Our Board

Sakis, a native of Haiti, together with his spouse, Kimberly Petillo-Décossard, founded LaSelle Institute to expand opportunities for promising young people in Haiti who might not otherwise have the financial means to pursue higher education, and to empower microentrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses that support their families and strengthen their communities.

LaSelle Institute’s mission is deeply personal to Sakis. As a student, he benefited from educational scholarships and understands firsthand the transformative impact that access to education can have on an individual’s life and future opportunities.

Sakis’s professional career has spanned engineering, renewable energy development, tax and common equity investing, and debt investing across the energy and power industries.

Sakis holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

In addition to his work with LaSelle Institute, Sakis serves on the board of Broadway Community, a nonprofit organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in the Morningside Heights community of Manhattan.

Outside of his professional and nonprofit work, Sakis enjoys skiing in the winter and summer cookouts with family and friends.

Brenna is the Chief Executive Officer of Rally Labs, a consumer healthcare company. Prior to founding Rally Labs in 2010, Brenna worked in the Private Equity Group at Apollo Global Management, Inc., where she focused on both equity and credit investing across a range of industries that included financial services, transportation, chemicals, telecom, and media. She started her career at Lazard Ltd (formerly known as Lazard Frères & Co.) in New York where she worked in both the Mergers & Acquisitions and Restructuring groups.

Brenna serves on the board of directors of H&R Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: HR.UN), a diversified real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with office, retail, industrial and residential properties across North America for which she also serves as the chair of the Compensation, Governance and Nominating Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee. Brenna also serves on the board of directors of Venerable Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries Corporate Solutions Life Reinsurance Company and Venerable Insurance and Annuity Company, both insurance companies that are focused on the consolidation of variable annuity blocks. Brenna is a member of the Venerable Holdings, Inc. Audit Committee. She chairs the Venerable Insurance and Annuity Company Compensation Committee and is a member of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Brenna served as a member of the Board of Directors for Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE: ARI) from 2020 to 2026.

Brenna has an A.B. with honors in Social Studies from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is actively engaged with developments in artificial intelligence, with interests spanning AI technology and infrastructure, emerging capabilities, and enterprise implementation. She has a particular interest in the organizational implications of AI adoption and the evolving role of boards in overseeing AI strategy, implementation, risk, and governance.

Candace founded CJAM Consulting in 2006 to develop business strategies for cultural institutions, particularly those serving communities of color. Her work spans strategic planning, organizational development, financial capacity building, and capital projects.

Candace has held leadership positions at the Apollo Theater Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity, a $27 million national initiative supporting artists through grants, research, and leadership networks. Her consulting clients have included Dance Theatre of Harlem, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and The Heinz Endowments. She has also supported arts, cultural, and microenterprise development initiatives in Central America.

Candace holds an MFA in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama and a BFA in Theater Arts and Business Administration from Howard University. A former adjunct instructor in arts administration at New York University, she serves on the board of IndieSpace in New York.