Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Gosse.
Hi Jonathan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey with service and nonprofit work began more than 30 years ago. I grew up in Wisconsin, attended a small liberal arts college in Minnesota (go Gusties), and started what I thought would be a traditional professional career. Early on, however, I felt a persistent lack of fulfillment and began to question whether there was something more meaningful I could be doing with my time and energy.
In December 1994, I took a leap of faith and applied to the Peace Corps. Four months later, on April 5, 1995, I landed in Kingston, Jamaica, as part of a new cohort of wide-eyed, eager volunteers. I was assigned to work with organic farmers in rural St. Ann Parish and quickly became involved in local youth sports programs. What began as a two-year commitment became a defining chapter of my life.
When my Peace Corps service ended in 1997, I made the fateful decision to stay in Jamaica and see what was possible. I couldn’t have imagined then that this choice would lead to Jamaican citizenship in 2001 and nearly two decades working in community development. Most of that time, I served as Executive Director of the Oracabessa Foundation, focused on youth development, skills training, and marine conservation in the small fishing village of Oracabessa on Jamaica’s north coast.
By 2018, life had grown in new and wonderful ways—I had a wife, a young daughter, and a growing sense that another major transition might be ahead. After a great deal of reflection, planning, and a long visa process, my family and I emigrated to Atlanta. Returning to the U.S. after nearly 25 years abroad was a significant adjustment, but it also offered an opportunity to apply the lessons I had learned in Jamaica in a new context. From 2019 to 2024, I served as Director of Development at Soccer in the Streets, helping expand access to the game and deepen community impact.
Today, I serve as Executive Director of Pebble Tossers, where I stepped into leadership following founder Jennifer Guynn in March 2025. In many ways, it feels like coming full circle. Service has shaped my life, opened doors I never anticipated, and connected me to communities across borders. Leading an organization that empowers young people to lead through service feels both deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Major transitions rarely are, and my life has been shaped by several of them—leaving the U.S. for the unknown of the Peace Corps, choosing to remain in Jamaica after my service ended, and later moving my family back to the United States after nearly 25 years abroad.
Each transition came with its own challenges, but surprisingly, returning to the U.S. may have been the hardest. Re-entering American life felt like trying to merge into fast-moving traffic from a complete stop—professionally, culturally, and personally. The pace and expectations were familiar on the surface, but fundamentally different after so much time away.
Those experiences shape how I think about youth development and leadership today. At Pebble Tossers, we work with young people from across the community: kids who are curious, capable, and looking for meaningful ways to engage with the world around them. My own journey has reinforced the idea that growth often happens during moments of uncertainty, when you’re asked to step forward, adapt, and take responsibility.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As Executive Director of Pebble Tossers, I lead the organization in advancing our mission of equipping and empowering young people to lead through service. At its core, my work sits at the intersection of youth development, community engagement, and leadership by creating intentional pathways for young people to move from participation to ownership in their communities.
What makes Pebble Tossers unique, and especially relevant today, is our focus on connection through service. Research consistently shows that young people are feeling more isolated and disconnected than ever. We address that challenge by making service accessible, social, and meaningful. Our calendar of hands-on service opportunities allows youth and families to easily engage in their community, build relationships across generations, and see the tangible impact of their efforts.
For those who want to go deeper, we offer structured Teen and Middle Years Leadership Programs that combine service with reflection, skill-building, and leadership development. These programs help young people understand not just how to serve, but why service matters and how they can be leaders in everyday ways.
What I’m most proud of is the culture Pebble Tossers has built—one where young people are trusted, challenged, and encouraged to see themselves as capable contributors. We don’t view youth as volunteers-in-training; we see them as leaders right now. My role is to ensure the systems, partnerships, and opportunities are in place so that leadership through service is not the exception, but the norm.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a couple of different ways people can work with Pebble Tossers:
1) If you have children and are looking for ways to get them involved with service and engaged with the community, become a Pebble Tossers member! We take all the guesswork out of volunteering for youth and families. Instead of spending hours searching the internet for volunteer opportunities or trying to coordinate complicated schedules, we do all the heavy lifting, vetting, and planning to make each opportunity safe, meaningful, and impactful. Visit our website at pebbletossers.org to learn more!
2) We are always looking for Service Coordinators – adults who can be on-site at service projects and act as a liaison between Pebble Tossers volunteers and our non-profit partners hosting the project. Applications to join our team can be found here: https://www.pebbletossers.org/service-coordinator/.
3) If you are at a non-profit and doing great work that could use the support of youth volunteers – let us know! We’re always on the lookout for partnerships that serve the community in innovative and collaborative ways.
Pricing:
- Family Membership: $159/year
- Individual Membership: $50/year
- Waived Membership available at request
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pebbletossers.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pebbletossers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pebbletossers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pebble-tossers/
