Born and raised in New York City, Jerrell A. Horton, lived in public housing throughout the majority of his life, specifically the Vanderveer Projects in Brooklyn, New York and the West Brighton Projects in Staten Island. Realizing that his external circumstances could not thwart his inner strength or determination, Jerrell made the conscious decision in his junior year of high school to aspire to be great. Nothing would stand in the way of his ambition to attend college and pursue a path to success uncharted by most of his peers. Nothing; not even living in an Emergency Assistance Unit (EAU) in the Bronx during his senior year. In fact, it was in this same homeless shelter where he studied for his International Baccalaureate, or IB, advanced placement exams. 

Recognizing his extraordinary academic and leadership potential, the renowned Posse Foundation selected Jerrell as one if its scholars and awarded him a prestigious, four-year, full-tuition college scholarship to DePauw University. During his time at DePauw, Jerrell majored in religious studies, minored in chemistry, and spent his summers interning at Bloomberg and Lehman Brothers – back in New York City, but worlds away from the housing projects where he spent his formative years. 

Jerrell also served as an active member of the student body and, as a college sophomore, was inducted into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Upon graduating from DePauw, Jerrell launched his career in corporate finance at JP Morgan Chase. He now serves as Director of Business Development for Celebrity Match Maker Paul C. Brunson as well as Business Analyst Consultant for BNY Mellon in their OTC Derivatives Department.