Yeselie Tulloch
Co-founder, Academic Leadership Assoc.: Age 37
Yeselie Tulloch has a lot on common with her husband, Vilenti — everything from entrepreneurial drive and a passion for helping young people to a deep commitment to family.
And now, they share something else — the designation of 40 Under Forty honoree. Vilenti secured his place in 2024, and now Yeselie is not only a member of the class of 2026, but the highest scorer among more than 120 nominees.
They owe their membership in this club primarily to the efforts to launch (in the middle of COVID) and expand the Academic Leadership Assoc. (ALA), a business and nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people through school-based mentoring, literacy, support, social-emotional development, and self-advocacy programming.
In her role, Yeselie, who earned an MBA from Bay Path University with a concentration in entrepreneurial and small business operations, manages business operations — she helped develop the business plan — and plays a central role in overseeing organizational activities and strategic scaling efforts.
She said ALA has grown steadily and now has contracts with several area communities, including Springfield, East Longmeadow, Holyoke, and East Windsor, Conn. The agency recently launched a program involving Colonial Estates, a housing project in Springfield; the agency is piloting youth programs for the 500 families living there.
As she carries out her work and advances the agency’s mission, Tulloch draws on her own personal experiences for inspiration — and a drive to succeed.
“As a child growing up in Springfield, I come from a teen parent,” she explained, adding that she can relate to the challenges facing those served by the agency. “We’re providing student services to students that go underneath the radar. We’re mentoring and empowering youth — basically, being the adult I wish I had.
“Education is something that’s really important to me — that was instilled by my grandmother as a child,” she went on. “That’s why it’s so important to me to work with children and just be that adult that some kids might not have.”
Tulloch was recently honored by the Mason Square C3 Committee in Springfield in Springfield for her community service and her role in supporting young people throughout the region. This recognition highlights her strong leadership in youth empowerment, mentorship, and building partnerships within the community.
And for all those reasons and more, she is now not only a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2026 — she sits at the top of that class.
—George O’Brien
