CO-FOUNDER, CEO

Ran Cohen Harounoff has been involved in early childhood education his entire adult life; an entrepreneur in education, he has established schools, a network of preschools, and early childhood training programs around the world. He is currently a consultant on reforms in early childhood education at the international, national and local levels. Ran is an artist and has written children’s books, plays, children’s music albums, and a TV program. Ran holds a Master’s degree in Education from Ben Gurion University, a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the David Yellin Academic College of Education, and studied Organizational Consulting and Development at the Ofek Institute in Tel Aviv.

Sarah Wilner is the Co-Founder and Deputy CEO of Early Starters International and the Executive Director of Early Starters USA, where she leads the organization’s work supporting young children and families affected by crisis, displacement, and instability.

Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in early childhood development, humanitarian response, and international development. Her work has focused on building programs that strengthen young children, caregivers, and communities during times of crisis, while developing partnerships and systems that create lasting impact.

Prior to co-founding Early Starters, Sarah served as a director at MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, where she led international programs and partnerships in early childhood development and other areas of social development. She has worked with governments, NGOs, educators, and communities around the world and also teaches at the University of Haifa.

In 2023, Sarah launched Early Starters’ work in New York City in response to the growing number of newly arrived families with young children living in shelters and other temporary settings. Since then, she has led the development and expansion of programs serving hundreds of young children and families across the city, alongside workforce-development initiatives that help mothers and caregivers build pathways into careers in early childhood education.

Across her work, Sarah is driven by a belief in the power of early childhood, the importance of standing alongside families during their most vulnerable moments, and the ability of communities, especially women and caregivers, to create meaningful change when given the resources and opportunities to lead.

Sarah is also a 92NY Women inPower Fellow, furthering her commitment to leadership, community impact, and creating meaningful opportunities for women and families.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Ayelet is a CPA with broad experience managing financial and operational frameworks in complex, fast-moving business organizations. For Ayelet.A. in Accounting and brings a strong background in building financial structures that support growth, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Following the events of October 7, Ayelet chose to focus her professional experience on the social sector and to be part of an organization working to create meaningful impact and support for communities in need.

For Ayelet, professional and responsible financial management is a foundation for effective social action, and as CFO she is motivated by the opportunity to support Early Starters’ mission of creating safe, nurturing environments that allow young children and families facing adversity to heal, grow, and regain stability.

VP OF KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION AND EASTERN EUROPE OPERATIONS

Yulie Khromchenco is an educator and facilitator, of change processes, and in the last 14 years has worked in implementing change in a various degrees in educational systems in Israel.

She was the director of a leadership program for teachers in underserved communities and trained many teachers, supervisors and early childhood professionals. Her former career as a journalist and editor gives her an advantage in developing written materials and helping people to tell their stories.

Born in Moscow, Yulie is fluent in Russian. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine she joined Early Starters in creating safe education spaces for young children around Eastern Europe and Ukraine. She has a B.ed from Kibbutzim College, and a Master Degree from Spertus Institute in Chicago.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ISRAEL

Heli is a strategic leader in holistic partnerships, specializing in building trust-based collaborations across complex public, social, and educational systems. She currently develops municipal partnerships and leads parent-child initiatives focused on early childhood resilience during times of crisis for ESI.

With over 15 years of experience, Heli has led national leadership programs, managed large multidisciplinary teams, and driven systemic change through capacity building, community development, and strategic planning. She previously held senior roles at the Democratic Institute and led educational programs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, local authorities, and civil society organizations.

Heli holds a Master’s degree in Education (M.Teach) from Seminar Hakibbutzim and a B.A. in Marketing Communication from Sapir College. She is deeply committed to human-centered leadership, autonomy, and dialogue-based change.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Lior Haramati Biton joined Early Starters following October 7, initially serving as the Emergency safe Spaces Coordinator in Eilat. 

She later managed the safe spaces in southern Israel and led the organization’s human resources coordination during a period of rapid growth and expansion.

Today, Lior serves as the Human Resources Manager, responsible for establishing and implementing HR infrastructures that support the organization’s development in Israel. 

She leads the human resources function across the full employee lifecycle and works in close collaboration with the organization’s headquarters and additional teams 

to build structured work processes that support both strategic goals and field operations, grounded in the organization’s values and an employee-centered perspective.

Lior holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Organizational Consulting and Development.

HEAD OF RESEARCH

Dr. Yan Serdtse is a psychologist with a master's degree in clinical child psychology, specializing in educational psychology at Sha'ar Hanegev, Gaza strip border, Israel. Fellow Lecturer at the Hebrew University and Sapir Academic College. Founding Director of the Sha'ar Hanegev Innovation, Research and Development GreenHouse. Born and raised in the Crimean peninsula until the age of 7.

ACADEMIC PROJECTS & TRAINING COORDINATOR

Developmental Occupational Therapist who holds a PhD in Child Development, with extensive experience working with children with disabilities, training educational and therapeutic teams, and designing intervention programs and professional development processes. Her clinical and research expertise focuses on social-emotional development in early childhood and on the parent–child relationship.

CEO ASSISTANT & HEAD OF ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION

Naomi is a lawyer and therapist by training, a talented administrator and a creative improviser. “I like the sun & the sea and to gaga, to stare and to swing, but more than anything I love my family and our dog.”

STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

Noa Shefi, is a M.A. Drama Therapist and a doctoral student at the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa, Israel. Her main field of interest is using drama as a way to enable social mobility especially among marginalized populations in poverty and at emotional risk. In her background she is a social theater facilitator. She has conducted drama-based workshops in Ghana, in a refugee camp in Malawi and managed for 5 years a therapeutic center for families at risk.ion goes here

RESEARCHER AND PEDAGOGICAL INSTRUCTOR