← We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
688. Who Gets to Design Change? Power, Agency & Creating Sustainable Orgs - Chidi Asoluka, NewComm
00:44:38
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- [00:03]
A
What question am I solving and how are we doing that at scale? I think that is something that I would love to see more of is getting out of your own head and into the heads of the people you're trying to impact. You may start to realize that some of the things you think are your darlings do not answer the question.
- [00:24]
B
Hey, I'm John.
- [00:25]
C
And I'm Becky.
- [00:26]
B
And this is the We Here for Good podcast.
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C
Let's get started.
- [00:32]
B
Hey, Becky, what's happening?
- [00:33]
C
Our friend is in the house anymore. We love having a friendly yellow and looks so great, so let's bring this energy in.
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A
Yes.
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B
That's why you need to tune into YouTube, obviously, to see Chidi's sweater. But also, if you came to the We Are for Good summit, this conversation with Chidi just, like, rocked us in the best of ways. We got to meet him through our friend Brooke Richie Babbage, who was hosting this session. We're like, man, we need to know this guy and really get to know what drives him and how it drives his work, because we want to spread the work that he's doing and the way he thinks about solving for systemic problems. Like, we want to set that on fire and hopefully inspire you today. So it's my honor to introduce you to Chidi Asaluka. He's the founder and CEO of Newcom, which is a nonprofit that reimagines what learning and leadership really look like by centering the agency of young people. So you can tell they're a kindred spirit in how they think about and kind of scheme in this world. But they're not about hypothetical skill building. It's a student led community where high school change makers manage real budgets. Heck, I'd have never did that. But they're also designing community projects with real clients to tackle challenges right in their own neighborhoods. So today, while we're exploring what it really looks like to shift power to build agency and to rethink who gets to design change in our communities, we're going to also thread together Chidi's lessons from building a nonprofit. So everything from sustainability to leadership and what it looks like to lead a modern organization today, my friend, is really good to have you in the house. Thanks for coming to the podcast today.
- [02:03]
A
I mean, thank you. It's an honor to be here. It's also really beautiful to hear the work that I'm doing every day back in the way you said makes me more proud. So just thank you for even just doing that part.
- [02:16]
C
You did that.
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B
Thanks, man. Yeah, you should be proud of me.
- [02:18]
C
You should be proud of yourself as
- [02:19]
A
soon as it got. And I'm just excited that the newcomers provided the opportunity for our students. So, seriously, thanks.
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B
Reflecting and deflecting. I love it so much. But, my friend, like, we always start these podcasts because we want to get to know the human behind Mission. So would you take us into just a little bit of your story? Like, take us back to Chidi growing up and what were some of the defining moments that led you into this work?
- [02:43]
A
Yeah. Wow. I am the son of Nigerian immigrants. I should begin this conversation there. And so America for them was a dream come true. And I think that I operated and lived underneath. I felt that with them, there's a. There's just a grand excitement about the opportunity to be here, but also the real world challenge of navigating that dream. I also lived through that, too. So we grew up in Newark, New Jersey, in the beginning in an apartment complex called the Ivy Hill Apartments, which was a really challenging place to live. But my parents worked multiple jobs while going to school to make it work. Ultimately, they saved their money and were able to live just outside of Newark in a town called Irvington, New Jersey. And really, we were fueled by their hopes and dreams for us. Like a lot of Nigerian immigrants, immigrants all across the country, what they want for their children. Doctor, lawyer, engineer. I always was a weird kid, meaning that I knew pretty early that I wasn't going to do any of those jobs. I wanted to be a storyteller. I didn't know what that meant. Many novels, films, or what have you, but I wanted to tell stories, which my parents were like, doctor, lawyer, engineer. So that, like, I didn't understand any of that stuff. But I think that I. I was also a kid who was incredibly shy to tell those stories. I. I had a speech impediment. I stuttered often, mostly out of just being nervous all the time. And I had to really work at being the person I saw in my head. And I became obsessive about personal growth. I started writing my journals. I started practicing. I remember in college, I would rent out those rooms where you practice instruments. And I would be in there just talking. My name is Chidi Osluka. And I did it like, I would do that for hours because I knew that in my head, I saw myself as bigger than what my output was doing. And so I did that for a very long time. And I ultimately. That's funny. I don't know how long this is going to be, but I love it so much. I actually thought As a period of my time, I'll cut a story short. Essentially, I was interning at a bank. I know. And I was majoring in English. I was writing poetry, but I was also working at a bank. Long story, less long. At the interview at the end of my high college experience to be a full time banker, she asked me the question that kind of changed my entire life. She said, what would you love more? Working here at the bank or creating something that can change the world? And I was like, what? Working at the bank. I was like, working here at the bank. That's why I'm here. And she's like, I think you'll be a great banker. I think you'll be an excellent educator. So I was like, excuse me, I'm not gonna be an educator. But she said, please just try. If you hate it, come back and you will hire you. But I have a funny feeling you won't remember my name. Well, it's like 20 years later, I don't remember her name. I've been an educator ever since.
