Kay Madati was born to a single, Tanzanian mother who died when he was 12. Kay and his brother were then adopted by a very affluent Caucasian couple who lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His new family situation was an uncanny mirror to the plot of "Diff’rent Strokes," one of the most popular American TV shows of the early 1980s.
In a very short period of time, Kay went from a world where “black kids were never supposed to be anything but working class” to attending Riverdale Country School, an elite and nurturing private school in which teachers opened his eyes to his own massive potential. His experience, while rooted in tragedy, is a testimony to the transformative power of adoption and how parenting, education, and access are undeniable sources of privilege.
Kay eventually graduated from Georgetown University and went on to a career in media, working for some of the world’s most prestigious corporations, including BMW, CNN, Facebook, and BET Networks where he was Chief Digital Officer. Most recently, Kay was the Global Vice President and Head of Content Partnerships at Twitter, overseeing the company’s worldwide efforts to engage with media and content publishers across TV, Sports, News, Film, Music, among other categories.
Kay is a citizen of both the United States and Tanzania. In 2014, President Obama appointed him to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. Today he serves on the Advisory Board of Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African-American Research, and is a member of the board of directors of Wingstop, a quickly-growing restaurant and franchise concept. Outside of work, Kay is a passionate advocate for youth in underserved communities. He is a founding Board Member & Chairman Emeritus of both Brooklyn Excelsior and Atlanta Heights Charter Schools.
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