Our Team

Robin M. Keefe, President
Robin M. Keefe is the founder and President of BookEnds. She often says that Brandon’s gift to Hollygrove created the seed for BookEnds, and created the bounty for her life. She is grateful and appreciative to have the opportunity to improve our community through BookEnds.

As an acclaimed entrepreneurial philanthropist, Robin propelled the simple idea of her eight year old son into an effective solution to provide the essential resource of books for our neediest students to learn to read.

Robin’s early career was in the real estate development and finance field, but she found a growing passion for philanthropy and children as she served on numerous community boards of directors and had a new family to raise. Robin joined these passions in 1998 with the founding of BookEnds. Among her numerous honors are the Freeman Freeman and Smiley Vision in Philanthropy Award for Entrepreneurial Philanthropy, the Media One Spine Award for “having the backbone to champion a great idea,” the 2006 Los Angeles Children’s Planning Commission “Leading Boldly Award,” and the November 2006 Woman’s Day Award for “Woman Who Inspire Us.”

Robin is a proud Rotarian and a member of the Organization of Women Executives. She graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Finance.
Gayle Baigelman, Associate Director
Gayle Baigelman arrived at BookEnds via an unlikely path. After graduating college with a degree in Sociology, she began working as an administrator at the United Nations. After a move to Los Angeles, she refocused her skills and began working in the entertainment business, eventually becoming a film and television producer. Ever the entrepreneur and after having a child, Gayle decided to open her own business “Creative Space”, which provided much needed afterschool programs in the arts as well as pre-school age creative programming during the day. She then moved on to more formal educational experience, serving as an admissions director and then development event planner for various independent schools. BookEnds is the perfect amalgamation of her many interests: education, nonprofit, and administration.
Matt Devine, Director of Programs
Matt Devine is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Florida, with leadership experience as a certified teacher and in non-profit program management. He really likes mountains. And chocolate. And mountains of chocolate. Feel free to oblige.
Gretchen Blake, Director of Programs
Gretchen Schroeder majored in History and Politics at The Colorado College. She has experience in a myriad of non profit pursuits, including organizations for homelessness, affordable housing, and job readiness training. After working as a pastry cook and chef in New York and Chicago, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her true passion of bridging the education gap in America's school systems. She believes strongly in the BookEnds Method, and is thrilled to be a part of such a vital and productive organization. She thinks BookEnds is tip top.