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B
What a story. What a sliding door of life.
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A
It's true. It's a true. I have more. I have crazy. I can fill this whole podcast with stories that will. Will unstitch you.
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B
It's like we can make your storyteller dream come true.
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A
Totally.
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C
First of all, what are your mom and dad's names?
- [06:28]
A
Angela and Levinis.
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C
Angela and Lavinis, you have done so well. You have raised such a big, beautiful, capable, incredible son who is changing the world banker. And I. I think you. You really transitioned me well into this next question because we want to talk about who gets to design change.
- [06:52]
A
Whoa.
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C
You know, and I. I think what's so beautiful about what you're doing at Newcom is that students, they aren't just participating, they're leading real projects with real budgets, like John mentioned, and real clients. And I'm just curious why you felt it was so important that the people closest to the challenge were the ones designing the solutions.
- [07:18]
A
Wow, that's a great question. I think. Yeah, I'm feeling spicy today. So you're getting me on it.
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C
I'm so excited. Okay, good hot takes. Go with it. Go with it.
- [07:28]
B
Yeah, let's go.
- [07:29]
A
I think we have been living under a certain kind of ethos on education reform that is outdated. And it says that we must find a diamond in the rough, we must polish the diamond in the rough, and we will take them to the mountaintop. And they have gathered their success for themselves. I think that has worked for individuals. I Think we're living in a time where we need more systemic change. And that comes from how do you build an identity that leans more towards building the future and not just consuming it and giving students the opportunity to participate in the same networks that the wealthy enjoy, how they pass resources and capital as if it's candy from the store. And we're being taught that we have to be super excellent and be worthy to be the diamond that gets polished. And we know that it doesn't operate that way across the aisle. And so, for me, I didn't want to create the same program, and I wanted to think about what will be the transformative thing to do. And it didn't come from me. I actually was doing focus groups. I really wanted to create something that students wanted. So I would travel to different schools, and I would say, I have an idea of what I want to build, but what do you all think about that? And one student said, what if you gave us $10,000? And I was like, gave you $10,000? She's like, no, no, no. Like, everyone in this room, we get to manage $10,000, and you help us, like, figure out what to do with it. And the kids erupted. They're like, oh, my God, yes. And one kid was like, yeah, because all these programs are thought experiments. Like, we want to actually move money. Can we move money? And that became like, okay. So I would take that concept. I would go to the next school, and I would say, what if I gave you all $10,000 to manage? Is that a program you will like? They're like, oh, my God, yes. And everywhere I went, that was the same response. And so to answer your question directly is because kids wanted. It's what our youth are wanting. They want the opportunity to have authority. They are sitting on tremendous creativity. They're sitting on tremendous will. They are digital natives, and we should be giving them the ability to have authority. Too many programs position students from historically marginalized communities as deficits and that your program is going to fill the hole in their heart and they will be socially mobile. Our program is flipped. We say our students are proximate to the world's challenges, and therefore, they're the best people to help us fix faulty systems. And so to answer your question, it wasn't some thought. It wasn't some book I read. It was what is at the heart of our young people? And could we create a system that we can do that repeatedly, year after year and allow their genius to be platformed and institutionalize and really build the muscle of Legacy making. Because the way that we disrupt systems is not just through individual flag waving. It is how do we. That understands that collectively that we need to figure out the ways in which we hold a door for each other and allow ourselves to build systems of support, systems of care, system of love. And that's how we push back against faulty systems. And so I think, I think Newcome is answering the question of the moment and, and, and quite poetically, it came from young people.
