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Our Team

Experienced. Talented. Dedicated to your success. The Trout team contains many of the best and brightest in the industry. Click below to find out more about our team.

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Team PhotoJonathan B. Fassberg
Chief Executive Officer

jfassberg@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2916
(click here for bio)

Mr. Fassberg is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Trout Group. He has worked in the life sciences industry for 15 years and been an advisor to senior management of over 100 companies, both public and private. Prior to founding Trout in 1996, Jonathan was a sell-side analyst at a healthcare-focused investment bank. Before his career on Wall Street, Jonathan spent four years at DuPont Pharma in various sales and marketing positions.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He also holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses.

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Team PhotoLee M. Stern, CFA
Chief Operating Officer

lstern@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2922
(click here for bio)

Mr. Stern has a broad array of experience in investor relations, management consulting and finance. Since joining Trout in 1999, he has worked with numerous health sciences companies to develop and implement their investor positioning strategies, assisted companies with capital-raising strategies and advised senior management on general company strategy. His responsibilities also include daily operations of the firm.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He also holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses. He is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and the CFA Institute. He also plays drums for a New York-based rock and roll band.

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Team PhotoMike Booth, Ph.D.
Managing Director

mbooth@troutgroup.com
+44 (0) 207 936-9326
(click here for bio)

Dr. Booth joined the Trout Group in 2007, having spent nine years at investment banks serving the life sciences sector.  The last seven years were spent as an equity research analyst covering pan-European biotechnology stocks at UBS, Bank of America and Canaccord Adams. Mike runs Trout's European office, Trout International,  from London.

Mike initially joined UBS in London as part of the global healthcare corporate finance team and moved to the equity research department in 2000, helping push the biotech research team to number one in the Extel survey. Prior to joining UBS, Mike worked as a research fellow for the UK Medical Research Council in Oxford.

Mike holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuropsychology/ Neurophysiology from the University of Oxford and a First Class degree in Psychology from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Away from the office, Mike's enjoys golf, skiing and cooking - with a glass of wine.

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Team PhotoChristine Labaree
Managing Director

clabaree@troutgroup.com
+1 (617) 583-1307
(click here for bio)

Ms. Labaree joined the firm in 2003 with more than 10 years of experience in healthcare investor relations, public relations, corporate and marketing communications and product marketing. Christine came to Trout from Biocompatibles International PLC, a biopolymer drug delivery company where she was Corporate Communications Director and managed U.S. investor relations. She was previously North American Marketing Manager for a division of the company. In prior positions, Christine was Healthcare Group Manager at a Boston public relations firm and led media and government relations efforts for the American Cancer Society in New Hampshire.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and completed a one-year graduate program in business administration at Harvard University. She also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses. As the latest transplant to Trout’s San Francisco office, Christine enjoys exploring all the natural and culinary wonders the Bay Area has to offer in her spare time.

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Team PhotoMichael K. Levitan
Managing Director

mlevitan@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2920
(click here for bio)

Mr. Levitan joined the firm in 2007 to expand the capital-raising, M&A and strategic advisory services efforts provided through Trout Capital LLC. Mr. Levitan has 16 years of experience in healthcare investment banking and corporate development, principally focused on the biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and life science IT sectors. He has executed a broad range of healthcare transactions totaling over $3 billion in value. He has senior-level experience with boutique investment banks and with Bear Stearns in New York. Michael began his investment banking career at Lehman Brothers in 1996. Before that, he worked at Eli Lilly and Company in medical device and pharmaceuticals business development.

Michael earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical and computer engineering from McGill University. He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses. Michael enjoys skiing, golf, and spending time with his wife and children.

