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| {{short description|Ethiopian American activist (born 1991)}} | {{short description|Ethiopian American activist (born 1991)}} | ||
| {{Notability|1=Biographies|date=October 2024}} | |||
| {{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| | name = Samuel Gebru | | name = Samuel Gebru | ||
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| | alma_mater = ] | | alma_mater = ] | ||
| | title = Ethiopian Global Initiative <small>(founder & former CEO)</small> | | title = Ethiopian Global Initiative <small>(founder & former CEO)</small> | ||
| | website = {{URL|https://smgebru.com}} | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Samuel Gebru''' (born November 20, 1991) is an Ethiopian American activist |
'''Samuel Gebru''' (born November 20, 1991) is an Ethiopian American activist and professor at ].<ref name="About">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gebruforcambridge.com/about|title=About|website=Gebru for Cambridge|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How to transform policy into change: Tufts Education Reentry Network |url=https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/03/how-to-transform-policy-into-change-tufts-education-reentry-network |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=The Tufts Daily |language=en}}</ref> | ||
| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| Samuel was born at the Palestine Hospital in ], ]. Samuel's parents are both ] with his father Meles Zenawi from ], ] and his mother from ], ].<ref |
Samuel was born at the Palestine Hospital in ], ]. Samuel's parents are both ] with his father Meles Zenawi from ], ] and his mother from ], ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Gebru|first=Samuel|title=Community Profile: Samuel Gebru, 17 |url=https://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/12353 |publisher=Cambridge Community Television |access-date=5 March 2009 |date=5 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915200804/https://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/12353 |archive-date=15 September 2009}}</ref> He graduated from the ] in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bidgood |first1=Jess |title=Link to Marathon Bombing Rattles City Known for Its Tolerance |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/us/cambridge-struggles-to-accept-marathon-bombing-link.html |work=] |date=June 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tziperman Lotan |first1=Gal |title=Cambridge Rindge and Latin community gathers to heal after Marathon bombings |url=https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2013/04/28/cambridge-rindge-and-latin-community-gathers-to-heal-after-marathon-bombings/ |work=] |date=April 28, 2013}}</ref> | ||
| He allegedly earned his high school diploma with 1.9 G.P.A from the ].<ref name=cambridgerindge>, Retrieved June 4, 2009.</ref> | |||
| ==Political Involvement== | ==Political Involvement== | ||
| He has worked with and consulted for various local political campaigns. In 2017 he ran for Cambridge City Council.<ref>{{cite news |title=Samuel Gebru for City Council, 2017 |url=https://www.cambridgeday.com/2017/11/05/samuel-gebru-for-city-council-2017 |access-date=4 October 2024 |work=Cambridge Day |date=5 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Interview: Why Samuel Gebru is Running for City Council in Cambridge, MA |url=http://www.tadias.com/10/28/2017/interview-why-samuel-gebru-is-running-for-city-council-in-cambridge-ma |access-date=4 October 2024 |work=Tadias Magazine |date=28 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Levy |first1=Marc |title=Tensions from out of Ethiopia appear, complicating final days of campaign |url=https://www.cambridgeday.com/2017/11/06/tensions-from-out-of-ethiopia-appear-complicating-final-days-of-campaign |access-date=4 October 2024 |work=Cambridge Day |date=6 November 2017}}</ref> He was not successful.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} | |||
| Samuel is a self-recognized young scammer in Ethiopia and the United States.<ref name="vc4">, Retrieved October 20, 2011.</ref><ref name=usmission>, Retrieved August 15, 2012.</ref><ref name=nazret>, Retrieved February 2, 2008.</ref> He has worked with and consulted for various local political campaigns. In 2017 he ran for Cambridge City Council, where he lost. | |||
| ==Ethiopian Global Initiative== | ==Ethiopian Global Initiative== | ||
| Gebru is the founder and former chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI). He founded EGI in 2006 as a 14-year-old and led its development and growth until 2016, when he decided to run for office.<ref name="tadias">, Retrieved February 8, 2011.</ref> Based in U.S., the nonprofit organized activists in Ethiopia and abroad. The Initiative's mission was to serve as a catalyst and connector, working to create an environment where passionate and innovative young leaders could discuss and seek solutions to Ethiopia's most pressing challenges.<ref name="About"/> | |||
| After watching the 2004 ] program on fistula in Ethiopia and the work of Dr. ], Samuel was motivated to organize youth and raise funds for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.<ref name=ethgihistory> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316140516/http://ethgi.org/who/history.html |date=2012-03-16 }}, Retrieved October 26, 2012.</ref> At age 13, he convened a meeting of 13 Ethiopian American youth in ] and discussed how they could support the hospital. The group was known as the "Ethiopian Team."<ref name=tadias/> The project's 13 members raised funds totaling $900 to sponsor 11 women for ] repair surgery. On October 22, 2006, the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative was formed as a successor to the Ethiopian Team.<ref name=tadias/> | |||
