Dirrick Butler is the Founder and Executive Director of Project OneTen, a leadership and academic development organization that supports boys of color during the critical transition to high school through mentorship and peer-to-peer community building. He brings a wealth of experience in education innovation and program development to the organization. Rooted in his experiences as a public-school student and teacher, Dirrick has witnessed first-hand the inequities that exist in the urban education ecosystem, specifically for students of color. He has dedicated his career to radically reimagining how we educate and support boys of color in and outside of the traditional school space. Prior to founding Project OneTen, Dirrick has had the privilege of teaching both middle and high school students and has served alongside diverse teams at multiple high impact education organizations in Chicago. In addition to his work at Project OneTen, Dirrick challenges future educators to think differently about how we view the role of education and school as a professor at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago. Dirrick received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Education in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago. He is an alum of the Surge Institute Fellowship program, the inaugural class of the Obama Community Leadership Corps, and serves on the Action Team for the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. Dirrick lives in North Kenwood with his partner and dog, Lambchop.