Merging integrity with innovation can be a vital tool in tackling community challenges and inspiring change. Born in Jamaica and raised in Northeast Ohio, Marvin Ferguson, CEO of MarvLeads, is doing precisely that with his unique worldview to drive a progressive community change.
Marvin champions a unique leadership style that is integrity-based—advocating for vulnerability in leadership, implicit bias awareness, and the transformation of black men’s mental health.
To address the personal challenges he faced, from implicit bias in healthcare to a lack of leadership within his community—Marvin founded MarvLeads. Today, however, the company faces a different (and probably its biggest) hurdle—gaining exposure for its wide array of services.
Despite the challenges, Marvin continues to steer MarvLeads toward success, leveraging his unique leadership perspective and wealth of experience— simaltaneously helping individuals by offering leadership training, faculty engagement workshops, process improvement consultations, and much more—making him one of the most influential leaders to watch in 2024.
Philosophy of ‘Do Good, Live Good’
The core belief of MarvLeads is ‘Do Good, Live Good.’ This idea is present in all its business activities, including its non-profit ‘Let’s Get Healthy Cleveland,’ which offers clinical programs in Northeast Ohio, along with its property management group, IMONB LLC, which provides affordable housing for low-income individuals.
Throughout his leadership journey, Marvin has learned several lessons “Managing a consulting group requires innovation to meet changing client expectations. There must be a healthy balance between providing clients with consistency and keeping up with change,” highlights Marvin.
How MarvLeads came to Life?
Marvin’s motivation for starting MarvLeads came from his personal and professional experiences. He felt driven to utilize his talents to create a consulting business that helps both companies and individuals. His goal was to develop a holistic approach that includes leadership, training, and various ventures.
Today, MarvLeads encompasses non-profit initiatives, property management, real estate, and even a catering service—highlighting Marvin’s rapid rise into management roles. The common theme has always been his natural talent for leadership and his genuine desire to help others.
A significant part of Marvin’s journey has been his passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Three years ago, he delivered a TEDx talk on implicit bias in pharmacy, which sparked a strong interest in DEI—universities, companies, and organizations began seeking his expertise for training and talks on DEI concepts.
In process improvement, Marvin has led multi-million-dollar projects that greatly enhanced efficiency and saved companies significant resources. With MarvLeads, he has combined all his talents, skills, and experiences into a consulting business that helps companies and individuals improve efficiency in these critical areas.
Guiding Principles of Success
“Do Good. Live Good.” These words are the guiding principles for Marvin’s endeavors. Whether through IMONB’s dedication to providing affordable housing, Let’s Get Healthy Cleveland’s impactful health programs, or Marv Leads Consulting’s focus on addressing inequities and fostering growth for both companies and individuals, Marvin’s primary motivation remains the same.
He strives to be the person who can make a genuine difference in people’s lives. This commitment is reflected in every aspect of his work, aiming to create positive change and improve the well-being of the communities he serves.
A Legacy of Impact and Innovation
Marvin, a Licensed Clinical Pharmacist, has been at the forefront of opioid case management, making significant strides in addressing this critical issue. In 2020, he debuted his signature talk, Prescription Approved for Implicit Bias, as a TEDx Speaker. This impactful presentation highlighted his expertise and led to him bringing TEDx to the Northeast Ohio community as the license holder of TEDx Balch Street.
Marvin’s journey as a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and trainer for healthcare professionals and students took off, with organizations such as NEOMED and the Ohio Pharmacist Association seeking his insights and training.
Beyond his speaking engagements, Marvin hosts Ask a Pharmacist, a show on the Radio Free Entertainment Network that aims to bring transparency to the public through conversations with healthcare professionals. His dedication to healthcare equity led him to found Let’s Get Healthy Cleveland, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides clinical programs and community-based events to address healthcare inequalities. Moreover, Marvin also serves as the Assurance Committee Chair for the ADM BOARD of Summit County—demonstrating his commitment to improving community health.
However, Marvin’s passion for addressing social disparities isn’t limited to healthcare. He founded I.M.O.N.B LLC Properties to tackle housing disparities in the Northeast Ohio community. He also launched Bruce’s Jamaican Fusion Soul, a food truck that pays tribute to his late mother by offering a vibrant menu of Jamaican and American favorites.
Despite his numerous professional commitments, Marvin is a family man at heart. He loves spending quality time with his daughter, enjoys testing his culinary skills in the kitchen, and occasionally indulges his love for travel.
Specialized Products and Services
- Equity Audits
- IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory Assessments)
- Faculty Engagement Workshops
- Process Improvement Consults
- Implicit Bias Trainings/Workshops
- Leadership Training /Workshops
Marvin’s Mantra
Company Growth over the Years
