Olusola Olumogba founded Direct Your Life in 2015 with the goal of creating a safe and supportive environment for released, formerly incarcerated individuals. Olusola faced his greatest life challenge in 2007 when he was embroiled in the criminal justice system. He was lucky enough to have a support system in place that allowed him to get back on his feet, but realized many others do not.

 

In 2010, Olusola graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and Media Studies. A former collegiate athlete and ex-CFL agent, Olusola also runs InstantScouting to help athletes secure professional opportunities. He was honoured with the Top 30 Under Thirty Award by Sports Launch Magazine. Olusola has held several leadership positions across organizations dedicated to supporting underserved individuals. He served on the Board of Directors at the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. Olusola has volunteered at United Way and the Brampton St. Leonard’s Halfway House, of which he was a resident.

 

Volunteering at St. Leonard’s inspired Olusola to start Direct Your Life to empower recently released individuals through coaching, mentorship, and training. He completed the YouthREX Critical Youth Work: Bridging Theory and Practice Certificate at York University in 2018. He is a trained Critical Period Interventionist for people with high risk behaviour and people impacted by gang activity. Olusola holds speaking engagements at schools, prisons, and halfway houses. He has formed partnerships with the Province of Ontario, Islamic Relief Canada, Major League Sports Entertainment, and United Way GTA to provide individuals supported through Direct Your Life with resources and job opportunities. Olusola’s partnership with the Province of Ontario and Toronto Community Benefits Network resulted in the co-founding of NexGen Builders Mentoring Program which offers individuals from the Black, Indigenous, and newcomer communities with apprenticeships in construction.

 

Olusola is uniquely positioned to lead Direct Your Life bringing together his personal and professional experiences. Olusola has continued to expand the impact of Direct Your Life by building a team of community leaders. To date, 270 people have been supported by Direct Your Life through group sessions and 24 have been supported one-on-one. Olusola’s goal is to continue to grow those figures to empower recently released individuals and remind them to never give up on themselves.