As an Activist, Educator, Dr. Brandon M. Graham is a visionary activist, educator, and entrepreneur who operates under the guiding principle: “Be Crazy Enough to Believe You Can.” With extensive expertise spanning education, non-profit management, and business development, Dr. Graham has established himself as a preeminent voice in student advocacy and institutional success.

As the founder of the My HBCU Matters brand and the Our HBCUs Matter Foundation, Dr. Graham leads an organization that impacts over 10,000 students annually. He oversees the My HBCU Matter Scholar Academy and the National College and Career Advising Center, aligning academic advancement and college access with public school districts and university systems. His strategic interventions have resulted in a 98% program completion and graduation rate among participating scholars, paired with exceptional employability rates driven by structured academic coaching and mentorship. To celebrate and sustain this excellence, he hosts the National My HBCU Matters Summit and the Our HBCUs Matter Awards, fostering a national network of high-achieving scholars.

Dr. Graham’s fundraising prowess is marked by securing over $1 million in corporate and institutional funding to bolster academic support systems and career pipelines. His ability to forge high-level partnerships has garnered support from global organizations including Google, Invesco, State Street, Black Voters Matter, Wells Fargo, and the White House HBCU Initiative. Furthermore, his launch of the National Institute for HBCU Success provides institutional dashboards and financial aid data that inform campus-level decision-making across the country.

Prior to his current leadership, Dr. Graham served as the University Relations Manager for the National Black MBA Association. In this role, he managed over $2 million in scholarship and grant funding, oversaw the strategic expansion of the brand across 150 college campuses, and directed talent acquisition projects for 30+ corporate partners.

An accomplished scholar, Dr. Graham serves as an Advisor to Congresswoman Dr. Alma Adams and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) All HBCU Brain Trust. He is a White House HBCU Initiative Scholar and was a Fellow within the Rutgers University Research & Innovation Fellowship Program. He earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership from Tennessee State University, focusing his research on factors influencing HBCU graduation rates. Dr. Graham also holds an MBA from Clark Atlanta University, an Allstate Non-Profit Management Essentials Certification, and is currently a Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidate specializing in Education Law at the University of the District of Columbia.