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Ruben Sança is the Executive Director of Braven in Greater Boston. He came to the United States at age 12 from Cape Verde and grew up in Dorchester as the son of immigrants. As a first-generation, Pell Grant college student, he experienced firsthand the transformative power of higher education — not just as a pathway to a degree, but as a gateway to opportunity and purpose. Ruben spent over 15 years in executive leadership across the UMass system, overseeing initiatives focused on student success, wellbeing, and inclusion. He now partners with universities and employers to ensure talented first-generation and low-income students gain the skills, networks, and experiences needed to launch meaningful careers. Ruben serves on the Board of Trustees at Fisher College and represented Cape Verde as an Olympian at the 2012 London Games.
Abdurrahman Ajeigbe is the Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy at Braven, where he works to expand opportunities for young people pursuing their personal and professional goals. As a first-generation college student, college advisor, and now advocate, he works to build systems that give young people the tools to succeed.
