Resilience for Refugees – 2025 YGPC Team Spotlight

Meet Resilience for Refugees, a 2025 Youth Grant Pitch Contest Youth Team, from Wilmington High School and their two volunteer coaches, Daria Ferdine and Brian Curtin.

The Resilience for Refugees team plans to organize cultural exchanges within the community to connect newcomers and locals, promoting understanding and inclusion. Their goal is to build a supportive community by constructing events and sharing tips and information, ultimately ensuring refugees and migrants can thrive and contribute to their new environments.

Resilience for Refugees is a first-time team.

Their coach Daria Ferdine is a product marketing manager at 3Play Media, a leading provider of video accessibility solutions. She is passionate about creating and delivering compelling stories that showcase the value and impact of our products to potential and existing customers. Daria have a background in media and communication studies, as well as a degree in cinematography, which enables her to craft engaging and visually appealing marketing campaigns and content. Daria was a 2023 Pitch Coach for Boston Project Ministries.

Daria noted that prior participation in similar programming motivated her to support the Youth Grant Pitch Contest. “I participated in similar programs growing up and would love the opportunity to give back to a community looking to empower youth through community projects,” she shared.

Another coach for the team is Brian Curtin, the founder of Cantab Strategy, where he partners with companies and organizations to develop and implement enterprise-wide marketing strategies and plans that drive business goals. Previously, as CMO at private equity held Education Management Corp., he transformed the marketing strategy, organization and practices while partnering with its education systems to prepare EDMC for its ultimate sale. His professional experience also includes marketing and operations roles at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, now Enterprise Mobility. Brian is a graduate of Harvard University.

Brian discussed the importance of community when seeking to overcome challenges. “The ability of community members to work together to recognize and overcome challenges, as well as identify and capitalize on opportunities, is a critical component of the community’s success. As a coach, I will be able to assist future community leaders in the development of these skills.”