Mentors

Every year, experienced social entrepreneurs and professionals play a critical role in the summit by providing meaningful feedback and mentorship to delegates who are navigating complex social, environmental, and business challenges. As many delegate projects have been heavily impacted by the pandemic and global events, GES anticipates that these mentorship sessions will be an invaluable experience for the delegates to receive guidance and find community. 

Previous mentors include:

• Kunle Odebunmi, Co-Founder & Former CEO, Arnergy Solar

• Luke Tanen, President and CEO, Chicago Innovation

• Michela Bedard, Executive Director, PERIOD.

• Michelle Shumate, Network for Nonprofit and Social Impact (NNSI), Founding Director; Northwestern School of Communication, Professor

• Sam Schiller, Co-Founder & CEO, Carbon Yield

• Shonali Ditz, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Sparkshop

• Sol Anderson, President & CEO, Evanston Community Foundation

Mentor Spotlight: Alex Bailey

Executive Director & founder, Black outside, inc.

Betwen 2018 and 2019, Black Outside, Inc. founder Alex Bailey embarked on a journey to observe and shadow summer camps and outdoor programs across the country to better understand the impact outdoor programming has on youth. He took those learnings and, alongside an amazing community of people, began building a culturally relevant program in the city of San Antonio which radically transforms outdoor spaces and programming to be a beacon of joy and liberation for Black youth. Today, Black Outside, Inc. collectively serves 300+ youth annually across central Texas.

Alex served as a mentor at the GES 2025 summit to delegates whose projects focused on identity, wellness, and inclusion.

Should you have question about becoming a mentor, please reach out to our Content team at content@thegesnu.org.