In May 2020, in the depths of the pandemic, Canadian Nicholas André G. Johnson broke new ground as Princeton’s first Black valedictorian. In over 274 years, no other Black student had been recognized in this way by the institution, making Nicholas a ground breaker and as we’ll hear—a mentor to other Black professionals forging their path through academic and professional settings. 

Nicholas talks about the experience of being the first Black valedictorian and the intense media attention he received from both American and Canadian press. He shares how his passion for technology and for building connects to what he sees as his life’s work—creating value in the world.

We also discuss how organizations can engage Black professionals to bring their authentic selves into the workplace. Conference Board of Canada research found that Black Canadians had the highest rate of feeling like they needed to adjust their identity in a corporate setting. A concerning finding since almost half of the Black respondents said they needed to engage in code switching to fit in.  

Finally, Nicholas shares his advice for following your passions, building a community, and connecting with others to make a difference in the world. 

About our guest:

Nicholas André G. Johnson has engaged in machine learning research at MIT, Princeton University, Oxford University and the Montreal Institute of Learning Algorithms. He is currently a PhD student at MIT and a Researcher in Residence at Bain Capital Crypto. Nicholas holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University. He was the Valedictorian of Princeton’s Class of 2020 and is the University’s first Black Valedictorian. Nicholas has previously been featured by the New York Times, CNN, ABC News, Time and BET. As a professional speaker, Nicholas is an advocate for educational attainment in marginalized communities and increased representation in STEM industries.

Additional information can be found:

https://www.nicholasagjohnson.com/

CBOC Research: Bridging the Gap Between Identity and Social and Emotional Skills: Black Canadians’ Perspectives of Social and Emotional Skills in the Workplace

Access all our research at www.conferenceboard.ca