Youth Advisory Board List

Alexandra is a 7th grader at Trinity School. She participates in food pantries regularly and loves helping her community members. She started volunteering in December of 2019, and since then has learned to speak three more languages and earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This Thanksgiving, Alex has also helped raise donations for WSCAH through her school. Nice Ninjas is her first time being on a nonprofit board, and she's super excited to make a difference! She also likes to sing the newest songs and make portraits when she's not busy.

Evelyn Jayne, aka EJ, is a 8th grader at Harlem Academy and truly loves school, especially Science and History. She recently joined the cross country and track teams but loves to play volleyball at recess. EJ lives with her mom and her two unique pets, Banana & Myrtle in West Harlem. She also has two amazing big brothers who live in Atlanta and Norway. EJ started the concept of Nice Ninjas, when she was only 7 years old and received her official 501c3 status in early 2024. She is also a very active member of the volunteer team at Advent NYC Food pantry and has been volunteering there since she could walk (literally!) EJ’s efforts in the community have not gone unnoticed as she is a three-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. When she's not busy with school or volunteering, you can find her cheering on the Brooklyn Cyclones or running track at Riverbank.

Eleni, born and raised NYC, is a Junior at Trinity School on the Upper West Side.  She loves exploring the city, whether it be running in Central Park or walking around downtown. Growing up here, she has noticed how many people are in need of shelter, food and many other basic necessities. Working with organizations like Nice Ninjas is so meaningful to her because it’s an amazing opportunity to give back to her neighboring community in a way that’s both fun and impactful. Eleni has been volunteering for many years at her church, Advent, her school and now Nice Ninjas!

Ella Rinaldi attends the Clinton School in Union Square. She is the Chief Marketing Officer for the upper-grade student council, a member of the National Honors Society, and an active writer for the Clinton Post. As CMO, she manages the Clinton Student Council's Instagram, advertising events and resources.

Ella has been a seasoned leader for the Advent Lutheran Church Food Pantry since 2022, managing the distribution of over 350 bags of food bi-weekly. She received the President's Volunteer Service Award Gold Level in 2023 and the President's Volunteer Service Award Bronze Level in 2024 for her exceptional dedication to service. In the Winter of 2024, she designed a bespoke detailed Plentiful app manual produced in English, Mandarin, and Spanish. As a result of this resource, Plentiful reservations are at an all-time high for the food pantry. Ella is driven and passionate about helping underserved communities and hopes to grow Nice Ninjas and spread its message of kindness.

Eleanor is a 7th grader at the Anderson School. In any free time she has, you can find her deep in a book or playing squash. Fun fact: she has been playing the piano since she was four, and has performed in some of the most famous concert venues in the world. She has just recently joined the Nice Ninjas team and is looking forward to helping the community become a better place for everyone.

Bio Coming Soon.

Bio Coming Soon.

Ryan Portes is a 7th grader at the Anderson School. He grew up in New York City and has lived there for most of his life. He loves volunteering in his community and has been at Advent Church since 2023. In addition to volunteering, he was on the Anderson School safety patrol and Middle School work crew for vacation bible school. He joined the Nice Ninjas board in 2025 and is always ready to help and put his skills to the test. Ryan is super excited to make a difference in his community and spread kindness. When he isn’t volunteering, Ryan enjoys history, music, books, and cooking. He also plays football and baseball, and plays three instruments.