Aaron Goldschmidt, Creative Director

Aaron received his BFA in acting from NYU’s Experimental Theater Wing with a minor in child psychology. While maintaining a successful writing and performing career, he worked promotions for a major record label, coordinated bustling events for a NYC hotspot and even appeared in CBS’ The Amazing Race. True fulfillment, however, was discovered in working with children and families and he dedicated himself to teaching full time.

After a year in San Francisco apprenticing at the prominent California Street PreSchool, Aaron took his newfound appreciation of the Reggio Emilia teaching philosophies and moved back to NYC. He then spent 6.5 years as the Head Teacher at the Educational Alliance’s Parenting and Family Center of the 14th Street/Sol Goldman Y in Manhattan’s East Village, where he developed and taught classes for children ages 1-5 and their families, as well as helped to run the department.

Aaron’s multidisciplinary background directly affects his approach to early childhood education and is evident in the classroom. His energy and passion, combined with his arts-based curriculum, have inspired both children and adults for years, creating an outstanding reputation and large client following. Both his popularity and visibility in the community have lent themselves to securing him a local “celebrity status” with children, parents and caregivers.

Aaron’s stature as a respected and savvy educator has also been recognized by the global children’s publisher, Scholastic. He sits on the Teacher Advisory Board to the School Book Clubs; is an invited educator to the Scholastic Early Childhood Summit; and continues to help the company keep their finger on the pulse of what is happening in the urban early-childhood classroom.

CZ Zuckerman, Director of Children's Programming

CZ joined Citibabes three years ago as Director of Children’s Programming. She loves talking about children and their early development and particularly enjoys guiding Citibabes’ families through the ups and downs of parenthood.

CZ began her career in book publishing including stints as an Advertising Manger at Simon and Schuster, Managing Editor at Avon Books and as a literary agent at ICM. In all of these positions, she was always involved in some aspect of children’s literature. After her daughter was born, CZ started her own literary agency where she specialized in representing authors of childrens and adolescent books.

Twelve years ago CZ decided to return to her first love: early childhood education. For nine years she was the Admissions Director and Assistant Director at the successful “Sunshine Kids Club” a pre-school of music and art located on the upper east side of Manhattan.

CZ graduated with honors from New York University with a dual major in Psychology and Early Childhood Development.

Erika Thormahlen, Teacher

Erika was born and raised in Oregon’s Cascade Valley. Her unique experience of being schooled on a farm fostered a life-long love of learning that culminated in receiving her B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing at UCLA and Master’s Degree in Education in Arts and Humanities at NYU. She has studied acting, children’s wear design and recently produced a kids television show focusing on food and nutrition. Erika spent the summer of ’07 teaching at Little Red School House.

Marilyn Walker, Teacher

Marilyn studied at the College of Art Science and Technology in Kingston, Jamaica. There she majored in Early Childhood Education and has been an educator for over two decades. Prior to coming to Citibabes, she worked at Sunshine Kids Club on the Upper East Side for six years as a Curriculum Coordinator and teacher. She has a wide range of experience with children, ranging from infancy to teenage years and specializes in nurturing and developing children’s minds with interactive and exciting activities.

Laura Konsin, Teacher

Laura received her BFA in acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Post graduation she worked at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for six years where she was a lead teacher in their Early Childhood Department. While at CMOM, Laura also worked in the Birthday Party Department, as well as with their Performance and Outreach programs as a teacher, writer, director, actor, singer, and songwriter. Laura received her MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University in May ‘07, and works as a free-lance director in New York City. She is also a teaching artist with the Atlantic Theater Company and Women’s Project.

Leon Fallon, Teacher

Leon is from Sydney, Australia where he earned his BA in Communications and Theatre from the University of Western Sydney. Leon has performed in many musical projects over the years, which include performances on television, cruise ships, and various Wiggles projects. This year he created his own children’s stage show called “Outback Aussie”, which he performs around the Northeast. In addition, he has just completed his first solo kids album and DVD by the same name. Leon is trained professionally in acting and singing here in NYC.

Shahla Atlas, Senior Music Consultant

Shahla enjoys a diverse career as a performer and freelance teacher. Native to New York City, she has been seasoned by over 20 years of performing with chamber music ensembles and orchestras at the premier concert halls of Lincoln Center and throughout New England. Shahla is a multi-instrumentalist and an alumna of The Julliard School of Music, where she studied Clarinet and Piano and took a special interest in digital music production and electroacoustic music, and performs as a keyboardist with artists, bands and DJs around the city. A devoted mother, and thankful for her own early music education, her love for children moved her to teach. Shahla is currently on the faculty of Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, The Diller-Quaile School of Music and The Bloomingdale School of Music.

Scott Bradlee, Accompanist

Scott performs regularly as a jazz pianist/singer at concert venues and special events all over the Tri-State area. A graduate of The Hartt School in Hartford, CT, he has recently received his master’s degree in Music Composition from New York University. Scott’s own original compositions have been used in television shows and commercials, and his work has received press coverage in local newspapers and music magazines.

Gina Gonzalez, Teacher

Gina can be seen performing with her Voice or Trumpet in the NYC Jazz, Brazilian, or Rock circuits. She is a graduate of UCLA’s Ethnomusicology Department, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies. Gina also graduated from the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York with a concentration in Theatre. Her performance credits range from Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”-Disneyland, to Jazz Festivals, Jazz Label Studio Recordings, Nickelodeon principal roles to Classical Soloist in “Carmina Burana”-Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. Along with teaching private students she has taught at several early childhood schools and also teaches theory to some bigger kids at The New School University.

Lisa Johnson, Teacher

Lisa, a native Minnesotan, received her BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota and attended Penn State for a Masters degree in Art Education. She has danced professionally for the Sherry Greenspan Ensemble, The Pennsylvania Dance Theatre, and for several modern dance choreographers in Minneapolis, Pennsylvania and New York. She instructed modern dance for the School of Theatre at Penn State and has since taught art and dance classes in New York. She has worked at various institutions including Discovery Programs, Stage Coach Theatre Arts-Greenwich Village, SUNY Downstate Medical Center and currently teaches at the renowned Steps in Broadway on the Upper West Side.

Jessica Pagan, Teacher

Jessica completed her Kid’s Yoga Certification with Next Generation in Manhattan and her Yoga Alliance Certification at New York Yoga in Manhattan. She has been a practitioner of Vinyasa Yoga for 6 years and spent 1 year teaching in Phildelphia. Jessica, a native New Yorker, is thrilled to be back at home and teaching kids again. “Children are natural born yoginis with their pliable bodies and open minds, it is the perfect time to plant the seeds of connectedness to their bodies, life and nature.”

Laura Puzio, Teacher

Laura holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from The Eastman School of Music. She has sung major roles in opera programs throughout the United States, Israel and Europe, and received numerous honors and awards for her achievements in the classical music world. Throughout her development as a classical singer, Laura has cultivated a love for working with children, and synthesized her musical world with the world of early childhood education. This passion for early education has led her to hold teaching and directing positions at a number of schools and early childhood programs, such as Temple B’rith Kodesh in Rochester NY (music teacher for grades K-8), Camp Givah in Albany NY (Early childhood program director and teacher), and the Bethlehem Preschool in Albany NY (2’s and 3’s teacher). Laura finds a beautiful balance between her performing and teaching careers, since they enhance each other, helping her to excel at both. She is currently completing her Master of Music degree at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in voice performance. Besides performing in NYC, Laura teaches private voice lessons from her home studio, serves as creative director of early childhood and teaches multiple grade levels at the Village Temple Religious School in downtown Manhattan, and is a Hebrew language teacher in Manhattan’s acclaimed Bilingual Birdies language program for toddlers.