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Kwame Owusu-Kesse
Chief Executive Officer at Harlem Children's Zone
Kwame Owusu-Kesse is the Chief Executive Officer of Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), a renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York.12 He was appointed to this role in July 2020, after serving as the organization's Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2020.4
Background and Education
Owusu-Kesse grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, facing challenges similar to those experienced by the young people HCZ serves.3 He earned three degrees from Harvard University:
- Bachelor's degree in Economics
- Master's in Business Administration from Harvard Business School
- Master's in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School23
Career Highlights
- Started his career as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley from 2006 to 20094
- Joined HCZ in 2012 as Managing Director and Special Assistant to the CEO5
- Became COO of HCZ in 20144
- Appointed CEO of HCZ in July 20201
- Currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Dynasty Equity45
Achievements at HCZ
As CEO, Owusu-Kesse has:
- Launched HCZ's transformation into a national organization1
- Co-founded the William Julius Wilson Institute with HCZ President Geoffrey Canada2
- Led the National COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Effort2
- Shepherded the launch of Wealth Builds, an initiative to end intergenerational poverty2
- Oversees comprehensive services for over 22,000 children and families in Central Harlem3
Recognition
Owusu-Kesse has gained national recognition, including:
- Named in TIME100 Next list for 20243
- Listed in Crain's New York Business 40 under 402
- Included in BET's Future 402
- Featured in various national media outlets, including The New York Times, CBS, CNN, and MSNBC2
Owusu-Kesse is known for his dedication to helping children from challenging circumstances reach their potential, drawing from his own experiences to lead HCZ in its mission to break the cycle of poverty through education and comprehensive support.67
Highlights
Thank you #Minneapolis! I had the pleasure of addressing over 1600 attendees at the 3rd Annual SOARNORTH Gala celebrating the amazing work of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ). Special shoutout to NAZ CEO Sondra Samuels for your visionary leadership. Congrats on another successful event! (And huge congrats on having musical icons Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight close out the night with wonderful performances!)
#national #leadership #fieldbuilding #partnership #collaboration #cradletocareer #naz #hcz #community #impact

Energized, albeit tired, by an exciting three days in #Austin, #Texas for Harlem Children's Zone first time at #SxSWEDU. We hosted the world premiere of our #HarlemRising documentary and I got to join our founder #GeoffCanada and talented colleague Christian Rhodes on stage for a Q&A about the film, and the future of #HCZ. (Stay tuned for an interview that I may or may not have snuck in between our many sessions!)
On Wednesday, I was honored to join Dominique Lee of BRICK Education Network for an insightful panel discussion about the power of community partnerships and investing in holistic supports for young people in and outside of school, moderated by Tomeka Hart Wigginton.
A special shoutout to producers of Harlem Rising for making an amazing documentary, the #WilliamJuliusWilsonInstitute team for making sure we were represented at #SxSW, and my Executive Team colleagues who came to support and represent for HCZ.
Thanks for the memories, Austin. We look forward to being back next year!
#businessexcellence #innovatingforimpact #thoughtleadership
