459: Jimmy McQuilkin – Executive Director, UrbanPromise Charlotte

What does it look like when someone builds their entire life around a question — not “what can I get?” but “what can I give?” Today’s guest has been quietly answering that for over a decade, and the results speak for themselves: hundreds of young lives redirected, a nonprofit that has become a genuine force in Charlotte, and a reputation so consistent that his colleagues simply call him Superman. Jimmy McQuilkin grew up in Columbia, Maryland, graduated No. 1 in his high school class, and arrived at Wake Forest University with enough drive to talk his way onto the men’s basketball team as a non-scholarship walk-on. He earned two varsity letters and, in his own words, “dribbled out the clock a few times.” But it wasn’t the hardwood that changed his life — it was a volunteer experience at a Latino community services organization in Winston-Salem that set everything in motion. After Wake Forest, he joined Teach For America, taught Spanish and coached basketball in Charlotte, and was named First Year Teacher of the Year. In 2013, he co-founded UrbanPromise Charlotte — a Christian-centered nonprofit that now serves 335 young people across three sites, employs 105 people, and runs one of the most inspired youth leadership models anywhere in this city. People who know Jimmy describe him as “the most intentional” and “the most humble” person in the room — which, if you know anything about leadership, tells you everything. Jimmy, welcome to The BrandBuilders Podcast.