Press Release: Jenny Obiaya Named to Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” List

Jenny Obiaya Named to Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” List

The Silicon Valley Business Journal has named Jenny Obiaya, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP), to the newspaper’s “40 Under 40” list, recognizing the region’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders. Obiaya and her 39 “classmates” will be celebrated at an Aug. 15 event in Campbell, honoring the rising entrepreneurs, influencers, creators, and executives that have shaped the Bay Area —and are paving the way for what comes next.

“I am excited to join a group of such esteemed and accomplished individuals,” Obiaya said. “So many people are doing such great things in our corner of the world, and the recognition means a lot to me.”

Obiaya’s signature achievement at the helm of BGCP is completing a merger with other Boys & Girls Clubs networks in San Mateo County, which grew BGCP from 16 sites across three school districts to its current 29 sites across eight districts. Serving more than 5,400 K-12 students, BGCP is the largest expanded learning provider in San Mateo County. BGCP also continues to provide academic support and mentorship to hundreds of alumni who participated in the organization’s Future Grads program and are now pursuing their post-secondary educations.

All BGCP programs – including mental health services, meals, Barry Carr Sports Leagues, and many other forms of enrichment and Career Pathways training – are free to participants. “That fact alone indicates that this honor cannot possibly be just for me,” Obiaya said. “It also recognizes the staff, volunteers, donors, and partners who enable our positive impact on youth.”

Grant Gibbs '25 Gives Back Through Internship with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula

Serra student Grant Gibbs ‘25 came to campus this school year fresh off of an internship for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, which helped him hone his notion of brotherhood through respect, integrity, inclusion, and compassion.

“It’s all about being there for people who need someone,” he reflected.

“There” was Hoover School in Redwood City, where Gibbs worked weekdays for nine hours per day. He provided academic assistance in classrooms for fifth graders in their reading and math studies each morning, and then each afternoon he supported their Camp Galileo STEAM activities, such as making paper mache dinosaurs.

“Sometimes, I could connect closer with the students than the teachers could just because I’m closer to their age, and because I still know what it’s like to be in school,” Gibbs said. One kid named Manny, was really bright and energetic, but Gibbs noticed he struggled with reading and keeping up with the Camp Galileo instructions.

He wasn’t getting enough individual help during the regular school year. At Serra, we have a lot more opportunities to ask for help. It was eye-opening to realize that, and it was rewarding for me to work with him.”

Gibbs plans to continue serving BGCP, as he had throughout the last several years alongside his older brother, Henry, and with the encouragement of their father, Patrick Gibbs, a BGCP board member, whose own parents supported Boys & Girls Clubs in Southern California during his childhood.

As Gibbs said. “BGCP offers a great internship opportunity. It’s a lot more than just fulfilling service hours. It really helps the students, and it helps you grow as a person.”

More information about the BGCP internship program and information on how to apply can be found here.