FRJ Board Member Highlight - Gabriel Rivera

Gabriel Rivera is FRJ’s official “finance guru”! He has helped to guide the organization’s financial health since it became operational in February 2016, and we are honored to shine the spotlight on him!

Gabriel hails from East Harlem, and is a meticulous, technologically proficient, bilingual professional who can adapt to the many changing demands in business.  He aims to be recognized as a Management Accountant who integrates accounting expertise with advanced technological and management skills with the goal of influencing an organization’s business performance.  

When asked how he came to be in the accounting field, he stated, “I was fortunate to have had good mentors throughout my life who helped me to recognize that I was good with numbers.  I then wanted to use that skill in business - which led me to accounting.”  

Gabriel also shared some fun facts about himself with us!

- His favorite food is rice & beans with pernil

- His favorite place in the world is his home

- His favorite person is his mom

We had to find out how Gabriel’s story led him to volunteer his time as a Board member with FRJ.  He told us, “I worked at Global Kids with our Founder and President, Chanell Hasty.  When she moved on from Global Kids, she told me that she would be starting her own organization.  Chanell and I maintained contact, and when she went to form FRJ, I admired her entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to play a part in building the organization.”  Gabriel elaborated, and explained that he is interested in supporting African youth and the region through FRJ because the youth in the region can benefit from programs that help them develop life-skills to better equip them to deal with life’s challenges.   

It was interesting to hear Gabriel’s response to the question of his highlight volunteering as a Board member with FRJ.  Gabriel excitingly told us, “FRJ’s event Fashion Monday at TreeHouseBK!  It gave us the opportunity to promote FRJ to new and existing supporters while having a good time.”  The highlight cover picture demonstrates the good time that Gabriel (and Chanell) had!  

When asked about the message he would like to spread to the world about himself, he quoted to listen to others, and to speak with your actions.  The message that he would like to spread to the world about FRJ is that the organization is here to help youth in the African region learn life-skills using fashion to help them be self-sufficient and empowered.  

Lastly, when FRJ’s finance guru was asked where he sees himself in the next five years, he told us, “I see myself overseeing the operations of my youth-focused sports company.”  Gabriel, we are positive that those operations will be run in great financial health, and we THANK YOU for overseeing FRJ’s financial health over the past year and a half!

Affectionately by,

Chanell Hasty - FRJ Founder and President