Chris Chatmon is a nationally recognized visionary leader in education reform and youth advocacy, dedicated to improving life outcomes for Black boys. As the founder and chief executive officer of Kingmakers of Oakland since 2020, Chris leads initiatives that center Black boys while fostering inclusive educational environments for all students. Under his leadership, Kingmakers owns and operates programs and services out of the newly renovated KOO Labs Design Center and Production House curating spaces that celebrate Black culture, enhance belonging, and nurture artistic and entrepreneurial talents among youth.

From 2010 to 2020, Chris served as the deputy chief of equity for the Oakland Unified School District, where he launched the Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA), the first of its kind in the nation. This groundbreaking work expanded to include initiatives addressing equity for Black girls, Latinx, and API students, creating a national model for educational equity.
Earlier in his career, Chris was the principal of Youth Chance High School in San Francisco, CA and the Executive Director of Urban Services YMCA in Oakland, CA.

Chris is the co-author of We Dare Say Love and The Griots of Oakland. He holds a Master of Arts in Education from Brown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Francisco State University.

Chris has been honored with numerous prestigious awards celebrating his transformative leadership and dedication to equity in education. In 2023, he received the Jefferson Award from Multiplying Good, the 1954 Project Luminary Award from The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education, and was acknowledged as a National Leader to Learn From, EdWeek magazine in 2015.

Chris has been married to his life partner, LaShawn, for 29 years. Together, they have three sons—Amari, Kahlil, and Jordon—and a grandson, Dominic.