Year Up CEO and leadership

Gerald Chertavian is dedicated to closing the Opportunity Divide that exists in our nation. Determined to make his vision a reality, Gerald combined his entrepreneurial skills and his passion for working with urban young adults to found Year Up in 2000.Gerald's commitment to working with urban youth spans more than 25 years. He has actively participated in the Big Brother mentoring program since 1985 and was recognized as one of New York's outstanding Big Brothers in 1989. He is the recipient of the 2003 Social Entrepreneurship Award by the Manhattan Institute and the 2005 Freedom House Archie R. Williams, Jr. Technology Award. In 2006, Gerald was elected as a Fellow with the Ashoka Global Fellowship of social entrepreneurs, and in 2008, he was appointed by Massachusetts' Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the MA State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In 2013, he was appointed by Governor Patrick to serve as Chairman of the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees.Gerald began his career on Wall Street as an officer of the Chemical Banking Corporation. Following graduate school he co-founded Conduit Communications and fostered its growth to more than $18M in annual revenues and more than 130 employees in London, Amsterdam, New York and Boston. Following the sale of Conduit to i-Cube in 1999, Gerald turned his full attention to opportunities for others.Gerald earned a B.A. in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A., with honors, from Harvard Business School. He has received honorary doctorates from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and Mount Ida College. He is on the Board of Advisors for the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative and a member of the World Economic Forum's Youth Unemployment Council. Gerald is a former Board member of The Boston Foundation and an Emeritus Trustee of Bowdoin College. His 2012 book, A Year Up, is a New York Times best seller.

Ellen Mcclain is a Chief Financial Officer at Year Up.

Gary has served as the technology executive of ZeroChaos since 2012. ZeroChaos is a global workforce consultancy of unbiased, completely transparent contingent workforce solutions. Gary is responsible for using the technology organization as an enabler for the current and future client, supplier and resource base. Gary also is in charge of all new client implementations as well as execution of expansion of services with in current clients. Gary has a combined onshore and outsourced team that is used to stream line product delivery while supporting explosive corporate growth while maintaining a technology budget and staff that are completely supportive and aligned with the corporate budget.

Prior to taking the position at ZeroChaos Gary served as the CIO of Bisk Education. Bisk Education has been a leader in online post secondary education and corporate training markets for some of americas top universities and corporations for over a decade. Bisk Education has a relationship with US News and World Report to be an educational lead portal extension for this well known brand. Under Gary's leadership Bisk has streamlined all technology and product development into one seamless process, while expanding the offering and capabilities of technology and business process delivery. Gary was responsible for onshore and offshore personnel that support all technology and product for all divisions of Bisk Education.

Prior to joining Bisk Gary held management positions with consulting firms Arthur Andersen, Business Consulting and Tribridge (Microsoft Worldwide Dynamics Partner of the Year 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013). Gary also was the Director of Information Technology for TMP Worldwide.

Gary has spoken at many seminars on multi-year technology leadership topics such as Business Intelligence and Proving IT Value by Improving Performance Metrics.

Chrystal Stokes Williams is a Chief Financial Officer at Year Up.

Roberto Zeledon is a Chief Marketing Officer at Year Up.

Ronda Thompson is a Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer at Year Up and is based in Washington D.C. Metro Area. She has worked as Public Information Officer at District of Columbia Housing Authority, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at USAID - US Agency for International Development, and Bureau for African Affairs at USAID - US Agency for International Development. Ronda attended BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY between 1994 and 1997 and Trinity Washington University between 2008 and 2009.

Gerald Chertavian is dedicated to closing the Opportunity Divide that exists in our nation. Determined to make his vision a reality, Gerald combined his entrepreneurial skills and his passion for working with urban young adults to found Year Up in 2000.Gerald's commitment to working with urban youth spans more than 25 years. He has actively participated in the Big Brother mentoring program since 1985 and was recognized as one of New York's outstanding Big Brothers in 1989. He is the recipient of the 2003 Social Entrepreneurship Award by the Manhattan Institute and the 2005 Freedom House Archie R. Williams, Jr. Technology Award. In 2006, Gerald was elected as a Fellow with the Ashoka Global Fellowship of social entrepreneurs, and in 2008, he was appointed by Massachusetts' Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the MA State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In 2013, he was appointed by Governor Patrick to serve as Chairman of the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees.Gerald began his career on Wall Street as an officer of the Chemical Banking Corporation. Following graduate school he co-founded Conduit Communications and fostered its growth to more than $18M in annual revenues and more than 130 employees in London, Amsterdam, New York and Boston. Following the sale of Conduit to i-Cube in 1999, Gerald turned his full attention to opportunities for others.Gerald earned a B.A. in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A., with honors, from Harvard Business School. He has received honorary doctorates from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and Mount Ida College. He is on the Board of Advisors for the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative and a member of the World Economic Forum's Youth Unemployment Council. Gerald is a former Board member of The Boston Foundation and an Emeritus Trustee of Bowdoin College. His 2012 book, A Year Up, is a New York Times best seller.