I am a man with a calling. Entrepreneurs, students, and leaders of all stripes (including members of marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ cmmunity) face indescribable challenges — but nonetheless dare to dream up futures that are big and in the boldest colors, day after day.
Their struggles, fearlessness, and potential have the power to change the world. I live to energize and enlighten their minds and hearts in return … with the full force of a lifetime spent overcoming obstacles, then building success, to back it up.
THE STORY
I am the adopted son of a Midwestern civil servant and a factory worker. As a biracial, LGBTQ+ child raised by African-Americans in an overwhelmingly white social milieu, I grew up far outside of any conceivable social box — and without any recognizable community to call my own.
My up-from-nothing history and triumphs against adversity led to unlikely success as an attorney, government official, entrepreneur, and leader in one of the toughest cities on earth. My journey has flown in the face of those who believed I could not and should not succeed. And it has given me a zealot’s passion for ensuring that others never lose the internal fuel to rocket towards personal satisfaction and success.
THE PASSION
Colleagues describe my speeches as high-energy, thought-provoking, and captivating — but substantive and memorable, too. I seek to not only motivate “in-the-moment,” but for long after. As an entrepreneur, my long history of professional accomplishment — including successful growth and scaling of a small business — brings real-world experience to build a solid scaffolding for long-term prosperity. And as a leadership mentor, I am good at listening, committed to giving my all, and seasoned enough to give counsel that makes sense.