Gurgen Balasanyan

Gurgen spearheaded the development of and leads the grants and contracts management function, managing a team of regionally-based grants management professionals. Since joining the organization in 2018, he supported Co-Impact’s growth, spinout, and incorporation, serving as a strategic thought partner to the COO in establishing, managing, and streamlining operational policies and procedures.

He brings to the role over a decade of experience in global philanthropy: from operations and grants management to finance, programmatic work, and organizational strategy development. He is the co-founder of Youth Initiative Centre, Armenia – one of the largest youth organizations in the country, and the most active non-profit stakeholder in youth policy development. Prior to joining Co-Impact, Gurgen was leading the operations at Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) where he helped the team design and introduce critical financial and operational systems and achieve highest compliance ratings across multiple platforms. He also managed Caritas youth centers across regions in Armenia specializing in reintegration and empowerment of youth under precarious circumstances; and partnered with the European Commission to hold trainings on youth empowerment and cross-border dialogue.

With two Master’s degrees, Gurgen also holds certifications in Executive and Team Leadership from Cornell University and the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education. Originally from Armenia, Gurgen and his wife reside in New York City, taking care of an impressive collection of houseplants. His never-ending quest is conquering funky yoga poses and strictly adhering to his morning workout routine.