An Oakland native, Founding Executive Director Brandon Nicholson has always felt a deep sense of commitment to promoting equity in the public realm, particularly in the education space. Previously, he was a Senior Associate at Social Policy Research Associates (SPR), where he conducted research, evaluation, and analysis across a range of key social policy areas. Brandon has conducted substantial research in the areas of education and youth development, with a particular focus on issues of equity and access in K-12 education for underserved populations. He has considerable experience investigating linkages among race, class, and youth development.

A San Francisco native, Tariq Norris is the Finance and Operations Director at The Hidden Genius Project. His expertise is rooted in organizational development, fiscal management, non-profit administration, youth development, and strategic planning. Previously, Tariq held leadership positions at several local and national non-profit organizations which focused on organizational growth and creating positive pathways and opportunities for children and families. Tariq was educated at Alabama State University where he studied Communications. Tariq believes strongly in the power of community and continues to dedicate his life and career to helping historically underserved youth and communities advance and thrive.

Hodari A. Tourè received his doctorate from UC Berkeley in the School of Education in Social and Cultural Studies. His research in anthropology and education reflects a strong emphasis on inner city African Americans and has resulted in an interest in organic community discourse, which he calls block pedagogy. He states it is a discourse, which reflects the constant negotiation of identity power and privileged knowledge.

Prof. Tourè has taught courses at UC Berkeley and has vast experience working with young Black males throughout the East Bay including; Emery middle school, King Estate middle school among others.

Sean Valentine grew up in the Greater New York City Area. In 2009 he relocated to Oakland to work with youth athletes through personal training. In this pursuit, Sean developed a passion for mentorship and teen counseling. While studying Economics he became determined to incorporate his life’s experiences, scholastic knowledge, and pure people skills to help underserved teens reach their true potential. Sean received his B.S. in Economics from Saint Mary’s College.

After hearing a sermon of Dr. MLK in which he said “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” Akeem decided early on in his life that advocacy and speaking truth to power was his calling. At the intersections of technology, entrepreneurship, and policy, lay his passions as he believes societal transformation is possible when under-resourced demographics begin to trust their innate skills and build for themselves instead of only consuming. Akeem previously served as a Senior Corporate Paralegal overseeing entity formations, intellectual property, and compliance matters. Akeem was educated at the University of California, Riverside where he studied Public Policy and Religion. Currently, Akeem is the Programs Director at The Hidden Genius Project and founder of Corporately LLC.

Eugene Lemon has over thirty years’ experience in the computer technology field, first as a business software consultant and then as a computer science teacher. He recently retired from Oakland Unified School District after twenty years of service where he worked in alternative educational settings; primarily serving at-risk students who would otherwise have a difficult time succeeding in a traditional high school environment.

Eugene is the president of the local CSTA (Computer Science Teacher Association) Chapter and a member of the CSTA’s Advocacy Leadership Team. Eugene is also a member of The Level Playing Field Institute’s Broadening Participation in Computing advisory committee providing feedback on the development, implementation and evaluation of the BPC project.

Jamal Mitchell drives the holistic arm of The Hidden Genius Project as the Support Services Manager. With over twenty-two years of experience in serving youth and families in the foster care system, Jamal specializes in cultivating relationships with at-risk and underserved youth. He has a strong passion for comprehensive case management and possesses a gift for developing a holistic needs-based service plan. Jamal was also a Life Skills Trainer for twelve years at the Alameda County Independent Living Skills Program.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Denzel Russell is the Communications Manager at The Hidden Genius Project. He provides a wealth of experience in youth development, program management, marketing, and non-profit administration. Prior to this role, Denzel’s passion for mentoring marganlized youth stemmed from his service at the Children’s Creativity Museum, where he worked as the Marketing and Development Associate, Floor Manager, and Youth Program Coordinator. Denzel received his B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Management from San Francisco State University.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, David Malone Jr. serves as the Innovation Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. Soon after receiving his B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Akron, he moved to Oakland in order to pursue his passion of uplifting Black communities. The under-representation of Black people in the tech industry sparked an interest for David to help provide the resources and opportunities needed to diversify the tech sector. He also worked as a Technical Support Representative for Rockwell Automation overseeing numerous software products.

Computer science enthusiast and aspiring entrepreneur, Abraham Keleta is the Innovation Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. Being an Oakland Native, Abraham is interested in utilizing technology and leadership principles to inspire and empower the next generation to build the tools needed to make a global impact. In his spare time, Abraham is devoted to curating his passion projects; Asend, a personal blog and running a clothing brand, Leopes. He also enjoys reading and reviewing books focused on personal development.

A native of Los Angeles, Kayla Mason is the Los Angeles Site Director at The Hidden Genius Project. Kayla operates at the nexus of program operations, coalition building, and organizational development. She is driven by the opportunity to influence systemic change for at-opportunity youth and has overseen community growth opportunities for local and national organizations. Kayla believes in building youth intrinsic power and is a proud alumni of Community Coalition SCYEA an organization that builds campaigns to improve the conditions of South Los Angeles schools.

