About Sean.
Depending on who you ask, Sean E. Coleman is a husband to his wife Janai, father of two, brother, uncle and friend—and embraced in his family as “Pop.” From growing up in the heart of Brooklyn, being raised by his grandmother and stepping in as the manager of his family's estate at an early age, Sean’s instinct for business and building was forged young. Today, he is a Strategic Planning and Business Development expert that uses his iron-sharp entrepreneurial drive to help nonprofits and mission-driven businesses generate revenue, build sustainable systems, and lay the foundation for impactful work within underserved communities. But if you ask him, he'll tell you that he's just a hustler from Bed-Stuy that found his calling after many years of hustling for survival.
Sean is also the Founder and current Chief Executive Officer of Destination Tomorrow (based in the Bronx with locations now in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.). Through his philanthropic work, this history-making organization addresses economic empowerment, housing, employment, health, and legal support for the Black LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized populations. Having grown his own organization from $35K to $19M, after cashing out his own 401K, Sean helps other non-profits duplicate his wins. His consultancy work moves them beyond grant-dependency: building sustainable revenue streams, creating scalable programs, and facilitating board and governance best practices. His successes have been featured and recognized by Apple News, New York Times, National Black Justice Collective, Business Insider, and many others.
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If my life can be changed in a courtroom while facing federal charges, your life can be changed just as powerfully.
HIS INSPIRATION
Sean’s inspiration comes from knowing that sometimes your biggest breakthrough comes after your hardest breakdown.
From the death of his grandmother, after being her primary caregiver, to the birth of his daughter, at 19, Sean’s world was forever changed and he found himself propelled into a life of fast money. Always the businessman, Sean learned how to expand and grow as a street hustler, earning millions of dollars way before it was ever an Instagram moment.
After 10 years of hustling to provide for his family, Sean was arrested and sentenced to 36 months in the Federal Prison system. This is where his own breakthrough begins. It started when the sentencing judge came from behind the bench to shake his hand and spoke candidly to Sean. In a moment that would empower him for years to come, the judge told Sean that this did not have to be the end of his life and encouraged him to start over.
From that moment Sean knew he was destined for more out of life and it was up to him to create it. After his release from prison, Sean came home with the intention of changing the trajectory of his life. He started working in the nonprofit sector in 2003 and never looked back. Since then, he’s worked every facet of a community organization, starting as a peer and going on to become the Director of Programs.
Sean used the seeds handed to him by his grandmother and that sentencing judge to visualize and create the life he wanted. With every step, he held on to his own inspiration and desire to live a different life than what he’d grown up in. Currently, Sean uses his platform to educate and empower other leaders to create sustainable and truly impactful organizations.
Why Sean E. Coleman?
A sustainable organization sits at the intersection of proper planning, committed leadership, and enough money to make payroll—nothing moves without income.
Grew a nonprofit from $35K to $19M—starting with his own 401K
Featured by Apple News,
The New York Times,
Business Insider, and more
20+ years of experience leading, building, and scaling community organizations
Trusted by leaders, founders, and mission-driven businesses nationwide
Real-world results driven by lived experience—not just theory
