Sekou Kaalund serves as the Vice Chair of the INROADS Board of Directors and is a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. as head of the Northeast Division for the Consumer Bank. In this role, Sekou oversees 1,000 branches in the Northeast, spanning five regions and employing over 10,000 staff members, with assets exceeding $300 billion in deposits and investments. He was also the Head of Advancing Black Pathways, a JPMorgan Chase program created to help Black individuals, families, and businesses achieve sustained economic success. Sekou also happens to be a former INROADS internship program participant!

We had a chance to sit down with Sekou and learn more about his upbringing, career journey, and passion for advancing opportunities for young people of color. Here are the highlights from our conversation:

Tell us about your life growing up.

I grew up in Raleigh, NC, and went to Enloe High School. I’ve actually worked since the 9th grade. My family lost their business and went through financial hardship, so I worked two jobs for about 35 hours a week during the school year and 75-80 hours a week during the summer. I was making $3.25 an hour, the minimum wage at the time.
To this day, I remember the INROADS internship program being so significant because I did my first internship and made $8.50 an hour. It didn’t take a mathematician to realize that I worked fewer hours yet made much more money. That really underscored the importance of having these types of opportunities.

My family eventually bounced back, but in a way, our financial hardship did help me. My family wasn't making any money, and our income was pretty low, so I was eligible for Pell grants for college, in addition to getting scholarships.

I ended up going to Hampden-Sydney College, a private men's liberal arts college in Hampden, Sydney, Virginia. I majored in classical studies and minored in Spanish. I also studied abroad in Spain. Later I went to graduate school at Duke University and got a graduate degree in public policy.

How did you get involved with INROADS?

A high school counselor informed me about the INROADS internship program. I wasn't familiar with INROADS before because I didn't have family that worked in a corporate setting, so the opportunity came from a high school counselor.

I ended up completing a paid internship through INROADS with Nationwide Insurance, focusing on human resources. I started the summer after graduation from high school.

Tell us more about your passion for Advancing Black Pathways.

The financial hardships my family experienced, combined with my early experiences with INROADS, informed all the work I later did with Advancing Black Pathways at JP Morgan Chase - from focusing on financial health and creating a hardship fund for students in financial distress to supporting students in danger of dropping out. Leading Advancing Black Pathways was a reflection of my own experiences, as well as those of my friends. And the reality is, people continue to have those experiences. So, whether it's INROADS preparing students for internships, or creating the Financial Services Institute (FSI) as a partnership between JP Morgan Chase and INROADS, my early experiences inform everything I do. I think about the things that helped open my pathway and how we can replicate those for others.

Is it true you met your wife through INROADS!?

Yes, so I was in the INROADS program with one of my closest friends, with whom I grew up. He and I were in the first INROADS sessions at NC State. We were sitting next to each other, and when my wife walked in, I was like, “Hey man, what do you think about her?”

So, yes, I did actually meet my wife at INROADS. We dated throughout high school, went to prom together, college, and grad school on and off. We got married and would not have met if it weren’t for INROADS. And she actually manages the INROADS program for her company, Cigna Healthcare.

Some might call you both an "INROADS' power couple". How do you both get to have it all?

I think it's less about having it all and more about appreciating all that you have. If you try to create this perfect work-life balance, it's an illusion. At different times, my job has demanded more of me, and at other times, my family has needed more of me. So, it's really recognizing what the balance is that you need in your life and thinking holistically about where you are. Are you anchored in passion and purpose? Do you understand your why? Why is it that I'm doing all of these things? And so, for me, appreciating all that I have means that I can do a “mark to market’ on how I spend my time.

Appreciating what I have aligns with why I feel I've been put on this earth. And that's important because it's so easy to chase materialistic things or power in this Instagram and Facebook world. Then people find out that they're still unhappy even after achieving what they perceived as the things that would bring them happiness. Not to say that I have a perfect life, but I'm perfectly happy with the many things in my life that give me opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment, and that I can always remain anchored in my priorities.

What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun in your personal time?

Travel. I love traveling with the family since I work so much. I prioritize time with my family, and spending time together is key for me. I also enjoy supporting or attending my kids’ functions. My hobbies are primarily focused on family and continuing to make a lasting impact. And if not making an impact, just enjoying the rich blessings that have been bestowed upon me - my family, my three kids, and my wife.

What is your vision for INROADS? What do you hope to achieve as a board member?

To serve the needs of both students and corporations in their evolution to hiring more diverse talent. Following George Floyd's death, there is still an obvious need for greater diversity. My vision is that INROADS continues to be one of the key organizations that enable corporations to tap into diverse talent, while also preparing that diverse talent to capitalize on opportunities.

What are your future goals?

I'm fortunate to have a large job with a substantial P&L and lead 10,000 people in my role, but my future goal is to continue making an impact in everything I do. I hope to help others along their journey to building and investing in inclusive teams. I recognize that as I become more senior in my career, I will have a greater influence and impact on the culture of an organization and on how we think about talent. And so, I want to continue leading and being an advocate for talent, ensuring that we create inclusive growth not only within our company but also within the communities we serve.

A final piece of advice you would like to share?

It's so easy to become captivated by your own success or the desire for it. However, people must give themselves grace and mercy. We haven't lived through a pandemic, at least in my lifetime. So, if you don't take the time to reset and reflect when life gives us that opportunity, then you will probably contribute adversely to your own health, relationships, etc. So, take the time to reflect.

Also, don't be afraid to change course. It's okay to make another decision rather than feeling locked in or trapped by one opportunity. I think people are becoming scared of change or pursuing their passions. When I started to lead Advancing Black Pathways, some people asked why I would leave the investment bank to work on a diversity issue. My response was "Why not?" It's my passion, and candidly, that job enabled me to shift an entire landscape across the country. I was able to fulfill my desire to make a positive impact and change lives. Doing that changed not only the outcomes for others but also for me.