- [11:15]
B
I am so leaned in to what you're doing and like the kinship of how you show up in the world and what we aspire to do is, Is just so dang aligned.
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A
Thanks.
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B
And I think you call out like that you didn't read this in a book. I just want to, like, talk about that for a hot second, because proximity is everything. And I think that it's really easy in today's society to think that we hold all this, the answers, without actually getting in the grid of knowing somebody affected by the problem. And so I love that you named that very casually because I think that is a serious problem and something that we as change makers can help rewrite the narrative. And it starts by getting in community with people and getting to know people's story and understanding the actual tangible impacts and then moving resources toward.
- [12:07]
A
Absolutely, we are. You know, there's a saying, we are. People love to mentor. They're like, oh, we will. We will mentor you. But when have you given young people the authority? Like, when's that going to happen? I think we're hoping that we can be the people who are a part of a larger conversation of saying that our kids have assets to bear and they just need the ability to be put in the position to demonstrate them.
- [12:31]
B
So beautiful. I mean, I'll just keep going. What shifts have you seen when you've kind of taken that posture, working with students? I mean, in terms of, like, leaning into trusting them with responsibility, what does that do in terms of their confidence, their outcomes, their community trust?
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A
So there are. There are two things that I think are happening both on the individual and then collectively, I think when. So for us, let's start with a very tangible story. And then we'll. The very first project is a play on the Met Gala. It's called the Net Gala. I love that. Great idea, kids. They're so good.
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C
They're so clever.
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A
So clever. And it was solving the challenge around building social capital networks for students in the South Bronx. A lot of. A lot of students want to be doctors and nurses and healthcare professional, being A healthcare professional. But a lot of students don't know a healthcare professional. And so they wanted to create relationship building. Not just Dr. Comes into the school and says, you too can be a doctor if you study hard. And they go off to their job. How do we build relationships? How can I text you and say, hey, I'm thinking about being a doctor. What do you think? And they say, oh, come to this thing I'm doing on Tuesday. That's what they wanted to create. And they thought a party would do it. That was swanky enough for a doctor. Yeah, but it's their music and their food. Like, you put those two things together, kids to come nitic. And now you can build. It's called the Net Gala. It's so good. We do it every year. We have transformed it into our annual gala, and now it's like the fundraiser at Newcom. This is the first year we're doing it that way. The kids who are who created Net Gala are now freshmen, sophomores in college right now. And they are builders. They think about themselves in college, not just a consumer of the collegiate education. They're thinking about, huh, how can I y' all do it like this all the time. Have you considered this? Right. They're always thinking about new ways to reimagine the status quo. They're not just happy you gave them a seat at your college university thinking about ways that can transform at college and universities. So it's always exciting to hear back from our alums who created the Net Gala. And now they can look back and say, they all do it every single year. That gives them a certain kind of like, yeah, I could do the next thing and the next thing after that. So I think individually, we're seeing them shift from consumers of their education to being builders of their education. That is huge. Collectively, our program is really about building community. And so it's about grabbing two or three people with you. And so what we're seeing is that we're seeing students on their own form study networks on their own. Let's all grab, go to brunch and talk about the regions, right? And so the more that we can see that in our communities as not just, oh, I'm really smart, let me run as fast as I can away from the hood, instead saying, how do I open the door for all of us to come in? And I don't have something, but you have something. Let's come in here and share. We're seeing that happen organically in our community. And so that has been truly exciting. To see that through this work they are bettering themselves, but they're also thinking about the ways in which they better each other. And we're super excited for our program to mature because what does this look like 10 years from now?
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C
Exactly what I was thinking, right?
