Mike Gross
Executive Director, Genesys Works NYC
Justice and equity have motivated Mike Gross to devote his career to improving education and opportunities for all young people. A youth development and urban education leader with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Mike’s experience includes a decade as a teacher and founder of award-winning youth leadership programs and over a decade of systemic education reform work with organizations including New Leaders, Springboard Collaborative and the NYC DOE. Mike believes that we will not break the cycle of intergenerational poverty gripping too many communities across the country unless we provide students with pathways to career success that support them in achieving their full potential. He is a public school graduate, holds an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and is an alum of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs.
Geraldine Mpetey
Program Manager
Geraldine Mpetey came to Genesys Works after three years working as an Admissions Counselor at Bethel University. While working at Bethel, Geraldine supported 80 students per year through Bethel’s college admissions process. Geraldine took a particular interest in recruiting for ActSix, an Urban Leadership Scholarship, and creating an inclusive community on campus for students of color. Geraldine is a proud first generation graduate who attended Bethel University and received her B.A and Masters in Psychology. She is excited to continue making an impact on youth as students pursue college options. Geraldine is passionate about youth of color and how we can make an impact on educational equity.
Yanki Hancioglu
Program Coordinator
Prior to joining Genesys Works, Yanki Hancioglu served as the eTutoring Program Coordinator for three years at The School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), a US-based, Afghan-led nonprofit organization that operates Afghanistan’s first and only all-girls boarding school. As Coordinator, Yanki managed and supported over 75 pairs of tutors and tutees on a yearly basis who participate in virtual exchange sessions. Yanki’s prior experience also includes youth coaching and professional teaching in the United States and abroad. He moved to the United States from his native Turkey at the age of 12, and completed his BA in International Relations at Hamilton College and his MA in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University. He is particularly passionate about discovering systematic ways of achieving economic and social equality, both nationally and worldwide.
Lidya Etissa
Operations Admin
Lidya Etissa is an alumni of Genesys Works National Capital Region. She was part of the class of 2017 where she interned at Strayer University corporate office in their marketing department. Currently, she is in her senior year of college at Virginia Tech majoring in Business Information Technology and minoring in Leadership and Social Change. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career where she can use her technology skills to impact social change. She came back to work for Genesys Works in New York City because it paved her way for her professional career since providing her first opportunity to work in a corporate environment just as a high school student. Therefore, she wants to give back to the organization and help other students.
Operations Admin