Kenneth Duncan Jr. comes from a strong line of leaders. Two of which being his grandfathers, one who was a Professional Boxer out of San Francisco and the other being a General in the United States Army. Whether it was values such as dedication, discipline, sacrifice, civil responsibility or service to others; Kenneth had plenty of great examples to emulate. An athlete from a very young age Kenneth eventually landed at historical Merritt College in Oakland and College of Alameda where he earned his AA degree and played on the Basketball team.From his time at College of Alameda Kenneth earned a athletic scholarship to attend Wilberforce University in Ohio which is the 1st private black owned institution in the country. There he received his bachelors in Psychology. Kenneth is HBCU proud! Professionally Kenneth has worked in the non profit world for over 10 years. Right out of college he began his career with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento. Where he served New Helvetia and Seavey Circle public housing in Sacramento now known as Marina Vista/Alder Grove. There he was able to mentor hundreds of youth and build relationships in the community to where now he is a trusted leader and advocate. Part of his journey in Sacramento has also included community organizing in Oak Park and Del Paso Heights through the Black Child Legacy Campaign. Kenneth has worked for a number of nonprofits such as the Greater Sacramento Urban League, Roberts Family Development Center and Anti-Recidivism Coalition. In addition to serving the community through long standing organizations in Sacramento Kenneth has gone further and founded his own non-profit organization called Ball Out Academy where he provides mentorship, leadership development, workshops and training through the lens of athletic development programs. Ball Out is providing safe spaces for young women and men of color by engaging them as powerful, potential filled individuals who have interest in sports but are more than just athletes. Ball Out not only provides spaces for sports development and personal development for youth but also provides facilitating, training, workshops and curricula for other community agencies. Kenneth plans to continue his service to the community as he expands the reach and impact of Ball Out Academy. It’s only a matter of time until Ball Out Academy expands statewide and nationwide. -