JESSICA HERLIHY

Jessica Herlihy grew up riding horses in New Jersey and volunteered at Special People United to Ride’s programs for children with special needs throughout her youth. She attended Lehigh University, where she was the co-captain of the equestrian team and graduated with a major in International Relations and minors in Business and Journalism. Jessica earned her J.D. in 2013 from the University of Virginia School of Law. She practiced law in the asset management group of a large law firm for several years and is now in-house counsel at BlackRock, Inc. in New York City.

Ashley Simon

Ashley Simon grew up riding horses and competed throughout her life, from the short stirrup all the way to the Maclay Finals at Madison Square Garden. Ashley spent most of her “junior years” training with top hunter professional Scott Stewart out of Old Salem Farm in North Salem, New York. Having spent so much time at the barn and horse shows in her formative years, Ashley knows firsthand the numerous benefits that can be derived from horses and horsemanship and is passionate about Changing Leads’ mission! Ashley graduated from Columbia University in 2004 where she completed a double major in Economics and Art History. She is a Senior Consultant at Navint Partners, specializing in Investment Bank Regulatory Compliance. She lives in Connecticut with her husband Scott and daughters, Daley and Larsen.

CARTER Demetrio

Carter grew up in Richmond, Virginia and was introduced to horses at a young age. She started riding at age 5 and was competitively showing by age 10. Carter rode throughout her time at the University of Virginia and also volunteered with an independent non-profit organization that introduced children with both physical and cognitive needs to the many benefits of horsemanship. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2007 with a B.A in Economics and a Minor in Sociology. After spending 13 years in New York City, Carter now lives in Madison, Connecticut and continues to stay involved in the horse world at every opportunity.

Katherine Baggett

Katherine grew up riding horses in Tallahassee, Florida, competing as a junior in hunter-jumper and equitation competitions around the Southeast.  During college, Katherine competed on the equestrian team at the University of Virginia where she earned a B.A. in Economics and spent her summers as a counselor and riding instructor at Rockbrook Camp for Girls in Brevard, North Carolina.  She earned her law degree at Vanderbilt University in 2004 and is a partner with the law firm Manice & Budd LLP in Manhattan. In her free time, Katherine serves on the Animal Law Committee for the New York City Bar Association, volunteers with various local animal rescue and adoption groups, and continues to compete in show jumping competitions throughout the Northeast and in Wellington, Florida.

Caitlin Landuyt

Caitlin has loved horses from a young age. She started riding on a trail around Hyde Park in London at the age of 8, and, after moving back to the US, rode competitively on the hunter and jumper circuit. She worked at barns during the summers in high school and college, and has seen and felt first-hand the benefits of working with horses. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she served as co-President of the equestrian team, and graduated with a degree in English and Political Science with a minor in French. She earned her J.D. in 2013 at Boston University School of Law, and her Masters of Science at the University of Oxford in 2014. She currently works at Writers House, a literary agency, and lives in New York City.

Maggie DeFilippo

Maggie grew up in Far Hills, New Jersey, less than 1 mile from the United States Equestrian Team. She began riding as a toddler and had the privilege of growing up with her ponies and horses in her backyard, an experience that taught her lessons her family and teachers never could and ignited unending love and respect for the animals and sport. Maggie spent over 15 years training with Olympian’s George Morris and Chris Kappler, and has competed successfully at the top level in the hunter, equitation, and jumper rings throughout North America from Wellington, Florida to Bromont, Canada. She now breeds and imports her own horses for development and competition as an amateur, working full-time in New York City to fund her horse passion. Maggie graduated from Lafayette College with a B.A. in Economics and Business and a minor in Art and Art History. She began her professional career at Thomson Reuters in corporate consulting and Blackstone where she was responsible for hedge fund manager due diligence and negotiations. Maggie currently is a Vice President at Cerberus Capital, where she focuses on investor relations and business development.

MARINA FOGLIETTA-TEREO

Marina Foglietta-Tereo grew up in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania where she stared horseback riding as a young child. She’s loved horses for as long as she can remember and has continued taking lessons through her college days. Marina is passionate about horseback riding’s extraordinary ability to inspire focus, confidence, presence and connection. Marina attended Florida State University where she was a member of the equestrian team and student of Finance and Human Rights. In 2018 Marina obtained her MBA from the Stern School of Business and has since focused on digital transformation across industries, having worked in financial technology and more recently travel technology at American Express. She knows that connecting with a horse can foster a profound connection with oneself and hopes more people – especially those most in need – can experience the benefits of that.

Heather Swicicki

Heather grew up in Huntington, New York where she started horseback riding and competing at the age of 5 at Thomas School of Horsemanship. Her devotion and love of the sport early on led to her competing in various Hunter Divisions from Short Stirrup to the Adult and Amateur Owner Hunters where she competed throughout college and beyond. While the perseverance and teamwork Heather learned from competing have become important parts of who she is today, it is her love for horses, and the bonds she has formed with the many horses in her life, that have left a keen imprint on her. Heather values and appreciates the many ways horses can unconditionally give back to people and children. Heather attended Ithaca College and earned her B.A. in Psychology, class of 2002. She resides in Manhattan, New York where for the past 16 years she has been a top ranked Real Estate Agent in New York City at Douglas Elliman Real Estate. In her free time, Heather still rides and volunteers at various animal rescue organizations and New York Cares.