Courthney Russell, Jr was born in Fort Knox, lived in the US Virgin Islands for a time, and eventually moved to East Atlanta, an underserved community devoid of options. His neighborhood taught him survival skills, but his family wanted more for him and made education a priority. Unfortunately, Courthney didn’t always share this priority. By the time he graduated from high school, his tendency toward stereotypical behavior had him on a collision course with incarceration or death. In a last-ditch effort, he applied to medical school and was surprised to be accepted.
There he found a passion that was unquenchable and made the choice to dedicate his life to humanity. The road wasn’t easy. He experienced homelessness which meant juggling the responsibilities of being a student and the realities of living on the street. As a result, he shifted his perspective and set his life in a new direction. He graduated in 2011 with a medical degree and a new mission: leverage his knowledge in a non-traditional way to become an authentic, determined, humble leader. Today, this looks likes co-founding a non-profit focused on serving the homeless and vulnerable by building relationships and meeting their health and wellness needs, (Atlanta Awareness for Homeless Health aka A2H2).
Additionally, he (and business partner, Mr. David Roman) also own WeUp CBO, a company built on the idea of uplifting every community through hope and empowerment by addressing poverty through education, healthcare, and employment. He also is the co-host of The Humanize Podcast and is board president of a Co-Op organization in Denver, Colorado.
