About LB
Our Mission & Vision
Leadership Brainery is a 501(c)(3) organization addressing inequitable access to master’s and doctoral degrees and workforce leadership opportunities for underrepresented talent. We work with prospective and current graduate students, academic institutions, employers, and committed community members to eliminate systemic barriers to education and create inclusive communities.
We envision a day when competitive postgraduate classrooms throughout the country are enriched by an equitable representation of first-generation and diverse students, empowered to transform our country’s leadership.
Our Theory of Change
With equitable access to advanced education, resources, and inclusive networks, underrepresented communities can leverage impactful and higher-wage careers to establish financial stability and reinvest in their communities to create generational prosperity.
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2013
The LB was birthed out of our co-founders' experiences as first-generation college students at Grambling State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Our co-founder Jonathan Allen was Student Body President and co-founder Derrick Young Jr. was Director of SGA Student Relations. The two of them spearheaded transformative initiatives to increase student engagement around critical issues. They led a voter registration campaign that registered over 900 students to vote, mobilized campus coalitions to tackle tobacco on campus, and even built a student resource center and computer lab in the student union! The two started to get attention from other young leaders, and were compelled to start provide leadership trainings to help them optimize their impact on their campuses and within their community.
Grambling State University 2013
Save Grambling State University
Student Body President - Grambling State University
Grambling State University 2013
2016
By 2016, our founders had partnered with Student Affairs Offices and student groups at public and private colleges, HBCUs, and community colleges to assist with yearly strategic planning and execution, team building, constitution revisions, and organizational transitions. The experience was transformative and expanding their understanding of college students' needs, particularly the most vulnerable.
2017
Both our co-founders understood that to access leadership roles in the workforce, obtaining postgraduate degrees would help them achieve their goals. However, upon entering their respective competitive graduate programs, the racial inequities in education vividly revealed themselves. They were among the very few Black students enrolled. Jonathan earned his Master of Theological Studies, concentrating on political and liberation theologies, and, afterward, he earned his Juris Doctors. Derrick earned his Master of Public Health degree, concentrating in health services management and policy, and later attended law school. Derrick then self-eliminated himself from law school after being one of two Black men to enter his class of 250+ in 2017. Jonathan and Derrick knew they must create a solution to increase access for minoritized students in competitive postgraduate programs.
2018
Leadership Brainery was established as a certified Massachusetts non-profit organization. The Marion Institute became Leadership Brainery's fiscal sponsor, which made all donations 501(c)(3) tax deductible.
2019
Leadership Brainery Ambassador Fellowship was launched as a long-term development pipeline program equipping extraordinary first-generation and diverse college student leaders with the skills and resources to prepare for postgraduate education, build inclusive networks, and gain access to impactful and high-wage careers. Our first cohort (LBA 1) attended their first meet-up in Boston, and we hosted our Inaugural National Impact Summit at Harvard Law School.
2020
In March 2020, we enacted our Student Relief Fund as an immediate response to the coronavirus outbreak. Underserved students encounter disproportionate hardships that impact their ability to live, learn, graduate and succeed. Through our Student Relief Fund, we were able to aid over 100 diverse , low-income, and LGBTQ+ college students with mini-grants to help them secure safe and stable housing, food, internet connection, medication, books, and more.
The pandemic also made us shift our LBA ASSEMBLE Meetings and 2020 National Impact Summit to fully virtual. In the midst of the transformations, LB officially became 501(c)(3) tax-exempt and launched applications for our second LBA cohort.
2021
Leadership Brainery Inc., acquired Cambridge-based nonprofit Dear Future Colleague to further its mission of equipping underrepresented talent as they pursue graduate education and career success. Founded in 2020 by Harvard Law School student Nancy Fairbank and a team of volunteer graduate students and competitive scholarship winners, Dear Future Colleague ensures graduate school and competitive scholarship admissions are more equitable, accessible, and diverse. Their initial focus was providing mentors to help applicants navigate the process of applying to law school and competitive scholarships. Upon Leadership Brainery’s acquisition, Dear Future Colleague (DFC) has evolved into an online and mobile platform and now supports graduate school and scholarship applicants across various sectors, including law, STEM, business, healthcare, and the arts.
