Meet the Team
Our team of playful professionals are dedicated to bringing the joy and benefits of play to everyone.
WORK TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER
Olenka Villarreal
Chief Executive Officer
and Founder
Anne Lyons Johnston
Chief Experience Officer
Mimi Richart
Finance and Accounting Manager
Tilly Kennedy Griffiths
Community Impact Writer
Harriet Stern
Curator of Community Kindness
Barbara Butler
Wood Play Structure Designer
Emma Villarreal
Director of Community Programs
Michelle Mathis, RLA
Principal Playground Designer,
Learning Landscapes
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In Memorium to Beloved Board Member
Leland Levy, 1934-2025
Ian Bain
Board Chair
Redwood City’s city council member from 2003-2020, including terms as Mayor and Vice Mayor
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Jill Asher
Board Director
Co-founder Magical Bridge Foundation
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Elaine Captain
Board Director
COO, Magical Bridge Foundation
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​Ted Drake
Board Director
Global Accessibility and Inclusion Leader at Intuit​
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Todd Parmacek
Board Director
Silicon Valley Finance Executive
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​​Melissa Rick
Board Secretary
Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
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Joyce Jaffe Reynolds, Ph.D.
Board Chair Emeritus (2018-2021)
Managing Director, GEO Group Strategic Services, LLC
Amanda Steckler
Board Director
Philanthropist and Owner, Killiney Kopitiam and Table 7 Restaurants
Olenka Villarreal
Board Director
CEO and Founder, Magical Bridge Foundation
Remembering
Leland Levy
September 20, 1934 – June 10, 2025
Please join us in honoring our beloved, generous longtime friend and board member Leland Levy. Le exemplified a life full of purpose, family, love, adventures, impact, generosity ... and song. Magical Bridge is proud to establish the Leland Levy Magical Bridge Endowment to honor his support of Magical Bridge's mission to bring communities together through inclusive play. Thank you for supporting our work and the wonderful life of a most magical man.
MAGICAL BRIDGE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Alissa Bandalene
Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling at Stanford University School of Medicine
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Jay Beckwith
“Father of Modern Day Playground,” Former President, Kompan, Consultant, Boundless Playgrounds
Brandon Biggs
Engineer, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
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Chad Bojorquez
Chief Program Officer at Destination Home and passionate advocate of equity and diversity
Anne Cohen
Founder, Disability Health Access; Expert and Advocate for Disability Rights
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Monica Chacon
Project Ambassador for East Palo Alto and longtime resident with two children. As a parent of a child with a disability, Monica is passionate about bringing thoughtfully designed places into her community for friends and family to enjoy
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Xin Liu
President of Enlight Foundation, advocate for improving education inequality, and anchor donor for Magical Bridge Playground and Magical Bridge Foundation
Laurel Blackett Miranda
Board Chair of CuriOdyssey Museum, Community Volunteer and Advocate for People with Disabilities
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Aya Mouallem
PhD candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford University and a Knight-Hennessy Scholar
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Peggy Pizzo
M. Ed. Director of the Early Learning Project at the Stanford Graduate School of Education
Tyrone Starkie
Adjunct Professor Wesleyan College and CEO of Community Heroes which supports community all-inclusiveness
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Peter Tsai
Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development for The Sobrato Organization and Board Chair of Chamber of San Mateo County
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Kyle Wood
Project Engineer at Robert A. Bothman Construction who has managed the construction of Palo Alto and Redwood City Magical Bridge playgrounds and knows the impact of this work and is excited to keep spreading the magic