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A
Like, you know, 10 years from now, are they forming companies? Are they hiring each other? Are they forming their own? Like that's going to be the really exciting moment as that as this community matures and deepens. What's possible when you have a generation of students who are thinking about their
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C
education in that way, do they want to come in and help build a social impact community with us? Because I love their ideas and their creativity. Because listen, we believe so deeply in Gen Z. We're watching Gen Alpha in very interesting ways. The way that they're reimagining not just creativity, but what you talk about, agency, authority, their stories, distribution, accountability. Like it is marketing, all of it. They have a brand and I just think. And they're so heartwired to do good. But I, but I do think that your point is incredibly sound and it's proven because it shows that you're switching and adapting and evolving their mindsets already. Because if they're already understanding how to take ownership, how to ask questions, how to co build, become so community. And I'm just really geeked out about it today. So if you're feeling spicy as you say you are.
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A
I am.
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C
And we zoom out on the nonprofit. So sector more broadly, how should leaders and funders rethink? And I'm using air quotes here. Expertise and who gets to hold decision making power?
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A
Oh, wow, we're going there. Well, let's start with. I'm going to separate these two things. Nonprofits and funders. I, I mentioned this at the summit and it's been a game changer for me. So I, I want to be able to offer this up to the community. I am the person who founded Newcom. It was my dream. It was like I wanted to create this social entrepreneurship program that's fueled by literature. Like what? Like, yes, that's me. That's what I want to create. Like, that's it. I was so gung ho on this thing. Like, this is what I'm doing. This is me. I want to build a team. It's going to be amazing. It's going to change the world, all of that. And I started to like, have to step back and understand what does this program look like to a young person? Like just getting out of my head of. I have all the answers, all they need is X, Y and Z and their life will be changed forever. Just trust me, I'm the. I'm the founder. I'm smart. And said, wait, what does Bianca think about this, though? Like, what question am I answering for Bianca? I think founders need to do that thought experiment as they'll start to get out of the like, I'm a founder. This must exist in the world. To what question am I solving and how are we doing that at scale? I think that is something that I would love to see more of is getting out of your own head and into the heads of the people you're trying to impact. And you may start to be realize that some of the things you think are your darlings do not answer the question. Oh, dang. Oh, no. What do you do then? This is a real thing for me. I'm not speaking for everybody else. For me, there's things in our program that we had I thought was the most amazing element of our program. All the kids are going to love it. It's going to be the thing that puts me in Oprah. So seat, like all, all of it. And then I started to realize, I don't think Bianca cares. Bianca works for us now. She used to be a court one, now she's an intern. I don't think Bianca cares about that. So I had to be humble myself and say, I have to kill that thing. And because it doesn't answer the question. So that's what I would say for nonprofits is like, sometimes the things that you obsess and love don't answer any questions beyond your ego.
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C
Now,
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A
that is true. And that is something I had to go through.
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C
That is true. And I've gone through it too, my friend. So, I mean, I think we all have. I can relate to that entirely.
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A
It's humbling. It's humbling. It's humbling. And so now I'm obsessive about throwing things at young people and saying, is that. Is that good? And they'll come back to you. They'll tell you no. Now, funders, it's probably maybe the same thing, too. I think that more funders become proximate to the issue and the more they put down the white papers and actually be in communities, I think they'll start to realize that it's not as neat as the books that they're reading and the white groups that they're reading. It's a little bit more messy. And I think this idea of, like, it's the theory of change and this happens next and this happens next and then happens next and you are going to be the one. It's not as clean as that in the real world. So how does the success metrics account for the real world messiness of change? It often isn't a straight line. It often kind of curves on itself and manifests different ways. And so when I get into these conversations we're talking about like this very strict way of assessing success. I see a lot of funders are doing that now. This trust based philanthropy I'm seeing and all of that, I see that as coming in vogue. But yeah, I think how do you become more proximate? How do you evolve the ways in which you determine success? How do you bring more voices to the table that talk about what actually moves a needle? For example, one of the big things that we're seeing in our work is that the big conversations around academic disengagement, we're seeing that as been post Covid. We see that there's a lot of New Yorker Atlantic articles about this. And if you only reside there, you would have a very bleak reading of our young people. And it's. A lot of it is bleak. But what's also happening, these kids are forming businesses on TikTok. They're selling cookies and cupcakes and one person is selling. One of our kids are selling flowers that are built from pipe cleaners. Apparently. This whole thing. Oh yeah, they're selling slime, they're selling. They've built this economy online. They know how to market themselves. They receive money through cash app, they have big accounts, they're going AI and learning how to brand themselves. There is a, a robust engagement happening underneath schools that I think we're not talking about. I don't see the white paper on the entrepreneurship of young people. It's there. And so proximity is the answer.
