Nayelli is the Founder & CEO of CreatorsCircle and in previous roles throughout her 20+ year career, Nayelli has worked on pioneering sustainability and social innovation programs with startups, nonprofits, small businesses and Fortune 100 companies in the education, social impact and sustainable business sectors. A trained journalist with an MBA in sustainable management and MA in education, she also writes about 
sustainable business and social impact trends for a variety of publications. Nayelli holds degrees from Boston University, the University of Calif. Berkeley, Stanford University and Presidio Graduate School—and she currently sits on the Stanford University Graduate School of Education Alumni board and Berrett-Koehler Authors board, and is a member of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI). She’s a systems thinker who loves to learn, share knowledge, and help others connect the dots.

Ryan is a junior majoring in public relations at Boston University’s College of Communications, where he is building on his extensive experience in public relations-wave forecasting and sports media within the surf industry. For the last three years, Ryan has been a member of the Division 1 Men's Lacrosse team at Boston University and Rutgers University, earning recognition on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and US All-American honors. His professional experience includes six seasons at Liquid Dreams Surf Shop, where he teaches surf instruction programs. As a lead instructor for the Special Surfers program, he has developed adaptive teaching methods that have enabled special needs individuals to experience the joy of surfing. His involvement in community initiatives includes completing a 100-mile Bike to the Beach charity ride and supporting the RU4Kids Program for pediatric patients.

Anita is a rising Junior at Stanford studying Product Design, Political Science, and Data Science with a focus on AI and international development. A creative at heart and first-generation Nigerian‑American from Los Angeles, she believes in using design and storytelling to empower youth and uplift underserved voices. At age 15, she launched “Anita Did It,” building a hairstyling business grounded in cultural pride and self-expression. Through her academic work, she reimagines Afrofuturism as an economic framework, exploring resilience through informal cultural labor such as fashion, hair, and music. This summer, Anita researched and wrote a new insights report that explores how AI is shaping the future of careers for Gen Z.

Srinivas Gollapudi is a current senior at Upland High School in Southern California and is an alum of our 2023 CREATE Summer Fellowship program. He is currently applying to college as a prospective mechanical engineering major and hopes to combine his passion for environmental science with his engineering pursuit to unite and impact communities around the world through his current ventures, such as being on the founding board of Ocean Busters. Srinivas is an avid environmentalist and has also participated in an externship program with Earth Echo International.

Alfredo Mathew III began his career in New York City where, as a founding teacher of a New Century High School in the South Bronx, he was awarded Teacher of the Year by the NYC Department of Education. Until recently Alfredo led the strategic vision and programming for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in the Bay Area, where he developed an earned revenue stream, expanded the reach and impact of NFTE programs, and forged lasting relationships with school district partners, corporations, entrepreneurs, and other education nonprofit leaders. He now leads the social impact consultancy Working World where he puts his network and experience to work in support of social impact.

Kathia is a compassionate leadership coach, organizational consultant, and facilitator with 30 years of international experience across North America, Latin America, and Europe. Kathia develops collaboration and innovation capacities for systemic transformation and organizational effectiveness from the inside out. She combines her scholarly and professional expertise in systems thinking, feminine and indigenous ways of knowing, regenerative design, mindfulness, and collective wisdom to support leaders in transforming themselves and their organizations into caring, inclusive, and collaborative cultures.

She was a faculty member at Saybrook University, Presidio Graduate School, and EGADE Business School where she taught systems thinking, leadership and sustainability in their MBA and Ph.D. programs for 20 years. Kathia was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, and came to the USA as a Fulbright Scholar for her Ph.D. in Human Science with a specialization in Social and Institutional Change. Kathia is a certified executive coach in the Leadership Circle Profile and Be Well Lead Well assessments as well as a Reiki Master and Systemic Constellations facilitator. She is a mother, gardener, book lover, and yoga practitioner and is fluent in English and Spanish.