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Team PhotoAlan S. Roemer, MBA, MPH
Senior Vice President

aroemer@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2945
(click here for bio)

Mr. Roemer joined the Trout Group in 2009 from Zelos Therapeutics, where he served as Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer and was responsible for all finance, accounting, administration, legal, human resources, information technology and investor/media relations functions. Prior to joining Zelos Therapeutics, Mr. Roemer was at Pharmasset (Nasdaq: VRUS) from 1999-2008. He was Pharmasset’s first full-time management hire, then responsible for developing the early stage operational infrastructure, fundraising transactions, investor relations and business development activities.  Mr. Roemer raised over $100 million of private and public equity for Pharmasset while serving as Vice President in a variety of senior management roles.  Before joining Pharmasset, Mr. Roemer was a healthcare consultant for Booz-Allen & Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting, and he also held various operational roles at Bank of America.
 
Mr. Roemer received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University and M.B.A. and M.P.H. degrees from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and Rollins School of Public Health.

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Team PhotoY. Mark Xu
General Manager, Greater China

mxu@troutgroup.com
+86 15821996861
(click here for bio)

Mr. Xu joined the firm in 2009 having spent 9 years in investor relations, corporate finance, strategic planning, and scientific R&D at life sciences companies in both China and the US. A native of China, Mark runs Trout's Greater China operations and is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Prior to joining Trout, Mark was the co-founder, CFO and VP of Pacific Biopharma Group, which had major operations in China and merged with Pharmacyclics, Inc. in 2009. Prior to that Mark was the corporate head of investor relations and strategic planning at Bridge Laboratories, the largest China-US pre-clinical CRO. Mark also served as the head of finance for Bridge’s China subsidiary. In prior positions, Mark was the international planning and analysis manager at UL, Inc. in Chicago, led the Asia strategic planning efforts for the Biosciences Division of SRI International, and worked at McKesson in pharmaceutical marketing.

In addition, Mark has extensive scientific background stemming from his five years of R&D experience in industry. He worked at Berlex (now part of Bayer Schering Pharma AG) in product development and process control. Before that Mark was a senior scientist at Bioanalytical Systems, where he managed global bioanalytical projects related to preclinical studies and clinical trials, servicing global pharmaceutical client companies.

Mark earned an MBA degree from Stanford University, a Master of Science degree in chemistry from Purdue University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) in chemistry from Hanover College.


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Team PhotoThomas E. Fechtner
Vice President

tfechtner@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2931
(click here for bio)

Mr. Fechtner joined the firm in 2001 and has been involved in a wide variety of activities at Trout. His language skills, knowledge of the European markets, and relationships have helped Trout clients expand their reach into Europe. Recently, Thomas was the keynote speaker at a CEO-CFO event in Germany about the US market, with an audience of more then 100 CEOs. His experience prior to joining the firm includes the sales of financial products and business communications. His role in investor relations for both domestic and international clients includes many aspects, such as investor targeting and roadshow outreach/logistics, implementing strategic planning, developing conference call scripts and investor audits. He also plans and advises biotechnology related investor conferences and assists in developing effective websites for clients.

Thomas completed his studies at the University of Augsburg in Germany. He has earned the honorary Trout title of Global Concierge.

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Team PhotoLauren Glaser
Vice President

lglaser@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2972
(click here for bio)

Ms. Glaser joined the firm in 2004, and is based in our San Francisco office where she offers both on-site access to the West Coast investment community as well as support to Trout clients. Prior to joining Trout, she spent a year traveling, and completed research in palliative care and women's health in multi-generational households at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She has provided both U.S. and Australian companies with comprehensive investor relations and strategic development programs.  

Lauren graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in healthcare management and a minor in nutrition.  She also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.  Lauren enjoys yoga, snowboarding and participates in local triathlons.

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Team PhotoBrian J. Korb
Vice President

bkorb@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2923
(click here for bio)

Mr. Korb has structured and implemented investor relations programs for a number of companies in the biotech and medical device sectors since joining the firm in 2000. He has developed targeted initiatives covering ongoing litigation, financings, partnerships, clinical trials, and earnings and data announcements. Brian has managed investor relations in positive and crisis situations, dealing directly with the institutional, analyst and retail communities. He previously worked as an Assistant Director for the California Public Interest Research Group, a non-profit environmental organization where he headed fundraising efforts in Southern California and attracted media coverage on target issues by drafting press releases and organizing news conferences.

He graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He is an avid marathon runner and triathlete.  He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.

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Team PhotoSeth D. Lewis
Vice President

slewis@troutgroup.com
+1 (617) 583-1308
(click here for bio)

Mr. Lewis joined Trout in 2004. At the heart of his professional experience is client service; helping clients develop and implement strategies to achieve specific goals and measuring progress along the way. Prior to joining Trout, Seth was a Financial Consultant with Smith Barney where he developed relationships with both individuals and corporations, assisting them with portfolio management and strategic consulting. His background also includes over two years working in estate planning, advising senior citizens on issues regarding Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions, and long- term care. Seth is based in our Boston office.

Seth has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Hartwick College. He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses and is a Series 65 Registered Investment Advisor. Seth is known to have an uncanny knowledge of all things trivial.

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Team PhotoMarcy B. Nanus
Vice President

mnanus@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2927
(click here for bio)

Mrs. Nanus joined The Trout Group in 2003. She is experienced in advising late-stage biotechnology companies in their financing strategies and investor relations programs. She also has global expertise, working with Canadian and Israeli biotechnology companies to create visibility and exposure in the U.S. and European markets.  Prior to joining Trout, Marcy worked in the consumer healthcare division of McCann Erickson.

Marcy received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance, and consulting & venture management from Emory University's Giozueta School of Business. She is the co-founder and program director of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's Camp Oasis and sits on the foundation's Young Professionals Committee.  She also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.

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Team PhotoGitanjali Jain Ogawa
Vice President

gogawa@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2949
(click here for bio)

Ms. Ogawa joined the firm in 2004. She brings a diverse scientific background stemming from her four years of research experience in academia and industry. She joined the firm from Medarex, Inc., a monoclonal antibody- focused company, where she helped create a BCL-2 mouse for optimal monoclonal antibody production. She was previously a Research Associate at StemCells, Inc. where she worked in the development of neural markers as they related to monoclonal antibody and protein fragments. During that time, she also co-authored one publication in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.

Gitanjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Brown University and a Master of Science degree in biology from New York University. Her research while at New York University focused on the effects of catalase on hematopoietic progenitors. She also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses. In her spare time, Gitanjali enjoys playing tennis/working out, photography, traveling to exotic places, and spending time with friends and family.

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Team PhotoChad Rubin
Vice President

crubin@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2947
(click here for bio)

Mr. Rubin joined Trout’s team in 2005 after co-heading the Biotechnology Capital Markets Intelligence Group at Thomson Financial, assisting over 60 life sciences companies in their understanding of Wall Street. He brings with him over ten years of experience in advising life science companies on topics including shareholder targeting, capital markets transactions, message crafting and scenario analysis. His experience includes work in finance, consulting and market analysis. He has been involved with companies from pre-IPO stages to follow-on and convertible offerings. He is involved in capital transactions with corporate clients and has counseled clients on domestic and cross-border transactions and binary data events.

Chad holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Franklin & Marshall College. He has a minor in film and media studies. He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.

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Team PhotoLauren Williams, Ph.D.
Vice President

lwilliams@troutgroup.com
+44 (0) 207 936-9325
(click here for bio)

Dr. Williams joined the Trout Group in 2008 having spent nearly seven years at Goldman Sachs as an Investment Research Analyst in the Healthcare team.   Lauren spent three years working in the European Biotech team before transitioning to the European Pharmaceutical team at Goldman Sachs, where her responsibilities included in-depth pipeline/product analysis, responding to investor requests across multiple therapeutic areas and attending medical meetings.    

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Lauren worked as a post-doc research scientist in the Department of Pharmacology, Oxford.

Lauren holds a Doctor of Philosophy in cardiac pharmacology and a degree in physiological sciences from the University of Oxford.  Lauren is based in our London office but in her spare time she enjoys skiing, sailing (in calm seas!) and spending time with friends and family.

