Darius Ballinger
Despite losing his mentor and a possible five-year prison sentence, 28-year old Darius Ballinger founded Chasing23, a community-based organization that provides mentorship, tutoring and workforce development programming for young men of colour in Chicago.
Ballinger’s organization is improving the lives of Chicago’s most esteemed youth through social enterprises and mentorship. Even though he had no father Ballinger is now a proud father of three.
He is a 2019 Echoing Green Black Male Achievement Fellow and University of Chicago Civic Leadership Fellow. Reportedly, Chasing23 has served 35 youth, in cohorts of 10-15 each school, with limited personal, academic, and professional support resources.
