HARRY'S BIO:
Harry's professional experience has been very diverse and multifaceted - Ranging from the Sports Industry through the Business of Basketball and Coaching to the Non-Profit, Technology and Financial industry.
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He is a multifaceted strategic leader with over 15 years in creating social impact and removing barriers to access to opportunities in communities that are traditionally underserved, while embracing inclusivity, building relationships and strengthening partnerships.
Harry is from Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State, south-central Nigeria, but grew up in Kano City, northern Nigeria: A city and region that experienced constant religious conflict. He found a passion and safe haven in playing basketball. Harry was an NBA Africa Basketball Without Borders Camp Participant in 2005 & 2006. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, he was an exchange athlete, first in France, Serbia and Italy prior to arriving Canada for his studies in November 2009.
In 2010, his basketball journey eventually brought him to Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he won numerous awards: including the Provincial Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Student Award for promoting a humane, equitable and effective criminal justice system through community involvement in Nova Scotia and the National Prestigious Ken Shields Award for excellence in Academics, Community Involvement and Athletics. Harry was an Academic All-Canadian at Saint Mary’s University. He graduated with a Double Major in Sociology, Criminology and a Co-op Concentration in 2014. In 2017, he received The Young Alumnus of the Year Award, and in 2019 he starred as a recruitment figure by Saint Mary’s University for his extensive community involvement and global impact through HarryCares Foundation (https://smu.ca/hereishow/basketball-empowerment.html)
After graduation, Harry worked with the Toronto Raptors Front Office in the Player Development Department from 2014-2016 before joining the teams affiliate, Raptors 905 in the Fall of 2016 where they won the 2017 NBA-G-League Championship. In 2017/2018, he worked as a Player Development Liaison to former NBA All-Star and Coach, Jerry Stackhouse while ensuring Quality Control. He handled the off-court Player Development programming and was overseeing the NBA Player Assignment notification and recall process to the league. Harry managed personality assessment program that identified player attributes and behavioral tendencies of all NBA Draft Prospects that visited Toronto 2015-2018. He has coached multiple NBA Global Elite Camps in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Angola, and have contributed to build picnic tables for orphan kids in New Orleans through the NBACares program. In 2017/2018 summer, he coached with the Giants of Africa organization as a means to educate and enrich the lives of African youth in Nigeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast. In 2019/2020, Harry transferred his people skills to the Technology industry and worked as the Head of People and Culture with Vish LTD, a Software Company in Toronto. In 2021, he joined the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and currently provides oversight on enteprise Inclusion-focused Partnerships supporting CIBC's Inclusive Banking strategy.
Harry is an exceptional leader in the community, and have continued to inspire action through the HarryCares Foundation. In November 2020, he established the HCF Youth Pathways Program as a way to inspire youth from the Black Community seeking mentorship by equipping them with the right tools for leadership and personal development. Harry has maximized his tool, and live his passion around the world through the HarryCares Foundation (HCF) which he founded in 2008 while living in Nigeria.