Our
Team

Arik Armstead is a professional football player for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Co-Founder of the Armstead Academic Project. A Sacramento native, Arik attended Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove, where he excelled both academically and athletically before being selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

During his nine seasons with the 49ers, Arik became known for his versatility, leadership, and commitment to excellence. In 2024, he was honored with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the league’s most prestigious recognition for community service.

Arik’s passion for education is rooted in his own experience. As the youngest of four children growing up in Elk Grove, he faced early challenges including struggles with reading and attention. With strong support from his parents and teachers, he overcame these obstacles.

Motivated by that belief, Arik and his wife Melinda founded AAP in 2019 to help ensure every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to move forward.

Growing up as the middle of five children in the rural town of Arkport, New York, Melinda Armstead, Mindy, was shaped by a strong sense of community and the encouragement of teachers who nurtured her belief that she could achieve anything she set her mind to.

After completing her undergraduate degree at just 20 years old, Mindy persisted through three application cycles before earning her place in medical school. She completed dual master’s degrees in Systems Biology and Interdisciplinary Science and received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Buffalo in 2017.

Her decision to specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry was deeply influenced by her brother, who has special needs. Through her family’s advocacy and his access to early behavioral interventions, she witnessed firsthand the power of support, understanding, and opportunity.

Today, as owner of Armstead Medical Group and Co-Founder of AAP, Mindy is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and helping young people reach their fullest potential.

Christina has more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and community impact across both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

Previously, she served as Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Fanatics, where she led global philanthropic initiatives and corporate giving programs supporting nonprofit partners and communities.

Earlier in her career, Christina worked in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. House of Representatives and held roles at nonprofit organizations, including the Aspen Institute, where she helped advance collective impact initiatives focused on Opportunity Youth.

Amber is a marketing and experiential programming professional specializing in events, brand activations, and audience programming.

With experience spanning professional sports organizations and nonprofit leadership, she creates strategic campaigns and immersive experiences that deepen relationships between brands and their communities.

Her work blends creativity, operational excellence, and data-driven insights to deliver impactful and memorable engagement.

Skip is the retired President and co-owner of Coastal Construction Products, which operated 22 branches across the Southeast before its 2022 sale to Beacon Roofing Supply.

A native of Atlanta and graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, Skip also served as a U.S. Navy officer and has been actively involved in numerous civic and nonprofit leadership roles, including Young Life Jacksonville, Elevate Jacksonville, and the San Marco Preservation Society.

Aaron is a seasoned technology leader with more than 10 years of experience operationalizing Go-To-Market strategies for more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, including Google, SAP, Intel, Slack, and Snowflake.

Born and raised in the Sacramento region with his brother Arik, Aaron is deeply committed to serving marginalized and underserved communities in Northern California.

Matthew is an Operating Executive who specializes in leading business turnarounds, with seven successful transformations across retail, consumer, technology, and distribution.

He is a multi-functional leader focused on creating vision, shaping strategy, and inspiring people to deliver extraordinary results.

Lisa Lucheta is the Chair of the Board of Torani, a third-generation family owner of the business founded by her grandparents in San Francisco in 1925.

Lisa is a passionate advocate for educational equity and creating onramps to opportunity for marginalized communities. She is the Board Chair of the Afterschool Alliance, a national advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., a fifth generation San Franciscan, and a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Amobi is a former professional soccer player, entrepreneur, media host, and philanthropist who has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient.

Amobi Okugo was drafted in the first round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft from UCLA and has since played more than 200 competitive games for teams including Philadelphia, Orlando, Kansas City, Portland, and Austin.

Joanne is a philanthropic impact strategist and CEO of Oliver+Rose and Athletes’ Voices.

Over the past two decades, she has galvanized community engagement through purpose-driven executive leadership with organizations including Laureus Sport for Good USA, the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers, ServiceNow, the City of Mountain View, and Special Olympics.

Peter is a graduate of Syracuse University, where he earned his BA in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture.

After a number of years in the workers’ compensation field, Peter returned to school and earned his Juris Doctorate at Brooklyn Law School.