Shamir Rivera-Quintal
Interim Executive Director
Email: shamir@projectlearninc.org
Direct Line: (978) 941-4500
Shamir Rivera-Quintal was born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is a proud graduate of Lowell High School (2006) and Bowdoin College (2010), where she earned a B.A. in Sociology and Africana Studies.
Her career began in the technology sector, with roles at Constant Contact and later at a cybersecurity startup acquired by IBM. After seven years in tech, Shamir returned to her passion, serving her community by joining Project LEARN, where she worked to expand equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities for Lowell students. In December, Shamir concluded her tenure at the Coalition for a Better Acre, where she served as Director of Operations, a role that took her back to the organization where her mother had volunteered since moving to Lowell more than 30 years ago. Following her time at CBA, Shamir returned to Project LEARN, where she now serves as Interim Executive Director, continuing her commitment to educational equity and community impact in Lowell.
She lives in Lowell with her husband, Kyle, and their two sons, Ethan and Lucas.
What is your dream vacation destination?
Hawaii.
How do you take your coffee?
Cream and a little sugar, but always up for a fun latte from a local cafe!
What is your favorite restaurant in Lowell?
Sizzling Kitchen.
Katerynne Patino
Director of Operations
Email: kpatino@projectlearninc.org
Direct Line: (978) 941-4501
Katerynne Patino was born in Medellin, Colombia, and immigrated to Lowell when she was a teenager, falling in love with the city from day one. Today, she is a happy mom and proud community servant. After a long career in the financial world, she switched to education and started as the Lowell Public School (LPS) Parent Liaison at a middle school in the Acre. Katerynne discovered her passion for working with Lowell's youth and simultaneously joined the Project LEARN team as the City's Family Council Liaison and Development & Programs Administrator. Before joining the Project LEARN team, she worked LPS Office of Equity & Empowerment as the Spanish Bilingual Family Liaison for the entire District.
How do you take your coffee?
Iced pumpkin latte with almond milk.
What is your favorite restaurant in Lowell?
Laos Thai Kitchen on Merrimack.
My favorite teacher at Lowell High was…
Mrs. Samaras, my ESL Teacher!
Autumn Kleiner
Senior Development Manager
Email: akleiner@projectlearninc.org
Direct Line: (978) 941-4502
Autumn Kleiner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she majored in English with a concentration in professional writing and dual minors in marketing and digital media. Previously, Autumn interned with the Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s Communications Team and at a local start-up magazine, American Muslim Woman Magazine, where she had a major hand in developing its social media presence and overall brand identity.
What is your dream vacation destination?
Greece.
How do you like your coffee?
Sugar and oat milk creamer for me!
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Pepperoni.
Sneha Patel
Senior Manager, Pathways & Partnerships
Email: spatel@projectlearninc.org
Direct Line: (978) 941-4503
Passionate about policy and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students, Sneha V. Patel moved to Lowell from North Carolina in 2023 for a Public Policy Fellowship before joining the Project LEARN team full-time. Previously, she taught middle school science for two years and high school biology & forensics for eight.
Sneha is a Teach for America Alumna (Jacksonville ‘14) and holds an M.Ed. in Education Policy from American University and a B.S. in Secondary Science Education from N.C. State University.
What is your favorite book?
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton or Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
If you could play any sport professionally, it would be…
Snowboarding.
How do you take your coffee?
Iced, decaf, with a splash of creamer!
Lisbeth Tineo
Pathways Manager
Email: ltineo@projectlearninc.org
Direct Line: (978) 941-4503
Lisbeth Tineo is a 2025 graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, where she majored in Sociology and Human Rights with a minor in Political Science. She previously led the policy fellowship at the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, worked at Groundwork as a community engagement leader, and contributed to affordable housing initiatives at MassHousing. Lisbeth is also a participant in the Stanford Law Scholars Program. She is driven by a simple but powerful goal: to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.
If you could play any sport professionally, what would it be?
Volleyball.
How do you take your coffee?
Caramel Iced Coffee, extra sugar!!
What is your dream vacation destination?
Japan.