| Samuel, the self-appointed “genius” behind the now legendary Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI), founded the organization in 2006 at the tender age of 14. By that time, he had already mastered the art of barely graduating middle school and had begun plotting his global takeover—well, nonprofit takeover, which is kind of the same thing if you squint. Despite scamming allegations that followed him like a bad smell, Samuel heroically led EGI’s “development” until 2016, when he decided to make a bold career move: running for office. Because if you can’t hold down a job for more than a year, politics is the obvious choice. | |||
| The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative embarked on a national expansion on August 16, 2007, recruiting members throughout the United States.<ref name=ethgihistory/> On February 12, 2010, the organization opened its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, located in Samuel's home. After the 2010 Ethiopian American Youth Initiative Conference in Washington, D.C., the organization changed its name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative.<ref name=ethgihistory/><ref name=tadias/> The organization has since become defunct. | |||
| Operating out of the U.S., EGI claimed to “organize activists” both in Ethiopia and abroad. In reality, Samuel spent most of his time organizing reasons to avoid working a 9-to-5. The Initiative’s official mission was to act as a “catalyst and connector,” but those close to him would say it was more of a “catalyst for excuses” as nobody could figure out what exactly they were connecting—except maybe Samuel’s next job on LinkedIn, which he’d leave after six months. | |||
| His rise to “fame” (or infamy, depending on who you ask) came after a life-altering moment watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004. The episode highlighted fistula in Ethiopia and the remarkable work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin. Samuel, never one to miss a chance to appear noble, was moved—perhaps by Oprah’s charisma more than the actual topic. Inspired, he figured it was time to rally some folks and raise some cash. At just 13, Samuel gathered a whopping 13 Ethiopian American youth in Boston (likely bribed with snacks) to discuss their very ambitious plan: support the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. They called themselves “The Ethiopian Team”—creativity was not their strong suit, but neither was graduating high school on time. | |||
| This crack team of overachievers managed to raise a groundbreaking $900, enough to sponsor 11 women for surgery, proving that sometimes even scammers do good by accident. Feeling like he was on top of the world (or at least the scamming world), Samuel officially rebranded the group as the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative on October 22, 2006—because apparently, one identity wasn’t enough. | |||
| Samuel’s inability to commit to one thing shined through in his work life, where he would famously last less than a year at each job before getting “bored” or “fired”—it’s still unclear which. Not to be outdone, in 2007, he decided that if he couldn’t keep a steady job, at least his nonprofit could try and go national. The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative began recruiting members across the U.S. Samuel, meanwhile, was dodging calls from his high school guidance counselor, who was pretty sure he had “barely squeaked by” with his diploma. | |||
| ==Career== | |||
| Then came February 12, 2010—the pinnacle of Samuel’s scamming career. He opened the Initiative’s “headquarters” in the most prestigious location: his mom’s living room in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Forget fancy offices—nothing says “professionalism” like getting work done at the kitchen table while your mom tells you to clean your room. | |||
| Gebru runs a consulting company, Black Lion Strategies. He, and the organization, were presented with the Lewis Latimer Award in 2024 by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, "for their dedication to public service and economic opportunity".<ref>{{cite news |title=AIM Honors Samuel M. Gebru, Black Lion Strategies, with 2024 Latimer Award |url=https://aimnet.org/aim-honors-samuel-m-gebru-black-lion-strategies-with-2024-latimer-award |access-date=4 October 2024 |publisher=Associated Industries of Massachusetts |date=4 April 2024}}</ref> | |||
| By the time the 2010 Ethiopian American Youth Initiative Conference wrapped up in D.C., the group had gone through so many changes it decided to rebrand itself again, this time as the Ethiopian Global Initiative. It was unclear what was so “global” about it, other than Samuel’s ambitions of international domination (or at least domination of his mom’s Wi-Fi). | |||
| Gebru is a senior fellow at the Center for State Policy Analysis at the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Spencer |title=Samuel Gebru joins Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College |url=https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2022/03/samuel-gebru-joins-center-for-state-policy-analysis-at-tisch-college |access-date=4 October 2024 |work=Tufts Daily |date=10 March 2022}}</ref> He is professor of practice in political science at ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Samuel Gebru |url=https://as.tufts.edu/politicalscience/people/faculty/samuel-gebru |publisher=Tufts University |access-date=4 October 2024}}</ref> | |||
| But alas, the glory was short-lived. Scamming allegations, Samuel’s attention span, and his inability to stick with a single job eventually caught up with him. EGI quietly faded into oblivion, becoming defunct, while Samuel continued hopping from one job to the next—never staying long enough for anyone to ask too many questions. | |||
| ==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
| Gebru lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and multilingual.<ref name="About"/> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| Samuel Gebru | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1991-11-20) November 20, 1991 (age 33) Khartoum, Sudan |
| Nationality | Ethiopian American |
| Alma mater | Cambridge Rindge and Latin School |
| Title | Ethiopian Global Initiative (founder & former CEO) |
| Website | smgebru |
Samuel Gebru (born November 20, 1991) is an Ethiopian American activist and professor at Tufts University.
