Alumni Spotlight: Brian McKinney

In 2011, Brian McKinney was doing time in the Ojibway Correctional Center in the Upper Peninsula for drug and weapons possession charges. Last year, he was invited to the White House twice to discuss ways to positively engage young people from under-served, urban communities on behalf of his tech startup company, JOURNi.

McKinney, a Detroit native, got his start at Kalamazoo Valley after being paroled in 2012.

“I felt Kalamazoo Valley Community College was the best place for me to reenter school after over a decade of being outside of the classroom,” McKinney said. “I wanted to attend a school where the class sizes were small and professors were accessible.”

Thanks to correspondence classes that he took while incarcerated and support from student services, McKinney, 35, completed 65 credit hours in just 10 months by utilizing the College Board’s C.L.E.P. and advanced placement exams. He graduated in December 2012, earning his associate of science degree, typically a two-year program, in less than one year.

“I definitely have to thank the tutoring center,” he said. “I spent a lot of time in the tutoring center and greatly appreciate the support I found there.” He also credits math instructor Dr. Michael Raines for helping him get through some difficult math courses. “Dr. Raines is a math rock star,” McKinney said. “He seeks to meet his students where they are and ensure that they grasp the material. He made all of the calculus courses fun for me.”

After graduating from Kalamazoo Valley, he transferred to Western Michigan University to begin work on his bachelor’s degree. He received his degree in engineering from WMU in 2014.

“Ezra Bell, in the Student Success Center, really helped me navigate my post-graduation plans,” McKinney said. “He aided in my evaluation of universities not only based on my major of choice, but to ensure the university I selected was a great fit culture wise.”

With a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship (he started a real estate development firm with no bank financing right out of high school and successfully bought and sold properties in Detroit for nearly a decade), McKinney pursued a variety of startup projects connecting under-served youth with opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), including co-founding JOURNi in 2015.

“At JOURNi, we strive to build an authentically inclusive tech ecosystem in the city of Detroit, by tapping into the heart and spirit of its residents,” McKinney said. “To achieve this goal, we provide immersive courses, youth-centered programming, beneficial employment opportunities, start up education, and socioeconomic resources.”

The company’s work earned him, not one but two invitations to the White House under President Obama’s administration. “It was an incredible opportunity, one I’ll never forget,” McKinney said.

In addition to his work at JOURNi, he is currently the CEO of the Houston-based software company Benjii, that provides quality, cost-effective financial solutions to individuals and small to mid-market businesses.

Prior to Benjii, he oversaw community engagement at Pigeonly, a company which builds products that make inmate services more affordable.

“Kalamazoo Valley provided me a solid foundation. It really gave me a springboard for a lot of what I do today,” he said. “I met professors who not only helped me with the material presented during their courses but I really benefited from individuals who affirmed their belief in me and what I could accomplish. That mentorship and support has made a tremendous impact on my life.”