Our Team

 
 

Chaya Harris, the new Executive Director of Boston’s Elevate Youth, is a leader, educator, and adventurer who is passionate about bringing equal access to nature and high-quality experiences in the outdoors to our underserved youth. 

Chaya, who grew up in Boston, most recently served as the National Program Director at Outdoor Afro, where she supported a team of 105 volunteers across the country in hosting monthly recreational events with a focus on wellness in the Black community, collaborated with partners on special projects, and assisted with communications and storytelling. 

Prior, as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Thompson Island Outward Bound, Chaya worked closely with Boston Public Schools to help facilitate exciting, hands-on adventures on the Boston Harbor Islands, including overnight programs that combined academic learning with social-emotional development through ropes courses.  

Previous to her work at nonprofits, Chaya was an educator in the Boston Public Schools for a decade. She taught Grade 5 at Dorchester’s Mather Elementary, working with students with disabilities and those learning English as a second language throughout her career. She later completed the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College and served as a Principal Fellow at the Mendell Elementary School under former Principal Julia Bott. 

Throughout the years, Chaya has worked and volunteered with community organizations to promote access to the often transformational and healing experiences of being outside – of being in and embracing nature. She especially enjoys hiking, kayaking, mountaineering and playing sports. Chaya is also a certified kayak instructor.

 

CHAYA HARRIS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 
 

Sophie spent her adolescence engaging in outdoor-leadership trips, culminating in a 45 day sea kayaking trip in the Inside Passage, Alaska before working as a trip co-leader and counsellor for two years. She continued work in outdoor education by serving as Colby College’s Orientation Trips Coordinator where she helped organize route planning, partner integration, and leader training for over 120 student-led trips around Maine. She holds a B.A. from Colby College in Environmental Science and C.E.R in Premedical Studies from Georgetown University.

SOPHIA GOULD

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & PROGRAMMING

 

Waddy is a Southeastern US native who first began to explore the outdoors in high school into college and is now an avid nature photographer, backpacker, kayaker, and climber. He went to school at Sewanee: The University of South where he volunteered with Well Directed Curiosity by leading elementary school students in outdoor adventures. He took multiple climbing trips in places such as the Kentucky Red River Gorge and Colorado’s Shelf Road. Waddy graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in religion. Since college, Waddy has worked as a residential instructor and as a registered behavioral therapist. He has served children and teens who have been diagnosed with forms of mental, behavioral, developmental, or emotional disorders. He has also worked as a Wilderness therapy guide leading teens and young adults on various week long itineraries in Utah doing things such as mountain biking, canyoneering, climbing, and backpacking. Waddy hopes to share his love for the outdoors and help give others an opportunity to experience it. He also hopes to be a guide and role model to youth in the Boston area.

WADDY STRYKER

OUTDOOR INSTRUCTOR & MANAGER OF SPECIAL PROJECTS

 
 
 

Shawna is from upstate New York where she developed a lifelong passion for nature at a young age having grown up exploring the Adirondacks and working as a gardener in the summers. In her youth, she babysat a variety of children in the summers and after school, and developed a love for promoting hands-on learning experiences for kids.She earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Native Peoples in the Environment from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her academic journey included volunteering in educational programs during the school year and participating in fieldwork internships each summer, such as paddling to remove invasive species and working as a coastal field assistant.

Shawna is excited to mentor and inspire young learners, hoping to share her enthusiasm for the environment while also learning from the kids she engages with. New to Boston, she looks forward to this opportunity to grow and contribute to the community.

SHAWNA MULVIHILL

OUTDOOR INSTRUCTOR

 

Noah has had a deep connection to nature his whole life. He grew up near Walden Pond, in Concord, MA, where his passion for the outdoors took root. Noah has worked for years as a camp counselor and as an afterschool assistant in a non-profit recreational facility. While working there, he has also led numerous recreation classes, where he honed in on leadership skills and fostered a positive environment for kids from all ages and backgrounds to learn and have fun. Noah is currently a Junior at Endicott College pursuing his undergraduate degree with an emphasis on counseling and ecology. Noah is an avid fisherman who’s always felt drawn to helping others find their own joy in nature. He is looking forward to being able to continue to share and inspire his love for the outdoors at Elevate Youth this summer.