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B
Yeah, I mean my friend, I feel like we're kind of dragging some of these white papers and books. But I'm like, can we please put what you're saying in a white paper in book?
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A
Because I'm working on something.
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B
You heard it here exclusive on the we are for Good.
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A
Yes. I have a whole project that I'm working on that I just trying to get some of these ideas out in the world. It's open source so people can see some of the things that we're learning.
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B
Well, I mean I think you're leading us into this. You had said something at the we are for Good summit that I want to lift about living the lesson, stepping into the experience of how the people you serve instead of designing from your own vision. I think the humility that you have as a founder has come through so clearly in this. But how's that mindset help? How you build systems that are more durable at no comm. And what would you share with leaders Listening.
- [23:51]
A
Oh, wow. It has allowed us to articulate. And I can show you this. It's like an interactive podcast. I'll show you. We have a room in our offices that plots the journey of students across Newcom. And where are potential friction points? And then so where would they stop and go? Like, I don't know, but it's anymore and back out of. So we are plotting a kid who doesn't know about anything about nucalm. And then they go to an event and then they go to the next thing and next thing and next thing and next thing. And so allowing us to bring clarity to a young person's journey allows us to build systems that ensures that there is very little friction. So I'll give you an example. So we used to have. So our program is very membership based. Think Jack and Jill think. You know, organization like that where you're a member and you'd be part of our program. But our program is really trying to democratize these kind of membership organizations essentially. But we made in the early stages, we made the application so long, like, it was like, tell us your life story. What books captivated you as a teen? Like, we would do all these.
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B
That's a good question though, right?
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A
Yeah, it was so long. It was like, what is your career? It's all well intentioned. Again, as a nonprofit organization there. These are great questions to ask. Right. And it allows us to better understand our students. And so we were not getting as many applications. And we were in here like, no one likes our program. And then we just started to understand, like, okay, let's think about it from a student's perspective. You get this link and you're like, oh my God, Newcom's amazing. Oh my. I just want to do this program. And then it's like page one, page two. All right, Right. And so we completely edited the application as four questions. Like four questions. It's like your name, your address, can you come to events on Saturdays? And it's like we went from a program program that had 11 to now. We have 200 kids in that program now.
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B
Wow.
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A
And so we have really tried to optimize our system in such a way that ensures that students move through the learning journey. We talk about in our program. I Guess to answer your question about how do we. We're really big on. We're not the kind of program that says, give us your very smart kids, and we will. We are. We're trying to open the door for students who normally wouldn't sign up for a program like ours. But we've built the conditions and the warmth that they go, you know what? I could do this. And that's why we have all these tiers. And so people like you have all these different tiers. Is it because some kids, when they see build a project for $10,000 in your community, they go, like, that's not me. That's for the really smart kids. I'm not. Right, right. And so we create those tiers for a kid to go, okay, I don't have to do that. I'm a general member. I come and I see the projects. I can iterate it, but I don't have to do the project. But as they're there, they may start realizing, wait a minute, everyone here is cool. The food is good. Okay, maybe I can. Maybe I can do that. And so we have created a system that ensures that creates the conditions for a kid who normally wouldn't sign up for a program like ours, that through the warmth, through the intentionality, through the scaffolding, can one day say, I can do that. I think I can do that. I'm gonna fly for that. And so our systems serve our students. And I think the more that we can get into the Persona, the dreams, the imagination of whoever you're serving, you're able to create a system that hugs them across the journey and ensures that you actually make people who ordinarily wouldn't do your thing to see themselves as that thing. And so that's the whole lesson thing. It's like, our systems must serve our young people. It should not just be here for the sake of nonprofit, where you read it in the business school of nonprofits, you know, so hopefully that answers your question.
