Thirteen leaders from across the YouthBuild network begin a year-long fellowship focused on collaboration and impact for opportunity youth
YouthBuild Global proudly announces its 2026–2027 YouthBuild Leadership Fellows cohort, a group of 13 leaders from YouthBuild programs across the United States and around the world who will spend the next year strengthening their leadership, deepening collaboration and advancing YouthBuild’s mission.
Selected for their commitment to opportunity youth, personal growth and the future of the YouthBuild network, these fellows will participate in a year-long immersive leadership program designed to support the leadership of local YouthBuild program directors globally. Participants engaged in an in-person gathering in September and will participate throughout the fellowship in virtual learning sessions focused on three core areas: Leadership and Professional Development; Self-Care; and Peer Support and Community Building.
“Our first Leadership Fellows cohort showed the impact that comes from investing in the people who lead local YouthBuild programs every day,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “This next group of Fellows carries that same commitment to leadership, service and belief in the potential of young people. Over the course of this program, they’ll deepen their own growth alongside one another, and that work will strengthen the YouthBuild network for years to come.”
The 2026–2027 YouthBuild Leadership Fellows cohort includes:
Kashmir Crump
YouthBuild Lake County
North Chicago, Illinois
Kelly Cirino
Green Community Builders YouthBuild
Chicago, Illinois
Tatiana Dixon
Moreno Valley YouthBuild
Moreno Valley, California
Tasmeya Hall
United Community Corporation (UCC) YouthBuild
Newark, New Jersey
Alysha Howes-Davis
YouthBuild North Shore CDC
Salem, Massachusetts
Kristen Hoyles
Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota YouthBuild
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Alma Martinez
Aurora, YouthBuild
Aurora, Illinois
Lisa Mello-Frost
YouthBuild New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Victoria (Tori) Morrill
LearningWorks YouthBuild
Portland, Maine
Anne Reder
Centro de Promoção da Saúde YouthBuild
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Cory Rich
Operation Fresh Start YouthBuild
Madison, Wisconsin
Paulina Sánchez Guadarrama
YouthBuild México
Mexico City, Mexico
Brandy Stewart
Community Development Support Association (CDSA) YouthBuild
Enid, Oklahoma
Together, these leaders represent the global reach and shared purpose of the YouthBuild network, partnering with young people as they reclaim their education, build family-sustaining careers and become leaders in their communities.
The fellowship provides opportunities for directors to strengthen their leadership and organizational development skills, build community, and work together to strengthen collective efforts in support of opportunity youth. Fellows work together on practices to inform the entire network about positive youth development and program durability, influencing the future of policies and practices at all YouthBuild programs. This framework is grounded in YouthBuild’s core values of love, accountability, community, collaboration and leadership.
The YouthBuild Leadership Fellows includes an in-person gathering and multiple virtual sessions during the next year, guided by a blend of peer insights, YouthBuild Global staff and external experts.