IN MEMORIAM When Christian was 9 years old, he created Cooline Team of East Palo Alto (CTEPA) to help other young people in his community have a safe place to have fun. Christian served as the Executive Director of CTEPA, a service-based organization for youth ages 5-18 in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City that promotes service, leadership and teamwork through serving the community in a fun and engaging way. CTEPA is devoted to helping local youth succeed and create change that will make a huge positive impact in our world. Christian loved being of service to his community and enjoyed learning new ways to help our world become a more fair, just and loving place.

Alphonse is a graduating student at Stanford University with a degree in Management Science and Engineering, and is originally from Boston, Massachusetts. Alphonse draws his inspiration in helping underrepresented youth explore impact careers from watching his parents, both of whom immigrated to the U.S. from developing countries, have successful careers in mathematics and engineering. Previously, Alphonse served as a teaching assistant at Euler Circle where he helped teach high school students college-level mathematics. His other experience includes internships as a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital and as an engineering intern at a Black-owned cleantech startup. Upon completion of his degree, Alphonse will be joining an investment banking firm in Charlotte, North Carolina as a full-time analyst.

Ninette is a Management Science and Engineering student and aspiring software engineer from South Central Los Angeles. With a passion for technology and education reform, she has applied her skills to diverse industries ranging from non-profits and start-ups, to corporate, and most recently public relations. Recognized with awards like the Grace Hopper Scholarship and Stanford Emerging Leaders Award, Ninette is committed to using technology to empower communities from underrepresented backgrounds. After graduation, she will join the industrial manufacturing technology sector as a full-time software engineer, continuing her mission to drive positive change through innovation.

Sharmila is a seasoned sustainability professional with over 14 years of experience in crafting and executing impactful sustainability strategies across waste management, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water reuse. She specializes in guiding clients through Zero Waste practices, B Corp certifications, and ESG reporting strategies.

Discovering her true calling involved pursuing a career that merges business strategy with a meaningful impact on the world. This journey ignited her passion for helping others uncover career paths that offer genuine joy and fulfillment. As the founder of Green Lens Coaching, Sharmila supports professionals looking to transition into climate and social justice work. She conducts workshops and coaches clients in self-discovery, leadership, and career development.

John M. Gonzales has always been a self-driven individual who knew at an early age that he wanted to work in the IT space and help the Government. This was manifested by his nearly 30 years of combined IT experience in both the private and public sector along with his 14 years of honorable military service in the United States Air Force.  A technical Director/Architect with an MS in Computer and Information Science along with an MBA in Technology Management: Internet Systems & Services, John holds strongly the personal belief that it does not matter who you are or where you come from: you have the same potential and worth to achieve wonderful things as anyone else. Sometimes you just need some assistance in seeing your pathway to get there and we as a society owe it to future generations to help shed a light on that pathway. John’s thirst for learning was a critical component in his journey and his desire to give back to communities, be it through training manager opportunities, or working pro-bono to assist cancer survivor camps, he’s always happy to contribute to those who may need a little something to get to the next level in whatever life may bring.

Lucia joined us in 2018 while a student of Stanford University, where she majored in computer science and minored in math. As CreatorsCircle’s inaugural Stanford University BEAM Summer Fellow, Lucia built the technical foundation for the CreatorsCircle Opportunities Database. Beyond her work for this organization, she has worked on several projects that leverage technology to build solutions for public sector challenges and advocate for policy changes. Lucia has also mentored and taught computer science to students in East Palo Alto through her work with StreetCode Academy, served as the Outreach Chair for Stanford Women in Computer Science and was the People Lead for Girls Teaching Girls to Code at Stanford.

