DoGood Member Spotlight: Gary Flowers
Professional Bio:
Gary is the CIO of Transformation and Technology Services at Year Up United, Gary is at the forefront of revolutionizing how young adults access career opportunities through digital innovation. A visionary leader who speaks nationally to CIOs, technology leaders, and aspiring professionals, he champions the transformative power of technology in reshaping workforce development and educational access.
With over 30 years of experience, Gary leads Year Up United's enterprise-wide digital transformation, orchestrating a strategic shift from project-based operations to a product-focused organization while harnessing emerging technologies like AI to revolutionize essential skills training. He oversees transformation and technology services across business intelligence, product and design, learning excellence, and business operational excellence. His expertise in executive leadership, digital roadmap creation, and customer-centric solution delivery has earned him the 2023 Florida CIO Corporate ORBIE Award, recognition as a 2024 National ORBIE Finalist, and being named one of the 30 most influential business leaders in tech in 2022.
Gary serves as board member and workforce committee chair at Gulf Coast JFCS, and as finance committee chair and Treasurer at St Pete Free Clinic. Through speaking engagements nationwide and investments in education and STEM initiatives, he inspires the next generation while promoting technological innovation as a catalyst for social change. His mission remains clear: leveraging expertise and influence to create pathways of opportunity and drive meaningful impact in communities nationwide.
Company Name & Description:
Year Up United is a national workforce development organization committed to expanding access to economic opportunity for all young adults by providing business and talent solutions to reshape the world of work. We envision a world where everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, and we know it will take multiple approaches and solutions to realize this vision. For 25 years, we have catalyzed change in the talent and business landscape, delivering comprehensive solutions that drive material impact on lives, businesses, and communities. Our work is not done. United, we will close the Opportunity Divide for good.
Company Website:
Year Founded:
2000
Headquarters Location:
Boston, MA
Primary Area of Focus:
Skills First Workforce Development
Current Projects/Initiatives:
3-year Technology Enablement Roadmap
Moving from project to product mindset and execution
Infusing AI into our curriculum for our participants and into our internal operations to move from Holistic ➡️ Predictive ➡️ Prescriptive use of data.
Increasing staff to student ratios while decreasing cost per student to scale our impact.
Quote (on a key industry trend or initiative you're passionate about):
"Technology is not just about systems and processes it's about creating pathways to opportunity. At Year Up United, we use technology as a catalyst to close the Opportunity Divide, transforming the lives of young adults while meeting the critical talent needs of employers. "
LinkedIn Profile:
