Atiba Edwards Leads The Way in The Nonprofit Arts World

How does someone with a full-time job as the Executive Vice President and COO of the Brooklyn Children's Museum also manage to run a nonprofit arts organization? FOKUS Co-Founder Atiba Edward's laid back, almost shy demeanor belies a man with unending energy for leading a "multicultural arts organization whose missions are to use the arts as a tool of empowerment and to create a diverse community using the arts as the common medium."

Atiba launched FOKUS - Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success - in the summer of 2003 with one of his best friends, Alma, while they were both students at the University of Michigan. They had spoken about the self-defeating internal barriers which artists face and wanted to do something about those barriers before leaving college. After graduating from college in 2006, Atiba brought FOKUS to New York and built a sizable volunteer staff. He also brought the organization's magazine, INSIGHT, which features the art and writing of local artists. Atiba accomplished all this while also working in Investment Banking at JP Morgan.

FOKUS sponsors and organizes New York based events as they use the arts to create and connect communities and also increase access to the creative arts. They recently finished a postcard project and public art series that used arts as an inspirational for mental health and wellness. Past events include the annual "The Stoop" in Forte Green Park; the Family Day portion of the Hip Hop Festival; and a block party with City Year.

FOKUS has worked with with a long and impressive list of people, including Janelle Monae, Saul Williams, dream hampton, and John Legend. As well, they have collaborated with organizations such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Fulton Area Business Alliance, The Myrtle Ave Brooklyn Partnership, and StoryCorps. Atiba's approach to leadership is to treat the organization as "one big learning pot" where staff and other volunteers have plenty of room to try things and to make mistakes.

Atiba, who studied engineering, poetry, and musicology while at U of M, was born in St. Vincent in the Caribbean and grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He grew up living on the same block as his extended family. He shares of his youth: "There would be times were we would all go outside and everyone would be amazed that more than 16 young Rastafarian kids would be in one area. We all grew up very close and this led to some of the best memories and fun. Oftentimes, a group of the boys would ride our bikes all across Brooklyn." The overall message that Atiba received from his family was "Know what you want and work as hard as you have to to reach that goal. The only thing stopping you is you."

Atiba loves to write poetry, take photographs, play the piano, build computers, moonlight as a DJ, and ride his bike. Additionally, he serves as a board member of the New York Writer's Coalition and also as the Vice-Chair of the board of La Cima Charter School.

Thank you, Atiba, for being a visionary and a dreamer, but also a doer, who has skillfully built a beautiful and enduring community around the arts.

(This piece originally appeared as a post on My Local Heroes, a celebration of Brooklynites who hold down the fort and make lives go better with little fanfare and a lot of heart and smarts.
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