Our Team
Alison Berkley
Executive Director/Co-Founder
Molly Sebastian
Executive Director/Co-Founder
Amanda Huang
Director of Strategic Development
Amanda is a former Vice President at Morgan Stanley who left the world of finance after 11 years to pursue her passions for baking and social impact. She enjoys being able to combine her skills to both support Invictus’ growth and teach classes and work with the amazing Bakers. She is the lead instructor for Coffeeshop Classics and is a certified food handler with the NYC DOH. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and completed the professional pastry arts program at the International Culinary Center.
Lisa Marie Kain
Director of Finance
Lisa is an autistic person, mother of disabled children, advocate, and a current Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities trainee at the UC Davis MIND Institute. Lisa holds a Florida CPA license and an Illinois CPA certificate. She earned her Master of Accounting Degree from Florida Atlantic University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Her professional experience includes working with non-profit organizations, privately held companies, and publicly traded multinationals.
Katie Sweeney
Director of Individual Giving
Katie is a seasoned marketing strategist and fierce Autism warrior mom. Katie received her BA degree from Colgate University and her MBA from Cornell. She formed her own business, OutsideIn Strategies, in 2001 following 12 years in strategy consulting with Deloitte, A.T. Kearney, and The Cambridge Group, and currently serves on the Board of CO_LAB Theater Group which provides theater arts programming to the Developmentally Disabled. She has finished 25 triathlons, 5 marathons, 46 half-marathons and 1 ultra marathon. But nothing compares to her most proudest accomplishment she shares with her husband, Michael — her two sons. Dylan, age 29, is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and a Naval Flight Officer. Dustin, 27, is an Actor, Surfer, Bio-dynamic Farmer, Runner, Central Park Landscape Gardener, Soap and Candle Maker, and Invictus Baker. Dusty started with Invictus in their first year at FedCap Kitchen where he learned his trade making No Bones About It dog treats. He has been able to generalize the skills he learned to other kitchen environments including ThreeFold Cafe and Artis Senior Living in Chestnut Ridge, NY. Raising a severely autistic non-speaker has been quite challenging but often quite joyous. The smallest of accomplishments are the greatest on this Autism journey. Katie likes to say that her son Dylan made her a happier person…but Dusty made her a better person if for no other reason than the incredible people and organizations he has brought into their lives with Invictus at the top of that list!
Dana Greenberg
Parent and Community Liaison
Brigitte Goodman
P/T Program Director
Brigitte is a licensed Occupational Therapist with over 13 years of experience. She most recently was OT Department Chair at Cooke School and Institute where she helped develop their Adaptive Skills program. Brigitte has a Masters of Science in OT from Columbia University, and is a member of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She has a passion for both working with individuals with disabilities and for being in the kitchen, and is thrilled to join Invictus and use her experience while combining the two.
Kirby Laguerre
Administrative Manager
Kirby is a proud Brooklyn native and alumna of Vanderbilt University, where she earned her degree in Child Development and Medicine, Health, & Society. Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology at West Virginia University, Kirby has found profound joy in connecting with and understanding individuals who identify as neurodivergent. Her commitment to service is deeply ingrained, with a history of contributing her organizational, writing, and research skills to various non-profit organizations. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Kirby is an avid reader and passionate traveler, constantly exploring new horizons. She also has a major sweet tooth which fits perfectly here at Invictus!
Lead Instructors
Irene Dambriunas
Irene, our Head Pastry Chef, has worked as a baker, pastry chef, cake decorator, line cook and prep cook in restaurants, bakeries, community kitchens and coffee shops both in Montreal and across New York City for the past ten years. Irene has published recipes and articles in various food publications including Eater, VegNews, Edible Queens, and Kitchen Table Magazine. She is also a recipe developer, having created original recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies and more to be baked and sold by our talented team of Bakers. Irene runs the Saturday Cake School class where Bakers learn the ins and outs of mixing and baking cakes and mastering the fine art of cake decorating. Irene is a certified food handler by the New York State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Miriam Garron
Miriam managed Food Network Kitchen for 20 years through profound changes in the culinary and media worlds. She led culinary teams on Bobby’s BBQ Addiction and Brunch at Bobby’s, appeared on 9 seasons of ThrowDown! with Bobby Flay, and wrote for FN.Com. In 2014 she launched Food Network’s first sustainability initiatives and worked with its facilities team to implement a 0-Waste program. Miriam is a certified TRUE 0-Waste Advisor and serves on the board of People in Need, a not-for-profit serving Kensington, Brooklyn. She is thrilled that her culinary path led to the Bakers and staff at Invictus.
Heather Ramsdell
Heather is an instructor and editor at the bakery. She loves how a single cookie recipe can spark countless opportunities for connection and growth. After a career creating thousands of recipes, articles, and videos for companies like Whole Foods Market and OXO and as a VP at the Food Network, Heather transitioned into social work to support people in meaningful ways. As an MSW with a background in visual art and writing, she brings a joyful, hands-on approach to teaching and cooking with others. She is grateful to be part of the mission and community at Invictus.
Stacey Kane
Stacey is a baker who has been working in professional kitchens for a decade. After designing her own major around how food can be used to uplift and create communities, she has found herself managing kitchens across the country serving everything from breads and pizza to viennoiserie, ice cream, and fine patisserie. Always up for a challenge, Stacey has done recipe development, costing, and kitchen buildout consulting for a handful of new businesses. She has a passion for uplifting others in her community, teaching, and food sustainability and is excited to be a part of the Invictus team.
Heather Escareno
Heather is a pastry chef with over 10 years experience in the pastry arts. She has graduated from a French pastry school whose courses are taught in Le Courdon Bleu. Having learned high levels of culinary, bread and pastry instruction, she applied her knowledge and experience in French fine-dining establishments and French bakeries. With a collection of mastered techniques in viennoiseries, wedding cakes, French pastries and desserts of all kinds, she is excited to run the Monday Baking Fundamentals Class. She is inspired and feels a close connection for Invictus’ cause because her brother is also on the autism spectrum. Heather is a certified food handler by New York’s State of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Ella Thurber
Ella is an Instructor for our Saturdays classes. She loves working at the bakery as an instructor and looks forward to it each week! She has over 10+ years of experience working with autistic individuals and in special education. Outside the bakery, she loves any type of craft and chilling with her cat. She is excited for her and the bakery’s future!
Guillermo Pena
Guillermo is an Instructor for our Saturdays classes. He is currently an Assistant Teacher at Cooke Transitions. He is passionate about Star Wars and dogs, and loves learning new things.
Thanks to a generous donation from Microsoft, our workspace is outfitted with the latest technology. Our touch screen enabled laptops allow Bakers of all profiles to follow our process and create our high-quality goods. Microsoft Technology is the bridge that allows us to enable productivity in our overlooked and untapped workforce.