Kwame Johnson found his passion for helping others while incarcerated during his senior year of high school. During this challenging time, he decided to change his life and made history by becoming the first youth to ever take his SATs in jail. “I was accepted into Hampton University and decided to leave college at the age of 19 to become a social entrepreneur,” said Johnson. “I have dedicated my life to service and helping our youth reach their full potential.”
For the past 20 years, he has worked on behalf of youth at Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta where he now serves as the president and CEO.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta is a nonprofit organization that helps children realize their potential and build their futures. The organization mentors children and strengthens communities.
Since Johnson was named a Titan 100 in 2023, his leadership has led to impressive accomplishments at the nonprofit. Last year, the organization served nearly 2,000 children and 98% were promoted to the next grade level, 98% graduated from high school on time and 98% avoided the juvenile justice system. Big Brothers Big Sisters also increased the number of youth served by 27%, strengthened fundraising and marketing and launched a pilot program to serve middle school students better.
Under Johnson’s direction, Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta launched the Level Up Program that brings future-focused, in-school mentoring to students. “The program was in response to the needs expressed by middle school principals, counselors and administrators for trained positive adult role models to provide consistent and direct mentoring for students,” said Johnson. In the first semester of programming, the program served 292 students.
While at the helm of the organization, Johnson said that learning leadership lessons becomes a continuous journey that often begins with self-awareness and a willingness to grow. “It has involved a dynamic process of gaining insights from personal experiences and mentors and observing effective leaders in action,” he said. “Great leaders understand that they must model the behavior and values they expect from their team members.”
Adaptability and an ability to develop relationships is at the core of Johnson’s leadership style. “I have the ability to walk and be comfortable in the streets and the suites – I try to connect with people from many different backgrounds and walks of life,” he said.
