Community Connection - August 28, 2026 - Tina Cosby welcomes

Community Connection: Empowering Young Minds and Bridging the Education Gap

This week’s episode of Community Connection, hosted by Tina Cosby, was a thought-provoking discussion that delved into the importance of education, innovation, and community involvement. The show featured a diverse range of topics, from the Indiana Project’s mission to provide financial literacy to underserved high school and college students to a new app that’s doing homework more engaging and fun for kids.

The episode kicked off with a powerful discussion about the 71st anniversary of the brutal murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was brutally killed in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The conversation highlighted the importance of remembering and learning from the past to create a more equitable future.

The second segment featured David Gerton, the founder and CEO of the Indiana Project, who shared his inspiring story of how he used his 35 years of Wall Street experience to create a pipeline for minority talent in the financial industry. Girton’s passion for giving back to his community is evident in his work, which has helped dozens of students break into firms like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. As he said, “I thought by me being so blessed with those relationships, the least I could do is help other people get in.”

The Indiana Project’s mission is to help underserved high school and college students pass the securities industry essential exam, which is a crucial step in breaking into the financial industry. Girton’s program has been incredibly successful, with students like Zakiya Nicholson, who passed the exam as a freshman and is now interning at Bank of America. As Nicholson shared, “This program was the pivotal moment in my college journey when I realized that not only do I want to do financial services, but that it’s possible, and I wish that on every kid who has a passion in breaking into that part of the business world.”

The episode also highlighted the importance of community involvement and innovation in education. Anthony Martin, the developer of the app Homework Land, shared his story of how he created the app to help his son, Bryson, who was struggling with homework. Martin’s app uses AI to generate assignments and make learning more engaging and fun for kids. As he said, “I just wanted to create something that gets straight to the point, makes homework fun, and replaces device time that’s taking the kids’ attention away.”

The episode ended with a discussion about the importance of intentionality in education, led by Brother Thomas X, an educator and author who has been working with students and educators to bring out the best in them. As he said, “Teaching with intention is being purposeful on getting the desired results out of every single student inside of our classroom.” Brother Thomas X emphasized the importance of getting to know students beyond just the classroom and teaching to their unique differences.

This episode of Community Connection was a powerful reminder of the importance of education, community involvement, and innovation in bridging the gap between students and their potential. If you’re interested in learning more about the Indiana Project, Homework Land, or Brother Thomas X’s work, be sure to listen to the full episode of Community Connection.