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Magical Bridge Team

Meet the Team

Our team of playful professionals are dedicated to bringing the joy and benefits of play to everyone.

WORK TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER

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Olenka Villarreal

Chief Executive Officer

and Founder

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Chief Operations Officer

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Chief Marketing Officer

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Anne Lyons Johnston

Chief Experience Officer

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Mimi Richart

Finance and Accounting Manager

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Tilly Kennedy Griffiths

Community Impact Writer

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Harriet Stern

Curator of Community Kindness

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Graphic and Multimedia Designer

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Community Engagement Manager

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Barbara Butler

Wood Play Structure Designer

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Emma Villarreal

Director of Community Programs

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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, Magic
al 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

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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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

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