Guest Speakers: creating opportunity

Each semester Elevate New York invites guest speakers from various professions to speak with students about their career, education, and personal experiences. Our guest speakers create opportunities for our students by introducing them to new potential career paths, sharing their post-secondary educational experiences, and their personal definitions of success.

Thank you for empowering our leaders!

Kayla Stern & The Cool Aunt Series

Kayla Stern is a freshman at Texas Christian University, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She is a human rights advocate with a focus on sex trafficking awareness. Her family has spent years working with various organizations that help raise awareness to end Human Trafficking. She continues her mission by working with Rachel Thomas and her program, The Cool Aunt Series. The Cool Aunt Series, was created for at-risk pre-teens and teens. Kayla aims to share her experience in the fashion industry, discuss cyberbullying and how to use social media in a positive way, self-esteem, leadership, and the power of leading with a kind and open heart.

Career Spring

Career Springs Mission & Vision is unlocking potential by creating access. Career Spring envisions a future where every first generation student in the United States acquires meaningful, high-quality employment that maximizes their God given potential, provides dignity of work, and enriches the labor market. They know access is key. Which is why they are all about creating a Platform that makes access possible. Together with their Network, they can realize their mission to unlock the employment potential of first generation students by providing career information, social capital, and job placement services.

Year Up

Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by ensuring that young adults gain the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education. They believe that every young adult has potential and deserves opportunity and economic justice. Year Up is committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions are left disconnected from the economic mainstream. These inequities only further perpetuate the Opportunity Divide that exists in our country—a divide that Year Up is determined and positioned to close.

Bre Bryd, Spotify

Bre is a dedicated entertainment marketing professional, with experience in brand strategy and commercial partnerships. She is particularly passionate about harnessing the power of entertainment for social and cultural change. She currently works in Studios Marketing at Spotify, building strategy, copywriting, and assisting with creative campaigns for podcasts and brand initiatives. Before Spotify, Bre got her start in the music industry working on brand partnerships at JAY-Z’s Roc Nation.

To date, Bre has worked across creative entertainment campaigns for Super Bowl LIV, Made in America music festival, The Roc Nation Grammy Brunch, the Jonas Brothers’ Happiness Begins tour, Megan Thee Stallion x Coach, and the Joe Rogan Experience.