To Give is to Receive, Alumnus and CEO Empowers Community
by Maya Oluseyi via the Florida Tech Today
French novelist Albert Camus once said that real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present. Such is the philosophy of Florida Tech alumnus E. Davon Kelly ’90.
Kelly received his bachelor’s degree in finance at Florida Tech then completed his master’s degree in business administration at Bowie State University. Since graduating, his determination to make a difference in his future and community has earned him a flourishing company, several business awards and a significant appointment in 2010.
In 2003, Kelly established NOVAD Management Consulting and in 2009, saw a tenfold revenue increase within three years, from $987,000 in 2007 to $9.6 million. Kelly, a Washington, D.C., native, says that “the experience of creating a business that successfully employs others and provides sustainable solutions to his customers’ business challenges is equally humbling and rewarding.”
For his outstanding performance, Kelly received the Washington Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award last year. He was also named one of the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise owners of the year.
The award-winning CEO’s success has allowed him to give back to the community that has nurtured him throughout the years. Kelly, a youth advocate who emphasizes principles in team building, leadership and academics, believes that “with more role models, personal support and intervention, young people could believe in a positive future for themselves.” He has been a boys basketball coach at a local high school for over 10 years; a mentor to students, the Boys Club and neighborhood groups; and a source for internship opportunities for promising business students.
Because of his leadership and philanthropic efforts, he was recently appointed to the Boys Town Washington, D.C., board of directors.
An instrumental force for his employees and the youth in his community, Kelly has truly given meaning to the phrase, “To give is to receive.” Not only has he become a man of success, he has become a man of value.
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