OUR TEAM

TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

CO-FOUNDERS

It Started with a Dream

iCook After School all started with two friends (Lesya and Olga) passionate about food, cooking and nutrition, who wanted to make a difference by teaching children how to cook and enjoy healthy meals. In 2014, iCook was started as an after-school cooking program for children at elementary schools in the Chicago area. Lesya and Olga share a philosophy — that food is nourishment, and that learning to cook at an early age is a beneficial skill to carry into adulthood.

Lesya Merena

While Lesya holds a bachelor of science in finance from DePaul University, her real passion is nutrition. At an early age, she discovered that her body reacted differently to certain foods, and eventually she learned she had a sensitivity to gluten. She became very interested in the science of nutrition and in choosing a diet made up of healthful foods: foods that made her feel good – inside and out. The more she studied and learned about nutrition, the more she realized how helpful it would be to have known this information at an early age. Lesya loves helping children in the kitchen so they can learn to enjoy good food (vegetables, beans and whole grains) and so they can develop a healthy relationship with food right from the start.

Olga Davis

Olga holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Dickinson State University and an MBA in finance from the University of North Dakota. She is also a CFP® professional. Olga’s passion is working with children – helping them with reading, cooking and other life skills. In a way, she combines math skills and cooking interests by teaching children how to measure and learn fractions while they prepare delicious, nutritious recipes. She has been volunteering with children for several years with Big Brother Big Sister and at Working in the Schools (WITS), a tutoring and mentoring program focused on helping children with their reading. She left her career in finance to focus all her efforts and time on her passion working with kids.

COORDINATORS

Ian Corse

A transplant in Chicago, Ian Corse was raised on a small organic vegetable farm--an experience that continues to inspire a passion for fresh ingredients. As an advocate for hands-on experiences that incite engagement and exploration, Ian has worked with children of all ages, developing youth programming in a variety of summer camps and after-school activities. He is very excited to be providing the opportunity for kids to discover their own love of food, multicultural cuisine, and culinary adventure!

Ashley O'Donnell

Meet Ashley, a Northwest Indiana native and Indiana University Northwest graduate. In addition to being one of iCook's newest program coordinators, she is a volunteer mentor to college bound Chicago Public School scholars. Ashley is passionate about student engagement and creating an enriching environment for Chicago youth. She has 5+ years of experience in coordinating a variety of after school and extracurricular programs for students of all ages as well as experience working with various Chicago Public Schools and Chicago International Charter Schools. Ashley finds joy in engaging with her community whether that is through art, music, film or literature. She is excited to continue to provide exceptional and enriching after school programs to southside scholars through iCook After School.

Laura Golian

Laura is a Maryland-native with a passion for making learning accessible and enjoyable. She has experience designing and facilitating multiple community-based education programs. She also spent two years teaching English as a foreign language to elementary-aged students in Taiwan.

Laura believes food is an important means for cultural exploration and community building. She is excited about the opportunity to engage with young learners and promote health and nutrition.

Riley Schornak

For Riley, Michigan native and Brown University graduate, health and education are at the nexus of her passions. From supervising youth employment programming based in community gardens to facilitating health education courses through an esteemed nonprofit, Riley has committed to pursuing a career that centers community knowledge and wellbeing. Growing up with a chef for a father fostered her love for time spent in the kitchen, and her work in the fitness industry deepened her understanding of food’s significance to health and wellness. Riley believes in the power of programs such as iCook in furthering community access to fresh, nutritious, delicious, and culturally relevant food. Outside of work, Riley can be found reading, crafting, gardening, cooking, and exploring Chicago as she puts down new roots.

Andreas Ornelas

Andreas is a Texas-born graduate of the University of Arkansas, with a degree in Political Science. True to his roots, he finds joy in the little things - a good book, good weather, good food, and good company.

He has an interest in community enrichment and started his career bringing after school programs to schools in Chicago. It was there he found a passion creating opportunities for children to develop new skills and knowledge. He continues working to provide children with fun, educational courses.

Michelle Przewoznik

Michelle Przewoznik values a holistic approach to health and wellness and takes great joy in preparing and sharing nourishing meals with others. After discovering how certain foods and habits impacted her health, Michelle studied nutrition and health coaching, which empowered her to advocate for her health and share her knowledge with others. Her background in restaurant hospitality and management has fueled her passion for creating welcoming and positive environments. At iCook After School, Michelle is excited to inspire kids and families to explore healthy habits and embrace the process of cooking, eating well, and living a balanced, fulfilling life.

NUTRITIONISTS

Lisa Carlson, MS, RDN

Lisa holds a bachelor of science in nutrition from Cornell University and a master of science in nutrition communications from Boston University. She is a registered dietitian/nutritionist (RDN) with a dietetics degree from the Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Oregon. Lisa’s career has led her down several exciting food paths involving cooking, writing, and nutrition communications. Earlier in her career she wrote about food at Glamour magazine and at COOK’S magazine.

Tiffany White, MS, RD, LDN

Tiffany holds a bachelor of science in kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and master of science in nutrition, also from UIC. She completed UIC's Coordinated Program in Dietetics to earn her master's degree and Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. Tiffany also works as a certified personal trainer, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge of nutrition and exercise to help others live their healthiest life.

INSTRUCTORS

Our culinary instructors come from different backgrounds and have experience working with children. Many of them are registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs)—so you can be sure that “health” is an important ingredient in each recipe. We believe that hiring qualified individuals contributes to our overall success and students’ safely.

Background checks serve as an important part of the selection process.Teachers who will be working at Catholic schools are required to complete VIRTUS training.