Up 2 Journey
About Us
To empower individuals from diverse backgrounds and skill levels to thrive in their career journey. We believe in challenging the status quo of what it means to have a fulfilling career. We believe in leveraging the power of design thinking and career best practices which outline the foundation of the Up 2 Journey Career Framework. We believe in not only guiding you but empowering you to land your dream job and find a renewed sense of purpose.
Mission
Vision
At Up 2 Journey, we are dedicated to empowering job seekers in fulfilling their career aspirations. Our ultimate vision extends beyond merely providing assistance in finding employment; we aspire to become a global resource for job seekers, offering a wide range of tools, resources, and guidance to help them thrive in their career journey. With our innovative approach, we aim to equip job seekers with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to navigate the ever-evolving job market successfully. Through our global reach, we strive to ultimately transforming the way candidates approach and achieve career success.
Meet the Founders
Co-Founder & CEO of Up 2 Journey
Dr. Yasir Kurt holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, bringing a wealth of expertise to his work in career coaching and education. He leverages more than 12 years in career coaching and education to implement highly engaging career design frameworks. Throughout his education and professional career, he received extensive training in career counseling and assessment, including the use of tools such as MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory, Holland, etc., as well as in Design Thinking and Clifton Strengths frameworks. Since 2011, he has gained extensive working experience with diverse populations, including refugees, international students, and first-generation students.
Yasir is a passionate transformational coach and a leader guiding career breakthroughs through an innovative, action-driven process. Yasir has helped countless job seekers and professionals elevate their search through networked introductions, materials optimization, skills enhancement, and long-term career mapping.
As a co-founder and CEO of Up 2 Journey, he firmly believes that the power lies within the journey itself rather than just the destination. This is reflected in his life motto from Rumi: "As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." By embracing tiny steps as opportunities and starting the journey without the full picture, Yasir has built resilience and "failure immunity" to dream bigger. This mindset fuels his passion for equipping individuals with the growth mindset, tools, and tactical connections to unlock their potential and realize their career possibilities.
YASIR KURT, Ph.D.
KAELYN FRIESE
Co-Founder & COO of Up 2 Journey
Kaelyn has over 10 years of experience working in Higher Education holding positions in Career Advising and Experiential Learning, International Student Services & Study Abroad, University Honors Programs, College of Science and Engineering Director, and Academic Advising and Student Success. She has also 5 years of industry experience as a project engineer, project manager, and program manager in learning and professional development.
Kaelyn has three professional degrees including an A.S. in Applied Engineering, B.S. Community Psychology, and a M.S. in College Counseling & Student Development. She also holds certifications in Project Management, UX Design, and is a certified Gallup Strengths Coach! Throughout her career Kaelyn has successfully developed programs that have helped students excel both inside and outside of the classroom. She is extremely passionate about helping people discover their strengths and using them to achieve their life goals and she loves to design, problem solve, and be creative!
In her free time, Kaelyn enjoys spending time with her son looking for any adventure they can find! She loves to read, travel and spend time with family and friends. Her top 5 strengths are: Futuristic, Arranger, Maximizer, Strategic, and Responsibility. She is passionate about helping others succeed and accelerate their growth through teaching & learning, training, consulting, coaching, advising, and genuine conversations about life!