About
HFLI

A non-profit leader and educator with 25 years of experience in dynamic learning environments, Deborah Parizek drives HFLI’s efforts to provide workshops, programs and site coaching that pair effective education and human-centered design approaches, empowering learners to lead transformational change in, with and for their community. She is known for cultivating the conversations, empathy, and capacity critical to addressing complex challenges. Deborah was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2018 Notable Women in Nonprofits report, and by Corp! Magazine as a 2019 Most Valuable Professional.

Prior to joining HFLI in 2005, Deborah designed and directed extensive teacher leadership development programs for multiple school systems and earned the distinction of Master Teacher from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She served as one of the founding teachers of Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn, Michigan, helping shape its vision and write curriculum for many of its core components, including the Senior Mastery Process. Deborah earned an M.A. Educational Studies, an M.A. in Chinese Languages and Literature and a B.A. in Chinese and Russian Studies, all from the University of Michigan.

A thoughtful champion of Design Thinking’s role in changing how we learn and lead, Deborah is a frequent presenter at national and local events, consistently sharing actionable information with real-life applications.

Lisa is a communications, partnership, and branding strategist with more than 25 years of broad experience in business, K-12 education, and nonprofit environments.

As Director of External Relations, she brings to HFLI a strong focus on social responsibility, a proven ability to connect people, organizations, and opportunities in purposeful ways, and a creative confidence that she nurtures in herself and others. She is responsible for all facets of strategic communications and is the contact for media inquiries.

Lisa started working with HFLI in 2006, and has been an integral part of our growth, including our 2015 re-brand, the ongoing development of HFLI’s Design Thinking programs for adults and youth, and the planning, launch and ongoing activities of HFLI’s Henry Ford Academies.

Prior to her work at HFLI, Lisa was a senior account executive with The Devon Group; during her nearly seven years at the PR firm she managed client, press and analyst relationships, garnering positive national coverage and awards that catalyzed business results for HR tech clients.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Miami University in Ohio, and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. A committed lifelong learner, she was a 2013 AFP Detroit Chapter Fisher Fellow, a 2014 NSPRA Don Bagin Memorial Scholarship recipient, and our 2016 Points of Light (now Acumen) Civic Accelerator team manager.

Sonya works directly with HFLI’s executive director, and is focused on developing a strong team and solid foundation at HFLI through her leadership of financial reporting, budgeting, internal control policies and procedures, and human resources. She brings more than 20 years of experience in accounting and finance to HFLI. Most recently, Sonya was the accounting manager for Ilitch Charities and Little Caesars Amateur Sports in Detroit, responsible for the accounting, budgeting and financial reporting for the non-profit entities; in 2015, her peers and the executive management team recognized her with the Fiscally Responsible core value award. Previously, Sonya was the accounting associate for the Clairmount Group PLC in Detroit where she provided financial services to non-profits, religious organizations and charter schools. She was also the assistant controller for Family Home Health Services, conducting all month-end closing and financial reporting, and she began career as the accounting manager at John Adams Mortgage. Dedicated to others, Sonya is a past member of the Board of Directors for Black Family Development Incorporated in Detroit. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan.

Ossama contributes to the strength of our schools and organization by overseeing the strategic planning and implementation of administrative, infrastructural, operational and instructional technologies of HFLI and HFLI’s network of Henry Ford Academies. As a part of that work, he also supervises and provides mentoring and training to school-based technology coordinators. Ossama is an experienced IT leader, project manager and solution architect, with a track record of 13 years of experience in defining and building IT infrastructure and operations. He came to HFLI from Pratt Institute, where he contributed to the institution’s academic IT services for nearly 11 years; in his most recent role, he directed the operations of Pratt’s academic computing facilities which include the computer labs, the digital output centers, the institute’s laptop program and the technology enhanced classrooms and lead a team of 11 technology professionals. Prior to his work at Pratt, Ossama was an educator for nearly 10 years, most recently at the Crescent School in New York, where he taught computer classes to students in grades 9 – 12, maintained the school’s servers, network and workstations, managed a new computer lab setup project, and researched and proposed new technology initiatives. Ossama earned his M.S. in Information Systems at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, CUNY and his Bachelor’s degree in English Education at Mansoura University in Egypt.

Iffa uses Design Thinking to empower organizations to develop and advance innovative programs, strategic plans, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

As the Program Manager for the El-Hibri Foundation (EHF), she led projects focused on building capacity of nonprofit leaders through its Executive Nonprofit Management Trainings, advancing the inclusion of minority communities and building working groups focused on collective action. Prior to that, Iffa was the Senior Development and Research Dissemination Officer at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). 
 
Iffa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Michigan-Dearborn, a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Wayne State University and Project Management certification from Georgetown University.

Theodore guides the strategic growth of HFLI’s learning programs, while developing unique resources and experiences that help learners to think creatively, work collaboratively with others, and implement innovations. He brings a unique perspective to the role that blends a passion for socio-cultural anthropology, formal study and application of human-centered-design methods, experience as an entrepreneur, and a lens for inclusion and access. The diversity of his work includes designing for food security and access in one of the most economically challenged urban centers in the U.S., to researching and activating a redesign of Michigan’s oldest public museum for 250,000 annual users. Prior to joining HFLI, Theodore was co-founder/ operations director of Ento – a sustainable insect protein startup – responsible for financial, compliance and marketing activities ; during this time, he also led a social impact modeling and job skills development program partnership at Detroit Public Schools’ Culinary Programs, and was a frequent presenter at policy and innovation events that featured his award-winning work in food sustainability design. That work built on his earlier role as a program associate with the Detroit Public Schools’ Office of School Nutrition, where he was responsible for the planning, development and management of a farm–to-cafeteria program for 80 schools. Theodore earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from Wayne State University and identifies as a committed lifelong learner.

Gwen manages daily accounting activities for HFLI, coordinates all logistics for staff and hands-on learning programs, and makes sure the HFLI team has all of the tools needed to do their jobs. Before joining HFLI, Gwen was a design coordinator and project manager who coordinated custom pottery projects from design through fabrication for three of the Pewabic Society’s designers. Her ability to develop operational efficiencies grew out of her more than 15 years at Bon Secours Cottage Hospital/Henry Ford Health System, where she earned roles of increasing responsibility, from patient accounting clerk, to supervisor, and ultimately financial services analyst.

Jessica brings nearly two decades of education and program management experience to support the coordination of HFLI’s major projects, concurrent with a learning trajectory to become a design thinking facilitator. She believes that the inclusion of culturally responsive pedagogy and design thinking principles can fundamentally improve the way people learn and engage with their communities.

Before joining HFLI, Jessica managed a diverse portfolio of projects at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Leading cross-functional teams, she executed projects that improved accessibility to The Henry Ford’s learning curricula and virtual programming.

Jessica also brings an educator’s lens to her work at HFLI. With over 12 years of experience as a teacher in one of Michigan’s top ranked high schools, Jessica led numerous district-wide curricula projects and professional development engagements. She has completed training in curriculum design, technology integration, and globally focused pedagogy with an emphasis on DEI.

Jessica has a B.A. in Secondary Education, majoring in History and Political Science, from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and an M.A. in History from Eastern Michigan University. She completed the Choices Leadership Institute Fellowship with Brown University and the Goethe Institut Transatlantic Outreach Fellowship.