Stephanie joined us in 2023 as a volunteer researcher. She is an educator and systems thinker who brings years of experience as a classroom teacher, a teacher-leader, a program director, an instructional coach, and a school administrator in schools from New Orleans, Louisiana to Tlaxcala, Mexico to Richmond, California. She is a graduate of the Master's in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies program at Stanford University, and is currently a Program Director at UndauntedK12. She loves supporting young people in realizing their potential, working in teams to amplify collective impact, and navigating complex systems to challenge the status quo and spur meaningful change.

Anwar is a graduating engineering student with a minor in mathematics at Stanford University, originally from the Washington, D.C. area. A proud advocate for public education, Anwar is passionate about promoting educational equity and inspiring young men in underserved communities to excel academically. Previously, Anwar served as a team leader with Youth in Philanthropy at the Community Foundation of Howard County and was honored with the Howard County Executive Political Science Award. Anwar has gained valuable experience as an intern at a major consulting firm and will be joining the firm full-time in Houston, Texas, upon graduation. Motivated by a desire to create opportunities in education, Anwar aims to make a positive impact through both professional and community-focused work.

Over the past 30 years, Mark’s work in education has engaged him in a wide variety of public, private, and charter schools, as well as other informal education organizations and nonprofits. Mark's experience is matched by his depth of commitment to creating pathways of opportunity for underrepresented students in California. He founded the nonprofit, MakeKnowledge, to create ecosystems of opportunity in education. Mark is an innovator, a builder, and a connector. He has launched and expanded pathways in multiple sectors, and helped schools raise over $7 million to support career pathways. In addition, Mark has helped schools and districts understand how to create rich, integrated career pathways leading to high-road climate and green careers.

Mark has received fellowships from the Orion Society and The Fulbright Memorial Fund, and was among the first recipients of Philadelphia’s Great Friends To Kids Award early in his career. After an undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, he attained his masters degree from Stanford in Learning, Design, and Technology, where he was an early and active part of Stanford’s innovative Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) community.

Marsha Willard, PhD is principal of AXIS, a consulting firm founded in 1990 that is recognized for its expertise in the implementation of sustainability. She applies her management consulting, training and facilitation skills to help organizations find responsible solutions that meet all stakeholder needs—for owners, customers, employees, the community and the environment. Marsha has co-authored six popular business books, including the award-winning The Business Guide to Sustainability and A Step by Step Guide to Sustainability Planning. She is also professor emeritus at the Presidio Graduate School and co-founder and former Executive Director of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP).

Lily joined us in 2019 while a sophomore at Stanford University studying Computer Science and English. She developed CreatorCircle’s Opportunities Database through her selection in Stanford University’s BEAM Summer Program. During the school year, Lily is a tech team member at The Stanford Daily and the poetry editor for Leland Quarterly. Through her work with several literary magazines and theater organizations, she has also worked on projects that combine technology and art to promote marginalized voices. Lily is passionate about creating socially inclusive written and visual content to empower and educate fellow youths of color.

Isha Clarke, a co-founder and activist with Youth Vs. Apocalypse, is a recent high school graduate born, raised, and educated in Oakland, CA. Isha recognizes that climate change is the consequence of fundamental systems of oppression like white supremacy, capitalism, and colonialism. Because of this, people of color, indigenous communities, and working-class people are disproportionately burdened by impacts of climate catastrophe. Knowing this, Isha’s work is focused on building a movement that follows the leadership of frontline communities and works to dismantle the systems of oppression that fuel climate change. Isha was awarded the 2019 Brower Youth Award, the 2020 Diller Tikkun Olam Award, and has become a nationally recognized speaker, presenter, and writer.

Kim is a mindful entrepreneur and founder of Ways & Meaning. She works with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, social enterprises and conscious companies to improve their ability to create positive impact in the world. Kim’s expertise lies at the intersection of management consulting, social sciences and creative thinking. She’s best at organizing and focusing confused organizations, being honest and straight with leaders about the things no one else will say, and coming up with fresh perspectives on old problems. Kim earned an MBA from Melbourne Business School and a BA in Communications from the University of California, Santa Barbara.