Advisory Board

Gayatri Agnew

Senior Director of Opportunity, Walmart.org

John Hope Bryant

Founder & CEO, Operation Hope

Bridget Burns

Founding Executive Director, University Innovation Alliance (UIA)

Brandon Busteed

President, Kaplan University Partners

Gerald Chertavian

Founder and CEO, Year Up

Josh Christianson

Senior Consultant, Wheelhouse Group

Carol Eggert

SVP of Military and Veterans Affairs, Comcast NBCUniversal

Marc Freedman

President & CEO, Encore.org

Joseph B. Fuller

Professor, Harvard Business School

John Gomperts

President & CEO, America’s Promise Alliance

Matt Horton

Director, Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics & California Center

Ellen Hughes-Cromwick

Senior Resident Fellow, Third Way

Paul Irving

Senior Fellow, Milken Institute

Michael H. Kelly

Executive Director, Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs

Gretchen Koch

Executive Director, CompTIA Workforce Development

Steve Korn

Private Investor in Atlanta

Marie Trzupek Lynch

CEO, Skills for Chicagoland's Future

Mona Mourshed

Executive Director, Generation

Hector Mujica

Economic Opportunity Lead, Americas, at Google.org

Gary A. Officer

President & CEO, Center for Workforce Inclusion

Melissa Peak

Global Lead, Workforce Strategy, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

William J. Raduchel

Strategic Advisor, DMGT PLC

Les Range

Independent Consultant, Workforce Development

Martin Reeves

Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Shirley Sagawa

Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Martin Scaglione

President and CEO, Hope Street Group

Eric Schwarz

Co-Founder & CEO, College for Social Innovation

Aly Tamboura

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Anti-Recidivism Coalition

Jason Tyszko

Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Philip Weinberg

President & CEO, STRIVE

Maurice Wilson

President, REBOOT Workshop

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John Hope Bryant

Advisory Board

John Hope Bryant, Advisory Board, is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and prominent thought leader on economic empowerment and financial dignity that has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future.”

John is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, Inc., the largest not-for-profit and best-in-class provider of financial literacy, financial inclusion and economic empowerment tools and services in the United States for youth and adults; chairman and chief executive officer of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owners of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the U.S., and co-founder of Global Dignity. He currently serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans.

A member of the founding class of The Forum of Young Global Leaders, and founding member of Clinton Global Initiative, John is a LinkedIn Influencer and Huffington Post, THRIVE Global and Black Enterprise, and a member of the World Economic Forum and OECD Expert Networks.

He has received hundreds of awards and citations for his work, including, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education from the U.S. Treasury. John recently received an honorable mention in Inc. magazine’s “The World’s 10 Top CEOs” article that spotlights global servant leaders as the visionaries behind some of the most successful organizations. Additionally, Operation HOPE and John are a permanent part of the Smithsonian AFRICAN-American Museum in DC.

John is the author of bestsellers; The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation (Berrett-Koehler, September 2017), How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class (BerrettKoehler, 2014), and LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass, 2009). He is one of the only bestselling authors on economics and business leadership in the world today who happens to also be African-American.

John founded, created and now leads more than 35 companies and organizations, for-profit, nonprofit and public benefit in North America, and in some cases active around the world.

Marc Freedman

President & CEO, Encore.org

Marc Freedman, Advisory Board, is the CEO and President of Encore.org, one of the nation’s leading experts on the longevity revolution.

He is a member of the Wall Street Journal’s “Experts” panel, a frequent commentator in the media and the author of four books. The New York Timesdescribed his most recent book, The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife, as “an imaginative work with the potential to affect our individual lives and our collective future.” His new book, How to Live Forever, was published by Hachette Book Group in Fall 2018.

