Meet The Board
Founder & President
Shaleena Tareen (she/her)
Shaleena Tareen has her Bachelors in Business and Early Childhood Education with 25 years of experience in the field of ECE. She is proficient in managing the administration of an educational institute as well as coaching and mentoring teachers in curriculum and behavior management. She is skilled at partnering with parents to provide positive parenting solutions.
Shaleena is the author of “The Learning Steps", a book on growth mindset for children. She is a Children's Mental Health Advocate with a vision to nurture children's mental health by providing
hands-on coping resources to children and families going through critical transitions in their lives.
Chief Financial Officer
Salman Tareen (he/him)
Salman Tareen has been in the sales and marketing field for over 30 years. Having worked as a Financial Analyst in the Banking Industry along with his experience as the CEO of Carlutions, an automotive concierge company, Salman brings with him a wealth of knowledge as the CFO of Childhood Matters.
Salman will be supporting all aspects of the financial operations of the organization along with assisting to meet fundraising goals. He looks forward to serving the families and children in the community.
Board Chair
Adelina Brisbois
Adelina Brisbois is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California. Adelina is the Clinical Director at Engage Treatment Center in Westlake Village, California.
Her role in the field as a school counselor, child therapist, reflective parenting facilitator, family therapist, clinical supervisor, and clinical director have given her a wide breadth of experience. Adelina hopes to use her experience to empower children, adolescents and families with the mental health resources they need to thrive.
Board Co-Chair
Maurissa Szilagi
Maurissa Szilagi has a Master of Education Degree in Psychology and Human Development from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California and is in Private Practice in Westlake Village, California.
Maurissa's expertise is to help families identify ways to connect while also repairing the relationship and helping reduce distressing behaviors amongst everyone in the family. She hopes to use her skills and experience in the field to help bring awareness to children's mental health and to help bring appropriate resources to the community.
Secretary/Board Director
Abeera Tareen
Abeera Tareen is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She obtained her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Abeera obtained her B.A. in Gender Studies from University of California, Los Angeles.
Abeera is passionate about mental health and strives to create a positive image surrounding mental health care. In working on the Childhood Matters Board, she hopes to make a difference in the community by being a part of the organization's outreach goals.
Board Director
Taylor Coggins
Taylor Coggins is a former educator with degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education as well as a Masters in Reading and a Preliminary Administrative Credential.
Taylor is the owner of a small business in Ventura County, California, called Stories In Sensory, that creates sensory bins based around children's
well-known literature. She loves sharing her passion for making learning fun with families in the community and across the country. She looks forward to partnering with Childhood Matters to bring much needed resources for children's well-being to the community.
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Board Director
Ani Zonneveld
Ani Zonneveld is the founder and President of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), a Grammy certified songwriter, and founder of Alliance of Inclusive Muslims. She is a member of the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to the U.N. and is the co-chair of its Gender Working Group; completed an anti-hate speech curriculum for Muslim societies commissioned by the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. Ani is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a board member of Community Partners Foundation in Los Angeles.
Ani is the co-creator of a children's curriculum rooted in Human Rights. Through her vast experience, Ani strives to support Childhood Matters vision and mission.
Board Director
Lauren Alon
Lauren Alon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master’s Degree in social work from the University of Southern California. Lauren is a mental health
clinician at Path Mental Health specializing in trauma and directs a youth volunteer club in Los Angeles, and is a mother of four children.
Her career in providing mental health and trauma treatment for youth, families, and adults has given her both insight and motivation to address causal factors for emotional distress, ptsd, and factors leading to and exacerbating mental illness
and mental health challenges. Lauren hopes to apply her experience to empower others and society in acceptance, support, and healing for those experiencing mental health challenges.
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Board Director
Cici Bo
Cici Bo is the founder of Harmony Family Yoga, a boutique yoga studio in Thousand Oaks offering inclusive and wellness yoga. She is certified in Children and Teens, Trauma-informed Yoga and mindfulness meditation. Cici acquired her Masters of Fine Arts from the New York Film Academy.
Cici strongly supports Childhood Matters mission and wants to help collaboratively address our community’s health needs. Empowering her voice by bringing mindfulness-based models and practices to Childhood Matters, she aims to support youth in their growing years.