NOAH HOSHINO

SUMMER OUTDOOR INSTRUCTOR

 
 
 
 
 

Board of Directors

 
 

Tuck serves as a Vice President at Audax Group where she works on the Business Development, Private Equity team. Prior to that she ran the US office for World Challenge Expeditions, an international expedition company that taught teens leadership development in an outdoor setting. She has experience in strategic planning, business development, operational improvements and project management. Tuck received a BA in Economics from Boston University and an MBA from Babson College.

From an early age growing up sailing with her family the waters from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine, Tuck developed a love for adventure and the outdoors. Through her work with World Challenge Expeditions, Outward Bound and Surfrider Foundation she has helped empower and inspire hundreds of youths to share her passion for outdoor pursuits. In her personal time, Tuck is an avid skier, sailor and adventure traveler.

MARY TUCK WELCH

PRESIDENT

 

Nicole is an Elementary School Teacher in Milton Public Schools. She brings a wealth of experience in both special education and early childhood education, having taught for the last 15 years in Boston Public Schools. Nicole now teaches an Integrated Pre-K class at Tucker Elementary School in Milton. Over her years in BPS, Nicole also worked with the Office of Extended Learning Time as a Trainer/Facilitator for BPS teachers, helping to develop and facilitate trainings for teacher leaders. She also worked as a Consultant for Teachers21, facilitating a Graduate Level course in Using Data as part of the Boston Teacher Leadership Certificate Program.

In addition to teaching, Nicole is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher - currently teaching enrichment sessions for Pre-K and Kindergarten students. Outside of the schoolhouse, Nicole is a longtime volunteer coach for Harlem Lacrosse Boston, where she works with middle school girls in Dorchester. She has also been a Big Sister and regularly volunteers with local nonprofits, like Greater Boston Food Pantry and the Martin Richards Foundation. Nicole is a graduate of Hobart & William Smith Colleges. She also holds an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Movement Therapy from Lesley University and an M.S. in Special Education from Simmons College.

NICOLE DAVIS

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CHAIR

 

Benjamin serves as the Head of Customer Success, North America for Biocomputing Platforms (BC Platforms). He has extensive experience in helping teams develop systems, tools, and methodologies to better serve clients. Benjamin served as an overnight Counselor at Boys State Massachusetts for five years in which he taught leadership skills to youth in the program. Furthermore, he has been involved in joint research in Marine and Molecular biology and assisted in international conservation initiatives between several institutions. Benjamin has served as a mentor in the Big Brother Big Sisters program and continues to be an example of a positive mentor for youth in the Boston area. He holds a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Philosophy from Boston University and currently resides in Boston.

BENJAMIN JACKSON

Clerk

With over a decade spent in healthcare, John has extensive experience in financial redesign, programmatic growth, and professional services in a dynamic and evolving industry. His work frequently centers on finance and operational transformation as the drivers for patient outcomes and satisfaction. Currently, he serves as a Senior Customer Success Manager at athenahealth. Prior to that, he served as a Consultant at ECG Management Consultants in their Academic Healthcare Practice focusing on funds flow redesign and clinical integration projects at academic medical centers (AMCs) across the country. In a distant life, he worked at two of the nation’s leading AMCs, Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, where his focus was hospital inpatient intensive care operations and administration and physician organization psychiatric inpatient, emergency department, and satellite clinic operations and financial oversight, respectively. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Public Health degree with a focus in policy and management from Boston University. John grew up on Peaks Island and Portland Maine and has lived in the Boston area for 10+ years.

