BEST-SELLING AUTHOR; MENTORSHIP COACH; AT-RISK YOUTH ADVOCATE
Given the obstacles placed before him as a foster child, Rodney Walker struggled academically and socially in school. In his early years of elementary school, he was placed in special education, repeated the fourth grade due to poor academic performance, and finished his freshman year of high school with a sub-1.5 GPA.
After joining a youth mentoring program in his senior year of high school, Rodney was able to deal with life struggles that had previously restrained him. During this period, he also joined the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a youth entrepreneurship program for high school students. With the support and guidance of NFTE and committed mentors, Rodney competed and won various business plan competitions. It was here that Rodney became motivated and inspired to start his first business. Rodney, a Chicago native, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and a master’s degree from Yale University.
He is the founder of Forever Life Productions, a company that creates custom videos for special occasions and events. Along with his production company, Rodney travels both nationally and internationally, speaking at public schools, corporations, and conferences about the importance of education, entrepreneurship education, mentoring at-risk youth, and corporate philanthropy for non-profit organizations aimed to uplift and support at-risk youth. He has been a speaker at TEDxYale and has delivered a keynote at the White House on the importance of financial literacy for urban youth. Portions of his story have appeared on PBS’s American Graduate Day, in the national education documentary Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon, and in It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired and Get Going by Chelsea Clinton. Rodney is the author of the best-selling educational memoir, titled A New Day One: Trauma, Grace, and a Young Man's Journey from Foster Care to Yale.
In an effort to address the epidemic of violence and social failure among at-risk youth in Chicago, Rodney is currently partnering with former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to create a comprehensive employment pipeline program for disconnected youth across the city. This past spring, Rodney earned his Masters in Education from Harvard University.
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THE POWER OF RESILIENCE: FROM 12 FOSTER HOMES TO YALE UNIVERSITY
Growing up in a violent neighborhood on the southside of Chicago, Rodney faced tremendous adverse childhood experiences growing up in 12 foster homes. But through perseverance and mentorship, he became highly determined and resilient, and went on to graduate from Morehouse College and Yale University. In this keynote, Rodney speaks about the pain and struggles he faced throughout his life that led to him becoming the more determined, resilient, and successful entrepreneur he is today. Participants will learn the value of perseverance, and why it is an essential quality to have in overcoming life’s challenges, as well as the 5 steps all students need to take to overcome adversity and lead a life of success (FACES).
GIVE THEM YOUR T.I.M.E.: TRAUMA-INFORMED MENTORSHIP & EDUCATION
The saying is true: T.I.M.E. (used properly) heals all wounds. In this keynote, Rodney tells his story of being a foster youth who graduated near the bottom of his high school class, to graduating from Yale with a master’s degree by the age of 25. He shares the trauma-informed program that facilitated his transformative growth. Further, this presentation outlines best practices for educators tasked with teaching at-risk youth in disadvantaged communities. Learn about the MTL program and the techniques and strategies that sent high-risk students to college, in a high school that traditionally only graduated a little over half of its overall student population. Rodney will share the most effective strategies for addressing childhood trauma as well as how to build an environment of empathy and compassion within schools.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS WITHIN: ENGENDERING THE OWNERSHIP MINDSET
When you’re born in volatile conditions and circumstances, you can’t afford to let life happen. Having a vision, plan and commitment to action is the only way to ensure you don’t fall victim to life’s inevitable circumstances. The purpose of BOLD (Business of Life Development) Leadership Initiative is to teach the entrepreneurial mindset in a critical way. Through this keynote, Rodney helps audiences shift their focus from outside distractions of life to their own personal growth and development. Whether you’re a mentor, teacher or student yourself, he will help you learn the difference between victimhood and ownership, framing life struggles as an asset versus a liability. Audiences walk away understanding life from a "business” standpoint, using good decision-making to further develop and invest in their growth.
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Twitter: @TheRealANDOne
Instagram: @rodneyjw