Engineering
social change

Meet Isaac

Isaac Addae is a change agent dedicated to shifting the trajectory of communities of color, so those who reside within them have access to opportunities to thrive. By leveraging the collective resources of businesses, government agencies, as well as civic and social organizations, he is committed to developing and implementing creative solutions for communities’ most pressing needs.

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Expertise



Kind words

I have been truly inspired by Isaac from the very first moment that I met him a few years ago at the rest area at mile 75 of a 100-mile bike ride, the Tour de Cure, a fundraising event for the American Diabetes Association. During the next 25 miles, I quickly learned how highly intelligent and driven is Isaac in all that he does. Isaac is a gentleman with solid character and high integrity and somebody who calmly, but boldly demonstrates how much he cares about our community through his gentle words, involvement and actions. I cherish Isaac as a trusted friend. I look forward to opportunities to support Isaac in his career and also in his service to advance opportunities for those in need and to educate and galvanize support.

David Weil
Vice President / Quorum Legal Services | QUORUM Health

I am proud to be associated with Isaac Addae. He is a strong man of great character who makes a passionate and intentional point to support the community as an Educator, Political Advocate, Social Economic Developer and Philanthropist. Isaac is a Thinker and a Visionary for Entrepreneurship who not only has a promising future, but an unselfish drive to help others to also succeed.   

Carolyn Waller
President / Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce

I have had the pleasure of partnering with Isaac Addae over the past 2 years and has shown himself to be the epitome of excellence and integrity.  He is a true servant leader to his students and the Nashville community.   He is a true social innovator and visionary with the ability to bring resources together for the greater good.  Isaac is an inspiring communicator, change agent, strategic thinker, and is always focused on sustained solutions. He is an outstanding person both personally and professionally.

Jeff Brown
Corporate Trainer / Kroger Company

Core Values

PURPOSE. Identify your unique privilege and the responsibility to live it thoughtfully.
INFLUENCE. The vehicle through which change and impact occur.
CHANGE. Giving others the opportunity to leave things better for generations to come. 

Let's get to work.

