DreamMaker DreamDoer DreamSupporter, inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) production company. The mission of DreamMaker (also known as 3D) is to provide resources, connections and inspiration for creatives and to nurture future leaders through the Phenomenal Girls Club (PGC.) PGC fosters learning, leadership and friendship in girls of color.
Our signature Dream Speaker series showcases leaders in various creative fields discussing current and relevant topics to creatives. DreamMaker is also the home of the forthcoming What’s Your Story Film Festival, a Brooklyn based film festival for filmmakers of color. Here at 3D we believe that art is gonna save the world.
Board of Directors
August Cardona
Mr. Cardona began his career in the Finance sector with Zacks Investment Research, where he was made Associate VP after 16 months in the industry. An undeniable connection to the hospitality industry and a passion for food and wine led Mr. Cardona back to Albany, NY to assist his family’s 65 year old Specialty Store and Catering Company with a re-branding and expansion.
Mr. Cardona then moved to New York City, landing at Italian Wine Merchants (IWM) where he spent four years holding a number of positions including Director of Operations and Director of International Sales. Mr. Cardona spearheaded several Marketing and Business Development initiatives, most notably the build-out of IWM’s Bottle Asset Fund and the opening of IWM’s first international office in Hong Kong. While working full time at IWM, Mr. Cardona opened his first restaurant, dell’anima, in October 2007. Following the immediate success of dell’anima, he and his partners opened their second restaurant, L’Artusi, in December 2008. Shortly after the opening of L’Artusi, Mr. Cardona left IWM to develop his directorate company with a focus on the Food, Beverage & Hospitality industry. Mr. Cardona proceeded to form Epicurean Capital (“EpCap”) and Epicurean Management Company (“EMCo.”) in Q1 2009 and then in May 2010, Mr. Cardona and partners opened Anfora. In October 2013, the group opened their fourth restaurant, L’Apicio, bringing their soulful hospitality to the east side of Manhattan. In the late summer of 2013, Epicurean Group aims to introduce their Epicurean Events company to the public.
Mr. Cardona holds a B.S. in Business Management from Cornell University, with a concentration in Food Marketing.
Christina Cardona-Burger
A gifted and passionate dancer in her younger days, Christina currently teaches Kindergarten. She has been an elementary teacher for thirteen years. She holds a Masters in Elementary Education with a Certification in Literacy and is working towards a second Masters in Library Media.
Jamal L. Young
Jamal L. Young is a national education leadership and management consultant with broad experience in education from pre-kindergarten to higher education. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, school and program evaluation, leadership and management evaluation, team building, and leadership development.
He served as a charter school authorizer while leading the financial analysis team for the New York State Department of Education. Over the past ten years, Jamal oversaw all aspects of charter school development across the state from new school applications to renewal to replication and merger to closure. Mr. Young also supported schools in all phases of operations including transition from applicant to start-up to operating entity. He specialized in board governance, financial analysis of charter networks, and formalized the State’s analytics on fiscal performance. During this time, Mr. Young also played a major role in crafting Board of Regents policy on parent involvement and community engagement.
He is the former director of the Office of Parent Partnerships for New York City’s public schools. The office provided information and complaint resolution services for parents of over 1 million students. He developed a new strategic engagement plan for the Chancellor that included physical remodeling, technological enhancements, and extensive professional development to improve and quantify service delivery. The redesign served as the
foundation for the City’s adoption of the 311 parent information hotline. Before his promotion to director, he served as Special Assistant in a division charged with oversight of $1.3 billion in state and federal funds.
In addition to his work in government and the private sector, Jamal has worked in higher education, community-based organizations and foundations. Mr. Young completed a Master of Science degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from the Milano Graduate School of the New School University. He also earned a Master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Colgate University.
Julie Young
Julie Young is an attorney turned non-profit executive, writer and producer. Adopted at the age of
three from Korea, she grew up in upstate New York. She is the creator, producer and host of the web series Not Your Average for KoreanAmericanstory.org. She holds a degree in Psychology from Fordham University and a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She is the Founder of DreamMaker DreamDoer DreamSupporter, inc (3D) a non-profit production company that provides resources, connections and inspiration for creatives. She is also the Founder of The Phenomenal Girls Club, a non-profit organization that fosters learning, leadership and friendship for girls of color. Julie is an adoptive parent group facilitator for All Together Now. She serves as Board Chair for KoreanAmericanStory.org and as an advisory Board member of Nazdeek. She is a frequent speaker and facilitator on topics relating to race and/or adoption.