Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Watson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
21st Century Leaders was founded by a group of business executives who wanted to get their companies engaged with schools and talented youth that were in need of opportunities to reach their full potential for college and career. It soon became clear that there were a lot of youth all across Georgia with extraordinary potential but also a clear lack of opportunities for those same youth to develop that potential for themselves, their schools, their communities and their future places of work. They hired me as Executive Director to lead the effort to develop programs and reach out to additional businesses. The group incorporated in 1989 in Atlanta, and launched its first summer leadership institute program in 1991 with 31 students from 9 high schools. Over the years our mission has centered around two important constants: the need to expand and diversify the pool of future leaders for Georgia, its communities and employers. Our success lies in a focus on that mission that still resonates with the ever-expanding network of business and professional leaders that support our work with young people.
Since 1991, we have served over 12,000 students from over 250 high schools from across the state!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a small and entrepreneurial non-profit there are, of course, bumps along the way. Being a part of the organization since the beginning and over the last 27 years, we’ve certainly experienced our share of success and struggles. Chart the course of our economy in recession and you will know the times we have struggled to generate the resources we need to maintain both a high level of program excellent but also serve an increasing number of students who could truly benefit from our programs. And on occasion, again, because our dreams are bigger than our budgets (isn’t that true of MOST non-profits?), we struggle to be able to gain traction when a really great strategy or opportunity presents itself that could result in increased levels of program excellence or scale. That’s when you have to get really creative and what keeps our original entrepreneurial spirit alive all these years later.
Overall, we’ve been proud to maintain the reputation of one of Georgia’s premier leadership and talent development programs for high schools over the course of our time, and one that’s truly unlike any other program in the state.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about 21st Century Leaders – what should we know?
21st Century Leaders’ strength and distinction lie in the engagement of business leaders and professionals as volunteers, the retooling of high-level corporate leadership training programs for our program delivery model, and an unyielding commitment to the power of diversity. Throughout our history, 21st Century Leaders has connected thousands of Georgia youth and business and professional volunteers for one purpose – to inspire the next generation of leaders to lead our businesses and our communities. The purpose of our leadership programs are to: CONNECT students with a diverse group of peers professionals, ideas and organizations; TRANSFORM student’s skill-sets, ideas and attitudes; and INSPIRE students to demonstrate leadership by planning for their future, taking on new leadership positions, seeking out new opportunities, and giving back to their communities.
21st Century Leaders provide year-round leadership and talent development programs for high school students all across the state. We are best known for our summer leadership institutes, our one-week residential summer institutes on college campuses sponsored by our corporate partners and donors. This past year (2017), we hosted 240 students from across the state with over 380 business executives and professionals, including volunteers from our corporate summer sponsors The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Power, and Turner Broadcasting.
We also host school year events including one to two day live leadership summits centered around entrepreneurship, business, and leadership. We have around a dozen school-based clubs, called Youth Leadership Centers at participating high schools around the state that are funded by grants and corporate partners. Twenty-five students meet twice a month to plan leadership forums and service projects for their larger student body. We’re also beginning to integrate our newest online program, Leadership Connect into our Youth Leadership Centers. Leadership Connect is our new online learning management system that will be centered around our other live leadership training programs, allow students to earn points, rewards, and incentives, and most importantly allow us to reach an even great number of students each year!
We’re proud of that we’ve served over 12,000 students from over 250 high schools from around the state since 1991. We’re proud of WHO we have served – students from not just metro Atlanta, but from all over Georgia including Valdosta to Dalton from Columbus to Augusta and everywhere in between. We even have students from rural communities like Twiggs County and Emanuel County where we have Youth Leadership Centers. We’re proud that we are a true statewide organization that brings together youth and professionals from every area of the state, urban and rural. And we’re truly proud that we remain true to our founding spirit as innovators and remain a creative outlet for talented business and professional leaders to give back and reach out.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about Atlanta is really, almost, a contradiction. I like the constant influx of new companies, new people, new ideas and the constantly renewing energy that comes with it. To me Atlanta remains an exciting and energetic place to work where you can follow your passion- be it in business or the non-profit sector. If you have a great idea someone is ALWAYS willing to listen! But what I also love about Atlanta is depth of talent in the non-profit sector – especially those who have “labored long in the fields” and yet do not lose heart but continue the mission while training a new generation of leaders. Our children and youth need and deserve our best and Atlanta, and Georgia, is blessed with many who continue to work every day to make things better for all of them.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
For any organization to be successful you need a team. Our Board of Directors have been deeply committed to our work through their time, their talents and their personal and professional resources; and their passion! Each year these dedicated members represent well over 60% of our revenue in terms of their personal contributions and the contributions of the companies they represent. Those early board members had a real vision of what our future could be and set the standard for everything that followed. Our Board Chairs have provided tremendous leadership and vision, especially when times got tough. Our long-term corporate partners like Turner and Georgia Power and Cox Enterprises, each of which has been with us from the beginning, have enabled us to maintain a consistency in our programming efforts. And our small and committed staff, increasingly coming from the ranks of our program alumni, work tirelessly to create opportunities to the youth we serve. Like any non-profit organization it is people committed to a cause that fuels the mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.21stcenturyleaders.org
- Phone: 404-373-7441
- Email: bob@21stcenturyleaders.org or kate@21stcenturyleaders.org (Assistant Director)
Image Credit:
21st Century Leaders
Turner Broadcasting, Inc.
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