After completing his high school education at Fairfield College Preparatory School, Leon joined the New Canaan, Connecticut Police Department, where he has been employed for the last twenty-one years. Within the police department, Leon served in a series of progressively more responsible positions. Currently, he is the Captain of Operations and is second in command of the police department.
While working full time, Leon received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut. He later received a law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude. After law school, Leon is admitted to practice law in the States of Connecticut, New York and the Federal District of Connecticut. Leon maintains a law practice in New Canaan, which is located at 140 Elm Street. Leon is currently enrolled at the University of Massachusetts where he is pursuing an M.B.A.
Leon currently lives in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife Anna and his three children.
Loan Garland, Corporate Strategist
Loan Garland has more than 20 years of strategic consulting experience in the global retail, service and manufacturing industries and is currently working as a consultant providing go-to-market strategy services for Global CPG suppliers as well as creating growth strategy start-ups, small to medium size business.
Loan was the Director of Strategy at Daymon Worldwide where she created the company’s plans for international expansion, processes for customer relationship management, and facilitated workshops for account teams on how to determine risks and identify opportunities at their specific locations. She also worked with retailers and third party vendors to create innovative and strategic opportunities using predictive and data modeling based on consumer trends and loyalty data. Before working directly with the board of directors and the executive team Loan was the primary liaison for all Daymon international accounts. Her responsibilities included creating business development strategies for international growth as well as benchmark, best practice, consumer and category trends. Loan worked with retailers in grocery, mass, office and convenience channels in the US, Europe, Asia, the Baltics, South America and South Africa.
Before Daymon, Loan was the principal of East-West Solutions, providing consulting services in strategy development, business process re-engineering, and training for clients in a range of industries. For a non-profit organization, she developed the strategy for a five-year system transformation, which she then also managed the implementation of. Some of her other clients included: Sun Oil Company, Equifax, Financial Collection Agency, GFT, and American Red Cross.
Loan started her career as an engineer in various capacities. At Barnes Group, she designed an automated process replacing a labor-intensive brake plate production. The prototype increased production by 40% and reduced cost by 45%. Seven replicas were built to replace the entire line. At Herman Miller, Loan was responsible for developing a new process and packaging system for high-speed manufacturing. Loan also worked for Packaging Corporation of America, Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies.
Loan graduated from Michigan State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Packaging Engineering. In 2007, she completed Cornell University’s Executive Program. She has 2 teenage daughters and lives in Stamford, CT.
Pat Kelley, Grant Writer
Patricia Kelley is an engineering executive who currently lives in southern California. Patricia has worked in aerospace for the last 24 years. She joined the Boeing Company in 1987 where she became an engineering executive. Patricia earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, and a Master’s of Business Administration from Webster University. She has extensive experience writing proposals and was a perfect match for our grant writing position. Patricia loves boating, and spends most of her free time on or near the ocean.
Michael Carusi, Web Designer and Social Media Manager
Michael is a social media manager and WordPress web designer with extensive experience in social media in both personal and professional settings. He has deep knowledge of digital marketing and specializes in helping organizations increase their presence over social media platforms. His business model is specifically designing a custom marketing strategy that works for his client’s business rather than a fixed set of services. He does social media work for a diverse variety of businesses and organizations and has particularly strong experience in the retail and restaurant industries.
Michael graduated from American University in May of 2010, when the job market was less than ideal. He was fortunate enough to land a volunteer and internship position at AmeriCares in Stamford, where he handled the bulk of their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. With his guidance during a six month period @AmeriCares on Twitter soared from 6,000 to 10,000 fans and AmeriCares on Facebook doubled from 2,000 to 4,000. It was his first realization that social media management wasn’t just a part of integral marketing – it’s a full time job. He is a perfect fit for the growing needs of Kids Helping Kids where he generously donates his services.
Jay Cleary, Consultant
Jay specializes in family wealth planning for high-net-worth families and has been with Financial Design since 1984. Commitment and involvement are the cornerstones of Jay’s practice.
His commitment comes with his low-key, thoughtful approach, designed to put clients and their needs where they belong – first. This process begins with a detailed, careful examination of his clients’ objectives in the areas of business succession and personal estate planning.
Jay’s involvement comes with his willingness to go the extra mile. Over the past 14 years, he has worked with clients in construction, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, real estate, professional sports and high technology. In order to better understand his clients’ needs and concerns, Jay is active in several local industry associations.
Born in Massachusetts, Jay graduated from Bates College with a degree in Mathematics. He has authored a variety of articles on business succession and estate planning for publications such as The Denver Business Journal. He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU).
Jay currently lives in Littleton,CO. with his wife Lisa and his four children. They all enjoy skiing, golfing and tennis.
Joel Matalon, Coach
Joel Matalon, owner of Joe Fitness World (www.joefitnessworld.com) has been a Trainer and Coach in New York City for over 20 years. He uses highly communicative, person-to-person methodology to help clients reach their maximum performance. His clients include celebrities, executives and elite athletes, children and teens. He is New York’s ONLY certified ChiRunning/Walking instructor which makes his services highly sought after. His hobby is competing in marathons, triathlons and Ironmans. He’s certified by ACE, ISSAYouth Fitness, USA Triathlon (as a Triathlon Coach), is a Post-Rehabilitation Specialist, and also certified to teach Fitness Boxing, Yoga and Pilates.
Joel has appeared on ABC News and SportsLife NYC, been featured in Martha Stewart Whole Living Body, US News and World Report and Time Out NY. Joel is on the faculty of The American Council on Exercise and provides continuing education for fitness and health professionals. He also leads fitness corporate lectures/trainings for corporations like ABC, ESPN, HBO and Adobe.
Joel is passionate about sharing the importance of health and fitness with all children. Joe Fitness World is in the process of creating The Little Joe Fitness Foundation, which will provide fitness opportunities for children globally. He is also an author who has published The Little Joe Fitness Comic Book: The Adventures of Little Joe Fitness.
