Bio

Sharon Cohen
Executive Director

Sharon Cohen is a former competitive figure skater, a US Figure Skating gold medalist in figures and freestyle and a gold level ice dancer. In her youth, she trained with Olympic coaches Carlo Fassi, Ron Ludington and Arthur Bourque. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in political Science and received a Masters degree in film writing and directing from New York University. Her short films and documentaries earned her a Scorsese Award and a Warner Bros. Award, among others. In 1990, she returned to her skating roots and began teaching a handful of girls at a community-based youth organization in East Harlem. Inspired by their enthusiasm, she volunteered for seven years before, in 1997, launching Figure Skating in Harlem, the first after-school ice skating and education program of its kind. She continues to serve as executive director today. Ms. Cohen has been a guest speaker at the Professional Skaters Association/Ice Skating Institute national conference and completed certificate programs in non-profit management at Columbia University Business School. In 2006, she was selected as one of four women nationwide by Maybelline New York to appear in People magazine and receive its award for "Women who Inspire Confidence through Education." In that same year, she was featured with her students on the cover of Skating Magazine. Over the past decade, Ms. Cohen has grown the organization to serve more than 1,000 girls with an innovative and holistic program that promotes their physical well being, leadership and academic achievement.