Welcome back to The Glass Sessions!

This week, we’re joined by Garri Rivkin, Founder and Executive Director of City Tutors , an organization that has helped more than 8,000 learners access tutoring, mentorship, and career guidance in New York City.

Garri shares his journey from arriving in Queens as a Jewish refugee from Lithuania in 1996, learning English while working at a young age, and finding support through teachers, mentors, and the CUNY system that helped shape his path.

That experience ultimately inspired him to build the kind of support network he once needed. What began in 2013 as a tutoring program at City College later expanded through the Colin Powell School, became an independent 501(c)(3) in 2020, and during the pandemic evolved into a broader mentoring initiative connecting learners with professionals around the world.

We talk about:

• Growing up as a refugee and navigating a new culture
• The mentors and teachers who opened doors
• Starting City Tutors as a small campus project
• Expanding the program during the pandemic
• Why access to information and mentorship changes lives

We close with a new segment, Glassy Insights, summing up some key takeaways from Garri.

If you care about education, mentorship, or creating opportunities for the next generation, this conversation will inspire you.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and Recommendations
09:35 Meet City Tutors
12:02 Garri's Origin Story
25:53 Finding Purpose In Service
29:22 Finding Home at CUNY
33:31 City Tutors Origin Story
36:32 Pandemic Pivot to Mentors
42:44 Impact Stories and Belonging
47:08 Writing and Identity
51:54 Garri's Good Life
53:05 How to Get Involved
54:45 Glassy Insights Wrap-Up

Links & Resources:

The City Tutors: https://www.thecitytutors.org

⁠⁠⁠The Glass Advisory⁠⁠⁠: https://www.theglassadvisory.com

Detailed Show Notes⁠⁠⁠:

https://www.theglassadvisory.com/theglasssessionspodcast

Courtney's Substack: substack.com/@courtneyattheglassadvisory