Standing out and standing up
Part of the business owner to business owner series, ‘Flight paths’
When you start a business, the impact you can make begins to grow.
Greg’s career as an entrepreneur began at 14, when he won $2,500 in a computer programming contest, then spent it on a new computer. (His first “capital raise” and infrastructure outlay.)
From an early age Greg was a “math and science geek,” teaching himself how to program at 11 years old, then learning algebra at 12 while home with chicken pox. Greg’s smarts provided him the ability to tutor fellow high school students for the SATs, as one income source, while he wrote software (with the computer he won) for local businesses and video games, as another revenue stream.
Later, the company Greg helped create in 2000, Wireless Generation, would be a continuation, of sorts, of Greg’s early work as both a developer of technology and teacher.
Wins $2,500 in programming contest, age 14
Spends it on new computer and starts a business in high school
University of Chicago, physics major
Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University, MIT for management and computer science
“Only Black person” in many elite circles
Graduates MIT into tech start-up boom, works for two dotcoms
Launches Wireless Generation with friend, makingeducational software
Programs for first handheld computers
Grows to $70 million in revenues with 550 employees
Sells company so others could take it to next level
Uses wealth and influence now to aid racial equality movement
Advances diversity conversation and supports young people in tech
Greg applied tech skills to teaching insights, developing devices to help K-12 teachers
The tech boom that started in the late 90s fueled the rise of Wireless Generation—along with heavy demand for the reading assessment and diagnostic tool Greg’s company created, just before the No hild Left Behind Act was passed. Many schools then were turning to more scientific teaching practices, particularly for reading.
In 10 years, the Brooklyn-based company took in $17 million in capital and grew to $70 million in revenue with 550 employees. Along the way, they served millions of children.
Everyone can be more intentional about pursuing a diverse workforce.
In 2010, the owners sold Wireless Generation (now Amplify) to News Corp. and the team there continues to build the kinds of products Greg hoped to bring to the field of education. But, looking ack, Greg feels he could have done more to push Wireless Generation to diversity excellence and to create more opportunities for Black people. His tech company was “as white as the norm in the tech world.”
While Greg sees things he “could have done better,” it’s clear where his work is taking him now. After the sale, Greg started using his time and money to connect with networks and organizations hat educate young people to work in technology. When a few companies invited Greg to join their tech boards, Greg found himself asking more and more questions about diversity—knowing he was in a position to help—and the interest became a mission.
Greg broadened his involvement with impact investing, and in January 2020 he was elected chair of the $500 million Nellie Mae Education Foundation, an organization working to remedy racial inequity in education. Under his leadership, the foundation doubled its 2020 spending and added $20 million more for grants supporting Black Lives Matter initiatives and for providing relief funding to help schools in underserved communities weather the “storm” of COVID. Greg’s influence is growing, along with his capacity to create change.
