The Visionary
Christopher Yanov
Our Founder
Recently named one of the most-admired CEOs by the San Diego Business Journal and one of San Diego’s new civic power brokers by San Diego Magazine, Christopher Yanov raised and awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships to inner-city students before turning 30 years old. Mr. Yanov earned four college degrees in just five years and is the only person to win an Alumni Award from both UC San Diego and the University of San Diego.
Previously, Mr. Yanov worked with gang members for five years before starting Reality Changers in May 2001 with just $300, yet now the program’s students have earned $140,000,000 in scholarships from all sources.
Mr. Yanov has served on the San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention as well as the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Education & Workforce Development Committee. Currently, Mr. Yanov is a member of Rotary Club 33 and serves on the Tijuana Innovadora Binational Committee, the University of San Diego’s Emerging Leaders Council, the Voice of San Diego Member Council, and the Federal Employees Scholarship Foundation.
