YEA Staff

Julie founded YEA in 1996 with her father, Robert L. Nessen, to realize a vision for empowering at-risk teens through business ownership. This was a natural extension of her prior experience teaching theatre in adult prisons and troubled inner city schools in New York City, Detroit, and Kansas City.

As Executive Director of YEA, Julie drives the programs in all the schools, working closely with YEA teens on building their businesses. She develops and leads workshops on business etiquette, client service, communication skills, professional image building, marketing, and community relations. Julie is also leading the Stairway to Success project to formalize YEA's curriculum and enable YEA to broadly expand its program reach in the years ahead.

Julie brings to YEA a dynamic mix of expertise in business, non-profit management, and the arts. She served as Vice President of Nessen & Associates, a Boston consulting firm specializing in business and funding development for non-profit companies and was National Producing Director of Plays for Living in New York City - an organization devoted to portraying family and community issues through live theatre. Julie also served in a faculty position at the University of Michigan's acclaimed Musical Theatre Program and was Assistant Artistic Director at Musical Theatre Works in New York City. Julie holds a B.A. from Williams College.

Mark Holman
Project Director, Stairway to Success
Mark.Holman@YEAworks.org

Mark Holman is Project Director for YEA's Stairway to Success replication initiative. He brings to this role more than 25 years of experience in higher education, small business development, and nonprofit administration. Starting in 2007, he helped YEA create a comprehensive strategy for fundraising and communications. As Project Director, he now has central responsibility, in consultation with a range of project advisors, for formulating YEA's replication strategy. His particular focus is on integrating YEA's Stairway to Success curriculum with business and education partnerships, mentor development, and a sustainable funding model.

Beyond his part-time role with YEA, Mark is CEO of Strategic FundRaising Solutions, a Boston-based consulting firm providing project management and hands-on expertise in leadership giving, board development, and integrated marketing. He holds a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and an M.A. in education policy and administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kate Carr
Foundation Relations Coordinator
Kate.Carr@YEAworks.org

Kate is responsible for grant writing, research, and grant reporting. She previously served as Assistant Director, Non-Profit, for C.C. Pools, Inc., where she helped raise $7 million to construct an $11.5 million community swim and fitness center. She was the principal writer of a successful $600,000 grant, and authored all fundraising letters, media content, and collateral materials for the project. Kate has worked with several local non-profit organizations following a career with Voice Information Associates and the Yankee Group. Her B.A. is from Trinity College, Hartford.

Denise Duquette
Program Manager
Denise.Duquette@YEAworks.org

Denise manages YEA's middle school-based businesses in the Framingham School District. Additionally, she works directly with the teachers and students at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School teaching business skills at the student-run graphic design firm Digitize. Her teaching experience includes work with the R.J. Grey Junior High, Brayton Elementary, and the Acton-Boxborough High School. She served as the camp director for the St. Patrick's Parish and Cor Unum Meal Center and participated as a volunteer with the St. Bernard's Parish Youth Group.

Denise received her B.A. in American Studies from Williams College, where she was Co-Founder/Co-Chair of the Women's Center.

Kevin DeWar
Coordinator of Mentor and Investor Relations
Kevin.DeWar@YEAworks.org

Kevin serves as the bridge between YEA's investors and operations. An intern for YEA in 2007, Kevin became acclimated with YEA's students, curriculum, fund-raising initiatives and general operations during his internship, setting the table for his current role as the bridge between all of these facets of YEA's operations. Kevin also worked for a full year as an English teacher in Beijing, China, furthering his knowledge of effective teaching methods and teen behavior. A business-owner for 5 years and lifelong advocate of creating positive change, Kevin's interests run parallel to YEA's. He holds a B.A. in American Studies from Williams College where he was a co-founder of the Society of the Griffins, a socially conscious group dedicated to empowering under-served demographics with financial literacy, business skills and a stable support network. With his leadership, they were able to organize numerous book drives and host hall-of-fame running-back and social activist Jim Brown at Williams College. He also speaks highly functional Spanish and Chinese.