Gerald Jean-Baptiste hails from the great city of Miami and is of proud Haitian descent. Gerald had the privilege to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and received his Bachelors in Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Television in 2012. As an emerging filmmaker, Gerald has directed various shorts, and his most notable work is his thesis film entitled The Choice. This film tells the story of a low-income teenager from Brooklyn combating peer pressure and bullying in the academic setting. The Choice won best undergraduate screenplay and third place overall at the 2014 First Run Film Festival.
After Gerald completed his studies at NYU, he felt impassioned to return to Miami to improve the education system in his hometown. Gerald was then inducted as a 2012 Teach For America Miami-Dade Corps Member and placed at Miami Edison Senior High. He had the fortune of teaching English Language Learners at Miami Edison, many of whom were recent Haitian immigrants. Gerald then received a master's degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on Arts in Education.
Gerald currently works at YouTube, as a Video Producer in the YouTube Support Solutions Organization. While at Google, he co-produced Google’s first ever Black Culture and Music festival, SoulFest. The festival celebrated the intersection of Black Arts, Culture, and Technology by hosting informative panels, tech demos, and musical performances at the historic Paramount Theatre in Oakland, CA.
Gerald is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Move Up Lift Up. Move Up Lift Up’s mission is to catalyze a change within entities to unlock their full potential and ultimately improve society.
Gerald’s commitment to creativity, innovation, and strategy have been the core tenets of his career. Gerald seeks to execute on his innovative insights as a creative producer, strategist, and program manager.