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Team PhotoChristine Yang
Vice President

cyang@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2947
(click here for bio)

Ms. Yang joined the Trout Group in 2005. Previously, she co-headed the Biotechnology Capital Markets Intelligence Group at Thomson Financial and managed a team of nine analysts and over 50 clients. She brings her investor and capital markets advisory experiences to Trout, giving clients a broader understanding of their market perception, current shareholder base, and targeting practice. Since joining Trout, Christine has assisted on several capital transactions with corporate clients and has counseled clients on cross-border transactions and binary data events. She has been responsible for developing several initiatives at Trout including the Trout Group Client Book and reports such as “Current Market Perceptions in the Life Sciences Investment Community” and “Taking a Look at German Biotech.”

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology from Barnard College, Columbia University. She also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.  Christine enjoys practicing yoga, dancing, and playing tennis in her time away from the office.

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Team PhotoTodd James
Senior Associate

tjames@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2926
(click here for bio)

Mr. James manages Trout’s Capital Markets Strategies Desk.  The Trout Group’s Strategy Desk provides both corporate clients and Wall Street with sector related market analysis.  Todd has experience assisting Companies in their understanding of Wall Street, investor targeting, scenario analysis, and financings.  He has worked with a wide range of biotechnology companies from preclinical micro-cap to mid-cap product companies.  He has done extensive research in activist investing, trading strategies and technical analysis within the biotech sector.  He has been responsible for developing reports such as the Daily Booster, Equity Financing Report, Monthly Medicine and Short Interest Analysis. He joined the firm in 2006 from the Thomson Financial Capital Markets Intelligence Biotechnology Team.
 
Todd holds a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Economics from Moravian College. At Moravian College, he gained hands-on market experience while managing a portion of the College's endowment in the equity markets. He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.  In his spare time, he enjoys auto racing, country music, fishing, golfing, wine and most things outdoors. 

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Team PhotoPeter Rahmer
Senior Associate

prahmer@troutgroup.com
+1(646) 378-2973
(click here for bio)

Mr. Rahmer joined the Trout Group in 2007. Peter comes with a diverse academic background complemented by recent work experience as part of Thomson Financial’s Biotechnology Capital Markets Intelligence team. He has experience working with biotech companies ranging from micro-cap to large-cap and pre-clinical to marketed products. Peter has specialized in assisting investor relations efforts encompassing market intelligence, investor targeting, and situation analysis. Peter is based in our San Francisco office.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from St. Lawrence University and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in international business from the Rochester Institute of Technology. While obtaining his degrees, Peter had the opportunity to study in China, Scotland and Washington, D.C.  He also holds a Series 7 securities license.  He enjoys traveling and all activities that keep him outdoors.

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Team PhotoVictoria Igumnova
Associate

vigumnova@troutgroup.com
+44 (0) 207 936-9340
(click here for bio)

Ms. Igumnova joined the Company in 2009 and is based in the London office. She assists Trout clients with their customized investor relations programs and provides support on organisation of roadshows in Europe and the UK. Prior to working at Trout, Victoria interned at Penrose Financial and Taylor Rafferty in London, gaining a strong background in financial PR and investor relations. During that time she worked across a wide range of sectors including financial, consumer, natural resources and telecoms. She was responsible for peer group and competitor analysis within these sectors and for relationships with media and sell-side analysts. Before coming to London she worked in magazines and newswires in Russia.
 
Victoria graduated with distinction in Journalism from Pomor State University in Russia and holds a Master of Arts in Public Relations from London College of Communications. In her spare time she enjoys reading classic literature, swimming and skiing.

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Team PhotoJessica Lloyd
Associate

jlloyd@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2928
(click here for bio)

Ms. Lloyd joined The Trout Group in 2008.  Jessica assists in the implementation of investor relations programs for various clients.  Her work experiences spans the public relations, event planning, and financial industries.  Prior to joining Trout, she worked in the Corporate Marketing and Events division at Bear Stearns and in particular, liaised with numerous healthcare and biotechnology companies while planning and coordinating the 2007 Healthcare Conference.

Jessica graduated with distinction from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.  When she’s not in the office, Jessica enjoys running, dancing, and dining out (or cooking!).

