Board of Trustees

Chief Executive Officer

Rick Little is Chief Executive Officer of Silatech.  Mr. Little brings more than 30 years of experience in working for and with young people, as the Founder and CEO of the International Youth Foundation and more recently the Founder of the ImagineNations Group, a global alliance of social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, investors, global brands, media, and organizations—all working together with young people to inspire positive change in society.

Mr. Little is the creator and founder of Quest International where he served as president and CEO from 1975 to 1989. Quest programs have been adapted and implemented in thousands of schools in more than 40 countries, impacting millions of young people each year.

In 1990, Mr. Little founded the International Youth Foundation (IYF), which has grown to become a leading player in advancing the cause of young people and building partnerships between private sector, civil society and governments. He served as IYF’s founding president & CEO from 1990 to 2002, and remains actively involved in its efforts as founder and member of its international board.

Little was co-chair of the United Nation’s High Level Panel of the Youth Employment Network—advising the UN Secretary General on global youth employment issues. In addition, he serves on several boards, including the Nike Foundation, Mercy Corps and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. Little was the founding president and a member of the founding board of America’s Promise chaired by General Colin Powell in 1996. He was also Chairman of the 2nd Annual Middle East Summit on Corporate Social Responsibility held in Dubai in 2005. Additionally, Little serves as Co-chair of the newly established Global Partnership for Youth Investment—co-founded by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the ImagineNations Group.

Little has received numerous awards for his life’s work, including the Presidential Award of the International Association of Lions Clubs—the largest humanitarian service organization in the world.  He was selected in 1996 as one of the world’s 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Little received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Anderson University in 2000. He was named an International Fellow in Applied Developmental Science at Tufts University in 2001.

Little has written extensively, with articles and commentary appearing in the New York Times, Foreign Policy, Time Magazine, the Financial Times and other publications. He has contributed chapters to several books, and his life story has appeared in several publications, including the original New York Times’ best-selling book Chicken Soup for the Soul (1993).

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