Derek Rhodes

Derek Rhodes is a Durham-born social entrepreneur, author, and nonprofit executive focused on expanding career access and economic opportunity for young Black men in North Carolina. A graduate of Duke University and Durham Academy, Rhodes has built a career that bridges corporate strategy, public service, and grassroots community leadership. Over the last decade, he has worked with organizations including Google, Microsoft, the Obama Foundation, and the Miami Heat, developing expertise in innovation, community engagement, and youth empowerment.

Raised in Durham, Rhodes has often spoken about how mentorship and exposure to opportunity shaped his own trajectory. While attending Duke University, where he studied public policy, he secured internships with the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House, experiences that helped launch his career in tech and business strategy. His work eventually took him from New York to Miami, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, but he ultimately returned home with a growing desire to create direct impact in his own community.

In 2019, Rhodes founded Durham Success Summit, initially as a one-day leadership conference for young Black men. The initiative quickly evolved into a year-round nonprofit organization providing mentorship, workforce development, entrepreneurship education, and professional networking opportunities for Black male youth ages 16 to 24. Under Rhodes’ leadership, the organization launched programs including a 12-week accelerator and a business incubator designed to help young entrepreneurs launch companies and build long-term career pathways. The organization has since helped hundreds of participants secure employment, internships, and mentorship opportunities with major companies and institutions.

Rhodes is also an author and public speaker. In 2017, he published the children’s book "Jimmy for the City," which encourages young people to explore public service and civic leadership careers. Known for his emphasis on relationship-building, social capital, and economic mobility, Rhodes frequently speaks at universities, nonprofit events, and leadership conferences about redefining success for young Black men and building stronger local ecosystems of opportunity.

Today, Rhodes is an MBA candidate at Duke's Fuqua School of Business and continues to serve as executive director of Durham Success Summit, where he is focused on expanding the organization’s workforce development and entrepreneurship programs throughout Durham and beyond. He has also emerged as a prominent voice in conversations around racial equity, youth mentorship, and community-driven economic development. In recent years, his work has earned growing recognition across North Carolina, including Durham Academy’s 2024 Alumni Service Award honoring his contributions to the community.