Orrin Hudson Heads up, pants up, grades up! Company: Be Someone Location: Atlanta, Georgia Website: www.besomeone.org

Biography:

A chess champion, U.S. Air Force veteran, and former Alabma State Trooper and entrepreneur, Hudson points to his own life as proof that every move counts and that winning is a choice.

The seventh of thirteen children, Hudson grew up in public housing in Birmingham, Alabama. Lacking direction and purpose during his early teens, Hudson was headed down the wrong path. Hudson credits a high school teacher with getting him on the right path. "He taught me life through chess. He told me that every move you make has consequences and, for my game and my life to get better, I had to get better. He told me that I was responsible for my own success."

Today, Orrin Hudson is changing the world, one move at a time. Using chess as both a metaphor and a teaching tool, Hudson has helped thousands of kids to think strategically about their futures and to establish - and work toward - long-term goals. Hudson and his work with Be Someone have been featured on television and radio programs as well as a variety of print media, and recognized with numerous awards.

Mr. Hudson is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Success School and a member of the National Speakers Association, Georgia Speakers Association, United Chess Federation, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

Noted for sharing a winning mindset that enables his students and audiences to believe in themselves, he continues to attract community service awards, having won some of the most prestigious in the educational arena. These include:

* People Magazine Heroes Among US
* Western Union Pay It Forward Award
* Frasernet National Outstanding Community Service Award
* Toastmasters International Communication & Leadership Award
* Hands on Atlanta: Social Entrepreneur Award
* Black Enterprise: Everyday Hero Award
* NAACP Community Service Award
* National Self-Esteem Award
* TBS Superstation Pathfinder Award for Education
* Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award

Availability:
Available as a speaker and consultant.