Kwame Owusu-Kesse took over as Chief Executive Officer of the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) on July 1, 2020. Prior to assuming this role, he served as HCZ’s Chief Operating Officer for six years.

Kwame grew up against a backdrop of poverty, single parenthood, and family struggles. However, he was fortunate to have opportunities as a young boy to receive a high-quality education and reach his academic potential. He went on to get his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University and then begin his career at Morgan Stanley as an analyst. During his third year with the bank, he was chosen for an externship at HCZ. After completing this externship, Mr. Owusu-Kesse returned to Harvard to receive a Master’s in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government.

In his role as COO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Mr. Owusu-Kesse was a key liaison between the organization’s programming, financial and administrative functions, and ensured that all were aligned. While he was laser-focused on the organization’s data, he was also keenly aware of the importance of the people those numbers represent, acting as a mentor and counsel to students and staff.

Youth Development, Overcoming Adversity, Homelessness & Poverty, Child Poverty, Poverty Academic, Children, Underprivileged Children, Family & Parenting, TED, Youth,