Dr. Jessica Pérez
Is the Director of the Center for Career & Professional Development at LaGuardia Community College (CUNY), where she oversees experiential learning and career readiness initiatives. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, she has led programs including SOAR Experiential Learning and CUNY Career Launch. She earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration and is MBTI-certified. Dr. Perez served as Co-President of the Career Services Association of CUNY and Co-Chair of the NACE Career Readiness Task Force (2022–2023). She is nationally recognized for bridging community college education and workforce development, translating frameworks like NACE Career Readiness Competencies into scalable institutional programs.
Nitzan Pelman
Is the Founder & CEO of Climb Together, a nonprofit helping students build social capital for career success. A four-time social impact entrepreneur, Presidential Scholar, and Aspen Fellow, she previously served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at LinkedIn. She partners with the College Futures Foundation to support California’s 2 million community college students and collaborates with the Clayton Christensen Institute on social networks research. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work, Forbes, and books including The Career Game Loop. Nitzan has presented nationally on social capital, AI in education, and career pathways, bringing insights from implementations at 10+ colleges and workforce programs nationwide.