Inspiring Creativity. Igniting Innovation.

Creating a truly high-quality summer camp takes plenty of advance planning. Headquartered in Oakland, CA, our experienced team works year-round with top-notch educational partners to develop curriculum that evolves and changes every year. We also carefully select and train summer camp staff and provide caring customer service to families enrolling in every camp location. While each local Camp Director puts their unique stamp on the summer camp experience, we ensure every camp has the tools they need to run a dynamic, safe and organized program.

Glen Tripp, Founder & CEO
While an undergrad at Stanford University, Glen got his first camp job at Stanford Sierra Camp and discovered the joys of working with kids during the summer. After graduating and spending six years operating afterschool programs, he returned to his camp roots and founded Galileo in 2001. Glen's dream is to create an enduring company that promotes innovative thinking and nurtures the careers of current and aspiring educators. His 7- and 9-year old boys are proud attendees of Camp Galileo.
Ileana Street, Vice President of Operations
Ileana joined Galileo in 2004 and has worked in the areas of children's education and marketing since 1993. She directed leadership programs for Hispanic high school and college students at the National Hispanic Institute and founded and ran CraniaMania, a company specializing in online academic competitions and promotional games for youth. Ileana received her BA in Psychology from Stanford University and MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA. Ileana’s daughter attended Camp Galileo for the first time as a Nebula in 2011 and is still singing Camp Galileo songs. Her son sings along and is looking forward to joining the camp fun when he gets older.
Tajalli Horvat, Vice President of Programs
Tajalli has been with Galileo since our first summer of camp in 2002 as an Area Director. Since then she has helped grow the company while directly serving our Peninsula and East Bay communities. She now oversees the field, leading the Area Director Team and managing camp operations. Previously, she was the National Marketing Manager and opened and directed several centers for SCORE! Educational Centers in Chicago. Tajalli has a B.A. in Spanish and Business from the University of Southern California and currently lives in the East Bay with her husband Tim and 2-year-old son Luka. She loves to dance and travel in her free time. As a child, Tajalli attended theater arts and canoeing camps.
Chris Goetz, Director of Field Operations
Chris joined Galileo in the spring of 2007 to oversee Camp Galileo's East Bay locations. Prior to Galileo, he spent 7 years working for SCORE! Educational Centers in San Diego and in the Bay Area, where he was a Regional Manager. Chris graduated from UC San Diego with a double major in Human Development and Psychology, and is a proud husband and father of two. He spends much of his free time with his wife and kids and loves photography, fitness and all things Disney.
Maggie Roach, North Bay Area Director
Maggie joined Galileo in the summer of 2008 and oversees the North Bay Camp Galileo and Galileo Summer Quest sites, as well as Chabot Space & Science Camp. She received her BA and MA in education at Stanford, where she spent summers on the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake at Stanford Sierra Camp. After several years at SCORE! in roles including Center Director, Region Manager and Project Manager, and some time working in school districts and with education non-profits, Maggie is excited to be back in a summer camp! She loves helping to create fun learning environments for kids and is excited to spend time with camp families in Marin and San Francisco.
Patrick Costelo, East Bay Area Director
Patrick received his B.S. in Environmental Science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and his M.Ed. in Curriculum Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. He has worked at Camp Galileo in Lafayette for six summers—four as Camp Director—and is thrilled to now work full time for Galileo Learning as an Area Director. He has previously worked as a Naturalist at East Bay Outdoor School, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History and Save the Bay.
Stephanie Burns, North Peninsula Area Director
With a contagious energy and passion for arts, science and outdoors, Stephanie inspired Camp Galileo campers for five years as Founder and Camp Director of Camp Galileo in Woodside in 2003 and San Francisco in 2005. She then joined the Area Director team in 2007. Prior to Galileo, Stephanie earned a Bachelor's Degree from Wake Forest University, and spent 10 years teaching and training with Bay Area environmental education organizations including the Marine Science Institute, Headlands Institute and Bay Model Association. Stephanie looks forward to meeting all of our Peninsula families at camp this summer, as well as continuing to learn and grow with the entire Galileo community!
Vince Yorton, South Peninsula Area Director
After his first visit to a Galileo Camp, Vince was hooked. He went straight to work with Camp Galileo in 2005 as a Lead Art Instructor in San Francisco. Vince spent the summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008 as the Belmont Camp Director. After a year spent pursuing adventures around the world, he came back to take over the helm of Camp Galileo Burlingame. He is proud to now work year-round with Galileo as an Area Director. Before joining Galileo, Vince received his BA in Liberal Studies Elementary Education and his Elementary Education Credential from Humboldt State University. He has worked in education his entire career, first as a teacher at Junipero Serra Elementary School, then teaching Maritime History with the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association and working as a Surf Instructor.
Marcus King, South Bay Area Director
Marcus oversees Galileo’s South Bay camp locations, including The Tech Summer Camps in San Jose. Having attended, worked at and eventually directed YMCA Camp Eberhart in Michigan, Marcus has considered camp a big part of his life since before he can remember. After obtaining his B.S. in Outdoor Recreation from Indiana University, Marcus worked for the Silicon Valley and San Francisco YMCAs as camp director, retreat center coordinator, ropes course director and team dynamics consultant. Now at home at Galileo, he looks forward to building lasting relationships with the staff, campers and families of the South Bay. Marcus enjoys spending his free time with his family at the beach, swimming or reading a book.
Rich Newbery, Director of Operations
Rich received his BSc in Sports Science and Business Management from Brunel University (London), where he combined a career in professional soccer alongside his studies. Right after college he started a summer camp company in England, which he operated for 10 years, employing over 300 staff across over 40 camps. In 2006 he relocated to California where he worked in Training and Education for Major League Soccer and Universal Sports Group. Having worked at his first summer camp at 16 years of age, Rich is passionate about inspiring young people’s development in a stimulating and creative learning environment. Rich joined Galileo in the summer of 2010.
Mimi Gordon, Director of Recruiting

