Joshua Gorman
Coordinator
Joshua helps to steward the work of GenUp as a whole, and is accountable for finance, operations, organizational governance, leadership & community empowerment, partnerships, Thrive Leadership & Hub program coordination, trainings, and WakeUp program coordination.
“I grew up in the heart of mainstream, middle-class American culture in the suburbs of Washington, DC. As I awoke in my adolescence to the state of our world, I went “mad” and set out in search of deeper meaning. For years I traveled and worked in California, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawai’i. In my early twenties, I went through a personal transformation that altered the course of my life: I saw clearly the pivotal role that our generation is being called to play in creating a thriving, just, and sustainable world for all. Supporting young people creating positive change has become the passion and purpose I wake up committed to every day.”
Joshua designed a major called “Global Youth and Social Change” at George Mason University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Global Youth Action Network/TakingITGlobal-US and supports youth-led projects around the world. In 2008, he co-founded Global Passageways, a network of individuals and organizations working in the fields of youth and community development, contemporary rites of passage, intergenerational mentoring and collaboration, and cultural renewal. He is a lifelong student of human development and transformational education with a focus on providing young people the experiences, knowledge, and skills they need to thrive in the twenty-first century. Currently he is at work completing a book titled Generation Waking Up: How A New Generation Of Young People Is Coming Of Age And Changing Our World.
joshua@generationwakingup.org
(703) 380-0913
Piya Banerjee
Core Team
Piya is accountable for GenUp’s communications & web, fundraising, and staff team health & empowerment; and contributes in the areas of strategic planning, program development, and community engagement.
“I grew up a world citizen, born in India and living in Papua New Guinea, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. throughout my childhood and adolescence into adulthood. Navigating constantly changing environments while being rooted in a traditionally Indian home allowed me to explore the cross-sections and nuances of unique global cultures, perspectives, and lifestyles. This early exposure to infinite options forced me to self-reflect on what it was I really wanted out of my own life, and what deeper purpose I wanted to contribute to. GenUp’s campaign to ignite a youth movement to change the world lights my heart afire and enables me to be a bridge-builder for the different communities that have made deep impact on my life along the way.”
Piya Banerjee graduated with a B.A. in Finance and International Business from the University of Washington. She has worked a variety of positions post-graduation including Management Consultant, GMAT Instructor, and Public Relations and Development Manager for an education-based non-profit in Hyderabad, India. She is also a lifelong student of human development, yoga, and music and is excited to embody all aspects of herself in her work with GenUp.
piya@generationwakingup.org
(425) 274-6683
Valerie Love
WakeUp Project Coordinator
Valerie is accountable for the development of the WakeUp experience, our interactive, multimedia, peer-led educational workshop that moves young people into lasting hope and inspired action.
“As a young woman, I adventured outward to find purpose and passion. I traveled through Central America, worked on farms, and came home to channel my energy into campus organizing around environmental and social justice issues. As I got deeper into on-the-ground projects, I began to see that change could only spread so far as awareness and popular will penetrated. In 2010, I stumbled into the life-altering opportunity to work with Generation Waking Up to create a youth version of Pachamama Alliance’s Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. While following in the footsteps of the elders in my family who helped create the content of the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, I am able to merge my passion for spreading the message of our times with my insights as a young social change agent, to shape an experience that speaks powerfully to people of my generation.”
Valerie Love graduated from Pitzer College in 2007, with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and International and Intercultural Studies. Since graduating, Valerie has managed campaigns at Clean Water Action, coordinated the Buy Fresh Buy Local program in Contra Costa, and worked with a network of state and local governments to increase socially and environmentally responsible purchasing. She has also co-taught a college course and workshops exploring transformational leadership for social change.
valerie@generationwakingup.org
(925) 918-3466
Esteban Duarte
Video Projects Coordinator
Esteban is accountable for the development of the WakeUp experience, our interactive, multimedia, peer-led educational workshop that moves young people into lasting hope and inspired action.
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!” – That quote brought to me a new sense of hope and responsibility towards the future we face, but even more important, towards the present we live in. I envision using the powerful language of media and video to reveal stories, secrets and hidden knowledge to the widest audience possible. That’s why even though I am passionate about new technologies I always go back to basics: the stories that connect us and relate us to the understandings and possibilities of creating a life in balance with our dreams and our surroundings.”
Esteban is a Colombian born-and-raised filmmaker. He studied Communication Sciences and Visual Arts with a double major in Video Production and Journalism at the Javeriana University (Bogota, Colombia). His work has been always at the service of independent and social transformative media. In his time in the Bay Area he has gotten to support the work of projects and organizations such as Link TV, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and several independent documentaries that support the vision of Bay Area change-making nonprofit organizations. Through his life journey he has gotten an intimate understanding of different native indigenous traditions throughout the Americas; these experiences have inspired and shaped his narratives as a storyteller.
esteban@generationwakingup.org
(415) 307-2389