Walter Mendenhall

Walter Mendenhall

Walter Mendenhall founded the Male Mogul Initiative, a multi-million dollar award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to community empowerment and mentorship programs for Black and Brown youth on the South and West Sides of Chicago. A Chicago native, Walter is passionate about improving the social, personal, and financial outcomes of young men born into circumstances or communities with few positive role models.
Walter has been overcoming adversity since he was a child. At the age of 5, he was diagnosed with a learning disability. Still, through hard work, persistence, and the guidance of a loving mother, Walter graduated from Niles West High School with a 3.2 GPA and a football scholarship to attend the University of Illinois.
He went on to have a successful career in the NFL as a running back, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Having accomplished his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, Walter developed a deeply rooted desire to empower young men of color from similar circumstances to achieve their dreams. He dove into a career of education, leadership, and mentorship, working as a motivational speaker for national platforms such as the Young Entrepreneur Council, Fellowship for Christian Athletes, Nike, and the NFL. Additionally, Walter made a dedicated effort to improve his educational and business acumen, enrolling as a Ph.D. candidate in Organizational Leadership. During this time, Walter became a published writer, authoring Don’t Be the Exception…CHANGE THE RULE, an inspiring playbook for improving personal outcomes informed by his own experiences of hard work, intellectual application, and resilience.
Today, Walter runs the Male Mogul Initiative. This multi-million dollar award-winning enterprise facilitates entrepreneurial-focused mentorship programs for young men of color on Chicago's South and West Sides. The Male Mogul Initiative believes in building community by transforming young men into business leaders and inspiring them to become role models in their communities. Walter has developed programs that guide these young men to not only become leaders but also to develop robust, actionable, and sustainable business plans.
Walter has been recognized for his work in the Chicago community through various institutional awards, including the 2022 Chicago Innovation Award, the 2022 University of Chicago Research Award, and the 2023 Wintrust Bank Neighborhood Award. He has also been featured on Good Morning America, PBS, Crains, and ABC.