- [28:04]
C
I'm just sitting here, Chidi, thinking about all these things that you're saying. And I'm thinking in my head, Becky, you learned those in college. The desire to challenge, to think more openly, to take a creative process, to, like, push something around with a group of people. I really am curious about what's going to happen to Newcom in 10 years. Because when I think about the movement you're building, it is so much less about the mission and the org and these things. It's like you have given these kids this consciousness to themselves, and you have Given them this license to let it be wild.
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A
Yes.
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C
And to me, what I'm seeing is that you've accelerated that thinking, that behavior and that being. You've accelerated it so dramatically with. How young are your kids coming to your program?
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A
They're in ninth grade, so they're in.
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C
So they're like 14. So instead of getting it from 19 to 22, they're getting it at 14. And it will change the trajectory of how they go into business, how they think about things, how they create relationships. And I just think this is such a bigger unlock than just giving kids $10,000 and seeing what they're going to do with it, because it is. It is a powerful thing that's being unleashed here. And I also want to name that you have done an incredible job of building belonging. And I think that no healthy community can survive unless people feel safe. Unless they feel safe to be themselves and they feel safe to speak up and to lean in. And you're giving every kid that agency. And I just think, what kind of a world would that look like if we could. If every kid could have that experience?
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A
Absolutely.
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C
Thank you for letting me emote, because I think the heartbeat of it is community, it is agency, it is creativity, and it is belonging. And I just think you have nailed all of them.
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A
Thank you.
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C
Beautiful mission that.
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A
Can I respond to that quickly? Because just. I want to thank you for that because it's always. It's always a humbling thing to hear your mission spoken back to you. We must be doing something right because you articulated it. Exactly. It really is around identity formation. The $10,000 project is important, but it is the vessel for if they're able to do that, than anything else is possible that I. Wait a minute. I managed. I'm 17. I managed a team. I create a project that cost $10,000 that had 100 people come to it, and now they are now joined Newcom, and now they are building their own project. Wait, I did that.
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C
Ripple, ripple.
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A
Ripple, ripple, right. That same person is not just going to be excited about a seat at the table now. Now they're like, wait, what else? Like, what else is possible? And that's ultimately the goal. The $10,000 project is the kind of the mechanism for this larger goal. It also is kind of like the shared language of our organization. Right. So it builds community around this shared goal, and it's about economic power. And so the hope is that that's a language that matures as they mature, and they're able to leverage that same technology in the boardroom and in the classroom, wherever they are, they're always thinking about the ways that what they're doing has the potential to open up doors for more people.
- [31:50]
B
I mean, Chidi, you let us in saying that you wanted to be a storyteller, so I know you got a lot of stories baked in you of. We celebrate the ones of generosity here, like the small moments of kindness or philanthropy that just kind of, like, do something deep in our guts and stick with us. Would you share one of those stories with us?
- [32:10]
A
Oh, I have a one. I may start crying, so. Okay, let me do it. I don't think
- [32:17]
B
you're safe, so.
- [32:18]
A
All right, here we go. I'm gonna try. It's funny because I just was talking about this earlier today, and I'm the recipient of an incredible. It's probably the reason someone asked me this, actually. Let's just start the story, like Quentin Tarantino with the end.
- [32:32]
C
Totally.
