Born to a 17-year-old single mother and placed in special education as a child, Dr. Boyce Watkins has risen above the obstacles to become a pioneer of scholarship and advocacy worldwide. In college, he was the Wall Street Journal Outstanding Graduating Senior in Finance with a triple major in Finance, Economics, and Business Management. He went on to earn a Masters Degree in Mathematical Statistics and a PhD in Finance at The Ohio State University. During his year of graduation, Dr. Watkins was the only African-American in the world to earn a PhD in Finance.  

As a public intellectual, Dr. Watkins has changed the definition of what it means to be a scholar in America by leveraging cutting-edge technology and his vast network of scholars, celebrities, and activists to share empowering, thought-provoking messages to the masses. Dr. Watkins has made thousands of appearances in national media, including CNN, ABC, MSNBC, and many others. He is also the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the co-founder of Watkins Media Group — both organizations collectively reach more than 6 million readers per month.