Ako Kambon, president of Visionary Leaders Institute, is a dynamic, versatile motivational speaker and trainer. Mr. Kambon is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of educational consulting and designing and conducting leadership seminars for public and private educational institutions.

Appointed by an Ohio gubernatorial commission, Mr. Kambon served as executive administrator of The Ohio Commission on African American Males. Mr. Kambon created a school for African American males who were at-risk of entering the Ohio penal system. The school received tremendous recognition for its creative approach to reaching and teaching young men who were at-risk of falling through the crack.

Philosophically, Mr. Kambon is a great believer in the efficacy of public-private partnerships. “I am a profound believer in self-help,” he says. When it comes to community issues, “government should be a catalyst and supporter of local initiatives, but must not attempt to apply generic solutions to specific problems and situations.”

Similarly, Mr. Kambon is a strong advocate for the establishment of policies, programs, and procedures that engage parents in the education of their children. “Parents must be hands-on participants in the educational process – active partners with teachers and administrators,” he says. “Getting parents involved often requires special effort and carefully devised programmatic approaches. This is especially true in multi-cultural environments where there may be race, class, and communications issues to overcome.”

Mr. Kambon and his wife, Hanifah – a retired teacher in the Columbus Public Schools and former School Board Member – are the parents of three daughters, a God-son and grandparents to the awesome Kareem.