Mimi first attended day camp at age four. At the age of eight, when she heard she would be going to an overnight summer camp, she immediately packed (though it was March). Mimi has worked on the summer staff of camps for eleven summers. Before joining Galileo, she was on the professional staff of Camp Tawonga, a summer camp outside of Yosemite National Park, for four years as Assistant Director, then five as Director. Mimi believes deeply in the power of camp staff and loves finding the leaders who bring Galileo’s mission to life. Mimi has a background in Human Resources, a passion for organizational development and a love of cooking, reading, the outdoors and mid-century furniture. She lives in San Francisco with her husband.
Pamela Briskman, Director of Curriculum
Pamela joined Galileo before camp in 2010 and brings 17 years of experience in education, primarily at the intersection of curriculum, design and technology. Beginning her educational career as a Teach For America corps member in Oakland, she went on to teach in faraway Madagscar and then to design curriculum for NSF funded programs, educational television and toys. Pamela earned a Bachelor of Arts in Design and a Bachelor of Science in Product Design Engineering from Stanford University so Galileo's educational combination of Art, Science and Outdoors (and Design Thinking) is a natural fit. Through her work at Galileo, she hopes to help children develop the skills and confidence to envision and build a better world. She is thrilled that the oldest of her two daughters will be a Nebula at camp this summer.
Kelly Negro, Director of Marketing
Kelli Negro joined Galileo Learning as the Director of Marketing in November of 2011. Kelli has over 15 years of experience in marketing and strategy, and has worked for some of the largest brands in the US. Prior to joining Galileo Learning, she served in marketing management positions with Apollo Group, Charles Schwab & Co., Financial Engines and Ubi Soft Entertainment, where she headed up marketing efforts for a number of children’s software titles. Kelli earned a double B.A. in International Relations and French from San Francisco State University and completed graduate studies in International Relations and Business at the Universite de Paris X, Nanterre. Kelli has a three year old son who has already been introduced to the Galileo Innovation Approach while carving his first pumpkin, and is looking forward to the day that he can go to Camp Galileo (or "Mommy’s work," as he calls it).
Jessica Eiselman, Customer Service Manager
Jessica, an Oakland, native, joined Galileo in 2009. Prior to joining Galileo, Jessica enjoyed providing great customer service to her clients at Merrill Lynch, administrators at the University of California Office of the President and families at SCORE! Educational Centers. She received her B.A. in Liberal Studies from UC Riverside. Her fondest memories are from her many years as a camper and staff member at Camp Arazim, and she looks forward to working with all of the Galileo families. When not working, she enjoys going to the Oakland Zoo and Tilden Park with her husband and two daughters.