Our Leadership

President

Dr. Kadar is a physician-scientist, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. As the founding CEO of BrainPOP, he pioneered the iconic digital education brand that has engaged, inspired, and impacted millions of students across the world for more than two and a half decades. BrainPOP was acquired in 2022 by KIRKBI, the family-owned holding and investment company of the LEGO brand—its first acquisition in digital learning.

Dr. Kadar continues to champion groundbreaking innovations, including serving as chairman of the board of ImmunoBrain, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and co-founder and chairman of the board of Ignis AI, a predictive hiring and skills intelligence platform.

He established the Naomi Foundation together with his children to carry on the legacy and continue the life’s work of his late wife and their mother Dr. Naomi Prawer Kadar, z”l.

Born in Rishon LeZion, Israel, Dr. Kadar began his formal studies in physics at the Hebrew University, followed by medical training at Tel Aviv University. While he is an innovator across a range of fields, Dr. Kadar remains an educator and lifelong learner at heart.

Vice President

Maya Kadar Kovalsky is a people strategy consultant, public speaking and presentation coach, and a champion of company culture and communications. As the eldest daughter of Naomi Prawer Kadar and a Vice President on the Board of Directors of the Naomi Foundation, Maya provides insight into Naomi’s values and professional sensibilities, supports the Foundation’s strategic decision-making, and contributes expertise in storytelling, creative production, and organizational culture.

Maya’s career spans leadership roles across education, culture-building, and media. She previously served as Chief Culture Officer at BrainPOP, where she fostered a creative, values-driven, employee-centered environment and helped guide the organization through periods of growth and transformation. She also led teams at BrainPOP ESL, a digital English-language resource, and YiddishPOP, an online Yiddish language learning platform.

In addition to her work with the Naomi Foundation, Maya serves on several other nonprofit boards, including the American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

Maya received her MFA in Film Production from Tel Aviv University and worked in Israel’s film and television industry at JCS Post Production and Spike Communications. She holds a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University in Film Studies and in Art History and Visual Art.

She lives in Florida with her husband and children.

“My mother was so dedicated to teaching; it really was her life’s mission. Thinking about her energy in the classroom motivates me to bring that spirit to all the projects we support through the foundation.”

“The foundation bridges the past and the future. My mother’s spirit and positive energy inspires our work at the foundation. It’s my hope to perpetuate Naomi’s enthusiasm and love of teaching through our grantees.”

Vice President

Nadav Kadar is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded two digital STEM education ventures, PlayMada Games and CanFigureIt. He serves on the board on BrainPOP, an award-winning online animated educational product. As part of the founding team of BrainPOP, Nadav has always played a crucial role in the company, providing insight and background into BrainPOP’s growth and assisting with all operational tasks.

Nadav Kadar is the son of Naomi Prawer Kadar. He worked alongside Naomi while she was creating the blueprint for the BrainPOP ESL product. As one of the Vice Presidents of the Naomi Foundation, Nadav provides vital insight into Naomi’s passions as he shares her love for Jewish history and Judaic studies. Nadav supports the team in each decision and provides legal, financial, and organizational expertise.

Nadav received his BA from Clark University, where his focus was Biology. He continued his studies at Brandeis University, where he completed an MA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Nadav received an International Executive MBA through the Kellogg-Recanati program at Tel Aviv University.

Nadav lives in Florida with his wife and children.

“I am inspired by my mother’s love for Yiddish. It was an important part of her family, community, scholarship, and it was at the center of her passion for teaching. We want to continue her legacy by providing opportunities for others to study this beautiful language and culture and connect with their heritage.”

Vice President

Naomi’s youngest daughter, Einat Kadar-Kricheli, a VP at the foundation, is a primary care physician living with her family in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Before medical school, Einat worked as a clinical research study assistant at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and attended the Goucher Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program. Einat holds a BA from Brown University, where she focused on the study of health in the developing world, particularly reproductive health and women’s empowerment. As part of her studies, Einat traveled to Thailand and South Africa and lived in India for seven months.

Einat started the Naomi Foundation and helped guide it through its early stages, and, with her family, she set up its essential framework and continues to shape its vision and future.

“My mother’s life was my inspiration and motivation for creating the foundation. I feel way she lived her life, her deep morals, and her passions, are worth sharing with the world.”

“The opportunities in the fields we support seem endless, which can both feel daunting and empowering at the same time.The biggest opportunity, the heart of the whole project, is to enable amazing people who are doing good to have as wide of an impact as possible.”

Advisor

Ilana Kurizki is a strategic communications and marketing leader with a passion for building and elevating brands and the people behind them. She partnered with the executive director and board of the Naomi Foundation from inception, and served for seven years as ambassador in Israel, focusing on grantee engagement.

She also spent nearly 15 years as an advisor and partner to Dr. Avraham Kadar and the executive team at BrainPOP, the iconic digital education brand beloved by millions of students. There she built and led the company’s first full-service corporate communications function through its acquisition in 2022.

Today Ilana serves as chief of staff and chief communications officer at Kadar Management, supporting the growth and development of a portfolio of business and nonprofit ventures.

She is passionate about exploring new opportunities for impact that align with the foundation’s mission and core values, particularly educating about Jewish experience, identity, and antisemitism—with an emphasis on historical accuracy and nuance—as well as the urgency of teaching our young generation civil discourse and media literacy skills.

“A core belief of the Naomi Foundation is that one person has the capacity to make a powerful and lasting impact on many others. The most meaningful and transformative investment we can make is in people who are dedicated to this mission. Education is therefore at the core of everything we do. By empowering educators, we hope to create a ripple effect that will continue well into the future, for many lifetimes.”

Executive Director

Lindsey Bodner leads the Naomi Foundation and advises its multigenerational board of directors on their charitable giving in the fields of education, science and health, and Yiddish. Lindsey works closely with nonprofit organizations in the US and Israel to improve education, encourage and uplift educators and scientists, and confront antisemitism. Lindsey represents the foundation publicly and oversees all aspects of grantmaking.

Lindsey is passionate about education and finding out-of-the-box alternatives to help children reach their potential.

Before coming to the Naomi Foundation in 2011, Lindsey worked at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in the Civil Rights and Education departments, Oxford University Press, and as an international women’s human rights advocate. Lindsey has lived in Spain, Chile, Morocco, Egypt, and Israel and has traveled extensively for work and pleasure. Lindsey served as Executive Articles Editor at CUNY Law, where she received her J.D.

Lindsey lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and their four children.

“More than business and government, philanthropy has the potential to be a dramatic force for needed change in the world. I am honored to work with the Naomi Foundation and our amazing grantees to create and support high quality, life-changing programs.”