Who We Are

Founder and Executive Director at the Winners Circle Project, Pius has established himself as a dynamic and charismatic leader with a proven track record in empowering young adults. With a background in social work specializing in direct case management and program coordination, Pius has extensive experience fostering relationships, providing his constituents with the necessary skills to overcome challenges they face while creating a path for a successful future. The Winners Circle Project is a continuation of Kayiira’s philosophy of providing tools for pathways to success in life. The goal of WCP is to empower the students not only with skills and experiences through project based learning, but to help guide them in their journey of self-discovery to be the best version of themselves.

Matteo Lundgren spearheads a transformative educational experience for WCP students through his Pathways to Success curriculum and enrichment activities throughout the school year. Matteo's pedagogical style is to ignite a spark within each student, providing individualized and group guidance for students to take actionable steps towards their own personal growth. Matteo has a masters degree in counseling psychology and has been a counselor, mentor and coach for young adults for the past 20 years. He also has run a successful natural building company for the past 12 years, dedicated to teaching sustainable building practices across the country to students of all levels and ages. His company is inspired by a vision of building homes using local building materials that are non-toxic and regenerative. His teaching style is highly engaging, and is focused on empowering people with knowledge and hands-on skills.

With a decade of experience in the international film industry, Banfo came to Tribe with a diverse set of skills that has made him proficient at creating effective corporate films for Tribe clients. His strengths lie in his ability to make the ephemeral tangible; he deftly translates creative concepts and ideas into visual imagery and consumable messaging. Matteo’s drive and collaborative nature has led him to work with organizations like the UN and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his work on spec commercials has earned him several industry awards. Matteo uses his client-focused theory of corporate video production to create company films that engage viewers and break boundaries.

Brian L. Battisti is a skilled trial attorney with a practice that spans a variety of litigation matters including multi-party construction defect, labor law, catastrophic personal injury, insurance coverage, products liability, professional liability, and commercial and employment disputes. Brian has experience with all phases of litigation from pre-suit investigations and assessment through bench and jury trials in New York State and federal courts. He has conducted arbitrations, mediations, and argued numerous appeals before the First and Second Departments of the New York State Appellate Division. With a detailed understanding of various industries backed by nearly two decades of complex litigation experience, Brian advises property owners, commercial developers, construction managers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals on litigation strategy, risk transfer issues and overall exposure. He also assists construction clients with drafting and negotiation of contracts and lien disputes. Brian recently became partner at the Goldberg Segalla law firm.

Jen has been working to help teenagers navigate their paths through education and life for over twenty years. For the past decade, Jen has led the Pre-College Opportunity Programs at Cornell University, growing one federally funded TRIO Upward Bound grant that served 50 students in two school districts into a portfolio of programming that included two federal and one state-funded college access grant, two programming partnership grants, and a dozen other outreach programs that collectively served over 800 students annually across more than a dozen school districts. She is now the Associate Vice-President of the Council for Opportunity in Education.

I have enjoyed my career as a keynote speaker, coach, and strategic trainer with practical experience in virtual settings. I invest time to work with individuals and organizations on developing a resilient lifestyle and mindset. I am currently working with organizations, profit and non-profit, and individuals to offer creative moments and places for their growth and transformation to equip individuals and organizations with the means to offer others and themselves dynamic and meaningful endeavors to pursue. Previously, I have worked with numerous corporations, major health-care organizations, educational organizations, and nation-wide professional groups. Past clients include BAE, Lockheed, The Chamber of Commerce of Bogota Colombia, Universidad del Rosario, and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Karen Salvaggio brings a wealth of motorsports, education, and leadership experience to any project. A military veteran and master mechanic, Karen served in the U.S. Air Force as a crew chief on B-52’s and KC-135 aircraft. After nine successful years, she left the military, and secured her advanced education. Karen holds bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees, and has extensive experience in finance, operations and organizational leadership. Her distinguished career in public education spanned more than 25 years, serving in every role from classroom teacher to her final role as superintendent of schools.

A finance and business operations professional with 20 years of experience providing leadership to premier for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Alvin Sinckler is a results-driven leader who has a proven track record of leading high-performing teams. As CFO of organizations such as The Fund for Public Schools, Coordinated Behavioral Care, and Boys Town, Alvin has maintained a steadfast commitment to bottom-line results and talent for improving forecasting, financial reporting, and overall operational performance.