Eric Rowles is a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant whom has worked with over 150,000 non-profit professionals in 49 states within the past 20 years. He is the CEO of Leading To Change – a network of 20+ rockstar trainers that canvass the country providing on the ground, “best ever” professional development for all sizes of community based organizations. Additionally, Eric is the founder and Director of the North Carolina Youth Giving Network – a statewide association of over 1100 youth philanthropists that have granted over $400,000 to North Carolina communities since 2005. Eric’s previous experience includes his work as Senior Director of Training with the Youth Leadership Institute where he designed a national training institute that provided over 1,000 days of training in five years to community organizations and coalitions throughout the country. Prior to his work with YLI, Eric was the Director of Leadership Development at Rutgers University (NJ), managed his own touring educational theater organization, Leadership Through Motivation Productions, was the Director of International Youth Summer Abroad programs, and spent five years as a substance abuse prevention coordinator in Los Angeles. Additionally, Eric through his double bachelors and Master of Science degrees in Ethnic Studies and Educational Leadership, he has served as a faculty member at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Central Connecticut State University, as well as Rutgers University (NJ) and has over a decade of innovative and cutting edge classroom instruction and facilitation experience. Eric lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife and two drama-free teenage daughters.