Jeffery Beckham

About

Jeffery Beckham Jr. is a dynamic business leader, social innovator, and award-winning artist based in Chicago. As Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Scholars, he leads a nationally recognized nonprofit that empowers more than 7,000 first-generation and low-income students annually on a seven-year journey to college, career, and leadership success—unlocking over $700 million in merit aid and driving more than $6 billion in lifetime earnings impact.

Jeffery is also the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of REACH Pathways, an AI-powered career readiness platform scaling to over 22,000 users across 40+ states. Under his leadership, REACH has raised $2 million in venture funding, earned a Chicago Innovation Award, and partnered with leading employers and workforce organizations to build equitable talent pipelines for Gen Z.

A recognized voice on education equity, economic mobility, and inclusive leadership, Jeffery is an Obama Leaders USA Fellow and Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and serves on multiple civic and nonprofit boards. Blending creativity and strategy, he uses both his business acumen and artistic lens to inspire transformative change and build pathways to opportunity for the next generation.