An Inspired Chat with Dr. Leon Prieto of Southside Atlanta

We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Leon Prieto and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Leon, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
That’s such a great question. Honestly, what I’m most proud of building is something that isn’t fully visible yet but is close to my heart. I’ve been working on creating a youth entrepreneurship program specifically for kids on the autism spectrum, a group that is often underestimated and misunderstood. Many people don’t know that I have been formally studying autism spectrum disorder, and I see this knowledge as a way to complement my skills as a professor who is deeply interested in social innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive business education.

What excites me most is the opportunity to show the world that young people on the spectrum can be independent and live meaningful, fulfilling lives. By exposing them to entrepreneurship and workplace readiness, we can help them recognize their unique strengths and learn how to turn those into real opportunities. Even though most people don’t see the behind-the-scenes work yet, I know this program has the potential to make a lasting impact, and that’s what I’m most proud of building.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Leon Christopher Prieto, and I am originally from Point Fortin, Trinidad & Tobago. I moved to the United States to pursue higher education and have been fortunate to receive an excellent education at Claflin University, Georgia Southern University, Louisiana State University, and Harvard University. That foundation has played an important role in shaping both my career and the opportunities I’ve had to contribute to the field of management.

I currently serve as a Professor of Management at Clayton State University and as a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Social Innovation. My work focuses on inclusive entrepreneurship, responsible leadership, social innovation, and business education. Along the way, I have been fortunate to share my research in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of Business Ethics, and to coauthor the book African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage (now in its second edition).

One of the roles I am most honored to hold is serving on the Advisory Board of the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP), a respected global initiative. The IPSP brings together leading scholars, innovators, and policymakers — supported by luminaries like Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Muhammad Yunus — to reimagine models of social change and address urgent challenges such as inequality, climate justice, and strengthening democracy. In my role, I contribute to the Working Group on Entrepreneurship and Social Purpose, where I help shape global dialogue on how businesses can advance social progress.

At the heart of my work is the belief that business can and should be both profitable and purposeful. I recently shared this vision in my TEDxAtlanta talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIS3ZmND7co
), where I explored how cooperative values and purpose-driven leadership can transform capitalism for the better. I am also deeply passionate about inclusive business education and I am currently developing a youth entrepreneurship program for children on the autism spectrum — a group that is often underestimated and misunderstood. By equipping them with entrepreneurial and workplace readiness skills, my hope is to show the world that these young people can live independent, meaningful lives and become powerful contributors to society.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My journey into higher education began approximately 25 years ago at Claflin University, when Mrs. Alice Carson Tisdale offered me a full scholarship into the Honors College that proudly carries her name. Her passing deeply impacted the entire Claflin community, and it reminded me once again how profoundly grateful I am to her. As a young man from Point Fortin, Trinidad, she gave me an opportunity that completely changed the trajectory of my life.

Mrs. Tisdale saw potential in me long before I could see it in myself. Her belief gave me the confidence to excel in my educational journey and to claim my space in the world with purpose. I will always honor her legacy by striving to give my best, and by using the opportunities she made possible to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be this: you are enough. For so long, I struggled with self-confidence and carried the sting of harsh words from others. I often doubted myself, questioned whether I truly belonged, and even wondered if I could ever become the kind of scholar and practitioner who makes a real difference. What I wish I had known then is that those voices did not define me.

Over time, through patience, resilience, and a lot of inner work, I grew into myself. I discovered that the strength I needed was already there, waiting for me to embrace it. To my younger self, I would say: believe in your worth, trust your journey, and know that you will grow into someone who not only finds their voice but uses it to make a positive impact in the world.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Is the public version of me the real me? Well, yes and no. The public usually gets to see the professional side of me — the professor, the researcher, the speaker. That’s definitely me, but it’s only one layer. What most people don’t see is that I’m very multifaceted. I enjoy an eclectic mix of music, from Soca and Calypso (a nod to my Trini roots) to Reggae, R&B, Hip Hop, and Afrobeats. I love being silly with family and friends, and I can just as easily be found laughing at a joke as I can be giving a lecture on social innovation.

I also enjoy cooking, discovering new flavors, and being a bit of a foodie by exploring different ethnic cuisines. And of course, I’m a big fan of soccer — or as I like to say, the real football — and I can’t wait for the World Cup to come to North America. So while the public tends to see the polished, professional side of me, once people really get to know me, they discover there’s much more beneath the surface.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I can honestly say I was absolutely born to be a professor and practitioner focused on social innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive business education. I truly come alive in the classroom and at speaking engagements, especially when I get to engage with topics that push us to think differently, like how we can create a lovelier form of capitalism for all. I actually knew I wanted to do this work way back in my undergraduate days at Claflin University. The journey wasn’t without setbacks, but I kept pressing forward toward that goal because I knew this was my calling.

I often joke with my students that I’ll still be teaching well into my nineties — and maybe that’s not such a far stretch, lol. Realistically though, I see myself doing this for a long time, because the work energizes me. When you’re doing what you were born to do, it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like purpose.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leoncprieto/

Image Credits
TEDx Atlanta