MIPO, Inc.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

Our History

In the year 2011, a year after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, three individuals joined forces to provide assistance and support to those affected by the disaster, which left its citizens in dire need. Their act of philanthropy marked the beginning of a journey that evolved into a mission to inspire and empower future change-agents.

Vision:

Becoming productive citizens through empowerment.

Mission:

To vigilantly empower youth and adults to transition into productive citizens by providing sustainable skills to complement their innate abilities.

Motto:

Planting a seed at a time…building individuals for a lifetime.

Our Firm Belief

We are driven by a mission to provide sustainable skills that complement the natural abilities of youth, enabling them to become productive citizens. We believe that by challenging their own expectations and offering opportunities for growth, our youth can achieve their full potential. Education, commitment, dedication and mentoring are all vital components of promoting a better quality of life. It is crucial to help underprivileged communities, as the long-term physical and emotional impacts of poverty can span across generations.

About MIPO

Making the Impossible Possible, Inc. (MIPO, Inc.) is a 501c3 organization dedicated to promoting the quality of life of immigrant youth and their families residing in the New York metropolitan area through a variety of activities. Projects range from organizing youth summits, awarding scholarships to high school graduating seniors in the NY metro-area to supporting schools in Haiti with short- and long-term projects and conducting professional development training for educators in Haiti. Through our intensive training program, our Teacher Leaders have the task of training other educators to use research-based techniques and methods learned from the expertise of MIPO’s team which in return will influence student achievement.

Mipo

Meet The Team

Board Officers

Felina Backer

Founder & President

Felina Backer is the founder of MIPO, Inc. and the driving force behind the succ...More

Felina Backer is the founder of MIPO, Inc. and the driving force behind the successes of the organization. Felina has been engaged in community wellness for over three decades. She is convinced that anyone can be an element of change if they can find their purpose in life; however, one must be cautious as to which end of the spectrum of change they are committed to. 


An educator with nearly 30 years of experience, she is considered an influential stake to shifting the paradigm of what true community wellness is. She is passionate and dedicated to planting seeds in the lives of those she encounters and committed to being fruitful where she is planted. She believes that “we, the people,” have a responsibility; and, that responsibility is to empower communities and be an inspiration to all we can help “breathe.” Asking “What is your Why” will help attract those who believe in what you believe – “What is your Why” matters.

Less

Sandra Nelson 

 Program Director / Co-Founder

Sandra Bataille Nelson’s educational achievement includes a Master of Arts in Ed...More

Sandra Bataille Nelson’s educational achievement includes a Master of Arts in Education from Touro College and a Master of Education, with a focus on Educational Leadership, from Bank Street College. She is a Math Instructor of grades 6-12 in the NYC Dept. of Education. Sandra has a long history of coordinating and collaborating with various community-oriented organization such as CAMBA and HABETAC to provide maximum support and resources for the NY Haitian community. Sandra is a founding member of MIPO, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the quality of life of immigrant youth and their families. As a founding member, she served as the Vice President of International Affairs and currently is an appointed operations member. She is the Director of Operations for Alpha Leadership Academy Inc., also, a non-profit organization with a focus area to transform every youth through mentorship, leadership and technology. Moreover, Sandra is the founder and CEO of Individual Students Intervention Services Tutoring Center. The center not only aims to provide a supportive environment that encourages intellectual and personal growth for students but provides academic services which address an individual’s specific learning needs.

Less

Jasmine Philema

Scholarship Director

Jasmine Philema is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, a Literacy Specialist...More

Jasmine Philema is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, a Literacy Specialist, and an Applied Behavior Analyst Therapist. Jasmine brings to her position a well-established background in education. She holds a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and a master’s degree in Literacy. Before becoming a Speech-Pathologist, she worked as a teacher for the New York City Department of Education. Jasmine has been serving preschool and school-aged children for over two decades. Her dedication to her work and students has been shown through her effort to obtain a certification in Conflict Resolution in Mediation to help train students to be peer mediators for the school’s Peer Mediation Center. Jasmine exemplifies stellar attributes that make her an asset to the youngsters she serves. Her range of abilities and flexibilities allow her to work with students of diverse abilities, including students with interrupted formal education.

