Closing the Opportunity Divide with Year Up's Gerald Chertavian

Today I am joined by a truly inspiring leader, Gerald Chertavian. Gerald is the founder & CEO of Year Up, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to closing the skills gap for thousands of young adults across the country. Since 2000, Year Up has served over 24,000 students across 25 cities nationwide. Prior to Year Up, Gerald was a successful technology entrepreneur and Wall Street banker.   Through a powerful experience in the Big Brother program, Gerald witnessed the disparities, inequities, and challenges that so many young people outside of the economic mainstream face every day. This inspired him to create Year Up and dedicate his life and business expertise to closing the opportunity gap that is so prevalent in today's society.   In our conversation today, Gerald shares impactful stories that he has experienced through the Big Brother program; the incredible, transformative work he is doing now with Year Up; how to teach, enable, and support companies and leaders in hiring equitably; how to make a real impact on hiring and retention practices; and how to impart empathy and inspire love to all of those around you. This is a not-to-miss conversation with Gerald and I cannot wait for all of you to hear his powerful words of wisdom.   "Racism isn't the shark; it's the water. We all live in the water [and] we've absorbed the toxins that already exist in that water. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could liberate ourselves; all of us — white people included — from those toxins?" — Gerald Chertavian   Key Takeaways: [:50] About today's episode with a truly inspiring guest, [2:04] Welcoming Gerald to Fifth Dimensional Leadership! [2:20] Gerald shares his journey in, and inspiration for, forming Year Up. [5:30] Gerald shares some impactful stories that he experienced with David, his little brother in the Big Brother program, that shed light on the injustices that minorities face each and every day. [9:05] Gerald shares about Year Up, their mission, and how the program participants have been doing during the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic. He also shares his hopes for the future of the world and Year Up. [12:25] More about the transformational and amazing work Gerald is doing through Year Up. [16:38] Discussing the importance of hiring for skills not school, high expectations, and the soft bigotry of low expectations. [19:15] What we can do to help companies hire for skills and not schools and for determination; not degrees. [21:19] How Year Up works with big companies to teach, enable, and support them in hiring equitably. [22:05] The essence of leadership and the key pieces of making a real impact on hiring and retention practices to become more equitable and inclusive. [27:20] Gerald shares his insights on how we impart empathy and inspire love. He also shares what they are doing at Year Up to inspire love. [31:48] Why white people also need to liberate themselves from racism. [36:54] Gerald shares some parting words of wisdom and advice for leaders. [39:11] Thanking Gerald for joining the Fifth Dimensional Leadership podcast!   Mentioned in this Episode: Year Up Grads of Life Big Brothers Big Sisters Racial Equity Institute   About Fifth Dimensional Leadership & Ginny Clarke Fifth-Dimensional Leadership is a podcast about leadership — knowing yourself, speaking your truth, inspiring love, expanding your consciousness and activating your mastery. As an executive recruiter and career expert currently leading executive recruiting at a Fortune 20 tech company, Ginny Clarke is a passionate and authentic thought leader with a unique and deliberate perspective on work and life. She synthesizes aspects of her life as an African-American single mother who has successfully navigated corporate America for over 30 years. She has inspired, uplifted, and changed the lives of thousands and is intentional about bringing conscious awareness to people of all ages and stages.   Every other week, a new edition of Fifth-Dimensional Leadership will include fascinating guests, covering a variety of topics: power, personal branding, self-awareness, networking, fear, and career management   Stay Connected! To find more episodes or learn more, visit: GinnyClarke.com Connect with her on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube