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About DY

Good. Great. Legendary.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER and

CULTURE & CAREER STRATEGIST

 

KEEPING IT REAL!

 

Individuals, keynote audiences, and C-suite leaders seeking transformation don’t want cute, fancily packaged, story-time messages that have nothing to do with their despondent, diverse, declining workforce, or their shattered, suspect, and shrinking resources. They want ‘what do I do now’ insight. They want ‘cut to the chase’ instruction. Enter Derek Young, also known as DY!

 

TALK WHAT YOU KNOW!

 

DY blends a God given ability to connect with audiences with a plethora of big-picture, font-line work experiences to teach individuals and organizations how to rapidly transform their culture. He infuses every keynote and consulting engagement with what people value most…Real. Practical. Solutions. Every insight he delivers is born out of countless reps in serious work situations.

 

BEEN THERE DONE THAT!

 

As a 20 to 24-year-old in the mid 80’s, he conducted systems, financial, and operational audits, and economic research for the Federal Reserve System. In the late-80’s, he helped establish the communication protocols for the Collections division at Sprint global headquarters.

At the start of the 90’s he strengthened the first diversity pipelines for Fortune 1000 companies in middle Tennessee as a Career Development Manager for INROADS; helping 700 future leaders thrive in college and corporate America.

In the mid to late 90’s, he helped transform performance culture and community image for the nation’s top discount retailer—Dollar General—as the first head of corporate social responsibility, second head of leadership development, and first head of continuous process improvement.

At the start of the new millennium, he helped America’s number one family dining chain—Cracker Barrel —elevate how they honor customers and employees, and expand their revenue and reach, as the first leader of diversity & inclusion and community outreach.

 

FROM BLUMEYER TO THE BOARD ROOM

DY has seen the power of God shape his life. The strong foundation he received from his mother and grandmother in a single parent home in the Blumeyer housing project in St. Louis, Missouri, propelled him to enter high school at 12, college at 16, and corporate America at 20.

 

 

FAITH AND FAMILY

The most important aspects of life for DY are his faith in God and his love for his family. He and his wife Allyson are the proud parents of Kayla, Kelton, Kendall, and Kristianna. When he’s not inspiring others, he is enjoying time with his family, watching great movies, enjoying great music, or following St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Premier League soccer.

 

 

GRATEFUL AND GIVING BACK!

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;  and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”  Luke 12:48 (NIV)

 

Recognizing how God has blessed him, DY has committed his three T’s—Time, Talent and Treasure—to community service. His work as a board chairman, board member, committee member, strategic advisor, funder, or supporter for numerous community organizations reflects his life motto: “God First, Others Second, Dreams Third”.

BOOK DY FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!

Real. Practical. Solutions. +  Exciting. Funny. Stories. =  Legendary. Audience. Experiences. 

 

BOOK DY