Amy Grat

Amy Grat is Chief Executive Officer of EXP – The opportunity engine, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization.

EXP helps young people gain experience, unlock doors and build the confidence they need to succeed in school, career and life. In 2019-2020, EXP supported 6,350 high school students at 10 Southern California high schools. By bringing schools and industry together, EXP is creating new ways of learning, knocking down barriers and bringing genuine opportunity to every student they can reach.

Named as CEO in August 2010, Amy is responsible for ensuring ongoing sustainability of the organization and effective implementation of its mission, which is delivered through 19 staff and almost 400 volunteers from industry, education and the public sector.

Previously, Amy served as Vice President of Investor Relations for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), where she was responsible for driving revenue and cultivating the organization’s relationships with Southern California’s business community. Amy has also held positions in higher education including, Associate Director of International Executive Programs at USC’s International Business Education and Research (IBEAR) Program. There, she produced executive education programs focused on Asia and Latin America for U.S. and international companies. She also directed USC's annual Asia/Pacific Business Outlook Conference. She has also served in program management roles at University of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Programs and the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia.

Amy is active in numerous industry and civic organizations, serving on the Boards of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (President, 2018-2020), the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSMP) Southern California Roundtable, the California Partnership Academy (CPA) Advisory Council and the Philosophical Research Society. She is also a Member of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce World Trade Week Committee and chairs the WTW Education Subcommittee, a Member of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), and chairs the Partnership Action Network (PAN) of the Los Angeles Regional Coalition for Linked Learning. She is a graduate of Leadership LA (Class of 2006) and Leadership Carson (Class of 2013).

In 2017, Amy was honored with the prestigious Connie Award by the Containerization and Intermodal Institute. She was also named Educator of the Year by the Women’s Transportation Seminar – Los Angeles Chapter in 2014. Under her leadership, ITEP was honored as the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Small Nonprofit of the Year (2014) and received the 2016 Bob Kleist Leadership Award from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce World Trade Week Committee.

Amy holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, an MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and a BA in English from San Diego State University.