Phil Olaleye runs an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides mentoring and exposure to post-secondary educational opportunities and careers for high school students.
Olaleye will serve as the keynote speaker for this month’s Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Member Economic Luncheon, which will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in North Augusta.
His topic will be “Creating a Culture of Opportunity.” The event will also recognize 2022 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Much of his speech will come from his own story, which he shared in an op-ed for SaportaReport, an Atlanta media website, two years ago.
Olaleye serves as Executive Director of Next Generation Men & Women or Next Gen for short, an organization that provides educational opportunities by partnering with several colleges and companies throughout the City of Atlanta.
“Next Gen is an education nonprofit founded by three teachers who wanted to create pathways to graduation at their high school,” he said.
In the story, Olaleye referred to himself in the third person and said as a black male from a working-class immigrant family, he never thought college would be an option for him. That was until a friend’s mom insisted he fill out a college application.
Olaleye soon received a letter, which he assumed was a rejection. But instead, he was invited for a campus tour and found out that weekend, that he had been accepted to Duke University.
Four years later, Olaleye graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and Economics. After serving in the U.S. Peace Corps, he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
He became Executive Director of Next Gen to give back to youth attending under-performing, under-resourced schools in the Atlanta area, many of whom are black.
“In these high schools, students average less than 10 minutes of college and career counseling a year,” Olaleye wrote in the op-ed. “A lack of credentials and post-secondary training decreases opportunities for future gainful employment, resulting in a cycle of poverty that continues to hold a firm grip on our next generation.”
The cost is $40 for Chamber members and $50 for prospective members. The registration deadline is Friday, June 24. For more information or to register, visit augustametrochamber.com/events/member-economic-luncheon-june-2022.