Originator of the encore career idea linking second acts to the greater good, Freedman co-founded Experience Corps to mobilize people over 50 to improve the school performance and prospects of low-income elementary school students in 22 U.S. cities. He also spearheaded the creation of the Encore Fellowships program, a one-year fellowship helping individuals translate their midlife skills into second acts focused on social impact, and the Purpose Prize, an annual $100,000 prize for social entrepreneurs in the second half of life. (AARP now runs both Experience Corps and the Purpose Prize.)

Marc was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum, was recognized as one of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs by Fast Company magazine three years in a row, and has been honored with the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. He has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and King’s College, University of London. Marc serves on the boards and advisory councils of numerous groups, including The George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, the Stanford University Distinguished Careers Institute, the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging, and the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program.

A high honors graduate of Swarthmore College, Marc holds an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management. He resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Leslie Gray, and their three sons.

John Gomperts

President & CEO, America’s Promise Alliance

John Gomperts, Advisory Board, is the former president and CEO of America’s Promise Alliance, stepping down in 2020 after serving more than eight years in the role. Gomperts has a track record of success in both government and the nonprofit sectors where his accomplishments include design and implementation of strategic initiatives, developing innovative policies and programs, and forging partnerships and coalitions.

Prior to joining America’s Promise, Gomperts served as Director of AmeriCorps, starting in June 2010, with a responsibility for implementing the bipartisan Kennedy Serve America Act. His work at AmeriCorps focused on demonstrating and increasing community impact and strengthening the AmeriCorps member experience.

From 2006-2010, Gomperts served as president of Civic Ventures (now Encore.org), an organization devoted to promoting the engagement of millions of baby boomers in encore careers for the greater good. As CEO of Experience Corps (now AARP Experience Corps) Gomperts led a national service program that engages people over 55 to be tutors and mentors in urban public schools. He led Experience Corps through dramatic growth and expansion, as well as a highly successful independent evaluation of Experience Corps’ impact.

Prior to joining Civic Ventures and Experience Corps, Gomperts served in a variety of positions including COO at Public Education Network, chief of staff for the Corporation for National and Community Service, legislative director for Senator Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania, and deputy director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee, working for Senators Tom Daschle of South Dakota and John Kerry of Massachusetts. Earlier in his career, Gomperts practiced law and clerked for a federal judge.

Gomperts has also served on numerous boards and advisory groups, including Points of Light, VolunteerMatch, The News Literacy Project and Politics & Prose Bookstore.

Gomperts earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated magna cum laude from University of California, Berkeley with an A.B. in history. Gomperts is married to Katherine J. Klein, a professor of management at The Wharton School, and they have two daughters, Nora and Lily.

Marie Trzupek Lynch

CEO, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future

Marie Trzupek Lynch, Advisory Board, a passionate leader for advancing economic mobility for Chicagoland residents, is the founding President and CEO of Skills for Chicagoland’s Future. Skills, a nonprofit, creates demand-driven solutions for employers to get unemployed and underemployed Chicagoland residents back to work.

Currently, Marie is aggressively working with her leadership team on scaling Skills’ work and impact locally, and has a continued focus on the national replication of Skills including the successful launch of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future in the fall of 2016. Marie is a member of Mayor-Elect Lightfoot’s Business, Economic, and Neighborhood Development Transition Committee, and also supported Gov. Pritzker’s transition into office as a member of the Job Creation and Economic Opportunity Transition Committee.

Previously, Marie launched and served as founding president of Chicago Career Tech, a career retraining initiative for unemployed emerging- and middle-income Chicagoans. She also spent eight years working for the YMCA in the roles of Executive Vice President of Human Services and Housing for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, as well as the Director of Operations for Y-USA. Prior to this, Marie worked at Deloitte in the consulting practice, and in the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office.

Marie also served on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) for the U.S. Commerce Department. Marie was a co-chair for NACIE 2.0, and an active member of NACIE 3.0 through June 2017. Marie was named a 2019 Woman of Influence by the Chicago Business Journal. Marie is also a mentor for the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, a board member of Chicago Run, and a middle school cross country coach. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, where she was awarded the 2018 LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award, and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.

