Anthony Jewett - Your Path in Eight Questions

Anthony D. Jewett,
President and Founder, Bardoli Global, Inc.

1)  What was your reputation on the playground as a child?

I think I was “the dreamer-leader.” Most of the time I played by myself at home and spent my time thinking up really intricate solitary games with lots of rules. Or, I invented super-machines that looked like Star Trek material in my mind, but were really sticks, sand and buckets in reality. My imagination was intense. When other kids were around though, I was pretty social…and demanding J. I was good at convincing other kids to play the games I wanted to play, and most of those games were all about magic. Now that I think about it, was I a leader or was I just plain bossy?

2)  What do you do and why do you do it?

I lead a national effort to globalize the educational, professional and life prospects of outstanding African American, Latino, and Native American youth. In partnership with school districts and local institutions of higher education, we offer a year-long global leadership development program that brokers opportunities (like study abroad and internationally oriented service learning experiences) to which our students historically have not had access.

I do it because all the omens in my life gave me no other choice and because my life was revolutionized by a series of amazing international opportunities. I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we do this right, one day, a new and bold generation of globally savvy and professionally skilled change agents of color will serve from the highest levels of all sectors of society, and thereby redefine what it means to be an American both at home and abroad.

3)  How did you land your current gig?

I thought it up. It took me a while, but I managed to put together something that I am pretty fulfilled by.

In all seriousness, I studied abroad 6 times between middle school and the end of college even though kids from my low-income South Florida neighborhood statistically weren’t supposed to be doing that sort of thing. I majored in international studies then joined Teach for America in 2003. The result of this trajectory was a me who was 1) deeply convinced of the immense benefit that international education could have for American foreign policy and world peace and 2) deeply disturbed at the huge “achievement and opportunity” gaps between low-income and minority kids and their more privileged counterparts. So, I decided to create my own gig tackling the problem head on.

4)  Where do you spend most of your time?

In my cubicle on my computer. It’s horrible, I know, but it’s how we get the job done. The world is an amazingly connected place via email!

Other than that, I probably spend a lot of my time in coffee shops and book stores. I love books, books of all kinds, and coffee shops are the coolest place to read them and to meet other people who read them too.

5)  Who influenced you most on your path to where you are today and in what way?

My paternal grandmother. She’s an angel. I owe most of my personality and my ideals to her and what she taught me growing up. Even when I was little, she spoke to me much like an adult and respected my thoughts and my intellect. That taught me to do the same to most other people. She’s also been my biggest fan. When it rained during my college graduation and all my other relatives left the ceremony to keep dry, she stood outside in the rain and waited to watch me cross the stage. How could she not be my hero?

6)  If you reviewed your recent web browsing history, what sites do you frequent that reveal most about who you are and what you’re thinking about lately?

The Napoleon Hill Foundation - www.naphill.org

I am really thinking a lot about what it means to be a successful person these days all around. I realized a few months ago that I will only be able to be the servant leader that we encourage our kids to be if I balance my whole life and dedicate myself to excellence in every area.

Management Leadership for Tomorrow - www.ml4t.org

Thinking about getting a graduate degree to hone my management skills so I can really change the world.

The Giving Tree Adoption Resource Center - www.thegivingtree.org

I’m 27 and feeling responsible now J. I’d like to have a family in the next 2-3 years.

7)  What’s the last big mistake you made that you’ve learned from?

I was having trouble meeting some of my organizational goals and juggling all of the commitments that come with leading and building something new. My biggest fear was that people in my life would think me weak or incapable if admitted that I didn’t have all the answers. So I just didn’t say anything until a few big deadlines were missed and a few major things were overlooked.  Then, I realized that not only was my inauthenticity depriving me of the great, honest relationships I like to build – but that I was also depriving my teammates of the opportunities they deserve to contribute to our success.

8)  What would you list as “must have” items in every social innovator toolkit? (books, music, software, etc.)

• “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King
• One Day All Children… by Wendy Kopp
• A Fast-Tempo “Hype” Song – whatever “Hype” means to you! It comes in handy for late night grant writing.
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• A Thank You Note from a kid or client who your work has positively impacted. On the best of days, it makes you go harder. On the toughest of days, it puts everything all into perspective and reminds you that this is SO not about you.

Biography:

Anthony Jewett is President and CEO of the Bardoli Global Foundation, an organization he founded in 2005 to provide global leadership and professional development opportunities for outstanding African American, Latino, and Native American youth through study abroad and service-learning. From 2003-2005, Anthony served as a bilingual elementary school teacher in New York City with Teach for America. He has studied and worked abroad on a variety of assignments in South America, West Africa, China, and the Middle East. He is a 2006 Echoing Green Fellow and serves on the boards of Bread of Life, the Collaborative for Diversity in Education Abroad, and the editorial advisory board of International Educator magazine. Anthony earned a B.A. in International Studies from Morehouse College in 2003 where his passion for study abroad and community service earned him both the Freeman-Asia and Benjamin Gilman awards from the Institute of International Education.