Kenji Summers ’08 is the founder of Passport Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering under-resourced high school and college students to own a passport and overcome obstacles to traveling the world. Through his organization, he works to unlock the potential and change the trajectories of American youth.

Summers was inspired to start Passport Life after his first trip abroad at age 23 to Barcelona, Spain. The trip sparked a passion in him for international travel, cultural exchange and self-awareness that he felt was important to impart on other young people.

Through grants and corporate sponsors, Passport Life not only helps students obtain a passport and plan for travel overseas, but also connects them with the people, activities and resources that will contribute to their learning and growth.

Summers is also the brand manager for Nike Basketball East where he uses basketball as a tool to engage with communities in New York City and throughout the east coast. After growing up in Brooklyn and playing varsity basketball throughout high school, he understands the role of youth sports better than most. The experience is what led him to major in sport management at UMass Amherst and pursue a career in sport marketing.

While at UMass, Summers also served as president of the Association of Diversity in Sport and president of the Nu Tau chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He later served on the fraternity's National Board representing the fraternity’s collegiate interests across America. He was a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society and was recognized as a Registered Student Organization Student of the Year.

Prior to his current role, Summers worked at Summit, an organization that convenes the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs and creatives. While at Summit, he lived in Eden, Utah and served as a community director, curating the community and selecting speakers for events. Summers also made a career in advertising as a planner at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, strategizing on campaigns for NYC’s tourism board and Google. He co-founded and serves on the board of the Marcus Graham Project, helping start its award-winning iCR8 summer advertising boot camp for diverse aspirants of the advertising industry.

Summers is an ADCOLOR Rising Star honoree and was featured in the advertising documentary, Pursuit of Passion: Diversity in Advertising. In June 2015, he was elected as an Arthur Vining Davis Aspen Institute Fellow by the leadership at the Aspen Institute & the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations from a competitive field of emerging leaders with diverse backgrounds who represent the entrepreneurial spirit, intellectual curiosity and values of Arthur Vining Davis.