Noah Giovannelli is GESP’s Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Thrive League, GESP’s program connecting young players from underserved backgrounds with educational and soccer opportunities. He joined GESP in 2024 and now works across the organization’s operations and partnerships, with much of his time spent with students and families in Mexico and Brazil; his work has also taken him to Portugal, Iceland and Tanzania.

Noah’s path to GESP began as an international boarding-school student-athlete himself. Originally from Leechburg, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh, he attended The Kiski School, where he captained the soccer team as a junior and senior, served as a prefect, and played alongside teammates from Nigeria, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Japan and Canada. His parents hosted that international group on off-weekends, and the friendships he built — especially with Nigerian teammates Tapshak Augustine and David Egbo, whom he still calls his brothers — shaped both his love of Spanish and his commitment to creating opportunities for players from similar backgrounds.

He went on to Hamilton College, graduating in 2021 with a double major in Public Policy and Hispanic Studies. He played four years of varsity soccer, served as secretary of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, interned with the Community Outreach and Opportunity Project, and was head tutor for the A Better Chance (ABC) program.

Off the clock, Noah is a lifelong multi-sport athlete (baseball, basketball, hockey, football, swimming and track, alongside soccer), a devoted Pittsburgh sports and AC Milan fan, and a firm believer that tacos al pastor and pasta carbonara are tied for best meal in the world.