Gerald Chertavian

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. It has been recognized by Fast Company and The Monitor Group as one of the top 25 organizations using business excellence to engineer social change.

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. In 2006, Gerald was elected as a Fellow with the Ashoka Global Fellowship of social entrepreneurs, and in 2008, he was appointed to serve on the MA State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In 2013, he was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees and reappointed to that role in 2016.

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