Bo Kemp is a serial entrepreneur, investor, executive coach, and public-sector leader dedicated to helping high-performing professionals design lives of purpose, impact, and lasting success. He currently serves as President & CEO of the Southland Development Authority, where he leads public-private initiatives driving economic growth and community revitalization in the South Suburbs of Chicago.

A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, Bo has been building and investing in businesses since childhood—raising his first equity capital at 18 and later working at Morgan Stanley and TSG Capital Group. Across his career, he has raised over $100 million in equity and served as founder, operator, and C-suite leader in private equity and venture-backed companies.

Bo previously served as Business Administrator for the City of Newark, NJ, under Mayor Cory Booker, overseeing city operations and leading fiscal and operational reforms. He has since advised municipalities and governments across the U.S. and internationally on economic development and complex public-private initiatives.

As a speaker and mentor, Bo is known for blending real-world strategy with deep personal insight. His core philosophy—to raise your net worth, you must raise your self-worth—anchors his work as founder of the ACHIEVE Summit and host of the podcast “The First Million Is Always the Hardest.”

The LifeDesyn System reflects Bo’s lifelong work helping leaders reconnect with their ambitions, align success with meaning, and intentionally design the next chapter of their lives.