Meet Kwame Johnson Sr. | CEO and Defender of Potential

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kwame Johnson Sr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kwame, what is the most important fapctor behind your success?
The most important thing to my success was that I am working in my passion, working in my lane! I found my passion while incarcerated during my senior year of high school. During this challenging time, I decided to change my 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 and I have dedicated my life to service and helping our youth reach their full potential. My journey led me to Big Brothers Big Sistser Metro Atlanta six years ago when I became CEO and more importantly a Defender of Potential.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am honored to serve as the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta, the largest and most effective youth mentoring agency in the state of GA. I work with a talented and dedicated team to defend the potential of young people in metro Atlanta. Our mission is to create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. We are very proud of the outcomes the young people in our program are able to achieve through our portfolio of mentoring programs. In 2023, 97% of our high school seniors graduated on time and 91% had plans after high school for enrolling in a college or technical school, employment on a career-trajectory path, entrepreneurship or enlistment in the military. 99% of the youth in our program avoid the juvenile justice system and 85% reported decreased or no depressive symptoms.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first start by taking them to all our historic sites so they learn the deep and rich history of Atlanta. We would have to try out a number of great restaurants, like Mary Macs, Chops, Nan, The Beautiful, Umi, and too many to list. I am an active person, so we would have to do something outside, like the Beltline or Stone Mountain.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I would like to shout out to my parents, Oliver and Paulette Johnson, who are my everything. They grounded me in service, and I appreciate that dearly. The second would be a few people who defended my potential as a youth Coach: Steve Maynord, Marsha Weissman, and Alan Rosenthal. Third, Robert Woodson and Terence Mathis who gave me confidence and showed me how to be a CEO. I am also honored to be supported and serve with the BBBS staff and Board of Directors.

Website: www.bbbsatl.org

Instagram: Kwamejohnsonsr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamejohnson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KwameTJohnson