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Richard Hicks is the CEO and President of Inspiredu, a Georgia-based nonprofit dedicated to expanding digital access, strengthening families, and creating new opportunities for children and communities. A transformational nonprofit leader, speaker, and advocate for equity in technology, Richard has spent more than 15 years building programs, partnerships, and strategies that help families improve their socioeconomic mobility through digital literacy, access to devices, and community-centered support.

Under Richard’s leadership, Inspiredu has become a trusted force in Georgia’s digital inclusion ecosystem. He has led high-performing teams, managed major projects, and developed growth and fundraising strategies that have secured more than 150 Fortune 500 sponsorships and partnerships in just two years. During Inspiredu’s inaugural year, Richard and his team served more than 3,000 Georgia families during the pandemic, helping bridge urgent technology gaps at a time when access to devices and connectivity was essential for school, work, and daily life.

Richard’s path to Inspiredu grew from more than a decade of service with the national education nonprofit PowerMyLearning, where he served as executive director of the Atlanta region. While representing a national organization, he saw the need for deeper, locally focused work to support Georgia’s minority and low-income families. That vision led him to assemble a strong local leadership team and launch Inspiredu as a spinoff nonprofit committed to continuing and expanding that mission. In the last year alone, the Inspiredu team distributed 2,297 devices to community members and diverted 5,824 laptops from Atlanta landfills in 2023, advancing both digital equity and environmental sustainability.

Richard’s commitment to service is also rooted in his personal history. He is the newest guardian of his family’s roughly five-acre centennial property on Log Cabin Road in Milledgeville, Georgia, a preservation project entrusted to him by his late father, Samuel A. Hicks. The land reminds him of the hard work of his ancestors and keeps him grounded in the responsibility to create opportunities for future generations. Whether leading Inspiredu, serving on the Executive Advisory Board for Atlanta Technology Professionals and the Advisory Board for the Consort Institute at Clark Atlanta University, or volunteering with organizations such as the Agape Family and Youth Center, Richard brings a family- and community-first lens to his work.

A respected voice in business leadership, technology, and nonprofit innovation, Richard frequently speaks on panels and has represented Inspiredu on national and regional platforms. He appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show as a finalist for the Good Neighbor of the Year Award, was featured on WSB Radio during Black History Month, participated as a panelist for GlobalMindED’s Resolve to Solve conference on WABE’s NPR, and was named “Man of the Year” at the Steminist Awards at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. Through every role, Richard remains focused on one clear goal: expanding access to technology and opportunity so Georgia families can thrive.

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