About Jonathan
Jonathan L. Allen, JD, MTS, is Co-founder and Director of Development at Leadership Brainery, a Boston-based company closing wealth gaps by ensuring underrepresented communities have equitable access to master's and doctoral degrees and workforce leadership.
Since its founding in 2018, Jonathan has raised over $3 million to support Leadership Brainery’s operations, allowing the nonprofit to connect over 3,000 students to resources and degree programs. Jonathan’s experience building social impact ventures earned him the inaugural appointment as Innovator-in-Residence at Boston University. He is also known for his commitment to public service, evidenced by his 2019 run for Boston City Council and his work with Partners in Health to stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout Massachusetts—helping develop protocols and train teams for equitable data collection.
He’s a dynamic and highly sought after speaker and thought leader, and was recently named 40 Under 40 by The Boston Business Journal and one of Boston’s “Most Influential Men of Color” by Get Konnected!
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Education:
Juris Doctors, Law | Boston University School of Law
Masters of Theological Studies, Political & Global Liberation Theologies | Southern Methodist University
Bachelors of Science, Business Management | Grambling State University
Accolades:
Boston’s “Most Influential Men of Color” by Get Konnected!
Named 40 Under 40 by The Boston Business Journal
Boston University Inaugural Innovator in Residence
Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association’s Honorable Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland Leadership and Juvenile Advocacy Award
Boston University School of Law’s Emmanuel Hewlett Award
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The Culture that Made Me
Jonathan Allen, JD, MTS, is an influential force at the intersections of social impact, community empowerment, and spiritual leadership. Recognized as a social engineer and an advocate for love and equity, his beliefs surrounding transformative leadership, collective responsibility, and social and emotional intelligence have influenced individuals and groups around the world.
Jonathan’s passion for community empowerment and public speaking developed from a young age. Growing up in Texas, Jonathan followed in his maternal and paternal grandmothers’ footsteps by leading in the church. He began preaching at age 11 and was ordained as a minister by age 20.
Read about Jonathan’s HBCU journey in The HBCU Experience, Grambling Beginnings: A Love and Leadership Journey.
Jonathan continued to hone his distinct voice and vision for leadership as a first-generation college student attending Grambling State University, where he served as freshman and sophomore class president, junior senator, and student body president.
“I champion inclusive, intersectional leadership that transcends borders—leadership that is responsible, respectful, and rooted in somebodiness.”
After graduating with a degree in Business Management, he pursued his calling at Southern Methodist University, earning his Master of Theological Studies from the Perkins School of Theology.
At SMU, Jonathan concentrated his efforts in political and liberation theologies. He saw that, in times of global uncertainty, the cultivation of self-awareness, social-awareness, and spiritual-awareness wasn’t optional—it was essential.
Uplifting Those in the Margins
Jonathan is committed to using his gifts and calling to uplift those pushed to the margins—what Dr. Howard Thurman called “those with their backs against the wall.”
He finished his educational journey in 2019 at the Boston University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctors. True to form, he was active in and out of the classroom, participating in international arbitration and mediation competitions and serving as the president of the Black Law Students Association.
Jonathan embraces his multidisciplinary background, drawing on his business foundations, theological insights, and legal acumen to develop new solutions to complex problems.
Opening doors to opportunity, dignity, and hope for all people.
Throughout his educational career, Jonathan witnessed first-hand how systemic inequities can impact one’s ability to access the information, education, and leadership opportunities required to succeed in today’s professional landscape.
In 2018, Jonathan and his partner Derrick Young Jr. founded Leadership Brainery, a Massachusetts nonprofit creating pathways for underrepresented communities to access master’s and doctoral degrees, mentorship, and workforce opportunities.
Hear Jonathan and Derrick discuss this important work. ⤴
To this day, Leadership Brainery works with prospective and current graduate students, academic institutions, employers, and committed community members to eliminate barriers and create inclusive communities.
Under Jonathan’s direction, Leadership Brainery has grown exponentially. He has raised over 3 million dollars to support its operations and has been instrumental in developing relationships with LB supporters and participant cohorts. As of 2025, the organization has supported 3,000 students on their paths to graduate school.
“I believe that our diversity is our strength and power…that all things are possible and that with the power of possibility we can create a more just and equitable world.”
Community Leader and Champion for Change
Jonathan’s social entrepreneurship doesn’t end with equitable access to education — it extends into his civic engagement initiatives, healthcare advocacy, and beyond!
His commitment to public service was evident in his run for Boston City Council in 2019. Running on a platform addressing information injustice, Jonathan left his impact on District 9 and remains a strong advocate for engaging local governments as a means of encouraging change.
In response to the pandemic, Jonathan worked with Partners in Health as a supervisor on the Community Contact Tracing Collaborative to stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — through which he helped develop protocols and train teams for equitable data collection.
In the Press
Jonathan has been highlighted for making cultural inroads by More than Esquires Network, Move To Amend, Daily Free Press, The Rainbow Times, Boston Lawyers Group, The Fight Magazine, Arts & Understand Magazine, and Forbes Under 30 Scholars.