“I earned great wins this year, but this one hits different. - For my community, for my city — this is MAJOR. – Being selected as a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellow is one for the books. - And I’m proud to say it loud: I’m putting Yonkers on the map.” – Jonathan Alvarez
Jonathan Alvarez, Founder & CEO of 914United, was recently selected as one of only 80 fellows nationwide for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership—a prestigious 18-month national fellowship that invests in community-rooted leaders working to create conditions where children and families can thrive.
For those who know his story, you know this: Nothing given. Everything earned.
“From prison to purpose. From the block to boardrooms. From cell to CEO. - And now — to a national stage where our voice, our struggle, and our impact will be read far and wide,” Alvarez shared with Black Westchester. “As someone who grew up in this region, spent nearly 15 years incarcerated beginning at age 17, and returned home to build 914United as a movement for second chances and community healing, this opportunity is both deeply personal and a major milestone for our city and county. This opportunity is life-changing — for me, for 914United, and for the young people and families we serve every day.”
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership is an innovative fellowship for leaders in local communities and the national child- and family-serving ecosystem to connect, grow, and lead collaborative, transformational change on behalf of children, families, and communities.
The 18-month fellowship prepares leaders to meet the challenges of our time, emphasizing collective leadership as a driver of systems change. Through immersive learning, national collaboration, and advanced leadership development, fellows deepen their understanding of systems transformation and strengthen their ability to navigate differences, build coalitions, and inspire community-based solutions.
Alvarez’s leadership is deeply rooted in lived experience. After serving nearly 15 years of incarceration beginning at age 17, he returned home determined to break cycles of harm and create pathways of opportunity for youth most impacted by the criminal legal and family regulation systems. In 2020, he founded 914United, a Westchester-based nonprofit focused on credible messenger mentorship, violence prevention, civic advocacy, and youth leadership development. His work has led to county- and statewide recognition, including an appointment to the New York State Commission on Prison Education.
“This fellowship is an honor — not just for me, but for my community,” said Alvarez. “My journey shows that it’s not about how you start, but how you finish. The WKKF fellowship will allow me to grow as a leader, expand our impact at 914United, and bring national awareness to the transformative work happening right here in Yonkers. Nothing was given. Everything was earned — and I’m committed to paying that forward for the next generation.”
Class Four of the WKKF Community Leadership Network fellowship will begin in January 2026 and continue for 18 months. Through six in-person and three virtual gatherings, fellows will build relationships, sharpen their leadership practice, and embark on a journey of personal and collective transformation.
Black Westchester celebrates 914United Founder & CEO Jonathan Alvarez, and looks forward as he writes the new chapter in his life. He continues to be a living story of resilience and redemption. He is an example to the next generation that your worst mistake does not have to be the end of your story.
In May 2020, as part of Lorraine Lopez’s series #YonkersStrong and our Modern Day Heroes Mondays, Black Westchester hosted a special edition of the Black Westchester Power Hour in conjunction with Latino Empowerment, we celebrated four individuals from Yonkers, like Alvarez, who are doing great work in the city of Yonkers and the surrounding areas to serve the community during the difficult pandemic we are facing.
914United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to breaking cycles of justice involvement for at-risk youth and adults in the Lower Hudson Valley. We blend professional case management with authentic mentorship grounded in lived experience to provide resources, safe spaces, and pathways to economic opportunity and leadership.
