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Gerald Chertavian Highlight
About Gerald
- I grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, and went to one of the toughest high schools in the city, where the idea of being a good student was met with ridicule from other students.
- When I went to college and got good grades, I realized that there’s a whole world of people out there who will be happy for you when you do well and succeed.
- I started working with the Big Brothers program in college to help mentor and care for young boys who don’t have father figures.
- After college, I was working on Wall Street and mentoring a boy from a rough neighborhood in New York—it opened my eyes to the lack of opportunity people face based on their upbringing or skin color.
- I made it a personal mission to eventually start a program to help close the opportunity divide in the U.S. and give urban communities access to the training needed for secure career opportunities.
- I went to graduate school for my MBA and then co-founded a technology consulting and software development firm.
- After six years, we sold the firm and I founded Year Up, a workforce development organization that provides young adults with the skills and training needed to reach their professional potential.
- I’ve been running Year Up for 20 years, raised a family of my own, and still actively participate in the Big Brothers mentoring program.
