Eddie Kaufman has dedicated his professional career to supporting youth and families to achieve their potential. A San Francisco resident for 3 decades, he has found his home with Mission Graduates. Under 10 years of Eddie’s leadership, the organization has grown 8 times to over 100 staff serving 5,500 youth and families on a $11 Million annual budget. As the son of a first-generation college student, he knows personally the importance of building college-going aspirations within families.

Before joining Mission Graduates, Eddie spent eight years leading Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay. During his tenure, the agency expanded from two to four counties, increased its revenue threefold, and expand the youth served in the organization from 225 to over 1,500. In 2010, he was recognized with the Heart of Marin Excellence in Leadership Award – awarded to an Executive Director demonstrating exceptional leadership and vision within his nonprofit organization and to the general Marin community.

Eddie has spent the majority of his professional life working with organizations that educate and empower youth. Organizations that he has been a part of include Youth Leadership Institute, Spectrum LGBT Center, YWCA of Oakland, San Francisco Council on Homelessness, and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. He is a recognized trainer in the areas of youth development, youth-adult partnerships, and environmental prevention. Eddie has a demonstrated passion and commitment to education; he is a faculty member of City College of San Francisco where he has been teaching for the last 20 years. One of his great joys has been to support LGBTQ individuals in developing their intimacy skills in teach the Male Intimacy and Relationships Course for the LGBT Studies Department. He received his undergraduate degrees in Genetics and Psychology at U.C. Davis and his Masters in Social Work at San Francisco State University. He is also an avid snowboarder, scuba diver, and knitter.