Meet our Team
Jessica Stromberg
DIRECTOR
Antonia Malim
HEAD OF MEMBERSHIPS/strategic partnerships
Erin Bloom
customer relations/community manager
Erin brings 10 years of management experience and extensive background in event planning to the Big and Tiny team. From customer service, to client relations, editorial, sales, and marketing, Erin’s varied background allows her to handle all event planning and assist with the day-to-day operations of the business. She has coordinated all kinds of celebrations and events. Erin was born and raised in Marina Del Rey and received her Bachelor’s Degree from UCSB with Honors. During her fee time, she volunteers at the Getty Center as a School Group Docent leading tours to students.
Hannah Miller
digital media COORDINATOR/UX Designer
Hannah is a UCSB graduate who brings 5 years of design experience to the Big and Tiny team. Her professional background is at the intersection of technology and education, both as a designer for several educational technology companies and as an online ESL teacher. She currently works as a freelance web designer and is completing her UX Design certificate at UCLA extension. She’s excited to be on the Big and Tiny team as a digital media coordinator and UX Designer – currently designing Big and Tiny’s exciting new membership software.
Monica Haynesworth
educator
Xavier Escobar
educator
Xavier is a Los Angeles native who graduated from Harvard College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Secondary in Theater, Dance, and Media. Despite having only recently graduated, Xavier has been teaching children of all ages in various capacities for the past 5 years. Xavier is passionate about early childhood development and hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in the field in the future. His educational focus is now preschool and kindergarten age children. As an educator, he emphasizes the importance of emotional awareness, empathy, and learning through play. He wants to make all children he interacts with feel seen and heard, and he hopes to cultivate their critical thinking without compromising their self-confidence.
Maria Resendiz
EDUCATOR
Maria is a graduate of Los Angeles City College with an AS in Psychology and Human Services. She holds a B.A. and a M.A. in Childhood Development. She has extensive experience working with children ages 18 months through 3 years old at various elementary and other educational institutions. Maria loves working with children and she is passionate about helping them overcome situations they initially struggled with.
Enjoli Littleton
educator
Enjoli discovered her passion for working with children after her first year of college. She has 5 years of preschool teaching experience at a local private school and at a Head Start program. Currently completing her AA degree in Child Development with the goal of completing her Master’s, Enjoli is committed to making childcare education a lifelong career.In her spare time, she enjoys going to different sporting events, especially basketball…GO CLIPPERS!
Anthony Archibold
EDUCATOR
“Mr. Anthony” is originally from New York and Panama. He moved to the sunny coast to continue pursuing his passion in educating little ones. He holds a Bachelor’s in Biology, Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Communication. He has worked as a preschool teacher and educational director for over six years. His passion and expertise is dealing with separation and help parents and children through the process while they learn how to independently grow and co-exist. In his spear time he signs in a choir and is passionate about dancing.
Mario Tardon
STUDIO MANAGER
Mario moved to Los Angeles from Spain four years ago with his lovely wife in search of a new adventure and found Big and Tiny. He is an integral part of the team putting his customer service experience to good use cultivating relationships with new members and building our growing community. Besides his customer service duties, Mario assists the educators with the tiny one’s who have taught him patience, kindness, and to enjoy the simple things in life.
Franne Cumpas
educator
Franne received her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Northridge, a Master’s degree in Child Life from Azusa Pacific University, and is a Certified Child Life Specialist. Over the past eight years she’s worked with children and families in a wide variety of settings including early intervention centers, therapeutic centers, childcare centers, churches, and hospitals. Franne is passionate about creating environments and learning experiences that encourage children to grow in their uniqueness. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, learning new languages, and singing and dancing in the privacy of her car during traffic.
Tressa Nakhleh
educator
During her ten year career within early childhood education and completion of Human Development and Family Studies degree at American Public University, Tressa has guided many young children while offering support to families during the extremely important stages of development. Tressa is honored to be apart of the early childhood education process and always strives to build trust and strong relationships with her students. Her continual focus is to provide high-quality and developmentally appropriate activities in order to create a rich learning environment where children engage through play. Tressa’s passion is to teach young children and support them through the journey and joy of learning.
Abril Sanchez
educator
The field of education has been a constant passion of Abril’s as she started exploring the system at a young age, high school to be exact. She then started volunteering at different children focused organizations, which has since led to a career in education working at the YMCA and in numerous Pre-School settings. Abril has a BA in Liberal Studies from CSUN & plans to obtain a MA in Educational Administration in the near future. On the weekends she enjoys brunch with her loved ones and friends and values exercise and a healthy lifestyle, one of the important lessons she likes to instill with her students.
Diane Akutagawa
educator
Diane earned her BA in Child Development and has over 20 years of experience in childcare and education possessing the role of teacher, nanny, after school aide, and tutor within her long and varied career. She has served as Lead Teacher at local Preschools where she was responsible for upwards of 24 students’ ages two to five years old. She has extensive experience working with a Preschool and TK curriculum that included facilitating weekly lesson plans, fun art projects, and active educational games and movement. When it comes to working with children, she feels fortunate to be introduced to the world from a child’s perspective and approaching each day as a fresh beginning.
Lucy Iriarte
educator
Lucy has more than 15 years o experience as an early childhood educator. She is motivated to help children develop social, academic and creative abilities to foster well being and progress. Her teaching experience includes several philosophies including Reggio and Montessori, where she taught the preschool group at the Montessori Preschool of Culver City. Originally from Peru, she worked over 10 years as a kindergarten teacher. She is CPR certified and she holds a Bachelors degree in Early childhood education. She is committed to passionately providing children with the tools they need to thrive.
Ingrid Santos
educator
Ingrid always knew she wanted to work with kids so she pursued her passion and graduated from University of California , Irvine with Bachelor’s Degrees in Education and Psychology. She has 5 years of experience working in school districts, child development centers and summer camps. She’s passionate about teaching children and loves watching their little minds grow every day. Recently back from teaching abroad in Spain, she’s excited to be working at Big and Tiny!
Natalie Diaz
educator
Natalie is passionate about early childhood education and her role in laying the foundation of future learning for the next generation. She has been an early childhood educator for 6 years and every day is blessed to have a career where she is able to share in the fun, exploration and growth of each individual child. Natalie is currently earning her AA degree and California State Credential in Early Childhood Education.
Rebecca Buringrud
educator
Rebecca received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Trombone Performance from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her Masters in Music degree from Arizona State University. Rebecca’s involvement in music opened up the door into the world of teaching. Rebecca has eight years of experience teaching music, childhood learning activities, and working in kids camps / schools of all ages within a wide range of diversity. She enjoys teaching private instrumental music lessons and a variety of children’s educational art & music activities. Rebecca claims to be as silly as her kids, so working with her in-home kindergarteners brings out the child-like joy in her. She is passionate about teaching, genuinely connecting with young children, and strives to bring joy to each child’s life. When Rebecca is not working at Big and Tiny, she enjoys teaching yoga and devoting time to various freelance and performative work on the trombone.