Eze's Story

Born in Buena State, Nigeria, Eze Ejelonu relocated to Michigan at the age of five with his family to pursue a better education and opportunities that extended beyond his current reach. He instilled the “never quit” attitude since he was a child and overcame much adversity and negative influence while spending most of his adolescent life in Pontiac, MI. Eze eventually graduated from Pontiac Central High School where he excelled in music arts and sports. As a result of achieving a high level of perseverance, Eze attended Ferris State University and became a graduate of Michigan State University in 2005. He successfully juggled the difficulty of being a student athlete as a member of the Michigan State Football Program and community leader.

 

As a student athlete, Eze also dedicated his time and efforts with youth programs such as My Brother's Keeper for multiple years. While serving as a mentor for My Brothers Keeper, Eze was heavily involved with mentoring and guiding the male students of Malcolm X Academy (Detroit, MI) in education, brotherhood, etiquette, African American history and politics. During his senior year, Eze also served as a community relations coordinator for UARL (University Apartments Residence Life) where he was responsible for the increase of peer involvement amongst the student housing residents in 2004 and 2005. These responsibilities also included creating policy and community engagement related to ethnic, youth and educational issues on campus.

 

Community Involvement

After, graduating from college, Eze moved to Detroit, MI in 2006. He immediately fell in love with Detroit and its residents while finding his passion and long term goal in sustaining communities one youth at a time. Apart from Eze’s successful professional football career in the Arena Football League he spent his off seasons giving time to the youth as a substitute teacher/mentor at Pontiac Academy for Excellence and University Prep High School in Detroit, MI.

 

Eze continued to travel down the path of philanthropy in 2008 when he co-founded Detroit Greek Mayhem Charity Weekend. The charity weekend is an annual 3 day event in which members of Historically Black Greek Organizations, The Greek Council and Latina based Greeks all come together as one large body of volunteers to serve the community. Operating with the concept of BIG GIVING, the charity weekend is instrumental in feeding nearly 2,500 plus of Detroit’s homeless annually while also establishing intimate youth involvement in many of the organizations initiatives.

 

Very passionate about youth advancement in all areas of life, Eze realized the importance of not setting primary focus on young men alone. In 2013, Eze co-founded My Sisters Brotherly Keeper, an annual engagement session geared towards high school girls on the appreciation and awareness of self worth, womanhood, marriage and education. Eze knew the lack of the male role in many households and felt the critical need for young women to be exposed to the influence of successful male leaders in our communities.

 

Professional Career

Eze’s professional career list highlights not only as a successful sales consultant in the information technology field, but as an entrepreneur. He is the managing partner of Best Network Design which is an IT, data and cloud consulting firm in downtown Detroit. Eze also spent time with Merrill Lynch in which he vigorously researched the flow of market trends, municipal funding and municipal policy related to city, state and government funding.

 

Political Experience

Eze continued to follow the role of leadership and he served as co-chair of the Young Professionals for Benny Napoleon during Napoleons run for Detroit Mayor in 2013. Eze sat down with Napoleon team leaders and discussed strategies for international business investment in Detroit with primary investments coming from Africa. While serving his role on the campaign, Eze also pushed for the initiative of more funding that will assist with the rehabilitation of recently incarcerated felons while transitioning them into the workforce.

 

Family

Outside of the time and commitment Eze brings to the youth and community, Eze’s parents have also made their impact in the community as educators in Detroit Public Schools. His mother is an elementary school teacher at Catherine C. Blackwell Institute and his father is a retired high school teacher of 17 years spending nine of those years at Western International in Southwest Detroit. Eze is thier youngest son along with 5 sisters and a brother.

 

Memberships

Eze has and still continues to be involved in numerous organizations throughout the community including the NAACP Young Adult Committee, the Institute for Black Male Achievement, a Detroit Charter member of the New Leaders Council, Michigan Democratic Party, Michigan Democratic Black Caucus, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Charles H. Wright of African American History, and was a award recipient for the Michigan Front Page 40 under 40.

 

He currently lives in Detroit, MI in the Downtown area and has a son named Ashton.