Samuel L. Smith Jr. is a community cultivator, advocate, change agent, strategist & innovative-thinker. With over 11+ years of experience working for various corporate and non-profits institutions.

Currently, Mr. Smith is the Director of External Engagement with the United Way of Central Carolinas, where he manages the Unite Charlotte Fund. The Unite Charlotte fund was established in response to the unrest in Charlotte in September 2016. It builds upon the finding and recommendations published in the Charlotte- Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force’s report. The fund supports new and/or grassroots organizations that are offering innovative solutions to improve racial equity and social capital.

Mr. Smith has been vigorous in the area of community advocacy for over 12+ years and has been a frequent volunteer and board member for various community-based not-for-profit organizations. Some include the United Way of Central Carolinas Young Leaders, International House Young Professionals, Out Teach, Right Move for Youth, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Citizen Review Board, and the City of Charlotte Community Relations Committee (CRC). In addition, Mr. Smith is a big brother with Big Brother/Big Sister.

Mr. Smith is the founder of Tailored Career Coaching, professional development and resume writing boutique firm focused on assisting individuals in taking that next step in their careers, and co-founder of Black Market Exchange (www.blkmktx.com) a technology platform that connects businesses and freelancers who want to support the Buy Black Movement.

GreenLight Fund
Executive Director
August 2022 - Present (6 months) Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

• Lead a community-wide Selection Advisory Council to advise on identifying high-priority community needs in Charlotte, NC, and the vetting and selection of portfolio organizations that can powerfully address them

• Run an annual selection process to identify organizations with the potential to have a significant impact on community needs, conduct rigorous diligence and deep landscape analysis on prospective partner organizations

• Represent GreenLight Charlotte externally and cultivate a network of relationships with community leaders, entrepreneurs, the private-sector investor community, philanthropic partners, government officials, and nonprofit and business leaders

• Create and manage events to launch new portfolio organizations to the region and build awareness of and support for portfolio organizations

United Way of Central Carolinas
Director of External Engagement
August 2019 - August 2022 (3 years 1 month)
Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• Rebranded and managed multimillion-dollar grassroots-based community investment fund - Unite Charlotte Fund - implementing newly designed racial equity strategies

• Managed a small team within the Community Impact division

• Identified grant opportunities & develop proposals to corporate, governmental, and individual donors

• Represented the United Way of Central Carolinas externally via conferences, meetings, speaking engagements, and all spaces the Chief Impact Officer and CEO cannot be present

• Developed & managed grant-making opportunities for institutional & grassroots community organizations

• Monitored investments to evaluate grantee needs, impact, and overall outcomes

• Served on the Major Gifts team to deliver community impact strategy presentations for corporate, government, and individual fundraising campaigns and donors

• Managed/Led United Way of Central Carolinas Advocacy strategy and implication

• Developed and maintained effective collaborative relationships with UWCC grantees in all funding streams, including but not limited to Impact Grants, United Neighborhoods, Unite Charlotte, and across the UWCC footprint

• Assisted with planning, resourcing, and implementation of leadership initiatives, including the development of key objectives, goals, and benchmarks

• Effectively served as the convening and facilitator of external community learning groups

• Collaborated with Region Directors to identify block-building neighborhood opportunities in Mooresville / Lake Norman, Union, and Cabarrus County

• Built and established relationships with key volunteers, community leaders, and agencies

Carolinas College of Health Sciences
Student Success & Placement Coordinator
August 2016 - August 2019 (3 years 1 month)
Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• Coordinate and supervise all activities within the Career Center, serve over 600 current students, and all active alumni with resume writing, cover letters, job search, soft skills, social media, and interviewing techniques

• Develop, implement, update and serve as principal coordinator of policies, procedures, and programs related to compliance with Title IX

• Educates students in self-advocacy to help implement reasonable accommodations; promote awareness of the department's services; develop/ maintain knowledge of disability law practices and issues related to ADA and Section 504 compliance

• Identify at-risk students and develop plans to assess their academic, economic, psychological, and personal needs

• Implement ongoing programs for metacognitive instruction, especially in study skill, writing, and quantitative-intensive courses

North Carolina Technology Association
Regional Membership Development Manager, Charlotte –Triad – Western, NC
August 2015 - August 2016 (1 year 1 month)
Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• Managed membership sales to include research, speaking/meeting and follow up to acquire new members in Charlotte, Triad and Western NC regions. • Served as staff lead in the Charlotte region to include managing/building relationships with regional organizations and representing NCTA at local business and technology events.

• Managed portfolio of existing members in Charlotte, Triad and Western NC regions to engage members, improve retention and contribute to cross-selling sponsorships/services.

• Served as onsite facilitator for NCTA events/activities in Charlotte, Triad and Western NC regions.

• Managed regional volunteers who focus on membership recruitment and engagement, and who also help identify and deliver programming of interest to the region.

• Kept NCTA staff informed on important technology/business announcements and local happenings in the Charlotte, Triad and Western NC regions.

• Developed ideas for stories including member testimonials, profiles, interviews, etc. to be covered in NCTA communications and social media.

• Provided staff support for all NCTA Signature events and other activities requiring all staff participation.

ITT Technical Institute
3 years 4 months
Director of Career Services/Community Relations Specialist
May 2013 - August 2016 (3 years 4 months)
Charlotte, North Carolina

• Served over 400 current students, 125 recent graduates, and all active alumni with resume writing, cover letters, job search, soft skills, social media, and interviewing techniques

• Achieved 61.11% pre-employment out of 55% per ACICS accreditation for available graduates in 2013/2014

• Achieved 76.67% employment out of 65% per ACICS accreditation for available graduates in 2013/2014 reporting year

• Collaborated with department chairs and employers to develop guidelines for resumes and job search techniques specific to field of study

• Identified, pre-screened, and qualified over 100 graduates for positions according to employer specifications

• Revamped Student Action Plan to lead to a better understanding of goals and career paths for graduates and utilize results to correctly direct future graduates in the career search

• Compiled monthly, quarterly, and annual graduate employment reports and analyzed results which is essential in ITT Technical Institute marketing campaign

• Conducted resume and cover letter reviews weekly which include comments, revisions, and additional reviews until final product is reached

• Participated in employer development activities including employer visitations, advisory boards and on-campus recruiting, and the development of job and internship leads

• Hired, trained, and managed Career Services staff to ensure productivity towards department goals

Faculty - Advanced Strategies for the Technical Professional
September 2014 - July 2016 (1 year 11 months)
Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• Instructed a class of 25-35 students

• Taught material from approved curriculum and develops daily lesson plans to include instructional aids.

• Participated in school retention initiatives by providing regular, accurate, and timely feedback to students and the school concerning academics, behavior, attendance, etc.

• Motivated students to actively participate in all aspects of the educational process.

• Completed professional development and in-service activities in accordance with college standards.

• Maintained expertise in subject area and recommends improvements in curriculum design.

• Performed duties in the Learning Resource Center as assigned.

Baker College
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Marketing

University of Phoenix
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Marketing

• Annual Giving

• Training

• Career Counseling

• Honoree - Emerging Leader

• Mental Health First Aid

• Diversity and Inclusion

• Certified Professional Resume Writer