ABOUT MATTHEW A. PIGATT

Author | SPEAKER | Former Mayor | Leadership Mentor
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A Journey from Being a Student on Probation to Becoming an Award-Winning Mentor

A few years ago, Matthew A. Pigatt stepped into Morehouse College on academic probation, and today, he is known for being a passionate author, devoted activist, leadership coach, and award-winning researcher whose work at globally prestigious universities contributed to the topic of high-achieving black men at a national level.

Being the first member of his family to go away to college, Matthew was determined to give it his all. He secured over $100k in funding at Morehouse through competitive scholarships, fellowships, high-level internships, and international research training programs. He graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse with a B.A. in African American Studies and Psychology. Matthew has been an active community member during his college years and after.

He has handled several executive board positions at multiple organizations, successfully managing multi-million-dollar proposals & budgets at the American Institute of Research and Florida Memorial University; in addition to having worked as the Mayor of the City of Opa-locka. Matthew Pigatt has accumulated real-world experience under his belt and is ready to sharing it with the world.

Empowering Young Adults​

Matthew firmly believes in giving back and passing down education, experiences, and useful advice to others, especially young adults. His book The Academic Hustle: The Ultimate Game Plan for Scholarships, Internships, and Job Offers has helped uncountable students lock in millions in funding to pay for school and move forward in their careers.

helping young adults realize their purpose and become award-winning professionals

Leadership Programs for Future Leaders

Matthew serves as a keynote speaker and professional trainer. He conducts group coaching programs and consults with local community leaders. His products help young adults realize their purpose, become scholarship-winning professionals, and train aspiring leaders to be the power players their community needs.

Matthew’s work aims at changing the lives of students who are in the same shoes as he was in during his youth and is dedicated to motivating them out of their comfort zones so that they can become whom they are meant to be and lead others with confidence in the coming years.

Community Leadership Achievements:

  • Eliminated out-of-school suspension in Miami-Dade County, the fourth largest school district in America​
  • Founder of the Annual South Florida HBCU Picnic ​
  • Trained 400+ teachers in Black History and culturally responsive teaching​
  • Fixed over 95% of potholes and paved 20+ miles of streets in the City of Opa-locka
  • Lead City of Opa-locka from a $2.2 million budget defict to $5+million surplus
  • Managed the most extensive vocational scholarship program in Miami-Dade County​
  • Managed multi-million-dollar scholarship budget at a university​
  • Maintained a 6-0 city-wide election record​
  • Lead the City of Opa-locka through an international pandemic securing walk-up testing and vaccination sites for residents
  • Elected all new leadership on the City of Opa-locka commission during every election cycle

College

Honors & Awards:

  • National Institute of Mental Health Career Opportunities in Research Honor Undergraduate Research Fellow
  • Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Internship
  • United Negro College Fund Mellon Mays Fellow
  • Ankh Maat Wedjau Honor Society – National Council of Black Studies
  • John Henrick Clarke Honor Society
  • Golden Key International Honor Society
  • Alpha Lamda Delta Honor Society
  • National Dean’s List
  • National Society of Collegiate Scholars
  • Penn State University Minority Health International Research Training Program
  • National Institute of Mental Health Wayne S. Fenton Undergraduate Research Scholar Award
  • Southeastern Undergraduate Sociological Symposium 1st Place Paper Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

Morehouse College African American Studies Program  

  • Highest Academic Achievement Award
  • Exceptional Scholarship Award
  • Campus Activism Award
  • Conscientious Activism Award

Professional

Honors & Awards:

  • Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders
  • South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Business Leaders
  • Broward Public Schools Mentor of the Year
  • Legacy Magazine’s 40 under 40
  • Miami Times New Generation of Leaders
  • Miami-Dade County Black Affairs Advisory Board Triumphant Spirit
  • Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce Rising Star
  • BMe Community Genius
  • BMe Vanguard Fellow
  • The BlackManCan Institute EXTRAordinary Black Man Award
  • Iota Phi Lambda Community Trailblazer
  • Florida League of Cities Institute for Elected Municipal Officials II
  • Featured on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
  • Featured on CBS4 Miami Mentoring Matters

American Institute of Research

  • Spot Award for Proposal Management
  • Spot Award for Extra Effort in Event Organizing

Florida Memorial University

  • Employee Award for Budget Management
  • Employee Award for Mentoring Student Leaders

Media Interviews

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