JOHN MURPHY

TREASURER

 

Julia is currently an Associate at McKinsey & Company, Boston. She completed her Ph.D. in education, where she focused on how teaches can build culturally responsive classrooms for young people. Julia has a love for running, trail running, skate skiing, and hiking. She’s thrilled to be joining the EY board to combine her passions of equity and inclusion and experiencing the outdoors.


JULIA JEFFRIES

BOARD MEMBER

 

Sam is a Vice President of Strategy & Analytics in Cartesian’s Boston office, with responsibilities for client development and engagement management. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He brings nearly ten years of experience advising clients on a broad range of strategic initiatives. He has worked with clients on topics including corporate strategy, product strategy, growth strategy, market analysis, data analysis and visualization, and predictive analytics. Sam received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and his Bachelor of Science degree with Honors from the Boston University School of Management.

SAM KORNSTEIN

BOARD MEMBER

 
 
 

Greg is currently a Senior Fellow in the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI), a program created to help leaders transition from their primary career to an impactful role in the social sector.  Greg’s specific areas of interest are land and water conservation, urban parks, and youth development.

Prior to enrolling in the ALI program Greg held multiple general management roles in Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global leader in the life sciences sector.  He was most recently senior vice president and president of the company’s $8 billion laboratory and clinical supplies distribution business.  Earlier in his career Greg worked in sales, marketing and general management roles in GE’s Plastics and Locomotive Systems businesses. 

Greg has a BS degree in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  He is a Senior Advisor to Novalis LifeSciences and a board member at Levitas Bio.  Greg is also a member of the The Trustees of Reservations and Boston Harbor Now Advisory Boards.  In the past he served in board roles for the Analytical, Life Science, & Diagnostics Association and the Virginia Tech Foundation. 

Greg and his wife Itsuko live in the South End and have a daughter in NYC and a son in Philadelphia.  Greg is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys fishing, hiking, cycling, and  golf.              


GREG HERREMA

BOARD MEMBER

Born, raised and residing in Boston, Alex is a product of Boston Public Schools. He earned a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Sociology from UMass Boston and Masters in Criminal Justice from UMass Lowell, and is an alumnae and former employee at the Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club. He’s also a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department where he started his career in East Boston, but is now assigned to the School Police Unit.  The unit focuses on intervention and prevention, working in tandem with school administrations, social workers, parents, community centers, clergy and students to help steer youth away from the criminal justice system and ultimately into productive members of society.

Driven by being the change he wanted to see in his community, he went into law enforcement. He didn’t settle for any other department or city, he says. He would gain most satisfaction by giving back to the community that poured into him. He wanted to be the person that the community needed while he was growing up and be the person it needs now.  He wanted to lead by example and help do God’s work. Outdoor activities he enjoys doing are hiking, fishing, football, basketball. 

ALEXANDER REYES

BOARD MEMBER

 
 
 

Liam Crane is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office and a member of the firm's Private Wealth Services Group. Liam focuses his practice on domestic and international estate and tax planning. On the domestic side, he counsels high-net-worth clients and their advisors on implementing sophisticated estate planning techniques designed to effectively accumulate, preserve and transfer wealth in accordance with the client's wishes. As part of this process, Liam develops advanced estate plans and prepares a wide range of estate and tax planning instruments, including wills, revocable trusts, insurance trusts, dynasty trusts and related documents.

In both the international and domestic spheres, Liam has a keen understanding of the scope of goals and concerns of wealthy clients and families, and adapts his estate and tax planning advice to address the particular concerns of each individual or family – whether the ultimate goal is to provide for future generations, support a specific charitable cause or maintain a successful business. Liam always seeks to achieve each client's objectives through a sophisticated analysis of the factors at play, including legal and tax considerations, but also issues related to family dynamics, business operations and other practical concerns.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Liam worked in the private client group of a large law firm located in Seattle, WA, as well as in the international and domestic estate planning group of a global law firm, in its Connecticut and New York offices. He also worked as a judicial intern to the Honorable Judge Joseph L. Tauro of the United States District Court of the District of Massachusetts, and previously served for a year as a corps member in City Year Boston – an education-focused nonprofit organization serving children in underserved communities.