  • Last month I was blessed with an opportunity to attend the annual Leadership Study Mission hosted by the @nashchamber. Austin, TX was this years location. This has been one of my best experiences since moving back to Nashville in 2015. Over 130 Nashville Business and community leaders spent three days learning how Austin built their innovation ecosystem. I started my engineering career at @IBM in Austin back in 2006. I had no clue back then how fast the city would grow. It was great to network, learn, brainstorm, and reconnect with some old Austin friends. My main takeaway from the trip is that Nashville can build an ecosystem similar to what we saw in Austin, but we have to be intentional and realize it will take a generational investment. Shout out to my brother @arvinpoole for the hospitality and to my Leadership Connect cohort for their friendship! #LSM19 #Austin #Nashville
  • Queen Mother . The older I get, the more I wish I had more time to spend with my parents. Thankfully over the past month, my siblings and I spent some time traveling with our mother, braving the desert climates of Tucson, Arizona and Marrakech, Morocco. Our father was back home in Ghana and missed all the fun. If you are familiar with the story of any immigrant family, then you’ll understand the difficulty faced after coming to America and trying to succeed. Through God’s Grace, our parents succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Our mother, Dr. Rejoice Addae, is the strongest woman I know. She has faced every hurdle in life with devout faith and optimism. She taught us to pray, be good humans, persevere, and lift others up as we climb. Even though we’re all accomplished adults, she is still concerned about our development and well-being. She started from the bottom and worked her way to the top, while also caring for our immediate and extended family. My mother is my superhero and I strive to be like her everyday. We had fun in Tucson celebrating my sister’s second doctorate degree completion. Roaming the streets and enjoying the cuisine of Morocco was also enjoyable. Also, she’s expecting her third grandson this summer. I know we’ll continue to make her proud. #queenmother 👸🏾
  • You vs. Expectations: Who Wins? . At various points in my life I’ve carried the immense weight of other’s expectation of me (personal, professional, social, etc.). In the past, when I would fail to meet all of the various expectations, I would internalize it as an inability to push through. As an achiever, I was essentially allowing unmet expectations to become a major source of stress that eventually became detrimental to my mental and physical health. About a year ago I reached a breaking point and realized I had to make a change. Through prayer and numerous conversations with my support system, I discovered something: there will never be a day when I am able to meet everyone’s expectations of me. Throughout my life, in every setting, I’ve been viewed as “the one” that will be the next ____ or can do ____ better than it was ever done before. Typically this would come with grand expectations that I immediately worked to meet. For a driven individual such as myself, there’s nothing better than a high bar being set for you to chase. If this sounds familiar to you, please consider this, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). Free yourself from the prison of other’s expectations. Realize that you are only one person and work to fulfill your purpose while also maintaining balance. Everyone will not be happy with you all the time and that is ok. Do your best to work at the highest level you can, but also give yourself the time you need to preserve your mental and physical health. There are too many casualties of expectations, people that have lost their lives due to prolonged stress and poor physical/mental health. It is truly a blessing to have people see the greatness in you and push you to be your best. However, you’re the only one that’s aware of your mental and physical limits. Keep in mind what’s most important in your life, hold on tight, and never let go. #expectations
  • Summer 2019 reading list. Finished Essentialism on Saturday. Almost done with The Bullet Journal Method. These plus countless research papers for my dissertation. What’s on your list? #bookworm #phdjourney 👨🏿‍🏫📚
  • Fatherhood . I’m counting down the days until my son’s summer break from school. Being a divorced father and living apart from my son has been my life’s most significant challenge. It is one of those things that you’re never comfortable with and something you never really get used to. When I was going through my divorce, my mother told me that every moment I spend with my son is vital, especially since he doesn’t live with me full-time. I’m thankful for my mother’s advice, and that my son’s mother and I have a great coparenting relationship. She really works hard to make sure his needs are met and I appreciate her for that. I’ve spoken to many Black men in a similar situation with their kids, and I tell them what my mother told me. Be as present as you can possibly be and ensure that your time with your kids is memorable. It doesn’t matter if you’re with your kids daily or only during holiday breaks, cherish each moment. Your consistent presence is what matters most. #fatherhood #fbf
  • What’s Essential To You? . I’ve experienced many wins and losses this year. Folks around me have encouraged me to share more about my life on social media. The truth is, I have a love/hate relationship with social media. Technology connects us, but it is destroying us in other ways. We spend a lot of our time worrying about things that don’t matter much. We expend a great deal of energy on things that aren’t worth it. What if you knew that tomorrow was your last day on Earth? What would you do differently, if anything? Time is our most valuable resource. While it might sound cliche, I haven’t heard of a way to manufacture time. My mentor and fraternity brother, Dr. Napoleon Moses, once wrote me a letter in which he challenged me to rethink “spending my time on things destined for the dump.” He was right. Be very cautious of whom and what you give your time and energy. Evaluate where your time and energy are spent. Focus your best efforts toward a few select things. Don’t know where to begin? Well, in his book #Essentialism, Greg McKeown poses the following question, “Is this the very most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources now?” Apply that thinking to anything you’re confronted with. I guarantee your life will change for the better.
  • #nofilter
  • #Repost @knowledgebanknashville ・・・ I spent an afternoon with a group of 4 year olds, teaching them the 3 Money habits (Save, Spend, Share) using the Knowledge Banks. Here’s the first video with the first-daughter of Knowledge Bank @_evergrey_ #elevateyourmoney #blackpodcasters blackentrepreneurs #stockmarket #blackbloggers #blackwealth #blackwealthmatters #blackowned #buyblack #blackmoneymatters #webuyblack #financialindependence #marathoncontinues #family #families #themarathoncontinues #hbcu #kbcoins #essence #forbes #blackenterprise #oprah #moneyandkids #fincon #finance #money #financialliteracy #financetips #personalfinance #financialgoals

Mission

To drive unity among communities, businesses, and governments for the purpose of strengthening their collective impact on people and society.

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