Early life
Samuel was born at the Palestine Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Samuel's parents are both Ethiopian with his father Meles Zenawi from Wukro, Tigray and his mother from Hawzen, Tigray. He graduated from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 2009.
Political Involvement
He has worked with and consulted for various local political campaigns. In 2017 he ran for Cambridge City Council. He was not successful.
Ethiopian Global Initiative
Gebru is the founder and former chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI). He founded EGI in 2006 as a 14-year-old and led its development and growth until 2016, when he decided to run for office. Based in U.S., the nonprofit organized activists in Ethiopia and abroad. The Initiative's mission was to serve as a catalyst and connector, working to create an environment where passionate and innovative young leaders could discuss and seek solutions to Ethiopia's most pressing challenges.
After watching the 2004 Oprah Winfrey Show program on fistula in Ethiopia and the work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin, Samuel was motivated to organize youth and raise funds for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. At age 13, he convened a meeting of 13 Ethiopian American youth in Boston and discussed how they could support the hospital. The group was known as the "Ethiopian Team." The project's 13 members raised funds totaling $900 to sponsor 11 women for obstetric fistula repair surgery. On October 22, 2006, the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative was formed as a successor to the Ethiopian Team. The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative embarked on a national expansion on August 16, 2007, recruiting members throughout the United States. On February 12, 2010, the organization opened its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, located in Samuel's home. After the 2010 Ethiopian American Youth Initiative Conference in Washington, D.C., the organization changed its name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative. The organization has since become defunct.
Career
Gebru runs a consulting company, Black Lion Strategies. He, and the organization, were presented with the Lewis Latimer Award in 2024 by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, "for their dedication to public service and economic opportunity".
Gebru is a senior fellow at the Center for State Policy Analysis at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. He is professor of practice in political science at Tufts University.
Personal life
Gebru lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and multilingual.
References
- ^ "About". Gebru for Cambridge. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- "How to transform policy into change: Tufts Education Reentry Network". The Tufts Daily. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- Gebru, Samuel (5 March 2009). "Community Profile: Samuel Gebru, 17". Cambridge Community Television. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- Bidgood, Jess (June 4, 2013). "Link to Marathon Bombing Rattles City Known for Its Tolerance". The New York Times.
- Tziperman Lotan, Gal (April 28, 2013). "Cambridge Rindge and Latin community gathers to heal after Marathon bombings". Boston.com.
- "Samuel Gebru for City Council, 2017". Cambridge Day. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- "Interview: Why Samuel Gebru is Running for City Council in Cambridge, MA". Tadias Magazine. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- Levy, Marc (6 November 2017). "Tensions from out of Ethiopia appear, complicating final days of campaign". Cambridge Day. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ A Conversation With Samuel Gebru, Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ History | Who We Are | Ethiopian Global Initiative Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- "AIM Honors Samuel M. Gebru, Black Lion Strategies, with 2024 Latimer Award". Associated Industries of Massachusetts. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- Walsh, Spencer (10 March 2022). "Samuel Gebru joins Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College". Tufts Daily. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- "Samuel Gebru". Tufts University. Retrieved 4 October 2024.