In cities across the country, young Black men are shaping the future of innovation, leadership, and community. Yet too often, their brilliance goes unseen. The Hidden Genius Project was founded in Oakland in 2012 to change that reality by connecting young Black men to the skills, experiences, and relationships that open doors to technology, entrepreneurship, and lasting opportunity.
What began as a grassroots effort among five Black male entrepreneurs and technologists has grown into a nationally recognized model for cultivating confidence, creativity, and impact. The organization’s mission is simple but powerful: reveal the potential within every young man and prepare him to lead in the 21st-century economy and beyond.
At its core, The Hidden Genius Project helps young men identify their strengths, explore their interests, and channel their talents toward meaningful careers and entrepreneurial opportunities. The approach is both technical but remains deeply personal, grounded in mentorship, skill-building, and belonging.
The Hidden Genius Project’s flagship Intensive Immersion Program provides young men with 15 months of comprehensive training in computer science, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Participants, known as “Geniuses,” develop apps, design business plans, and collaborate on projects that connect their passions to real-world challenges.
Throughout the program, they receive mentorship, professional exposure, and college advising. The curriculum goes beyond technical skills, emphasizing teamwork, communication, and resilience. Each Genius learns not only how to code but also how to lead—with purpose and confidence.
Graduates carry these lessons into college, careers, and bring back into their communities. Many have become software engineers, startup founders, and mentors to the next generation. Others have chosen paths in education, nonprofit leadership, and public service, applying what they’ve learned to make meaningful contributions wherever they go.
The William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation supports this work through its Family Interest Grantmaking program, specifically though the work of one family team, Empowering Young Men through Leadership, Mentorship, and Fatherhood, which believes that every community has harbormasters: individuals with the moral authority, respect of their neighbors, and ambition to drive change from within.
The Foundation’s grantmaking prioritizes organizations that identify and develop these leaders, equipping them with leadership development, mentorship, and resources so they can amplify their impact and help young men become drivers of their own success.
This partnership reflects a shared belief in the power of community leadership and collective progress. Together, The Hidden Genius Project and the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation are helping build a future where young men are not just participants in the economy but leaders shaping it.
Beyond the classroom, The Hidden Genius Project’s work comes to life through community-based programs such as Brothers Code. These programs, open to everyone, invite people from all backgrounds to learn the fundamentals of coding and technology alongside the Geniuses who lead the sessions.
By creating inclusive spaces that celebrate curiosity and collaboration, The Hidden Genius Project helps young people—and their families—see technology as a field they belong in and something that belongs to them. Participants walk away inspired, informed, and connected to a network that believes in their potential.
This community-centered approach reinforces a core principle of The Hidden Genius Project: Ubuntu- I am because we are and we are because I am. Each young man who discovers his potential becomes an example for others, proving that brilliance exists everywhere and that access changes everything.
The impact of this work is best understood through the lives it touches. One alumnus, Jokim Bryant, joined The Hidden Genius Project the summer before his senior year of high school. He credits the program with helping him find his purpose, strengthen his commitment to his community, and deepen his sense of brotherhood.
After completing the program, Jokim received college acceptance letters from 38 universities, along with multiple scholarships. He chose to attend Howard University, carrying with him the lessons and relationships built through The Hidden Genius Project. His story is one of many that illustrates how belief, structure, and opportunity can transform a young person’s path.
The Hidden Genius Project’s success has drawn attention from educators, companies, and civic leaders across the country. The organization is expanding nationally, establishing program sites in Los Angeles, Richmond, Long Beach, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and soon-to-be Miami. Each new site builds on the lessons learned from the original site in Oakland while staying grounded in and authentic to the local community it serves.
To meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce, The Hidden Genius Project is developing training programs in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies that go beyond basic literacy. This work equips Geniuses to actively create with AI while exploring how data, ethics, and community values can shape technology that serves people.
Through hands-on learning and real-world applications, participants build skills that position them as leaders in the future digital economy. This approach ensures they are not just prepared to compete, but to innovate and lead with vision and purpose.
For partners and funders, this represents a powerful opportunity. AI is one of the most transformative areas for private philanthropy, and investing in The Hidden Genius Project is an investment in shaping an equitable, community-rooted model of technological innovation.
The result is young people with the skills, confidence, and vision to build meaningful careers and define the future of technology for themselves and their communities.
The Hidden Genius Project’s approach demonstrates that meaningful change requires both investment and intention. The organization’s model thrives on collaboration—between staff and students, alumni and mentors, and partners like the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation who share a commitment to lasting progress.
Each cohort of Geniuses represents a step forward toward a future where opportunity is not dictated by background but by potential. Every new program, partnership, and alumni success strengthens the ecosystem of support that sustains this vision.
By continuing to invest in these young men and the communities they represent, The Hidden Genius Project and its partners are helping to build a generation of leaders who see technology not just as a career path, but as a tool for change.
As the organization continues to grow, one message remains constant: brilliance has always been present in our communities. All it takes is the right opportunity to bring it to light.
The article is a guest feature written by The Hidden Genius Project Team. Learn more about the impactful work of The Hidden Genius Project with the following resources:
The Empowering Young Men through Leadership, Mentorship, and Fatherhood Team believes that every community has harbormasters; those individuals with the moral authority, the respect of neighbors, and the ambition to create change from within.
We are interested in supporting organizations that identify grassroots leaders, empowering them with the leadership skills, mentorship, and the fathering resources they need to amplify their voices within their own communities. We are excited about supporting young men to be agents of their own uplifting.
