Ideas from 2026 IDSA State Convention – ChatIDSA
Brandon P. Fleming
Over the past decade, Brandon P. Fleming has emerged as one of the most awarded and sought-after educators, entrepreneurs, authors, and speakers worldwide. Fleming’s incredible story of transformation, detailed in his book Miseducated, has gained such national acclaim that it is currently being optioned for television and film, and is in the process of becoming a major theatrical production.
An at-risk youth and college dropout turned award-winning educator, Fleming is a former debate coach at Harvard University and Founder & CEO of The Veritas Schools, a network of schools headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with campuses expanding to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
In 2017, Fleming was recruited as Harvard University’s assistant debate coach at the age of 26. Fleming soon made history at Harvard by founding the first pipeline program, the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project, aimed at increasing Black and brown enrollment in Harvard’s residential debate program, where hundreds of talented young scholars from over 25 different countries study and compete in international academic debate competitions.
Over seven years, Fleming has raised millions of dollars to enroll more than 250 students of color in Harvard’s summer debate residency on full scholarship. However, Fleming faced a significant challenge: How could he prepare Black and brown youth from predominantly under-resourced schools in Atlanta, who had never been exposed to the rigors of academic debate, to compete in just one year against some of the most elite debaters from around the world? Fleming developed a transformative curriculum designed to level the playing field for underserved students. And it worked. For seven consecutive years, since the program’s inception in 2017, every cohort trained by Fleming has won the international competition as seven-time consecutive champions. News of this accomplishment has gone viral, making national headlines and being featured on CNN, Good Morning America, the Steve Harvey Show, and more. Fleming’s vision has garnered support from Fortune 100 companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, Chick-fil-A, and others.
Beyond the classroom, Fleming’s humanitarian impact reaches around the globe. Fleming has earned awards for his global leadership. Fleming has facilitated and led peacebuilding missions for over 200 world leaders to Israel, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates. His school also emphasizes international education, taking students on learning expeditions to countries like Italy, Japan, South Africa, and more.
As a renowned speaker, Fleming has delivered keynote addresses on world stages like the United Nations. Fleming has spoken at the nation’s most prestigious colleges, universities, and K-12 conferences. Additionally, Fleming has keynoted conventions for corporate executives at major brands such as Airbnb, Walmart, Bank of America, McDonald’s, and many others.
At the age of 29, Forbes Magazine named Fleming to the Forbes 30 under 30 list. In 2020, The
Root Magazine named Fleming one of the top 100 most influential African Americans in the United States.
And in May 2021, North Carolina Wesleyan College bestowed upon Fleming the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.