Brian Dinkins is CEO of the National Institute for Child Empowerment, an organization that provides parents and students in disenfranchised communities with training, mentoring and advocacy to increase access to college and careers. Raised by a single mother in the inner city of Indianapolis, he didn’t perform well academically in high school. With the support of teachers, coaches and mentors, he earned a B.A. from Purdue, where he played football for the Big Ten Champion Boilermakers. Brian has served as a teacher, coach and principal in urban settings at a traditional public school, two charter schools and at a faith-based school. He is an RCD Certified Master Trainer, an associate professor and Director of Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals (EPPSP) at Butler University.