Seventeen leaders from across the YouthBuild network complete a two-year fellowship focused on collaboration and impact for opportunity youth
YouthBuild Global proudly celebrates the completion of the inaugural 2024–2026 YouthBuild Leadership Fellows cohort, a group of 17 leaders from YouthBuild programs across the United States and around the world who have spent the past two years strengthening their leadership, deepening collaboration and advancing YouthBuild’s mission.
Selected in 2024 for their commitment to opportunity youth, personal growth and the future of the YouthBuild network, these fellows participated in a two-year immersive leadership experience designed to support the leadership of local YouthBuild program directors globally.
Throughout the fellowship, participants engaged in multiple in-person convenings and virtual learning sessions focused on three core areas: Leadership and Professional Development; Self-Care; and Peer Support and Community Building.
“Our Leadership Fellows embody the values at the heart of YouthBuild—leadership, service and belief in the immense potential of young people,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “Over the past two years, these leaders have invested deeply in their own growth and one another. Their leadership will have a lasting impact on the YouthBuild network and the young people they serve every single day.”
The 2024–2026 YouthBuild Leadership Fellows cohort includes:
Jenette Adams
YouthBuild Long Island
Deer Park, New York
Frank Alvarez
R.U.T.H. YouthBuild
Canoga Park, California
Carlos Argueta
YouthBuild Lake County
North Chicago, Illinois
Claudia Consuelos
YouthBuild Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
John (Jake) Cook
Climb CDC YouthBuild
Gulfport, Mississippi
Dorothy (Dee) Goins
YouthBuild Inland Empire
San Bernardino, California
Xavier Jennings
Mile High Youth Corps YouthBuild
Denver, Colorado
Jill Johnson
YouthBuild St. Paul Westside
St. Paul, Minnesota
Kara Johnson
Heart of Oregon YouthBuild
Sisters, Oregon
Jerrell Morton
Job Point’s YouthBuild
Columbia, Missouri
Shevone Myrick
Housing Authority of Champaign County YouthBuild
Champaign, Illinois
Everlyne Ngare
CAP Youth Empowerment Institute
Nairobi, Kenya
Benedito Orduno
Moreno Valley YouthBuild
Moreno Valley, California
Juliano Gonçalves Pereira
Jovens Construtores Brasil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Muhammad Abu Saif
YouthBuild Ventures UK
London, England
Kristina Smith
Georgia Building Trades Academy YouthBuild
Atlanta, Georgia
Roman Woodson
New Settlement YouthBuild
Bronx, New York
Together, these leaders represent the global reach and shared purpose of the YouthBuild network, partnering with young people as they reclaim their education, build careers and become leaders in their communities.
The initiative 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 sustainability, 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 at least four in-person gatherings and multiple virtual sessions across two years, guided by a blend of peer insights, YouthBuild Global staff and external experts. The next YouthBuild Leadership Fellows cohort will be announced this summer.
