Sam L. Smith Jr. - GreenLight Fund Charlotte Executive Director

Sam L. Smith Jr. is a passionate leader and community builder with more than 14 years of experience driving meaningful change in both corporate and nonprofit spaces. As the Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Charlotte, Sam connects philanthropists, businesses, nonprofits, and local leaders to identify and invest in innovative, evidence-based solutions that address critical needs in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. His work is focused on improving opportunities and outcomes for families facing systemic barriers.
Sam's commitment to making a difference has been widely recognized. He was honored as part of the Charlotte Business Journal's 2022 Class of 40 under 40, celebrating his role in shaping the future of Charlotte.
Over the years, he has served as a board member and volunteer for organizations like Out Teach, Common Wealth Charlotte, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, and International House of Metrolina.
He has also been appointed to several key civic roles, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Citizen Review Board, the Citizen Advisory Committee on Governance, and the Mecklenburg County COVID-19 Recovery and Renewal Taskforce.
As co-founder of the Northwest Community Alliance, Sam has been at the forefront of grassroots efforts to empower communities and drive positive change.
He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Beta Nu Lambda chapter, where he chairs the Political Action Committee to lead efforts in civic engagement and voter education.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baker College and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He has further enhanced his expertise with certifications in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and Corporate Citizenship Practice from Boston College.
Driven by his belief in the power of collaboration and innovation, Sam is dedicated to creating solutions that not only address immediate needs but also build stronger, more equitable communities for the future.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
iHeartMedia CEOs. You should know. Today we're talking with Sam
Smith of green Light Fund.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
So our work is really centered around empowering community, creating
opportunities for those that are underserved. A lot of our
work is really focused on community needs. So in the
offset of our work, we do a very robust and
in depth community analysis to really understand where are some
of the gap areas in our community. After we've done that,
we lean onto the community to help to direct us

(00:27):
in where we should spend our time in our investment
because our goal is to break down those barriers that
are still out there in our local community.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Now, talk to us a little bit about mental health
and youth and this program called inter Explorer.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Obviously we know mental health is very prevalent in our community.
We kept hearing over and over mental health, mental health,
crisis among youth, crisis among youth. Mental health was ultimately
the program that we selected to bring and that program
is called Inner Explorer, and their work is an audio
guided mindfulness program. It is embedded within the correct whether
it's an after school program or is embedded in the curriculum.

(01:03):
All the teacher have to do is hit play is
at the begin the class, when the students come back
from recess or at any point, which is really changing
the game, and students who are participating in the explore
you can see the change that are happening with them.
We want to talk to everybody because we want to
ensure that whatever we're bringing to our local community is
includable for all and everyone have a buying into it.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Sam Smith of green Light Fund Charlotte right here on
iHeartMedia's CEOs you should know