Founded in May of 2006 in the heart of the Silicon Valley, GEP is a company dedicated to servicing the needs of the higher education industry through Professional Study Tours™. GEP team members have extensive international and travel experience. The team masters several dominant languages including, English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hindi with origins from all corners of the globe.

Managing Partner - Christopher Surdi

Christopher Surdi is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for entrepreneurship. Mr. Surdi’s top three professional interests are: innovative entrepreneurship, travel and education. As such, GEP is the perfect combination of interest and desire.

As part of a program offered by the College of Engineering at San Jose State University, Mr. Surdi spent two weeks in China engaging in the exact same activities GEP offers. As a result of that program, he started a similar domestic program at San Jose State University (SJSU). He was the founder and administrator of the Silicon Valley Connections (SVC) program at SJSU from 2005 to 2006. See SVC website. From these two experiences, Mr. Surdi co-founded Global Educational Program.

Mr. Surdi has extensive knowledge in the start up environment, has many entrepreneurial achievements and a great deal of experience in leadership. In 2002, Mr. Surdi launched an internet company called Phastcash.com which returned its investment in nine months. He has also won a number of awards in entrepreneurship at both the local and national level.

Managing Partner - Sing Lee

Sing Lee is from Malaysia and speaks fluent Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Miss Lee earned her undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering at San Jose State University (SJSU) and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in the same discipline at SJSU. During her studies to obtain her undergraduate degree, she worked as a web developer for numerous student organizations. Miss Lee perfected her skill in web development and programming. She also worked at Komag where she was responsible for writing macro programs used to enhance the company's production planning schedule.

Sing's experience with software development process and the high-tech industry is a valuable addition to the GEP team. She clearly understands the needs and requirements necessary to launch and manage information technology applications for start-ups and has the international awareness and understanding to manage programs to the Asian block. Growing up in a multicultural country, Miss Lee learned how to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. Sing's many interests include traveling and continuously learning about new technologies.

Inbound Program Manager - Kathy Grant

Kathy Grant has had a lifelong passion for cutting edge technology and international business and culture. Her academic training includes a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College, fieldwork at the Universite d’Abidjan in West Africa, graduate work at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, and a M.S. in International Economics from Cleveland State University.

Her professional career includes work as an economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of International Economic Research, professional staff work for McKinsey & Co. Inc. and a Foreign Exchange trader with a major commercial bank.

Kathy pioneered many innovations in high technology in corporate business. As a sales representative for Computer Sciences Corporation’s Infonet Division, she introduced basic business application to corporate executives on a timesharing network before PC’s and the Internet were introduced. As an entrepreneur, she promoted computer applications in the magazine publishing industry and then participated in a startup company offering fax broadcasting services and desktop publishing in the early 1990’s. To deepen her knowledge of high technology, she became a successful recruiter and branch manager in the New York City marketplace in the late 1980’s.

For the last 15 years, Kathy has managed her own company that offers Internet sales and marketing services to organizations that promote a deeper understanding of our human potential. During this time, she has traveled widely spending time in New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Western Europe, Tunisia and Nova Scotia, Canada. In addition, she has traveled extensively in the United States participating in workshops and conferences working to understand the issues of globalization.

Account Manager - U.K. - Brad Villeggiante

Brad Villeggiante is originally from Santa Rosa, California.  Brad graduated from San Jose State University in 2006 with his bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis in marketing.  While studying at San Jose State, Brad used his entrepreneurial spirit to co-create "Spartan Squad", San Jose State's official student athletic booster club.  Within one year of introduction, Spartan Squad had become San Jose State's largest student organization, boasting over 4,000 members.     

After graduation, Brad embarked to further his understanding of the business world abroad, and is currently receiving his master's degree in management from The University of Edinburgh, in Scotland.  Brad's enthusiasm about the business environment and international ventures is ever more important as the world continues to grow flat. 

Account Manager - N.E. - Cary Quinn

Cary is an enthusiastic go-getter with a vision. He is currently a management student at Bryant University, in Rhode Island, and plans to apply his education towards entrepreneurial endeavors. In his first year at Bryant, Cary took on the immense task of serving as a Freshman Senator; creating contacts and facilitating student/ administration communication. Cary’s personal skills and passion for networking compliment his striving ambitions seamlessly.

Being an eager, self-motivated student himself, Cary upholds the GEP mission with the highest regard. As a member of GEP, Cary aims to excite students about their educational potential, like he does when he conducts visitor tours of the Bryant University campus. Cary naturally delivers a great deal of inspiration to those around him and is excited and honored to contribute as a part of the GEP team!