She is passionate about equity, high expectations, and access for students of all backgrounds. That is why she takes on the integral role as Scholarship Director to support the organization’s team (MIPO) in identifying possible leaders of tomorrow to step into their destiny with a small token of encouragement as they embark on their journey to college.

Less
Dr. Greta Strong

Dr. Greta Strong

Education Liaison Director and Advisor

Dr. Greta Strong is an Assistant Professor of Community Outreach Teaching in the...More

Dr. Greta Strong is an Assistant Professor of Community Outreach Teaching in the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. She chairs the Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department and Community Engagement Business Resource Group in the Office of Institutional Equity. She serves on the Weill Cornell Dean’s Community Advisory Board. She is an Adjunct Professor at Metropolitan College of New York, Executive Mentor, and Dissertation Committee Member at St. John Fisher College EdD program. She is a Fulbright Specialist whose focus is on community partnership for health and welfare through volunteerism. Dr. Strong is vice-President of Vitiligo Bond Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, which is a Coalition member group of the National Institutes of Health/National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. This foundation supports people living with Vitiligo. She is co-Chair of the Women’s Roundtable Action Platform of Trinidad and Tobago, a group of women in the diaspora connecting, engaging, and empowering other dynamic women locally and globally through mentorship, education, and training. She is also an Advisor and board member of several grassroots organizations dedicated to the health and welfare of women and children in underserved areas of the world through philanthropic assistance. For her dedication to educating and enriching the lives of communities here and abroad, she has received proclamations, congressional recognition, and official citations from the New York State Senate, elected officials, and community leaders. She is the recipient of many awards, most notably, National Medal of Honor for Inspiring Initiative; National Council of Negro Women’s Executive Leadership Award; MIPO Award - Outstanding Citizenship Hall of Fame; One Hundred Black Men, Inc., Global Citizen Award; Weill Cornell Medicine’s Pioneers in Diversity Award; Metropolitan College of New York Crystal Award; St. John Fisher College, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., School of Education Award for Exemplary Performance in Leadership; and Haitian-American Business Network Chamber of Commerce, Leadership and Service Award.

Less

Catherine Napoleon 

 International Liaison

Catherine est une professeure finisante de MIPO Lead Teacher Certificate Program...More

Catherine est une professeure finisante de MIPO Lead Teacher Certificate Program. Depuis une dizaine d’année, elle s’engage dans le domaine de l’Éducation et dans le service communautaire de tutorat et de mentorat des élèves faibles et des enseignants pour une éducation moderne et modèle.

Professeure du premier cycle et Encadreuse Pédagogique depuis 10 ans. Elle a une licence en Sciences de l’Éducation et un parcours en formation des enseignants. Elle a été responsable de la commission d’éducation du village Ladifference de Caracol en aidant les parents des enfants non scolarisés à retrouver une école pour leurs enfants. Observatrice et Intervenante des élèves en difficulté d’apprentissage en vue de les aider dans le parcours scolaire.

Elle a une pensé positive centrée sur les élèves. Elle travaille pour les élèves et avec les élèves en les aidant à créer, à découvrir et à proposer ceux qui leur permettent d'avoir chacun la possibilité de réussir.

En tant que professeure finisante du programme, elle a été coordinatrice du camp d’été Cayes 2022 sous la supervision de la directrice du programme.

Less

Firmin Backer

Financial Executive

Margarette Tropnas

Honorary Member

Margarette D. Tropnas is the Vice President of Making the Impossible Possible, I...More

Margarette D. Tropnas is the Vice President of Making the Impossible Possible, Inc. She is a Community Activist and a Licensed Social Worker with over 25 years of administrative, program management and community engagement expertise.

Margarette serves on numerous community boards. She is a Program Director at Urban Resource Institute and she is a Field Adviser/Adjunct Lecturer for the Silberman School of Social Work and a former Associate Adjunct Professor for New York University’s School of Social Work.

Margarette’s Christian upbringing, her family background, professional experiences, and organizational skills all blend together to form the basis of her commitment to family, friends and the community at large. Her calm and collected personality transcend enormous power that allow those around her to progress in all aspect of their lives.

Less

Appointed Operations Members / Volunteers

Felix Backer 

Nerlin Paul

2026 MIPO in Action Video

2026 Youth Summit in Action

2026 Youth Summit Recap

2025 MIPO In Action

2024 MIPO in Action

2023 MIPO In Action

MIPO IN ACTION GALLERIES