Ryan Gembala
Ryan is a multilingual entrepreneur that speaks Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese fluently with a passion for creating positive world change. His personal and professional experiences in 25 countries include Banking in Spain, Management Consulting in Italy and volunteering with AIDS orphans in Brazil. A great assimilator into foreign cultures, he has camel trekked the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa, learned to bullfight in Spain and hang-glided from the cliffs of Rio de Janeiro.
Growing up in Atlanta, Ryan graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors from the University of Georgia with a degree in Business. While still a student at UGA, Ryan re-Founded and was President of an international non-profit organization, AIESEC, earning him the prestigious Vision Award at the 30,000-person University.
As Co-Founder and Co-Executive director of H.E.R.O. for Children, Ryan used his outgoing personality and knack for relationship building to grow fundraising efforts and strategic partnerships and his entrepreneurial experience with H.E.R.O. was chronicled by Business Week. After becoming deeply involved in the Atlanta community, Ryan was the youngest of 40 Atlantans selected to participate in the 2007 LEAD Atlanta class and was the youngest of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Top 40 Under 40 Up and Comers” in 2006.
Ryan continues to assist H.E.R.O. for Children’s efforts as a member of the Board of Directors while he pursues his MBA from the University of Chicago.
In addition, Ryan loves to scuba dive, spend time with family and cook gourmet food.
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Garrett Gravesen
An entrepreneur by heart, Garrett is an Atlanta native with a passion for international travel and adventure which has taken him across 6 continents. He has trekked alongside mountain gorillas in Rwanda, based jumped off a building in New Zealand, and has been piranha fishing deep in the heart of the Amazon in Brazil. While an undergrad at UGA, Garrett became the youngest Student Body President in school history and was the Graduation Day Speaker for a crowd of more than 30,000 people.
Professionally, Garrett has done investment banking for Merrill Lynch and Co. in Hong Kong, worked at an AIDS orphanage in Africa, spent time in Latin America writing his 1st book, and through his work as Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director of H.E.R.O. for Children has addressed entrepreneurs from India to Poland about service and its importance throughout the world. Most recently, Garrett was named one of the U.S. Jaycees 10 Outstanding Young Americans (previous honorees include John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton).
During his time in Atlanta, Garrett was known for his zealous spirit and infectious personality that he tried to consistently fuse into the culture of H.E.R.O. for Children. His favorite book is “The Alchemist”, his favorite movie is “Good Will Hunting”, and if he was one character from a movie it would be George Clooney from “Ocean’s 11”. He is always dreaming up the next big idea.
Gravesen remains on the Board of Directors for H.E.R.O. for Children and is currently pursuing opportunities to rally future generations around service. Gravesen lives by one motto: “If it’s not Wow, it’s Not worth doing.”
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