On the pod, this week is Jerald Watson!

Jerald is an urbanist born in Parkchester, New York, raised by his mom, a singer and dancer (with a #1 song on the BILLBOARD CHARTS at the time)! Kin on education, in middle school, she enrolled him in "Prep for Prep," a program designed to bridge the gap between public schools and Ivy League Universities. 

His fascination with the City led him to pursue his B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Cornell University. Today am pursuing an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and an MBA from Harvard Business School (at the same time)! 

Outside of work, Jerald is the freelance portrait and documentary photographer whose work showcases the beauty and vigor of Black life. Today he is the owner of Jerald Watson Photo.

Our conversation covered his life growing up, urbanism, gentrification, Predatory Inclusion, redlining, and the importance of pushing your boundaries! 

Keep up with Jerald @jeraldwatsonphoto and on linked at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeraldwatson/

ENJOY!

Origin Story - 2:01

His Mom - 4:04

Middle School - 5:11

Leaning into Hip-hop - 10:40

Urban Planning - 14:00

Professional experience - 21:10

Predatory Inclusion - 28:30

Redlining - 29:00

Harvard - 39:50

Having ADHD - 46:01

OTM - 56:29