SparkYouth NYC to Honor exalt CEO Gisele Castro with 2023 Community Impact Awards Ceremony on October 11, 2023

Congratulations to Gisele Castro, our CEO, for receiving the esteemed 2023 Community Impact Award from SparkYouth NYC.

SparkYouth is delighted to recognize Gisele for her visionary and transformative leadership. Her exceptional achievements were prominently demonstrated during the successful completion of a three-year scaling plan in FY22. This plan included pivotal milestones such as relocating exalt to its first headquarters in 2019 and expanding the physical space at 17 Battery by the close of 2022. During this period, Gisele tripled the organization’s staff, enhanced our internal capacity and infrastructure, and effectively steered exalt into its midlife cycle.  

Gisele's dedication and steadfast commitment to empowering youth have not only transformed exalt but have also set an exemplary standard for the youth development community. Her leadership perfectly embodies the essence of the Community Impact Award, and SparkYouth takes pride in celebrating her remarkable accomplishments.  

In Gisele's own words, "This award is especially meaningful to me as exalt was one of SparkYouth NYC's first grantees during its startup phase. For over 25 years, SparkYouth NYC has been a trailblazer in identifying and supporting promising emerging and second-stage youth development programs. They provide multi-year general operating support, co-factor lab-technical support, and nonprofit management support in a cohort/peer support model. Serving as a board member for this unique foundation since 2020, I've had the privilege of mentoring many new executive directors during a critical phase of their organizations' growth."