Tyler Deng, Co-Founder & CEO
Hi, I’m Tyler, a senior at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, New York, where I lead the student body of 800 in the upper division as the president of the student council. I am also committed to expanding financial literacy and business education through my work as the president of the Financial Literacy Club and the Economics Club, and the editor
in chief of Businessmann, a school publication focused on business and economics.
Working towards the goal of creating a global financial ecosystem more inclusive of the currently underserved, I intern during my school breaks at social enterprises that provides a pathway to prosperity for refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs, supporting them as they launch and grow their businesses with access to affordable credit and financial education. Similarly, committing towards giving equal access for athletic opportunities, I coach 10-year-olds lacking access to sports in a free weekly community tennis program at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, removing economic, racial and social barriers to success through tennis.
It was with the same belief in equal access that Sasha and I launched Bridge To Business in partnership with the Wharton Club of New York (WCNY), the largest alumni organization of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bridge To Business taps into the vast alumni network of the Wharton School to offer access to the world’s top business leaders. Currently in its third year, I am incredibly excited that our program is continuing to work with community-based partners, and I hope it makes a difference for our audience in their pursuit of successful business careers.
Sasha Perskie, Co-Founder
I'm Sasha Perskie. I'm a first-year undergraduate at Wharton, where I'm majoring in Economics with dual concentrations in Finance and Entreprenuership & Innovation and minoring in Music.
I co-founded Bridge To Business with Tyler Deng to give high school students who aspire to careers in business – like us – the chance to learn from and make contacts with some of the top experts in the business world.
I believe in helping to spread education and opportunity to students who share our interests but may not have the means or connections to pursue them. This conviction is also what led me to found and develop another youth education program built around another one of my passions: music. I spend much of my time performing, writing, recording and teaching music, as well as working in the music business; you can learn more about that at sashaperskiemusic.com. In 2022 I launched a music education program called Play It Forward, which enlists trained musicians to pass along the gift of music education to children whose families do not have the means to pay for instruments and/or lessons. Today Play It Forward provides free music education to children across two chapters in New Jersey and a third overseas. Learn more at playitforwardmusic.org.
Laney Perskie, Co-CEO
Hi, I’m Laney Perskie, a sophomore at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida. I have a strong interest in business, entrepreneurship, and real estate, and I’m especially interested in how business can be used to create meaningful change within communities.
I’ve had the opportunity to watch Bridge To Business grow since it was co-founded by my sister Sasha. Seeing the program develop has shown me how valuable it can be for high school students to gain exposure to the business world early on. Many students are interested in business but don’t necessarily have the connections or opportunities to learn directly from people working across different industries. I believe that Bridge To Business helps close that gap by connecting students with accomplished professionals and giving them the opportunity to learn from their experiences.
As Co-CEO, I’m excited to help lead the next chapter of Bridge To Business by expanding our network, reaching more students, and introducing our audience to an even broader range of careers and industries.
Outside of Bridge To Business I’m developing Groundbreak Boca, a platform that tracks local real estate development and explores how new projects impact the surrounding community. I’m also a competitive tennis player and enjoy pursuing opportunities that allow me to learn, lead, and turn my interests into something meaningful.