Empowering NYC Youth Through Sport, Mentorship & Community
Youth programs that build confidence, belonging & leadership beyond the court.
Who We Are
The Village League empowers Bronx youth through free tennis and mentorship. We transform local parks and community courts into welcoming spaces where young people build skills, confidence, and lasting connections-on and off the court.
Our free programs combine tennis instruction with mentorship, wellness support, and social-emotional learning. Through consistent coaching and positive relationships, participants develop discipline, teamwork, and belonging.
We believe every young person deserves access, encouragement, and a village behind them as they grow.
Join us today! Sign up for a program, reach out with questions at hello@thevillageleague.org, or support our mission with a donation. Together, we can empower the next generation - one serve at a time.
It takes a village to raise a champion.
The Village League Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation incorporated in the state of New York.
The Leadership Lineup
Nija Perry
Founder & Executive Director
Nija Perry is the Founder and Executive Director of The Village League, a Bronx-based nonprofit on a mission to change what's possible for young people through tennis and social-emotional learning.
Growing up in New York City, Nija experienced firsthand how sport can shape identity, build confidence, and open doors to opportunities. That lived understanding became the blueprint. She didn't build The Village League from theory; she built it from truth.
With over 15 years leading operations across some of the most demanding environments in luxury hospitality, Nija brings rare organizational discipline to a space that often runs on passion alone. She knows how to build systems that last, cultures that hold, and teams that show up.
Nija is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Sport Management, deepening the academic foundation behind work she has already put into the world.
Philip Butler
Treasurer
Philip Butler serves as Treasurer of The Village League, bringing the same rigor and long-term thinking he applies in healthcare to the financial stewardship of a nonprofit built to last.
By day, Philip is the Founder and CEO of MbeleMed, a device-agnostic cardiac rhythm screening platform engineered to detect silent arrhythmias in high-risk Medicare Advantage populations before they become catastrophic events. It is, at its core, a bet on early intervention over expensive crisis response. A philosophy that translates seamlessly to community work.
A Wharton MBA and former private equity investor, Philip brings an uncommon depth of financial and operational expertise to everything he touches. His prior work leading the acquisition and board oversight of a remote cardiac monitoring company gave him a front-row seat to the future of value-based care and the conviction to build it himself. The pay-on-detection model now powering MbeleMed wasn't inherited. He helped incubate it.
His work lives at the intersection of preventive cardiology, health equity, and the economics of keeping people well, a mission that rhymes more with community development than it might first appear.
At The Village League, Philip ensures that the organization's financial foundation is as intentional as its programming. Because sustainable impact requires more than good intentions. It requires a sound strategy.
Victoria Fabio
Secretary
Victoria Fabio brings over 20 years of experience leading people operations and talent development across luxury and boutique hospitality brands — both in-house and as a consultant. Known for her ability to build best-in-class teams and align People and Operations strategy, she has guided organizations through complex openings, transitions, and cultural transformations that drive lasting, high performance.
She is the founder of the EmpowerHer Hospitality Collective, a women-for-women network dedicated to elevating and connecting female professionals across the hospitality industry. Victoria is a recognized authority on people-first leadership and building the kind of healthy, values-driven cultures where both teams and businesses thrive.
Elena Ayot
Chair
Elena Ayot is Senior Vice President and Senior Compliance Officer at Citigroup, where she leads Global Compliance for Wholesale Lending Operations, Transaction Management, and LATAM Client Relationship Services. She previously served as a Compliance Officer at Goldman Sachs and practiced as an Intellectual Property attorney at firms including Locke Lord LLP and Perry, Krumsiek & Jack LLP, and in-house at NBCUniversal.
Elena has served on the boards of the Amy Winehouse Foundation (US) and the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, and is a Full Member and 2025 Fellow of the Economic Club of New York. She holds a BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from New England School of Law.
