Ekundayo Igeleke

Ekundayo Igeleke is a diversity and inclusion champion who has experience in community activism, public education, the non-profit sector, and higher education for over six years. As an undergraduate student, he focused on the prison industrial complex, African Internationalism, social/political movements, and Hip Hop. He was a dedicated student advocate and demonstrated this by being a member of the track and field team, being amongst the leadership councils of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., the United Black Student Association, The National Pan-Hellinc Council, and more. Ekundayo graduated from the University of Cincinnati, studying Africana and Sociology in 2011. After graduation, he embarked on a journey to build a plethora of skills through employment and community organizing. In 2011, Ekundayo was selected as an apprentice for Public Allies where he worked with The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati as the Parent Engagement Specialist. Once the program was complete, he worked for the The University of Cincinnati as the Diversity Coordinator for Recruitment and Retention, operated a Freedom School’s program as the Site Coordinator, and was contracted to facilitate diversity and inclusion workshops for youth and adults. He also worked for the Boys and Girls Club for three years, tutoring and mentoring youth. His passion is working with and for youth, which lead him to organize community conversations for over three years. in the Summer of 2013, he become the Lead Organizer for the New Abolitionist Association, Columbus Chapter, which is tasked with dismantling the cradle to prison pipeline. He currently works for the Department of African American and African Studies at The Ohio State University as the Graduate Studies Coordinator. Ekundayo will begin graduate school in the Fall of 2014 to pursue a master's degree in African American and African Studies and will begin his Youth Justice Leadership Institute Fellowship with the The National Juvenile Justice Network.