meet our team.
We are a team of volunteers, from our executive board to our brand ambassadors.
Our Story
Brittany Blackamore founded Suitcase of Joy to bring joy and hope to children living in poverty. While completing her MBA, she traveled throughout Africa, Asia, and South America, where she was moved by the poverty she observed.
One day, she realized she could bring toys to the children she saw. Within a few weeks, she raised donations to fill two suitcases with toys, books, clothing, and soccer balls that she delivered to children in remote villages and slums in Africa. The joy spread was contagious, and thus Suitcase of Joy was born.
“One day, I realized that I didn’t need to wait until I was rich to make a difference. We can make a child’s life better, one suitcase at a time.”
Meet Our Team
Brittany Blackamore
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Brittany is a management consultant for Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She was formerly a Director of Strategy at Experian.
Brittany earned her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from UCLA Anderson School of Management with a specialization in global management. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Arts from Pepperdine University.
Brittany also serves as an advisor to Tsavo Innovation Labs, an incubator in Kenya.
Stephanie Cora
Chief Marketing Officer
Stephanie has an A.S. in Human Development and a certificate in Early Childhood Education. One of the greatest joys of her life was serving as a Behavioral Interventionist (B.I.) for children on the Autism Spectrum (A.S.D.).
She didn’t know at the time, but God was preparing her for one day being blessed with her own precious child on the Autism Spectrum.
Stephanie married her high school sweetheart. They have two beautiful children.
Kelly Day
Chief Financial Officer
Kelly currently works in the financial industry. Prior to her role in finance, she worked in data management at Fluor Corporation.
Kelly earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Management at Eastern Michigan University.
Kelly finds great joy giving back to the children reached through Suitcase of Joy. Kelly lives by these words, “You never know what someone is going through, so always be kind and share your time with others.”
Thierno Ly
Brand Ambassador
Thierno grew up in Bamako, Mali and moved to New York in August 2017. He is a student at Baruch College pursuing a BBA in Accounting and an aspiring consultant.
Growing up in Africa was the best experience for Thierno. He reflected, “It made me appreciate the essential and not worry about the superficial.”
Thierno stated, “My goal is to help people in need, to help them find peace and joy.”
Janett Piña
Corporate Sponsor
Janett currently owns and operates Ula Fit, a fashion activewear brand for women. She started Ula Fit to cater to women who wanted high quality, affordable clothing that was also cute and fashionable.
Janett learned about Suitcase of Joy in 2019 and immediately fell in love with their mission. Ever since, she has supported this charity by donating a portion of every sale from Ula Fit to support the children reached through Suitcase of Joy.
Pooja Daryani
Web Developer
Pooja is a UX Designer with a Masters in Computer Science and a certification in UX Design. She currently works as a designer at a start-up.
Pooja loves building websites for nonprofits that make an impact on people’s lives. She first learned about Suitcase of Joy in July 2020 and was immediately impressed by the mission and the work that the team is doing.
In her free time, she loves to bake new recipes and explore the Bay Area.
Elisabeth Gallego
Video Producer
Elisabeth grew up in Barcelona, Spain and moved to California in 2016. She majored in art and specialized in directing music videos, since her passion has always been filming.
She currently volunteers in the Bay Area, helping various nonprofits that change people's lives, by making videos for them. She also loves learning new languages, and she is currently studying Japanese.
Elisabeth’s goal is to help others, which is why she fell in love with Suitcase of Joy’s mission.
OUR TEAM BELIEVES
Toys matter.
Does a child need a toy? We believe they do. Toys increase development and self-worth.
Education matters.
We believe education can empower a child to break the cycle of poverty.
Joy matters.
We believe joy and hope can inspire a child to achieve their potential and live a happy life.
Your dollar matters.
We believe 100% of every donation should make a difference in a child’s life.
Our Impact.
We have delivered toys and educational materials to hundreds of children and their families in our travels to Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mexico.
We have exciting plans to build a school in Uganda in 2021. Find out how you can make difference today.