Dreamkeeper™ Spotlight: Dr. Brandon Nicholson

Dr. Brandon Nicholson isn’t just leading an organization, he’s shaping a movement. As the Chief Executive Officer of The Hidden Genius Project, he’s on a mission to support, guide, and mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Growing up in Oakland, California he credits those who have poured into him along his journey to success. This is the spark and inspiration behind the organization. Giving back and paying it forward, it’s all about pouring into the next generation of Black excellence, and that’s why we love him. He inspires young Black males to dream about a future bigger than themselves with the tools to make it reality.

“We strive to elevate the brilliance of young people in our communities, particularly the Black male youth. We wanted to make sure other young people in their communities have a program that can be created to actually deliver direct service and direct programming to others, and to be able to provide that space for them to come together,” said Nicholson.

“I had so many opportunities and so many moments along the way from everyone invested in me.”

DR. NICHOLSON IN CONVERSATION

Q: When you were younger, what was your definition of success, and how has it changed?

When I was younger I thought being successful was certainly achieving my goals and setting out on a path, whether it's going through school, getting good grades or trying to get college. I think more broadly, I always pictured success or a successful life as trying to make life better for my community. There was a time where I thought, that may include running for office, running a strong business and creating ways for folks in our community to work or access dollars, or maybe that could include me working with a government entity that focuses on policy and overseeing how educational systems operate. I think fundamentally, I thought success for me would look like my family being better off. 

Q: What advice would you give to someone who feels like they don’t fit the traditional mold of success?

You have to start first with our definition of success. It’s what energizes us, what makes us, what brings us joy, provides that sense of fulfillment, it’s our mission and purpose. Even thinking about the world in which we live, just from a technological perspective, we understand that things are always changing rapidly and things that we thought would be true, can be very much different, within a matter of days, weeks, or years. We understand that what success looked like at that time, will change significantly.

Q: What’s your dream anthem—the song that fuels your ambition?

A song that’s always helpful, especially when you’re kind of deep down into it, you can't lose with PJ Morton's The Better Benediction, that’s one that I live by.

Q: What’s a moment in your journey when failure taught you something unexpected?

I would say that moment happened for me during my journey to becoming the founding executive director of The Hidden Genius Project. I was working in research and evaluation at the time, and I really enjoyed it a lot, actually, but I felt a calling to try and deliver more of an impact. I was attempting to apply to different jobs, wanting to work in a number of spaces in tech and policy hoping to marry opportunities and roles where I could bring some of my learning, expertise, passions and ideas together. The Hidden Genius Project was a volunteer type of organization at the time and I was a volunteer of the organization for the first two and a half years or so. I really believed in and hoped we could get it off the ground, so I worked with the team applying for a grant from the federal government. When we got news of receiving funding, I was asked to join as part of the team to help build the organization to a fully staffed operation. I appreciated their belief in me and it was a major shift going from my current job, where I could be comfortable for any single period, to something new that was in a start-up space, having to build up an infrastructure. Going through that process and taking on this challenge was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, outside of my wife. It was a big win in the end.

Q: Describe the last time someone made you feel truly seen in your work or journey.

I just got a random call out of the blue from a brother and friend, that I haven’t spoken with for the last six or seven years, maybe. He called and said, “Hey, I was just thinking about you. I just want to thank you for all you have done and for supporting me, it shaped me as a person and a man. I’ve heard about the work you've been doing. You continue to build and grow, and thank you.” It was random, but I received it and that was pretty cool. 

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