About Us
SkillUp is dedicated to helping more than 40 million workers get rehired for in-demand jobs in high-growth industries. Our coalition is made up of over 60 world-class training and education providers, tech firms, employers, and philanthropies.
Our Mission
Joining Together for America’s Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an economic toll on America’s workers. With unemployment rates not seen since the Great Depression, workers across the country are trying to reorient themselves in the face of an uncertain future.
To address this critical need, we launched the SkillUp Coalition, an upskilling non-profit coalition built to help America’s laid-off and furloughed workers access the training and employment opportunities they need to secure a place in the economy of the future.
Rather than push workers back into jobs just like the ones they left, SkillUp gives workers the opportunity to build new skills that are suited to in-demand jobs with promising career paths.
The Coalition also enables partners to share best practices, collaborate on shared challenges, and participate in public engagement campaigns that help frontline workers begin a prosperous new stage in their careers.
SkillUp works with our partners to create an affordable, equitable, relevant upskilling ecosystem that works well for workers, employers, and society.
Meet Our Team
Steven Lee
Executive Director
Elissa Salas
Vice President, Partnerships & Operations
Yelba Adumbire
Program Associate
Beth Davis
Vice President, Training & Analytics
Mariangeles Chinelatto
Marketing & Content Manager
Grace Gerber
Community Manager
Desirée Jewell
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Erin Ravenscraft
Program Associate
Felissa Rubin
Digital Marketing Strategist
Blyth Strachman
Vice President, Product
Tiara Porter
Executive Assistant
Seroja Boyakhchian
Product Management
Meet Our Coalition Partners
SkillUp is a unique coalition of more than 60 top employers, training and education providers, technology companies, job readiness nonprofits, and philanthropies dedicated to equipping workers with the skills that will help them thrive in high-growth, in-demand jobs.
Board of Directors and Advisors
Andre Bennin
Board Director
Managing Partner, Juvo Ventures
Josh Jarrett
Board Director
Executive Chair, SkillUp Coalition Founder SVP, Strategy, Wiley
Maria Flynn
Board Director
President and CEO, Jobs for the Future
Jose Ortiz, Jr.
Board Director
CEO, NYC Employment & Training Coalition
Rob Gifford
Advisory Board
President at National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
Aaron Osmond
Advisory Board
Education and Workforce Specialist – Global Public Sector, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Worker Advisory Board
The Voice of those most impacted
We work for the American worker. Any solution we develop and action we take needs to be done for and with those on the frontline. They are our inspiration and reason for being.
We have assembled a Worker Advisory Board that consists of workers who have been impacted by COVID-19. This body helps inform, guide and influence all SkillUp services and outreach.
Akil G
Technology
New York
Brenda M
Catering
California
Katherine B
Personal care aide
New York
Roger S
School Support Services
Texas
Shannon J
Custodial Support
Texas