A group of new UC Berkeley graduates from Richmond will embark on their careers with an extra jolt of inspiration after meeting personally with Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall.
Marshall, a Kennedy High graduate named by Forbes as one of 15 of the world’s most inspiring female leaders in 2021, met with Richmond Promise Scholars shortly after delivering the keynote speech at UC Berkeley’s commencement ceremony on May 11.
The Richmond Promise is a college scholarship and guidance program offered to graduating high school students in Richmond and North Richmond. The program launched in 2016 with $35 million in funding over 10 years from Chevron Richmond and has since served over 3,300 Scholars, including students who met with Marshall inside California Memorial Stadium.
The meeting was organized through a partnership between Richmond Promise, the university, Cal Athletics and the Cameron Institute, according to Christopher Whitmore, executive director of Richmond Promise, in the organization’s latest newsletter.
“Scholars got a chance to chat with Cynt, receive signed copies of her book ‘You’ve Been Chosen,’ and spend some time with a proud Richmond native who has forged a long and impactful career, first at AT&T and now as the NBA’s first Black female CEO,” said Whitmore.
Cynt grew up in Richmond’s Easter Hill neighborhood. In interviews, she said she benefited from parents who stressed education. She graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management and holds four honorary Doctorate degrees.
After a 36-year career rising up the ranks at AT&T, and also the founding of her consulting firm Marshalling Resources, Cynt was hired as the Mavs’ CEO in 2018, with the aim of transforming the team into the NBA standard for inclusion and diversity. She’s also worked with The Dow Chemical Company to develop related strategies. Cynt’s success proves “Richmond’s reach extends far and wide,” said Whitmore.
“And as Cynt told our RP Scholars on Saturday, the game is only just beginning,” he said. “The ball is in their hands.”