- [32:33]
A
That's already end. And so I was at a school recruiting kids to join our program, and I'm doing my whole spiel, and one kid, they ask questions like, okay, how much does the stipend? Or how long has the program. Do you offer SAT programs? I mean, all typical questions people ask. And then one kid got the microphone and said, can I ask you just one question? Why are you doing this? Like, why are you doing this? Like, why? Like, what are you. And I was like, oh. And I think about it, I was like, that's a great question. It's because I was the recipient of such a crazy gift, so I think my job is. That was such a big moment in my life that I feel like I must give that back. So in high school, I've never shared this story publicly. So here we go. In high school, I really wanted to go to Georgetown. I don't know why. I just. Something about Georgetown. I was like, is in D.C. one of my good friends went to Georgetown, and he was like a role model to me. And I was like, if he's going there, then it must be an amazing school. Never went there, never visited there, but that's where I wanted to go to school. So I would tell everybody, georgetown or bust. And then I applied early, and I got rejected early to the next to the regular. And so I was like, dang, that was heartbreaking. And then a couple weeks later, I got a letter in the mail from the financial aid department, and they were like, could you send us your parents? We're missing your parents. W2s from whatever year that'll allow us to better assess your file. And so my 17 year old brain goes, huh? If they're looking at are my parents, that must be a good thing, right? That must be a good thing. All right, this could be good. So I went to my college counselor at the time and I had my friend Jason with me. So Jason, if you're reading this, you hear, hearing this, you remember this moment. Shout out to Jason. And so I went there, I went to the college council with Jason and I said listen, I got this letter in the mail. What do you think this is a good thing? Like what do you think this could be? And he said I wouldn't celebrate it, but it's, that's, this is good, this is good, but I would not celebrate this. I would not. Thank you God and Georgetown from this. And so I said all right, fine. And so me and my friend Jason, we go to that morning meeting when the entire school gathers and I'm just there, just you know, enduring morning meeting. And I don't. And this is it Jason. Who did this? I don't know who it had to be Jason, I think because my memory is getting fuzzy on this, but I believe it was Jason got the microphone during the announcement section and said everyone chitty got into Georgetown. And I was like, what are you doing? Oh my God. They're all like flapping, whooping and hollering. It was exciting. They were like, everyone, I was like, they knew that my dream and I'm sitting there like oh my God, did not get in the door. What are we talking about? And so it's first period class, everyone's congrats, good job. I'm like, yeah. So I go to, I go to, I go to this part I don't Forget. It was Dr. Hammond's shout out to you calculus class. I was sitting there, everyone was like, congratulations. I'm like, the phone rings and Dr. Hammond goes, Mister, they want you to principal's office. I was like, oh my.
- [36:06]
B
That's all Ravel.
- [36:09]
C
What have you done?
- [36:11]
A
You ruined everything. So I'm like slowly walking to the principal's office and so a bunch of guys in suits. And I'm like, okay, what is happening is everyone in suits. They look, look great. Like they've been. Their bodies were dry cleaned, how they looked so and so then the one guy emerges from the suits, he shakes my hand and he goes, congratulations. And I was like, thank you. And he goes, are you going to go? I was like, go where? Where am I going? Where am I going? Georgetown. You got into Georgetown. Congratulations. I went to Georgetown. That's incredible. It's so crazy that I'm here and you got into Georgetown and I went to Georgetown. I was like, yeah, huh? Yeah. He's like, are you going to go? And I was like, well, I don't know. I'm weighing my options. I'm thinking about other places, you know? And he turns to the head of headmaster and he goes to, why? Why is he here? And I'm like, what is happen? Like, what is happening here? And so I'm like. And the principal gave me a look like, if you mess this up, like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm, like, communicating with my eyes, like. So he. He goes. He goes, well, well, I'm just. I'm just playing. I'm just playing. I'm just playing. It's playing. Well, how do you plan to. How do you plan to pay for college? And I was like. I was like, well, I'm gonna work. Job. I'm work. I'm gonna work. I'm gonna get two jobs. I'll do whatever it takes to go to Georgetown. I really want to go there, so I'll. I'll figure out a pathway. He said, well, let me make you. Let me make you a deal. If you go to Georgetown, I'll pay for it. And I was like, what? What? What? Well, he's like, yeah, if you go to Georgetown, I'll pay for it. Now, this is crazy because I didn't get into Georgetown. So now I'm like, I have. I've lied, but yet this gift is happening at the same time. So it's a very complicated thing for me. So while I was excited, I was like, oh, my God, what if I don't get to Georgetown? And what if. What if. What if it comes out that I lied to him? Then the whole gift is gone and whatever. Then when his dad. This gets crazier. He had a helicopter. I just. So am I following the helicopter?
- [38:24]
C
This is like, mission impossible. Georgetown.
