Gary Linnen: Unlocking the Power of Peer Leaders

Mick Unplugged

Realm

Education, Self-improvement, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Gary Linnen is the dedicated CEO of Peer Forward, a nonprofit organization transforming the college journey for young people by harnessing the power of positive peer influence. Growing up in Spanish Harlem during challenging times, Gary’s life was changed by educational opportunities that showed him firsthand how crucial support and guidance can be. After forging lifelong connections and earning a degree from Cornell, Gary traded a corporate career for his calling—empowering youth to reach their potential. Under his leadership, Peer Forward has helped nearly 700,000 students across the U.S. and internationally, not just get to college but thrive, using innovative peer-led models that foster both self-belief and academic achievement.

Key Takeaways:

Peer influence is often more impactful for teens than parental advice, making peer-led support a powerful force in college access and success.
Foundational life skills—like knowing personal information, managing applications, and understanding financial aid—are just as crucial as academic prep for students transitioning to college.
Creating a culture of affirmation, support, and fit helps students not only get into college but stay and succeed, as alumni returning to give back is a testament to Peer Forward’s lasting impact.

Sound Bites:

"A 17-year-old is more inclined to listen to another 17-year-old—positive peer pressure makes all the difference."

"We ask, ‘Why should you show up? Why is it important for you to know that you’re worthy?’ That’s where transformation starts."

"It’s about small wins—the power to help one person in your community and share that potential goes a long way."

Connect & Discover Gary:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glinnen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zebyjlm

Website: https://www.peerforward.org/

X: https://x.com/garylinnen00

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In the 80s, one of the most memorable lines of a Whitney Houston song said, I believe the children
0:06.4	are a future. Well, today's guest took that literally and is impacting the lives of so many
0:13.2	youths. We're going to talk to Gary Lennon about peer forward, the nonprofit he created that's
0:18.7	helping young kids get into college, but not how you think.
0:23.7	This episode, we're going to talk about why your peers are more influential than your parents.
0:29.0	We're going to talk about the fundamentals that all kids need to know about college,
0:32.5	and we're going to go deep into what peer Ford is doing and the mission that Gary Lennon is fulfilling. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mr. Gary Lennon. Gary, how you doing today, brother? Good, I'm good. I'm good. How are you? Dude, I am great now that I'm talking to you. Gary, you know, when I was growing up, there was a song and the first line said, I believe the children are our future, right?
0:56.0	I think you heard that song too.
0:58.4	But Gary, you're one of the few people that took action as actually doing something, man.
1:02.5	So I wanted to applaud you for doing the action because a lot of times we talk.
1:08.3	And a lot of times, you know, we'll support, we'll donate, we'll do some things.
1:11.6	But as you know, it takes a lot more than just pats on the backs to do the things that you're doing. So I applaud you about it. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, you hit on the nose, right? It said a lot of people do a great job of talking. The question is, can you walk? You know, are you willing to do? And I'm just,
1:28.8	you know, I'm humble and just grateful that I get the chance to be around just like some
1:32.4	phenomenal, phenomenal folks that, you know, people just tend to overlook. No, totally agree, man.
1:37.6	And I want to start by asking you the question of when did you know that that was something
1:42.8	that you were supposed to do?
1:45.9	You know, great question.
1:47.9	I'll start with an interesting journey to me getting here, right?
1:53.3	And so I'm from Spanish Harlem, grew up, you know, I'm of a certain age.
2:00.6	But, you know, I grew up during the cracking AIDS epidemic, if you will, right?
2:05.0	And so as an individual growing up on welfare, low income, like college was never at the goal.
2:12.9	It was about let's just get out of high school, right? And if you could do that, you've accomplished, you know, a lot.
	...

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