EOB TEAM
Schinnell Leake, Executive Director & Founder
Schinnell has always enjoyed creating events that are special and unique – parties that both children and adults remember. As the former owner of Extra-Ordinary Moments, a for-profit entity that provided imaginative and unique children’s birthday parties, she set out to provide the same types of birthday parties for children who were experiencing homelessness in the Washington metropolitan area.
As a mother, Schinnell knows how important it is for her children to feel confident and have self-worth. After learning that more than 2,000 children live in homeless shelters throughout the Washington D.C. area, Schinnell started the nonprofit, Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, the only organization of its kind in the capital area that throws personalized birthday parties for homeless children to make them feel recognized and valued. Using her party-planning background, Schinnell has thrown more than 1200 birthday parties and currently partners with homeless shelters and organizations that serve the homeless in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Officers
South Philadelphia born and raised, Danielle Carrozza Zonis currently serves as the leader of the Information Technology Project Management Office at the global law firm, Morgan Lewis.
Danielle brings to EOB almost 25 years of Organizational and Business Process Management along with a Technology background. Danielle holds her PMP certification from the Project Management Institute and is an active member of many organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management, the American Institute of Technology, Women in Technology, Women Who Code (Phila), and the Girl Scouts of America.
Danielle has a unique blend of knowledge and sweat equity in several areas such as Compliance, Human Resources, Strategy, Project Management, and Business Relationship Management that will be valuable to the future of EOB.
Danielle has said, “My mother impressed upon us that we were gifts from God, and if God decided the Earth needed one of “Us” then we were sure as heck going to celebrate that. My parents sacrificed so much and worked so hard to let us know that we were absolutely something worth celebrating. We were enough.”
Danielle, her husband Ed, and their daughter Jasmine Faith reside just outside Philadelphia and work together as a family to serve not only their local community but children and families around the world who might not have “enough”. Danielle believes every single child should feel the warmth of being celebrated and she says she is honored to be a part of EOB where that is happening every day.
Keith Olfus, Sr. was born and raised in Washington, DC. He is in his 22nd year of service as VP/ Bank Comptroller with Industrial Bank. He is involved with preparing financial statements, dealing with internal and external auditors, and federal regulators. He works closely with the Chief Financial Officer on writing policy and procedures for the organization, as well as serving as a member of the FINANCO Committee for Industrial Bank.
Babu was familiar with EOB’s work and mission was moved by the reactions of the kids at the parties and recognized EOB’s work to address their mental and emotional well-being. As Chief Technology Officer with Bipartisan Policy Center, Babu looks forward to bringing his expertise in information technology as well as his knowledge and skills in that arena to Extra-Ordinary Birthdays and dedicating his time to advance the mission of EOB. His prime goal as a board member is to get as many friends, family, and contacts as possible to commit to being recurring donors.
Directors
Trenna Allen, an accomplished CPA turned Sales leader at ServiceNow, brings her expertise in serving public sector and nonprofit clients to our board. With boundless energy and a genuine passion for service and children, Trenna contributes to extraordinary birthdays as a party planner and birthday bin preparer and board member joining our board in January 2024. Her commitment to making a positive impact is evident in both her professional journey and dedicated community involvement. Guided by Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful quote – “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'” – Trenna embraces this principle through meaningful actions that she hopes will inspire others to contribute to the greater good, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
LaVonda (Vonda) Blount, a proud native of Washington, D.C., is deeply committed to community service and passionately supports causes close to her heart. Vonda became a member of the EOB board in January 2024. In her leisure time, Vonda enjoys spending quality time with her family (including her fur baby), traveling, reading, and creating lasting memories.
LeNesha Brown has been a successful business development and strategy professional with over 25 years of combined private, public, and nonprofit sector experience helping community-based organizations improve their operational performance and fulfill their mission. She was instrumental during the years of 2011-2017 in the Early Childhood Education of Bright Beginnings, Inc. (BBI), a community-based organizations (CBOs) location in the District of Columbia.
LeNesha’s first encounter with Extra-Ordinary Birthdays was during her time served at Bright Beginnings, Inc. Bright Beginnings is a nonprofit that uses a whole-child, two-generation approach to promote the long-term development and success of children and families experiencing housing instability in Washington, DC. Which made her a fond supporter of the work of Extra-Ordinary Birthdays in its efforts to prioritize partnerships with organizations that center children in the communities who are most marginalized and are also intentional about making sure each child feels Extra-Ordinary in celebrating their birthday.
LeNesha was also a strong leader within her hometown community of Kansas City, MO. She was a former program manager for High School Diversity Roundtables while serving as a Community Builder for KC Harmony. Name sited as reference: https://www.kcharmony.org
LeNesha enjoys baking, reading and journal writing in her spare time. But most importantly she loves to serve and give back all while providing a service level of excellence. The opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for Extra-Ordinary Birthdays will allow her to broaden her many years of human capital, program management and advocacy experience within the organization’s initiative to allow children experiencing homelessness across the capital area of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to have a personalized birthday party to make them feel recognized and valued.
Aisha Traynham’s dedication to serving children, especially those experiencing homelessness, stems from her personal journey and humble beginnings. Her passion for ensuring every child feels special and celebrated fuels her work with Extra-Ordinary Birthdays.
With over 20 years of experience in Big-Four management consulting, Aisha brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organization. Her role involves overhauling by-laws and refining operating procedures to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Moreover, Aisha is instrumental in launching innovative strategies to raise awareness about the challenges faced by homeless children, aiming to foster greater community involvement and impact.
Aisha’s commitment to the cause is evident in her proactive approach and unwavering dedication to making a difference. Her leadership and strategic vision are vital assets to Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, driving the organization forward in its mission to bring joy and a sense of belonging to children in need.
In addition to her work with Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, Aisha serves as board member at the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the District of Columbia’s leading voice on domestic violence public policy, systems coordination, and reform. She is also Founder and Managing Director at Aidiate, where she provides clients with strategic insights and actionable plans that drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainable growth while fostering culture of continuous improvement.
Honorary Board Member
Shawn Yancy is an Emmy & Edward R. Murrow award winning broadcast journalist and evening news anchor at NBC4 in Washington, DC. Prior to joining NBC4, Shawn spent nearly 2 decades as a primary news anchor at WTTG-TV. Her career journey also includes stops at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh and WKJG-TV in Ft. Wayne, IN.
Shawn is the founder and CEO of Girls’ Night Out by Shawn Yancy Inc., a 501(c)(3) dedicated to empowering and improving the lives of economically vulnerable women & children.
Shawn previously served on the board of directors for A Wider Circle, Dress For Success DC and The St. Ann’s Center for Children Youth & Families. Along with her fellow DC newswomen, Shawn helps spearhead an annual breast cancer fundraiser for local cancer charities serving the underserved.
Shawn is also a professional artist and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
She and her husband have 3 wonderful sons, a daughter in law, 2 dogs and live in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Her favorite saying is: “If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count”. It’s a phrase her mother has been instilling in her for as long as she can remember. It’s a reminder that all things are possible with God’s help.