Gary A. Officer

President & CEO, Center for Workforce Inclusion

Gary A. Officer, Advisory Board, is a seasoned social entrepreneur and chief executive. He is known for innovative, value-driven public-private partnerships that remove barriers to community development. Gary is currently the President & CEO of Center for Workforce Inclusion, the largest and most experienced nonprofit dedicated exclusively to workplace inclusion and economic opportunity for low-income, older job seekers.

Gary previously served in senior executive positions at the Newseum and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington DC. From 2006-2013, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Rebuilding Together, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based homeownership preservation non-profit, and fourth largest remodeler. Under his leadership, Rebuilding Together grew operating income seven-fold and created award-winning partnerships with blue-chip corporate brands in support of the organization’s mission.

Gary has served as President of the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), the national foundation supporting credit union development in the United States. As an affiliate of the Credit Union National Association, NCUF promotes and manages credit union development and consumer savings programs on behalf of CUNA and the US credit union movement. The Foundation also manages the National Development Education Volunteer Program.

During his three-year tenure, NCUF grew to a $370 million community investment fund that providing grants, loans and, secondary capital, to credit unions and related organizations throughout the United States.

Gary earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) Political Science from the Manchester Metropolitan University and a Master of Science MSc (Econ) International Relations from the London School of Economics. In 2012, he completed the Advanced Management and Leadership Program (OAMLP) at the Said Business School at Oxford University.

Melissa Peak

Global Lead, Workforce Strategy, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Melissa Peak, Advisory Board, is currently the Global Lead, Workforce Strategy for Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Melissa Peak is a seasoned management executive with 20+ years of experience leading organizations to growth and customer success all while building an engaged workforce.

Melissa, leveraging her transformational leadership style, has consistently built thriving teams that deliver unprecedented market penetration, customer satisfaction and revenue results. Currently, she is the Global Lead, Workforce Strategy for Amazon Web Services, Public Sector, Professional Services.

Prior to AWS, career highlights include delivering double-digit, top-line revenue growth; placing a Fortune 500 company on the Federal GSA Schedule; ensuring 40 percent of direct reports promoted into expanded roles; creating and executing a strategic digital marketing campaign resulting in a 400 percent increase in social media engagement after one year. Over her career, Melissa has engaged with hundreds of employers as a trusted advisor on key talent strategies. By delivering powerful results for these employers, Melissa has built strong relationships with a large network across North America, with International impact.

As a first-generation college student, Melissa is a determined advocate for those who are taking a “road less traveled.” Whether it is hosting a conference, roundtable, one on one coaching or serving as a connector for the determined, yet un-equipped, Melissa has opened doors of opportunity for thousands of individuals.

Melissa is proud to have been named a “2020 Top Woman to Watch” by Diversity Journal Magazine. She serves on the Board of the Women Business Collaborative and as an Advisory Board member for Working Nation.

Melissa resides in Goshen, Kentucky with her husband Michael and their five children. She has earned her Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan’s School of Business, an MBA from the John Sperling School of Business at University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Literature from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Workingnation

Advisory Board

Gayatri Agnew

John Hope Bryant

Bridget Burns

Brandon Busteed

Gerald Chertavian

Josh Christianson

Carol Eggert

Marc Freedman

Joseph B. Fuller

John Gomperts

Matt Horton

Ellen Hughes-Cromwick

Paul Irving

Michael H. Kelly

Gretchen Koch

Executive Director, CompTIA Workforce Development

Steve Korn

Marie Trzupek Lynch

Mona Mourshed

Hector Mujica

Gary A. Officer

Melissa Peak

William J. Raduchel

Les Range

Martin Reeves

Shirley Sagawa

Martin Scaglione

Eric Schwarz

Aly Tamboura

Jason Tyszko

Philip Weinberg

Maurice Wilson