Written Off by School. Recruited by Harvard: Brandon P. Fleming’s Story on Curiosity, Mentorship and Potential
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From joining a gang at 12 and selling drugs at 14 to becoming a Harvard debate coach, Brandon Fleming shares how one teacher transformed his life and inspired his work at The Veritas School. He joins Simon Brown and Garrick Jones to explore curiosity, education, AI, leadership and how the right environment can unlock hidden potential.
In this powerful episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with award-winning educator, author and entrepreneur Brandon Fleming about his extraordinary journey from joining a gang at 12 and selling drugs at 14 to becoming one of the youngest debate coaches recruited by Harvard University.
Brandon shares how a single teacher challenged everything he had been told about himself, recognised his hidden gifts and transformed the direction of his life. Determined to pay that opportunity forward, he created an educational pathway for young people from underserved communities in Atlanta, helping his students become seven-time consecutive champions at the Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops.
That mission now continues through The Veritas School, where Brandon is reimagining education around connection, belonging, critical thinking and the belief that every young person has potential when given the right environment. He explains why students are often not disinterested but disengaged—and why it is the responsibility of teachers and leaders to create the conditions in which people can thrive.
The conversation explores the powerful relationship between curiosity and exposure, why talent is so often overlooked or mislabelled, and what it takes to turn potential into performance. Brandon also shares why great leaders should never “blame the seed,” how educators can make learning feel personal, and why young people must develop logic and independent thinking before relying on AI.
This is an inspiring conversation about education, leadership, curiosity, human potential and our collective responsibility to use our gifts to improve the lives of others.
Find out more about Brandon's work:
https://bpfleming.com/
The Veritas School
Miseducation: A memoir
LinkedIn
The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation.
The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.