- [38:29]
A
I know our high school has a helicopter. I'm like, I'm confused by all this now. I didn't realize that a helicopter path. I don't. Anyway. And so I was like. He goes, I'm just kidding. I don't care where you go to school. I don't care where you go to school. I'll take care of it. Just call me when you're ready. And long story. Less long. I tell my parents that. They're like, yeah, right. That's never. What are you talking about? And he did go, I Did go to Georgetown, and he paid my college tuition. I would receive a bill in the mail. I would mail it to some address. It would come back with zero and no strings attached, no nothing. And that changed my life. It was a very hard financial moment in my life. We were really struggling at that moment. And we were talking, my parents talking about, well, maybe you got to stay in state, maybe. And they were really like, you can't go to these other fancy schools. And I was like, but I know I have to. Have to go. I have to go. So it came at the right time. It changed the directive of my life. And I feel like everything I do now is about opening the door for other people. I feel like that's that Charles calling. I have to put his name out there. He passed away, so rest in peace to him. And he opened the door for me, and I feel it's my mission to open the door for others.
- [39:42]
C
I mean, Chidi, what do you think he saw in you?
- [39:46]
A
You know, it's funny. You know, it's funny. I have stories, you know, your podcast time. There's a book, it's actually a really sad book. It's called the sort of Tragic Life of Rapis and by Jeff Hobbs. And it tells a story about a young man who went to my high school. He went to Yale. He was tragically murdered. It's a very sad story. But because of this, because of the memoir ness of the book, the person had to ask all these questions, like, you know, like, he had to go to school. Like, why do you all do that? Like, why do you have this leadership trip in Maine? Or why do you do this? So they're asking all these questions, and this person also got the same. So I'm reading about this same interaction. He's like, oh, and then one day, Charles Colley comes to him, and I'm like, wait, what? Well, apparently, he had done this to dozens of kids, and he's just. I don't know why or the how or I don't know any of that. But to hear. I thought I was some special anomaly, that it was crazy he had done this. He was like, he made a habit of doing this. And when he. We honored, they changed. At my high school, they. They renamed one of the buildings after him, and they had a whole table of all the people. We were all sharing stories of when it happened, when were you called to the office, or we were all sharing these stories about the shaking of the hand. All of it was similar. All of it. It's just crazy. It was crazy. So.
- [41:11]
C
And you had community, like, immediately built in commonality. My gosh, people, if you're gonna go out in this world, please be a Charles Collie. Like, wow. Somebody who could and did. Yeah. This is why we asked that question is because we get answers like that sometimes. And. And your joy and your success is all of our joy and it's all of our success. So that is what community is all about. And so we gotta wrap this up with a one good thing. And I'm wondering what your one good thing is, my friend. It could be a life hack. A piece of advice. What's something you wanna kind of leave with the community today?
- [41:56]
A
My personal mantra is do the next best thing. In a world with so many different avenues, decisions and distractions, do the next best thing. It helps me to ground myself in the moment. It helps me to have clarity of purpose, to just establish what is the next step and really do it to the best of my ability. That opens the door for the next best step. And so the more we can silence all of the noise and just focus on the next thing and assuring that it actually is accomplishing what you have intended to be, I think allows us to live with more purpose and more clarity and hopefully more joy. So do the next best thing.
- [42:43]
B
What a motto. What a story. Chidi, obviously we're quite obsessed with how you're showing up in the world. Thank you for following the nudges that led you to this place. The amazing impact you're having. Would you share? We always want to invite, like, how can people connect with you online? Where do you hang out? But also tell us about Newcom, like where to find and follow and what are yalls needs over there right now?
- [43:05]
A
So you can find me on Instagram. Chidi Osaluca. I probably am the only person with those two names combined, so that's cool. So that's me on LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn. You know, we have a whole methodology around the power of literature for social impact. And I'm working on a project that it's open source so people can see how they can leverage literature for systems thinking. And so hopefully I'll be sharing that on LinkedIn very soon. As far as Newcom is concerned, it's newcomproject.org so you can see our work, our full ecosystem, how you can be plugged in as a partner, how you can work with our students, how you can be involved in our projects if you want to become a client, our work and support the ecosystem. Or we have supper club every month where we just gather kids and adults, we just break bread. And so that's every single month. And so NewcomProject.org has all the information and we would love to welcome you home to our community.
- [44:09]
C
I am just here for the cheaty revolution here that is kindness, openness and reimagining everything to give us all more agency. So friend, we have so enjoyed this time. We're just going to be rooting for you with all of our hearts and just watching to see this big long game play that you have come into fruition over next couple decades.
- [44:35]
A
I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you so much.
- [44:37]
C
You're wonderful.