A local organization dedicated to ensuring every child has an unbroken path to success from cradle to career, one neighborhood at a time.

Adam Kronk serves on the Board of Directors at Our Kids of South Bend and as the inaugural director of DELTA (Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence, and Agency), a framework promoting human flourishing in the age of AI. Centering the dignity of the human person as his career throughline, Adam has led and collaborated across diverse sectors, working with homeless families, rural Cambodian educators, high school and college students, and corporate executives. He was drawn to Our Kids of South Bend by its dual commitment: combining a radical dedication to every child as a unique gift with immense potential, alongside the rigor of evidence-based interventions. At Our Kids, Adam helps guide strategic initiatives to ensure local youth receive the compassionate, high-quality support they deserve.

Ana Karen Figueroa García serves as an Operations and Fundraising Collaborator at Our Kids of South Bend. Originally from Mexico, Karen holds a Master of Global Affairs in Sustainable Development from Notre Dame’s Keough School and a Bachelor of Laws. Her extensive background encompasses public administration, applied research, strategic planning, and program management at national and municipal levels in Mexico. Her career ranges from overseeing state fiduciary metrics and anti-corruption investigations to co-leading international research on climate adaptation, biodiversity restoration, and poverty alleviation. At Our Kids of South Bend, Karen leverages her background in governance and institutional strategy to streamline startup operations, optimize organizational processes, and design grant pipelines that support long-term sustainability.

Andrea Carolina Perilla Camargo serves as an Operations and Strategy Collaborator at Our Kids of South Bend, combining global policy insights with administrative strategy to drive sustainable local impact. Originally from Colombia, she holds a Master of Global Affairs in Governance and Policy from Notre Dame’s Keough School, a Specialist degree in Peacebuilding from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and a B.A. in Government and International Relations. Andrea’s background includes directing public sector programs in Colombia, executing international development projects, and coordinating research operations across Notre Dame’s Pulte and Kellogg Institutes. Deeply committed to establishing her long-term home in South Bend, Andrea focuses on strengthening operational workflows, expanding grant pipelines, and advancing evidence-based policy for local needs.

Clarice Carvalho Rodrigues Silva serves as Program Manager at Our Kids of South Bend, overseeing stakeholder outreach, policy research, and organizational governance. She holds a Master of Global Affairs from the University of Notre Dame and brings a rich background in public sector policy and educational research across Brazil, India, and the United States. Guided by human rights principles, her professional history includes evaluating rural education programs in India and directing technology and innovation policy initiatives in Goiás, Brazil. At Our Kids, Clarice fosters collaborative, multi-sector partnerships with local schools, families, and community organizations. She focuses on implementing evidence-based educational solutions and bridging local practices with broader state and national policy frameworks to advance equitable outcomes.

Dalila Teixeira serves in Research & Strategic Communications at Our Kids of South Bend while completing her Master of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Originally from Portugal, she brings over a decade of high-level experience in strategic communications and public affairs across multiple levels of governance, including the Portuguese and European Parliaments. Her work is guided by a dedication to understanding how to break intergenerational cycles of child poverty and create sustainable pathways to social mobility. At Our Kids, Dalila applies her expertise in research and knowledge translation to advocate for equal opportunity, grounded in the belief that every child deserves the environment and resources needed to thrive regardless of their background or birthplace.

Dr. Andrew Hoyt serves as a Board Member for Our Kids of South Bend and is the Executive Director of the Center for Academic Transformation and Excellence (CATE) at the University of Notre Dame. Andrew was the founding Head of School at the Portage School of Leaders in South Bend, selected by the Carnegie Foundation for its national high school transformation network, and previously served as Head of School at La Lumiere and a founding teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit Houston. Having launched his career at South Bend’s Center for the Homeless, Andrew has collaborated with local institutions including South Bend Community School Corporation, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and Ivy Tech. He lives in South Bend with his family.

Dr. Donald Zimmer serves as a Board Member for Our Kids of South Bend. He is an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a board-certified emergency physician at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, part of Beacon Health System. Beyond his clinical duties, Dr. Zimmer is deeply engaged in medical education, resident mentoring, and community health initiatives across St. Joseph County. His extensive experience in emergency medicine reinforces his conviction that every child deserves a safe, healthy, and supportive foundation to grow. As a board member, Don is dedicated to applying these health and wellness insights to help Our Kids design holistic community interventions that create lasting opportunities for local children and families.

Dr. T.J. D’Agostino serves as President and Board Member of Our Kids of South Bend, as well as a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs and Pulte Institute for Global Development. For over two decades, he has worked at the intersection of educational research, policy, and field practice to improve outcomes for vulnerable children across the United States and globally. A South Bend resident since 2006, D’Agostino actively contributes to the local community by serving on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs and advising regional school systems. He holds a doctorate in education policy from Vanderbilt University and undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Emily Demmings serves as a Research and Data Strategy Intern at Our Kids of South Bend while completing her senior year at the University of Notre Dame in Global Affairs and Spanish with a minor in Education, Schooling, and Society. She first connected with Our Kids through a class project, presenting strategic research to inform the organization’s work. At Our Kids, Emily supports data collection, research, and project execution. A TutorND literacy tutor and Cognition Fellow, Emily is deeply committed to educational equity. Following graduation, she will teach at an under-resourced Catholic school while earning her Master’s in Education through Notre Dame’s ACE Teaching Fellows, continuing her work to help local children thrive.

Kirby Bach leads website development at Our Kids of South Bend, serving as the primary bridge between technical design and community-facing operations. He is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he serves as President of CS for Good, a student organization dedicated to engineering software for non-profits. At Our Kids, Kirby collaborates across teams to structure content, implement continuous updates, and maintain a seamless, user-friendly digital platform. Driven by a commitment to using technology for social impact, he draws on hands-on software development experience from prior industry internships at Kahua and Rover House Cleaners to build maintainable, high-impact digital tools for local community engagement.

T.J. Pillari serves on the Board of Directors at Our Kids of South Bend and is the Executive Director for Gift Planning at the University of Notre Dame. In his role at Notre Dame, he maintains strategic oversight of all fundraising and operational infrastructure pertaining to estate gifts, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, and complex planned gifts. T.J. and his wife, Quinn, first fell in love with South Bend as Notre Dame students and have chosen to raise their four children as proud local natives. Deeply rooted in the South Bend community, T.J. was drawn to Our Kids by a desire to serve those in greatest need and a firm conviction that breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty requires innovative, community-driven solutions.