Our Team
Charles O'Brien - Founder
Charlie O’Brien is a senior at Beacon High School and a alumni of the Lycée Français de New York. In March of 2020, he founded Bookzoomy, a literacy and interactive reading platform. When he founded the initiative he sought to maintain literacy and socialization for kids during the pandemic. Charlie knew the importance education makes in ones upbringing and made it a mission to nurture a love for reading in every student. His goal is to be an active participant of the social changes happening in the world, in particular with those related to education equity and he achieved so by engaging with children in Turkey, Greece, and France. Charlie is part of a multicultural family (American, French, Italian, and Japanese), interested in sociology and socializing with people from all different backgrounds. Charlie is an avid tennis player, loves music, public speaking, team sports and his 2 little sisters.
Yanis Koutoupes Guessous Co-Founder and Curriculum Development
Yanis is a senior at the Lycée Français de New York. He is an avid reader, passionate about entrepreneurship, and a believer in the transformative power of education. In his free time, Yanis enjoys swimming, reading, and learning about the humanity’s past. As a co-founder of Bookzoomy he has been working to broaden its reach and deepen its impact. To him, increased literacy is a driving force of progress, whether it be socioeconomic or intellectual. Recently, he has been focusing on expanding the curriculum and establishing meaningful partnerships with schools in several countries.
Alexandre Reza Partner and International Director
Alexandre Reza currently attends the Lycee Francais de New York. Growing up he's always had a curious entrepreneurial spirit which is why he joined Bookzoomy. His work has been instrumental to scaling Bookzoomy internationally. Managing it along with his partners has been a thrill and knowing that his work is helping dozens of kids is even more gratifying.
Lycée Français de New York
Allegra Reza - Reader
Hi. My name is Allegra Reza and I am a sophomore at the Lycée Français de New York. I am half French, half Turkish and have grown up in Manhattan my whole life. I love to make art but I especially love to read which is why I joined BOOKZOOMY. I want to help younger students fall in love with literature the way I have.
Margaux Mattle - Reader
Hi! My name is Margaux and I’m a première (Y11) at the Lycée Français de New York. I grew up as a French American in the Dominican Republic and in the US. Being a française de l’étranger and always going to lycées français, I was always surprised by how many people did not like to read, especially in french. I always found comfort in books, and I always viewed it as an escape from the world. I joined BOOKZOOMY to share this passion with younger students, and give them access to a bubble far from the pandemic.