About Youth Experience Sponsorship
Our Mission
Together we sponsor enriching experiences for motivated, yet under-resourced youth, focusing on athletics, arts, education, and other aspirational endeavors.
Who We Are Today
YES has built a community access infrastructure connecting kids, families, donors, volunteers, and local organizations to opportunities that already exist in our community. Our independent, community-led Awards Committee directs resources to families with the greatest financial need, while our flexible, real-time approach responds to kids’ interests and opportunities when they arise. Childhood doesn’t wait, and neither should access.
Once a YES Kid, Always a YES Kid. Our commitment doesn’t end with one experience. As kids grow, their interests and needs evolve, and YES supports their journey through renewed and enhanced experiences, new opportunities, educational events, and connections to a growing network of community professionals.
We don’t know which experience might change a kid’s life. It could build confidence, spark a passion, strengthen a connection, or simply create a wonderful childhood memory. What we do know is that more access creates more experiences, and more experiences create greater potential. Together, we’re strengthening our community, one kid and one experience at a time.
Our Passion
We fund youth experiences to broaden their horizons and help them:
- build confidence,
- build character,
- build connections with their community
and ultimately spark their passion to have the drive and focus to live healthier, happier, and successful lives
Our Board Of Directors
Michael Glasser
Board President, Executive Director, CEO and Founder
Born and raised in Marin County, Michael is a graduate of Terra Linda High School and UC Davis, where he earned honors in Economics and Spanish. He brings more than 30 years of executive leadership, financial management, and operational experience across consulting, automotive retail, and financial services.
Michael began his career at Andersen Consulting before leading and growing several businesses, including Marin Mazda, which he sold in 2023 after six years of leadership and growth. He also served as CEO and Managing Partner of Summit Financial Advisors, where he led its merger with MAI Capital Management in 2025.
A longtime community volunteer, youth sports coach, and mentor, Michael founded Youth Experience Sponsorship (YES) to combine his business experience with his passion for helping kids. His vision is to build a real-time, community-driven system that removes financial barriers, connects motivated kids to enriching experiences, and supports their growth for years to come.
The Marin community helped shape Michael’s life. Through YES, he’s determined to make sure more kids have access to the people, experiences, and opportunities that can shape theirs. He happily dedicates far more than full-time hours to YES as a 100% volunteer and is grateful to call it the most rewarding work of his career.
Rafael Velez
Founding Benefactor & Board Member
A San Francisco Bay Area native, Raf is an alumnus of Serra High School (San Mateo), holds a B.S. from Menlo College (Atherton), and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation.
Before co-founding Summit Financial Advisors, an independent wealth management firm in San Mateo, in 1998, Raf built his career in financial services at respected institutions including Bateman Eichler Hill Richards (Los Angeles), Kidder Peabody (Palo Alto), American Express, and Citicorp.
Raf served as Chair of the Board of Regents for St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Schools in Petaluma from 2016 to 2023. He became YES’s founding benefactor in 2024, inspired by the opportunity to make a direct, meaningful difference in the lives of local kids. He is especially passionate about knowing his contributions help motivated children access experiences they might otherwise miss while supporting their growth and potential for years to come.
Rebecca Vineyard Glasser
Board Secretary
Rebecca, a native of Washington state, has made Northern California her home for over thirty years. After graduating from UC Davis and an early career in environmental and clinical research, she spent many years as a classroom teacher and volunteer for Novato schools. She has held numerous volunteer positions in the community, with a focus on youth arts and athletics.
Gabrielle Velez
Board Member
Gabby is an alumna of Petaluma High School. After retiring as a corporate officer of a local construction company, she began her philanthropic and volunteer endeavors with Girls Scouts of America and the Fabulous Women of Petaluma. She has held leadership roles within the Sonoma County nonprofit organizations at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Schools, Cinnabar Theater and Sonoma Family Meal.
They have four children and live in Petaluma, California.
Tricia Anderson
Board Treasurer
Tricia is a director in Hood & Strong LLP’s Not-for-Profit Client Accounting Service Group. She brings over 25 years of experience in both private and public accounting with an emphasis on financial reporting, management, audit, tax and compliance. She is an achievement-oriented financial professional with excellent communication, organization and problem-solving skills. Tricia works effectively and collaboratively with all organizational stakeholders to ensure that management, audit and compliance objectives are met. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and holds a B.S. in Finance from Sonoma State University and an MBA from Golden Gate University. She has been a licensed CPA in California since 1997 and has been working exclusively with Not-for-Profit organizations since 2013.