Roy Hirshland, T3 Advisors

Boston, MA According to T3 Advisors its co-founder and CEO, Roy Hirshland, has been appointed to the position of Advisory Board chairman of BUILD Boston. Hirshland, who has served on the advisory board and as a mentor for the past three years, began his term as chair on January 1. Hirshland succeeds Jeff Glass, who was instrumental in bringing the California-based nonprofit to Boston and served as chairman since BUILD Boston’s founding in 2010. BUILD uses entrepreneurship and experiential learning to ignite the potential of youth in under-resourced communities and equip them for high school, college and career success.

“Early exposure to entrepreneurship changed my life so it exhilarates me step into this role and to share what I have learned with the next generation, especially the youth in our city that might otherwise be marginalized,” said Hirshland. “I look forward to raising the bar on all of our events, to amplifying our message and to deepening our ties within the community.”

As chairman of BUILD’s local advisory board, Hirshland will lead the charge on all BUILD initiatives and will serve as a liaison to the BUILD’s national board. His role will also entail officiating BUILD events, presiding over local BUILD board meetings, and participating in the national BUILD board meetings.

Hirshland’s major goals for the coming year are to expand outreach to share the bounty of Boston’s economic growth with the under-resourced communities where most of BUILD’s students live, and to leverage the BUILD platform to touch all corners of the Boston community. He plans to work with BUILD staff and volunteers to heighten visibility for the organization and to cultivate closer relationships with academic, civic and business leaders as well as with the media.

Hirshland is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience advising leading tech executives on how to build thriving companies and cultures around the globe. In 2001 he co-founded T3 Advisors, a revolutionary real estate firm with “innovation studios” in Boston and Silicon Valley. The recipient of the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014, Hirshland frequently speaks on the power of the entrepreneurial spirit and the critical role building culture plays in driving an organization’s success.

The BUILD program is a four-year in-school and after-school program serving more than 250 students in five public high schools. The organization provides students with the resources they need to start their own small businesses. Working in schools with low graduation rates, BUILD seeks to re-engage students in academics by using entrepreneurship and mentoring. 

“As students reap the rewards from running their own businesses, such as keeping the profits and gaining self-confidence, they get excited about going to college,” said Ayele Shakur, BUILD’s Regional Executive Director. Students gradually become aware of the connection between hard work and creating a stronger community. Roy’s leadership, energy, and innovative thinking will be vital as BUILD seeks to expand in Boston in order to serve more high school students.”

T3 Advisors is a revolutionary global real estate services and consulting firm that inspires leading organizations to think more strategically about real estate and the workplace. Our singular focus is to help build great companies that are changing the world. We deliver powerful real estate strategies and innovative workplaces. To learn more about T3 Advisors please visit www.T3Advisors.com

BUILD uses entrepreneurship and experiential learning to ignite the potential of youth in under-resourced communities and equip them for high school, college and career success. BUILD serves more than 1,500 students, with locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC, Boston, and New York City.