At the beginning of 2022, Olatunde Sobomehin began a yearlong sabbatical, stepping back from his role as Co-Founder & CEO owhich provides free classes in coding, entrepreneurship, and design to communities of color. 

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In an interview with the Center for Effective Philanthropy, he shared that the experience was transformative for his family and his professional growth, as well as StreetCode Academy: “I’ve seen a founding COO become a CEO and run an organization. I’ve seen the organization live and thrive outside of my leadership. That’s really remarkable, and that’s really transformational for an organization to think about its longevity and to think about success, because you have no success without succession.” 

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During Tunde’s sabbatical, the work of StreetCode Academy accelerated to such an extent that the Board approved a yearlong sabbatical opportunity for all staff members with 6 years of service to build this rhythm of rest into the organizational culture. In A Rule of Life for Redemptive Entrepreneurs, we encourage, “Instead of endless productivity, we practice a rhythm of work and rest, attending to our need to grow in all the dimensions of being human: heart, soul, mind, and strength.” During this year, Tunde committed to transitioning elements of his leadership duties to others in the organization, pursuing new professional opportunities (including co-authoring the book Creative Hustle), and soul-searching from a posture of rest.