Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Darlington Connects: Chris Motley ('99, LD '13)
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Darlington Connects: Chris Motley (’99, LD ’13)

Vicki Vincent | August 10, 2020 | 351 views

We're excited to connect with our alumni through our new Darlington Connects series. Today we hear from Chris Motley (’99, LD '13), founder of Mentor Spaces.

“You can’t be what you haven’t seen.”

That’s the underlying premise of Chris Motley’s new start-up, Mentor Spaces. Their mission is “helping high-performing black students and young professionals navigate the road to success through mentorship with experienced and influential leaders.” They believe mentorship is the way to close the opportunity gap for underrepresented Black and Latinx students.

Chris credits his Darlington experience with helping him personally close the opportunity gap. He came to Rome from the southside of Chicago and said, “When my mother, grandmother and I pulled through the front gates to drop me off, I remember thinking, 'Those swans are real.' There is power in seeing swans!”

After Darlington, he went on to study at Columbia University and work for Goldman Sachs before getting his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“Darlington opened my eyes to the world. There is power in seeing someone who is doing what you want to do,” Chris said. 

Some say that timing is everything and Chris’ company seems to have timed this launch perfectly! In a recent Forbes article, Chris said, “Mentor Spaces works with several large companies and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including a new partnership with Spelman College. Since COVID-19 and the killing of George Floyd, the demand for the platform has skyrocketed.”

Some would say they were lucky; Chris would tell you his company had been working for over two years on this project. So as he likes to say, “Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity.” 

We at Darlington wish Chris all the luck in the world!

Click here to learn more about Mentor Spaces.

Are you a Darlington alum (or do you know one) with a career or interest that is fascinating and unique? We'd love to spotlight you in a future blog! Please email alumni@darlingtonschool.org if you are interested in being featured.