Today we’d like to introduce you to Sienzhi Kouemo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sienzhi Kouemo was born in Germany, semi-raised in Cameroon, and currently residing in the United States. Sienzhi was part of the second graduating class from The Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy (BOMLA) in Dallas, Texas. It is there that he cultivated his passion for business, advocacy, and service through an internship with AT&T. Sienzhi then made the journey to the northeast to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in marketing from Babson College. After graduating during the height of the pandemic, Sienzhi decided to further his education by obtaining his MBA from Southern Methodist University (SMU) with a concentration in strategy and entrepreneurship.
While at SMU, Sienzhi was introduced to the world of philanthropy along with a remarkable mentor by the name of Dr. Froswa Booker, having the opportunity to work closely with various non-profits across North Texas, including St. Phillip’s School and Community Center, Project Still I Rise, African American Museum of Dallas, FRIENDS of BOMLA, and Catch Up & Read. Upon graduation, Sienzhi invested his time in better understanding the Dallas community by participating in Engage Dallas, Social Venture Partners Dana Juett Residency program, Marcus Graham Project, and the North Texas Commission Emerging Leaders North Texas.
Today, Sienzhi serves with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD) as a project coordinator on the Community Impact Team, overseeing and managing one of their flagship programs, Digital Bridges. This program is a partnership between AT&T and Compudopt, with the objective of expanding digital access and literacy across the North Texas region.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As in the words of the late great Langston Hughes “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. I came to the United States at the tender age of nine years old and I still remember how difficult the transition was for me settling into the new country with my parents as they were in their attempted chase of the American Dream. I barely spoke or understood the English language, I was not entirely familiar with American culture and the dominant sub-culture present in Dallas, Texas. This was a deep personal challenge for me but in many ways it is also what sparked my profound curiosity in learning new things and being open to new opportunities and experiences.
Another major challenge was graduating college during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic perhaps considered one of the most consequential pivotal moments in modern day history. The political, economic, and social disruption that ensued as a result was not only unprecedented but presented significant complications to our way of life altering it completely forever. I remember the empty uncomfortable feeling I felt when the job position I thought I had secured simply vanished due to the organization needing to stay profitable in such a turbulent time. Left with no plan b this series of events forced me to think radically on what my purpose should be and how I should be intentional in spending my time. I chose to immediately pursue my MBA and within that journey I found myself invested in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Today, I enjoy being part to one of the most prominent nonprofit organizations in the world creating impact in South Dallas and the very community that helped shape me into the person I am today. The uncertainties that the pandemic exacerbated ironically made a certain future for me that I could never have imagined. As a result, I would not trade my struggles for the world because it has granted me the world that I live in now.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started my tenure with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD) in July 2024 as being part of the one-year Texas Instruments (TI) Founders Leadership Fellows program helping support the organization’s policy and advocacy efforts under the leadership of Hillary Evans who serves as the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at UWMD. Some of my roles and responsibilities was managing and coordinating the Dallas VOTES coalition in partnership with Faith Commons. This initiative focused on educating and empowering Dallas County residents on voting issues, ensuring they had the resources and knowledge to participate fully in the democratic process. I also supported the development of the Policy and Advocacy Toolkit for the 89th Texas Legislative Session. This resource served as a guide for the UWMD delegation traveling to the Texas Capitol in Austin, highlighting United Way’s policy priorities within education, income and health. I assisted with the planning and execution of webinar series and convenings that brought external partners into meaningful conversations on pressing issues impacting North Texas residents.
Today, I have the absolute pleasure of serving the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in a new capacity as the Community Impact project coordinator. Within this role, I oversee and manage one of their flagship programs, Digital Bridges. This program is a partnership between AT&T and Compudopt, with the objective of expanding digital access and literacy across the North Texas region.
In addition, advancing the importance of education and the arts is extremely important and personal for me as well because it played such a monumental aspect in my development. Currently I serve on the board of FRIENDS of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy which is the institution I attended in high school getting being part of the second graduating class in the school’s history. I have the unique privilege of supporting my alma mater by strategizing and executing on effective solutions that will give the young men at the campus a better educational experience. I also serve on the millennial board of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Inc. which is an institution that has continuously shaped the cultural landscape and scene within the city of Dallas. In my nascent years I was part of their flagship youth summer arts program which sparked my love for the different mediums of arts and the capacity it has to develop creativity and confidence in oneself. It’s an incredible joy that it has become a full circle moment that I now am able to play a thought leadership role in some of the strategic and programmatic decisions that is intended to curate an exciting experience for all those individuals that engage with The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Inc.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I was a student at the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, we religiously studied the 16 habits of mind throughout the year in lyceum which was a core focus of our educational curriculum. The particular habit of mind that struck me the most was in essence taking responsible risks. My view on risk taking is that the benefit of the respective situations should significantly outweigh the cost if everything was to fall apart. This permits me to help create an environment where failure is welcomed instead as a means to ostracize and ridicule because it is only then that growth and development occur. As a result, I view myself as a risk-taker or at least aspire to be one because I think about the life of my immigrant parents and all the uncertainties, they had to endure in order to afford the American Dream to their children. All the things they had to forego such as friends, family, language, culture, music, food, and familiarity. This valuable lesson inspired me to take the risk and apply far away for college in the great city of Boston where I underwent a very similar experience to my parents but in a controlled environment which was essentially my responsible risk.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sienzhi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14S5RwxeRqr/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienzhi-kouemo
- Twitter: https://x.com/sienzhi_2016?s=21