LIAM CRANE

BOARD MEMBER

Robin is an entrepreneur working to build both market and social impact. Previously, Robin was VP of market development at Endurance International Group, a cloud-based website and marketing SAAS provider to SMBs worldwide. He has worked at Ashoka, a network of social innovators in 90+ countries. Robin was an early team member in the India office of a global data analytics and consulting company and began his career in financial services in the US and UK. He is a two-time semifinalist of the MIT100K entrepreneurship competition. He holds an MBA from M.I.T. and a BA in international relations and economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Robin also served as a board member at Warm Heart Worldwide, whose founders he collaborated with for 17 years, including launching Global PACT, a social enterprise supporting young leaders solving self-identified problems in their communities. He co-developed Global PACT’s learning methods in Mongolia, facilitated its youth leadership workshops in the US, and co-led its month-long all-Balkans workshops focused on youth leadership in post-conflict civic engagement.

ROBIN BOSE

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER

 
 

With over a decade of experience in the outdoor industry, Alec has refined his skills in outdoor leadership and education. As an alumnus of the National Outdoor Leadership School and founder of two adventure outfitters (ACKkayak & Patagon Adventures) he is proficient in risk management, environmental education, and business management. Furthermore, he has worked as an environmental consultant for various Conservation organizations. Most recently he became manager of TownPool, a retail/marketing company, based in Nantucket and Boston. Along with his passion for the outdoors he has become an ambassador for youth mentoring in the Boston area. Currently he is a mentor in the Big Brother Big Sisters program as well as a certified instructor in the field of Positive Youth Development. As the Founder of Elevate Youth, Alec continues his work in highlighting the importance of nature and mentorship in the lives of underserved youth.

Alec grew up in Butler, Maryland and has been living in the Boston area for the past 9 years.

Alec has now turned his focus to engaging communities of color in the outdoor world. Alec is responsible for creating and maintaining program partners and sponsorships. He currently heads the fundraising development committee and works closely with the Board to engage donors and community leaders. Alec attended Dickinson College, where he studied Political Science and played Lacrosse. He went on to the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and spent several years in Chilean Patagonia. He is a graduate of the 2018-2019 cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program at UMass Boston and resides in Charlestown, MA. Alec is a passionate outdoorsman and an advocate for youth mentoring in Massachusetts.

Click here to see short video of Alec speaking about the creation of Elevate Youth.

ALEC GRISWOLD

FOUNDEr

 

Board Advisory Council

  • COO MassBio

  • Major Gifts Officer at UTEC

  • Former Sales Executive & Founder of Pay Forward Coaching

  • Founder & Creative Director, VOYAGER

  • Elevate Youth Director of Programming & Operations

  • Former Director of Development at BUILD Boston

  • Conservation & Community Partnerships Manager at Costa Sunglasses

 

E.A.T Committee

  • Business Development Director at CommonWealth Kitchen, founder of La Conexión

  • co-owner of Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton, former owner/operator of Nourish Restaurant and Big Fresh Cafe. She has served on the boards of RIA House, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Green America (formerly Coop America), Natick Community Organic Farm, and Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston.

  • Founder, Mother Caroline Academy and Education Mentoring Program, Northeastern University Torch Mentor, Leadership Board Executive Council for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  • Pediatric Wellness Director at Boston Community Pediatrics, Researcher and Publisher on Health and Wellness in Latinx Communities. Advisory Board Member for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

  • Farm Manager at Trillium Brewing Company, Production Manager & Head Chef at Fresh Food Generation

  • Digital Marketing manager at Stop & Shop, Member of Board of Trustees at Mother Caroline Academy

  • Realtor at Unlimited Sotheby’s International Realty, yoga instructor, Food writer

  • Vice President, Business Development, Audax Private Equity, Board President at Elevate Youth

  • Torch Scholar at Northeastern University, Student researcher at Northeastern University's Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, and Network and Research Fellow at Chica Project.