Our Team
SARAS CHUNG, PHD, MSW
ADVISOR
Dr. Saras Chung holds over three decades of experience in practice and research on youth development in schools and adolescent emotional health and wellness. As a system dynamicist and social worker, she is interested in feedback cycles between healthy emotional and mental development and academic success. Through her work at SKIP Designed, she has helped create collaborative tables for solving systemic challenges in communities. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering as a coach and social media manager her local youth mountain biking team (Go South City Otters), data analysis and spending time with her family.
ELLEN O’NEILL, MSW
DOCTORAL FELLOW
Ellen integrates community-based system dynamics with her social work background to enable transformative solutions. She is a first-year PhD student at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, focusing on systems research for equitable urban development. In her past role as Director of Strategy & Operations at SKIP Designed, she led an interdisciplinary team to transform public education and early childhood systems through research, human-centered design, and pilot project implementation.
Before joining SKIP, Ellen served as the Children’s Savings Account Coordinator for the City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office, where she managed the College Kids program and championed equitable asset development for local students. She earned her MSW in 2017 from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, contributing to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ Community Development Policy team by designing and conducting a community-based system dynamics study of underbanked communities.
When she’s not at work, you can find Ellen eagle watching, listening to Irish music, or growing tomatoes.
JANET VELASQUEZ
OPERATIONS & PROJECT MANAGER
Janet is a recent graduate from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice which she plans on using to get involved with youth in the criminal justice system. During her educational career, Janet was part of the Changing System with the Brown School at Washington University. There, she was able to facilitate and mentor teens while taking a look at issues such as racial problems, gun violence, educational equity, and youth homelessness. Janet is passionate about giving back to her community by focusing on youth. She believes they are our future, which is why she is excited to be part of SKIP because its main goal is centered around youth. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her daughter by doing anything and everything, especially going on picnics and reading books to each other. Lastly, Janet lives by the quote: “Be the change you seek to see in the world,” because she believes one cannot wait for others to take action when they themselves as capable of anything.
JIM FORST
SENIOR ADVISOR
Jim Forst is Senior Advisor to SKIP and an advocate for equity in education. He believes all parents should have options and every child has the right to a high quality educational opportunity regardless of their economic circumstances. Jim is a life-long St Louisan and has held executive development positions with five universities and two non-profits. Being involved with positive educational transitions and innovations in his home town as well as other cities through his association with SKIP colleagues and partners is his most rewarding professional experience and a true privilege.