Chris Wilson supports The Hidden Genius Project as the Los Angeles Innovation Educator. Originally from Berkeley, CA, Chris graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Africana Studies. He is passionate about serving young people in our communities and his work is guided by a deep love for the African Diaspora and the Black experience in America. Prior to this experience, Chris worked as a Program Manager for City Year Los Angeles, where he managed young adults who served students with; tier 2 support time, social & emotional development, and leadership workshops in the Watts and Inglewood communities.

Billy Spearman received his Master of Computer Science degree at Alabama A&M University and is the Los Angeles Innovation Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. Higher education and software development have always been a staple of Billy’s career, as he previously worked as a computer science instructor at Southwest Tennessee Community College and software engineer for the United States Department of Defense. His long term goals are to become an independent software development consultant and tenured professor at a Historical Black College.

Originally from South East Los Angeles County, Michael Lopez is the Los Angeles Program Coordinator at The Hidden Genius Project. While growing up he recognized many of the inequalities people of color face through his personal experiences and those around him. While attending the University of California, San Diego he gained a new set of lenses he could utilize to deconstruct social issues through Sociology, however, he felt limited in the tools he possessed to enact change. This motivated Michael to pursue his MSW at the University of Southern California where he honed in on his passion for working with youth with marginalized identities. In his free time, Michael enjoys staying active, as well as coaching high school wrestling.

As the Alumni Coordinator at The Hidden Genius Project, Arnold Lopez actively manages the personal, professional, and academic ecosystem of initatives to support current students and alumni. Arnold started his career in San Diego where he worked with young people through local recreation centers, the YMCA, and with his church youth group. His passion for education and youth development amplified when he moved to the Bay Area and joined Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC) with UC Berkeley. Arnold is currently studying Educational Entrepreneurship at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as a MS.Ed Candidate with the intent to bring more resources back into at-opportunity communities.

With a commitment to supporting marginalized communities, Kacie Patton is the Support Services Manager at the Intensive Immersion Program site in Richmond, CA. Kacie knew early on her passion was being in service to others and this prompted her to pursue her MSW from University of Louisville – Kent School of Social Work. After serving The Hidden Genius Project as an MSW Intern for two years, Kacie brings her wealth of experience, education, and alignment with the mission and vision of the organization to her role. Outside of her professional endeavors, Kacie enjoys reading, research, and has a passion for attending live music shows, plays, and sporting events.

Perry Irving, Oakland native and OAK3 Hidden Alum, supports The Hidden Genius Project as the first Genius Fellow Educator. In 2015, Perry joined our Intensive Immersion Program with his twin brother, Paris, where he thrived learning about computer science and entrepreneurship. While in the program, Perry combined his passion for technology and skateboarding and founded iCreateSkateboards, which helps skaters design their own skateboards.

After completing the program, Perry continued to support The Hidden Genius Project as a Youth Educator for five years, leading technical workshops to young people and adults throughout the Bay Area, including national and international Catalyst Programs. He also participated in our inaugural Alumni Venture Seed Fund program in 2020. In his spare time, Perry enjoys skateboarding and creating content videos.

OAK4 Hidden Genius Alum, Kevin Butler, proudly serves as a Genius Fellow Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. After completing our Intensive Immersion Program in 2016, Kevin continued to support The Hidden Genius Project by teaching basic computer science skills to students of color in his community and beyond as a Youth Educator. He currently attends Laney College and plans to transfer to a 4-year university to get his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Kevin is deeply passionate about giving back to his community and aspires to create innovative ways to support the next generation of young people.

Game developer and music composer, Jabari Alii is an Oakland native and the Innovation Educator at The Hidden Genius Project. He believes in using art and technology to give voice and agency to underserved youth. His work is fueled by a mission to have the Black community play a larger role in the global impact of technology and media. Emerging technology has always been Jabari's passion, as he previously worked as a sound designer for Facebook and a video game design instructor for the David E. Glover Technology Center. In his spare time, Jabari enjoys playing chess and the piano.

Paúl Pérez serves as the Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC): College Adviser Fellow for The Hidden Genius Project. Originally from Moreno Valley, CA, Paúl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Chicano Studies degree from University of California, Berkeley with a Minor in Education. As a first-generation college graduate, Paúl shares the experience of many students who are the first in their families that aspire to pursue higher education. For this reason, Paúl is excited to help The Hidden Genius Project's students achieve their post-secondary education goals.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Max Cadena serves on the Support Services Team as the MSW Intern at The Hidden Genius Project. Max is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work degree at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work with a focus on supporting children, youth, and families. Max attended Sonoma State University with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in PR and Marketing. Prior to joining The Hidden Genius Project, Maxwell worked at Vista Group, which is the leading software provider for cinemas around the world. Maxwell has experience implementing software, launching apps and websites, and working with clients and teams across the globe. Maxwell has a passion for serving and building opportunities for marginalized communities in Los Angeles so they may thrive holistically. Max loves to travel, go to concerts, cook, and spend time with my family and friends.