Tim Cross

Tim Cross is a Senior Advisor at the Global Opportunity Youth Network at the Aspen Institute. As part of this Advisor role he is leading the research and design phase for the creation of a Youth Futures Development Bank. The Bank will aggregate resources from capital market investments in global infrastructure to create a pool of financing that will be reinvested in targeted actions to multiply learning, livelihood and leadership opportunities for young people who are not in school or employment and who live most on the margins of economic, social and political participation.

Before joining the Aspen Institute Tim was the Founding President of YouthBuild International (YBI) for 15 years. Prior to launching YBI He serve in the roles of  Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Field Services at YouthBuild USA. In YouthBuild, out of school and unemployed young people ages 16-25, acquire basic education, job readiness, technical training and leadership skills while building permanent community assets such as housing, community centers, schools, playgrounds and ‘green’ infrastructure. YouthBuild was established in the US 42 years ago and has expanded to 360 program sites in 45 states in the US and 23 other countries, enrolling 16,000 young people each year.

For the last 25 years Mr. Cross has worked in the youth and community development field, first as a line youth worker in community- based organizations, and in successive leadership roles in city wide, national and international youth development initiatives. He was the Country Coordinator of the Civil Society Development program which launched   two national organizations to support the emergence of the nonprofit sectors in Poland and Hungary. He directed the ROCA youth center in Chelsea, MA, a comprehensive youth development program, and was executive director of Youth- As- Resources in Boston. He led efforts to found YouthBuild Boston, the first YouthBuild program replicated outside of East Harlem, New York. He also worked as a foundation program officer focused on refugee and immigrant development efforts,  and consulted to several international grant making organizations investing the professional development of youth workers. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University.