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Team PhotoDanielle Spangler
Associate

dspangler@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2924
(click here for bio)

Ms. Spangler joined Trout in 2009 from Stratton Capital Management. At Stratton, her primary responsibilities included corporate communications and business development for the capital raising process. She holds a FINRA Series 7 and 66 License and is presently a candidate for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

Prior to joining Stratton, Danielle worked for UBS Wealth Management in Equity Research Sales where she developed client relationships and learned market strategies. Previously, she held a position in Global Operations at Wachovia Bank in Philadelphia.

Danielle received a BS in Economics from the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University. As part of the Program, she resided in Seville, Spain where she studied the European Union.

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Team PhotoTricia Swanson
Associate

tswanson@troutgroup.com
+1 (617) 583-1306
(click here for bio)

Ms. Swanson joined The Trout Group in 2009 following positions at Feinstein Kean Healthcare and MacDougall Biomedical Communications, where she provided communications support to clients in the life sciences industry. Tricia has experience developing and implementing scientific and corporate communication strategies, event planning, and outreach for biotechnology companies at various stages of development. She is based in Trout’s Boston area office.

Previously, Tricia worked in research laboratories studying oncology and infectious diseases, including three years in an HIV vaccine research laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. During that time, she co-authored several scientific journal articles, including one publication in Nature.

Tricia graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in English. Originally from Kentucky, she strives to introduce Southern hospitality into the North.

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Team PhotoEdith Fassberg
General Counsel

efassberg@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2917
(click here for bio)

Ms. Fassberg joined The Trout Group as General Counsel in June of 2006. Prior to joining Trout, Ms. Fassberg was a corporate attorney in the Frankfurt and New York offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell, one of the world’s leading corporate law firms. Ms. Fassberg’s experiences at Davis Polk & Wardwell includes corporate work such as representing investment banks and issuers in various securities offerings, including registered and private placements for domestic and foreign issuers, representing banks in lending transactions, providing advice relating to investment management, as well as general corporate work including corporate governance.

Edith received her Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 1997.

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Team PhotoGeoff Gordon
Director of IT

ggordon@troutgroup.com
+1(646) 378-2939
(click here for bio)

Mr. Gordon has joined the Trout Group as Director of Information Technology, after 7 years as the firm’s IT consultant, providing comprehensive information technology services.  Prior to this, Geoff was the Vice President of U.S. Systems for DBRS, Inc., a NRSRO- accredited bond rating agency located in New York City.  There, he was responsible for the New York, Chicago, Virginia, and Texas offices, totaling 88 employees.  Geoff has significant Microsoft Windows expertise and experience in the financial and legal sectors.  He has worked externally for many smaller New York businesses on networking, desktop, and helpdesk projects.   

Geoff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and is a Microsoft Certified Professional.  He has also completed training in Windows XP, Active Directory, and Windows 2000 Server.  In his spare time, he runs a small computer consulting company and is an authorized reseller for Dell Computers.

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Team PhotoChris Wong
Controller

cwong@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2912
(click here for bio)

Mr. Wong joined the firm in 2007.  As Controller, he is responsible for the daily operation of the accounting department as well as the financial reporting functions.  Chris has over 15 years of accounting experience in the public relations and mutual fund industries.  Previously, Chris worked at Neuberger Berman as a senior mutual fund accountant.  He is a Notary Public in New York State.

Chris is a graduate of Baruch College with a Bachelor in Business Administration.

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Team PhotoTiffany Bank
Reception & Office Administration

tbank@troutgroup.com
+1 (646) 378-2999
(click here for bio)

Ms. Bank joined the firm in early 2009.  A native Californian, Ms. Bank holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from San Francisco State University.  Since moving to NYC in 2006, she worked as a technical coordinator for an IT consulting firm in Manhattan.  Prior to that Tiffany spent 4 years in San Francisco working with at-risk youth and created an after-school homework program for middle-school aged youth. In her spare time Tiffany likes to write, dance and explore the fun-filled streets of NYC.
 

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