Dr. Gisele Castro is a nationally recognized systems leader and Chief Executive Officer at exalt. An organization advancing large-scale transformation across education, workforce development, and youth justice systems. With more than two decades of experience, she is known for designing integrated, prevention-centered approaches that shift public systems from reactive responses toward equity, dignity, and long-term economic mobility.
As CEO of exalt, Dr. Castro has led the organization through rapid and disciplined growth—expanding its operating budget by more than 600 percent, scaling across New York City, launching expansion into Syracuse, and developing the exalt Institute, a field-building platform that supports practitioner training, policymaker education, and technical assistance. The organization’s integrated model—linking education, workforce pathways, and legal advocacy—has demonstrated consistent outcomes in academic re-engagement, paid employment placement, and reduced justice system involvement.
Dr. Castro works closely with judges, district attorneys, education agencies, workforce systems, and philanthropy to advance policy and practice aligned with community-based alternatives to incarceration. Her leadership has contributed to reforms such as New York’s Raise the Age legislation and the expansion of diversion and education-centered responses for system-impacted youth.
Her work has been recognized with Brooklyn Org’s Spark Prize, a NYC Imagine Award for nonprofit innovation, the Community Impact Award from SparkYouth NYC, and a Congressional Citation, as well as recognition from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for contributions to juvenile justice reform.
Dr. Castro holds a Distinguished Doctorate from NYU Steinhardt, where her research, Innovation Versus Incarceration, examines how fragmented systems undermine reform and offers a blueprint for integrated, prevention-centered design. She serves on the boards of SparkYouth NYC and Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico and engages globally in advancing systems that expand belonging, opportunity, and human potential.