Chief Executive Officer: Nathan John

"I have seen first hand the difference support and hard work can make, that is why we are committed to helping young people go beyond any boundaries and achieve unprecedented success"

Before founding Y-E-L, Nathan worked as an accountant for various leading financial institutions such as Bank One, Ernst & Young LLP, Citigroup and RBS.

Since 2007 he has been interviewed over 150 times on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, LBC, The Guardian plus more in relation to challenges facing young people and the wider community.

In May 2010, Nathan was appointed as the new Community Cohesion Adviser to the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock and is a member of the Lewisham Youth Task Force.  He was an Adviser to the Stephen Lawrence Review, which was chaired by Dr Richard Stone and was also a member of the NPIA’s Stop and Search Community Panel.

He was included in The Voice newspaper's top 20 Movers and Shakers of 2009 to look out for along with President Barack Obama, Baroness Scotland, Lewis Hamilton, Levi Roots plus more. He was also awarded by the London Youth Corporation for being a Guest Speaker at the first 10/10 Leadership Summit held in Park Lane.

Managing Director: Dwain Gregory Forde

"The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow, it is our responsibility to ensure each one of them has the belief and tools to fulfil their potential. This will be a great benefit to society"

Committee Member: Polly Harrar

Polly has been a supporter of Y-E -L since 2008.

With a background in equality & diversity, Polly currently works for Enterprise UK as a Project Manager. She has previously worked at the Commission for Racial Equality and the London Development Agency for the Diversity Works for London programme and also ran her own consultancy working with ethical businesses.

In 2008 she founded The Sharan Project, a support network for women who are unable to remain their family environment for reasons other than (but not excluding) domestic violence or forced marriage. She understands all too well the challenges faced by young people to reach their true potential.

As consultant and committee board member of The Women’s Interfaith Network, Polly was instrumental in the development of The Holloway Project, a 6 week creative writing course to address the differences of faith and the commonalities faced by women in society.

Committee Member: Chidi Ikwuakolam

Chidi has been a member of Y-E-L’s management committee since its inception in 2007.

After gaining an LLB Law degree at Kingston University in 2006, he has gone to work in the field of Criminal Defence.

After working in a law firm in Surrey, he returned to London and is now part of the specialist youth department within Lawrence & Co CDS LLP, a thriving law firm based in West London.

He is also a youth mentor for Just for Kids Law, a charity which operates alongside his law firm. Just for Kids Law caters to the needs of young people outside the spectrum of criminal justice.

Chidi has a heart for young people and this is well reflected in the work he does and his commitment to Y-E-L.

Committee Member: Keisha John

Keisha has been a member of Y-E-L’s management committee from the very beginning and produced Y-E-L’s first sponsored event in 2007.

After graduating in Interior Design she decided to change career paths by working as a Learning Support Assistant later became a Learning Mentor. She has develop a strong role within the education sector which she has been part of for the past seven years.

In January 2009 Keisha signed up with a recruitment agency as a support worker and was sent to ARK head office. There she was talented spotted and sent to Evelyn Grace Academy, a new Academy in Brixton. She was employed as a Learning support assistant and within two months was offered a position on the Senior Leadership Team. Within seven months she excelled to become Deputy Head Teacher.