The people guiding YPEP.

Yonas Kibreab

Yonas Kibreab is an actor, voice artist, student, and youth advocate working across film, television, and animation. His credits include Pixar’s Elio, Merry Little Batman, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sweet Tooth, Pupstruction, Slumberkins, and Pretty Freekin Scary.

A family trip to the Philippines inspired Yonas to expand his work beyond entertainment. Seeing the educational challenges faced by children and hearing the story of a local guide named Silo helped inspire Y Philippine Education Project.

Isabel Kibreab

Isabel Kibreab serves as President and a Director of Y Philippine Education Project. She helps guide the organization’s mission, operations, and long-term development and supports its commitment to responsible, transparent, volunteer-led service.

Bemnet Kibreab

Bemnet Kibreab is a finance executive, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader. He spent 17 years at Jefferies, where he worked in leveraged finance and helped raise more than $100 billion of capital. He later founded Maji Sports LLC, a sporting-goods design and distribution company, where he also served as CFO.

Bemnet also serves as a Board Director and Treasurer of the School of Eritrean Languages of Los Angeles. At YPEP, he supports financial oversight, governance, recordkeeping, and responsible stewardship of charitable funds.

Novelwin Sernio-Abonda

Novelwin Sernio-Abonda is a licensed Mathematics teacher, instructional designer, and youth leader based in Naic, Cavite, Philippines. She brings local education experience and community knowledge to YPEP.

Her role includes coordinating with teachers and schools, helping identify students and educational needs, communicating with local partners, and supporting documentation and follow-up for approved YPEP programs. Final funding decisions remain with YPEP’s Board.