From One-Room House to Air Force to Global Media: 2024 Inclusive Leader Award Winner for Media & Arts: Maximillian Hamilton
We are pleased to share the sixth of fifteen Inclusive Leader Award winner's stories with you. We invite you to meet Maximillian and all the winners on June 17th at the Inclusive Leader Awards dinner. We are grateful for his service to our nation, and for overcoming so many barriers to create opportunity for himself and others.
Born in Jamaica, Hamilton's early years were shaped by his grandmother, who raised him and his brother. They lived in a one-room house, which they called “one-room” with a shared kitchen and bathroom area. Despite the modest living conditions, Hamilton cherishes the strong family culture and the collaborative spirit within the Jamaican community, where everyone worked together to overcome their challenges together. “Our lack of resources didn’t detain our mindset. We took care of our own.” Hamilton says.
Discipline and rigor were cornerstones of Hamilton's upbringing, cultivated at Catholic school, and accompanying his grandmother to church every Sunday. He began working at the age of 16 to help support his family and community and has worked every day since. This upbringing instilled in him a sense of responsibility and a deep connection to his roots.
In 1979, his mother brought him, along with his brother and sister, to New York City for a better life. Moving from the close-knit community of Jamaica to the cultural landscape of New York was jarring for Hamilton. Settling in Queens, New York, he experienced culture shock and language barriers. The contrast between life in Jamaica and the suburbs of New York was stark, with new challenges and a different way of life.
Despite the initial hardships and dealing with systemic racism in America, Hamilton attended a diverse high school in New York, with students from over 200 different countries. The cultural mosaic of his high school and the influence of military veterans serving as teachers played a pivotal role in shaping his worldview. After he graduated high school in 1985, Hamilton was faced with the choice of entering the workforce, attending college, or joining the military. Hamilton opted for the latter, drawn to the discipline and structure it offered, and joined the U.S. Air Force, shaping his future and providing him with a sense of purpose.
His military service, encompassing four years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and eight years in the U.S. Reserve, was transformative. Hamilton considers joining the Air Force as the best decision he ever made, citing the invaluable skills he acquired in aerospace and technology. The military not only provided professional growth but also fostered a sense of camaraderie as a true brotherhood and sisterhood.
At the age of 20, while stationed in North Dakota, Hamilton encountered a profound personal tragedy as he lost his fiancée, who was stationed in Europe, to a tragic car accident. The unwavering support and compassion extended by his comrades in the military played a pivotal role in facilitating his emotional recovery and empowering him to navigate forward with resilience and positivity.
Maximillian Hamilton's dedication to service extends beyond his military career. In 2002, he transitioned to the civilian sector and found a new challenge at The Network Journal, a prominent publication focusing on black professionals and business owners.
He joined Earl G. Graves Publishing, Co./Black Enterprise in 2007. Amplifying the voices of black entrepreneurs and professionals, he advised Fortune 500 companies on this vital audience, generating over $30MM in revenue for the company within six years.
In 2013, Hamilton took a leap of faith and founded Rogue Media Group, combining his experience in media and solution selling with a newfound sense of autonomy. Now at the helm of Rouge Media, Hamilton's leadership is defined by a commitment to connecting corporate brands with a multicultural market. The company's mission includes empowering minorities to become suppliers to corporations and aiding organizations in identifying suppliers, with a specific focus on supporting military veterans.
Jamaica still holds a special place for Hamilton. Last year in 2023, he returned twice. His vision is to establish learning centers in every city, specifically focused on technology and media education. He aims to create global opportunities for the local population, collaborating with major organizations such as Dell and Morgan Stanley.
As he embarks on the next chapter of his career, which includes spearheading the development of the news site, RogueInsider.com, designed to disseminate global opportunities in technology and media for partners like GlobalMindED, Hamilton remains dedicated to championing these opportunities on a worldwide scale.
