Building Bridges: AIG City Tutors In-Person Mentorship Event
Building Bridges: AIG City Tutors In-Person Mentorship Event
As part of December’s Season of Giving, The City Tutors hosted our first-ever in-person mentorship event with AIG at their headquarters in New York City. The two-hour event brought together an incredible group of mentors and mentees for a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow. This collaboration was a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with AIG, which has supported The City Tutors since our inception as a nonprofit.
Despite the prospect of a rainy morning, students traveled from across the tri-state area to participate. Balancing the demands of finals season, they made the effort to connect with professionals in their fields of interest, demonstrating their dedication to advancing their goals and investing in their future.
Garri Rivkin, Executive Director and Founder of The City Tutors, shared:
"Insurance touches every aspect of our lives, and at AIG, it’s not just about their products—it’s about their people. They have incredible teams working internally that care deeply about volunteering and making a community impact. It’s their resource groups that are driving change, ensuring learners across NYC have the support they need to succeed."
Arya Yarpezeshkan: A Dedicated Advocate
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Arya Yarpezeshkan, who organized it on behalf of AIG. Arya has been a vital member of The City Tutors community and recently joined as the Chair of our Executive Leadership Council, where he advises our board. His advocacy for our communities and commitment to mentoring reflect his dedication to creating meaningful opportunities for learners across New York City.
Arya shared:
"Organizing the speed networking event was an incredibly rewarding experience, showcasing AIG’s commitment to mentorship and talent development. By partnering with organizations like The City Tutors and engaging students from City University of New York, we provided a platform for meaningful connections and professional growth. AIG’s Employee Resource Groups play a vital role in fostering inclusivity, building networks, and driving impactful change within AIG and beyond, aligning with our mission to support diverse talent and empower future leaders."
Diverse Representation Reflects Accessibility
The event highlighted how The City Tutors serves as a utility for all, meeting learners where they are and helping them achieve their goals.
Fields of Study: Mentees represented majors such as Political Science, Finance, Computer Science, Data Science, Law, Risk Management, Cybersecurity, and more.
Educational Backgrounds: Participants hailed from CUNY colleges like Baruch, CCNY, John Jay, York, and Hunter, as well as institutions like Monroe College.
Life Stages: The mentees included undergraduates, graduate students, JD candidates, and professionals re-entering the workforce.
Demographics: Learners ranged in age from 18 to 44, representing boroughs across NYC and even New Jersey
Selina Cheng, Hunter College student, added:
“Attending the event gave me a sense of reassurance and understanding that I should focus on moving forward consistently. Sharing my current progress and plans in my professional journey with a mentor and hearing their thoughts helped me gain perspective and valuable insight. Meeting many peers at various points in their journey and yet still sharing many of the same experiences and sentiments made me feel more connected.”
One mentee, Mitu Akter, a Baruch College student, reflected:
"The event was filled with meaningful conversations, insightful advice, and incredible networking opportunities. I am deeply grateful to mentors like Arya Yarpezeshkan, who emphasized the importance of curiosity and building genuine relationships, and Pierre Beauport, who shared his inspiring career journey and practical advice. These experiences have been invaluable as I explore my career aspirations."
Mentors Who Inspire Change
The mentors brought a wealth of experience from fields like enterprise risk management, finance, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Some had decades of professional experience, while others offered fresh insights as early-career professionals. Many emphasized the importance of giving back and helping the next generation succeed.
Pierre Beauport, Head of Operational Risk Execution at AIG, shared:
"I very much enjoyed the Speed Networking event. An AIG core value is ‘Be An Ally,’ and programs such as the event yesterday give us the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of young people in the community who are seeking guidance and insights into what our journey has been and any lessons learned we can pass on to them as they begin their professional careers."
Michael Gannon, a Risk Analyst Associate at AIG who transitioned from mentee to mentor, shared his perspective:
"Having the opportunity to participate as a mentor in AIG and The City Tutors’ speed networking event was a fulfilling experience. Sharing insights about AIG and the insurance industry, career advice, and personal experiences with the mentees was both inspiring and rewarding, reminding me of my own journey.
In the spring of 2023, while enrolled at CUNY Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business, I joined The City Tutors as a mentee, seeking the same guidance the students were looking for today. The City Tutors played a pivotal role in shaping my career by providing free mentorship opportunities, access to networking events, and participation in career-focused programs. After a year at AIG, I can confidently say that my early career trajectory wouldn’t have been the same without The City Tutors. That’s why mentorship matters so deeply to me—it’s about giving back and empowering students to navigate their own journeys with the same support that made a difference in mine."
A Partnership Rooted in Community
The City Tutors began in 2014 as the academic support arm of the Colin Powell School at CCNY. Over time, we evolved into a citywide nonprofit, dedicated to providing accessible resources for underserved communities. During the height of the pandemic, we expanded our reach to meet the urgent needs of New Yorkers, those often underrepresented in professional spaces and undersupported in advancing their academic growth and careers. AIG played a vital role in this transformation, investing resources and championing our vision to create a citywide network of opportunity—one as dependable and far-reaching as the subway system.
Continuing the Momentum
Since becoming a nonprofit, The City Tutors has facilitated over 9,000 mentorships and tutoring sessions. This year alone, we’ve launched 1,200 mentorships and hosted 70 impactful events.
Today’s event was another step forward in connecting learners with industry leaders, helping them navigate their careers and reach their goals. We’re grateful to AIG and everyone who participated for making it such a success. Together, we’re creating a brighter future for New York City learners, one mentorship at a time.