Leading with authenticity

Tracy “Ty” Moore II ’06 lives according to a simple motto: “Be the energy” — a reminder to always give his all to whatever he takes on. As he prepares to step into the role of alumni president of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) on July 1, Moore is eager to apply this core value to supporting the HAA board of directors and global alumni community.

Inspired and energized by his fellow alumni, Moore seeks to understand their journeys and nurture community across identities. “Whether they graduated in 2022 or 1942, grew up in the suburbs, the city, or in a rural town in the United States or elsewhere around the world, every single alum has a powerful story,” he says.

An impact-driven entrepreneur and executive coach dedicated to elevating others, Moore began his career as founding executive director of Leadership Scholars, a nonprofit mentoring program for underserved youth in his hometown of Cincinnati, and later co-founded the Hidden Genius Project, a nonprofit that addresses opportunity gaps in tech by training and mentoring young Black men. In his current role as co-founder of the executive coaching and leadership development firm VeraVis, he aims to empower people to lead from their souls — a mission driven by his upbringing and his Harvard experience.

Growing up, Moore learned the importance of giving back from his father, a pastor who served in a low-income neighborhood, and his mother, who spent countless hours volunteering in the church. But his childhood was also spent navigating different realities of socioeconomic status and race: he sang in the choir at his father’s church, lived in a lower middle-income neighborhood, and made a shift from public to private education. Academically oriented, he studied Latin and excelled at piano, but he was bullied for not fitting the image others expected. While this was challenging, it helped him develop an understanding of how to connect with people across differences.

Moore’s world expanded even further when he arrived at Harvard as an undergraduate.

“Harvard empowered me to be my true self by equipping me with the freedom to simply be and do — reinforcing the idea that I could do anything I put my mind to,” he says. “Surrounded by others who felt the same way, I learned the importance of establishing a big vision that inspired other people.”

A Classics concentrator, he pursued a wide variety of interests — from performing with CityStep and the Harvard South Asian Association’s Ghungroo show to mentoring local students in an after-school program through the Phillips Brooks House Association.

Seeking opportunities to deepen his connection to the Black community, Moore joined the Black Students’ Association and took on leadership roles with the Black Men’s Forum (BMF), eventually serving as president.

“The BMF helped me develop a better understanding of what it means to be a Black man,” he says. “I was engaging in stimulating intellectual conversations with fellow Black male students who were similarly driven, talented, and curious, but who also had a range of backgrounds that added dimension to both our conversations and the direction of the organization.”

Moore has remained actively involved with Harvard since graduation as a volunteer for the Harvard Club of Cincinnati, an alumni interviewer, and in multiple roles on the HAA board.

Connecting on a human level

During the past year Moore has worked closely with current HAA president Allyson Mendenhall ’90, M.L.A. ’99, and he aims to continue the initiative she led on amplifying alumni voices to better communicate alumni sentiments to the HAA and the University. He credits the process-oriented, design-thinking approach Mendenhall honed at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for its ability to ensure all members of a team understand the purpose behind a goal before setting out to achieve it.

“Allyson is a phenomenal human being,” he says. “She’s a very inclusive leader who seeks to understand the thoughts and feelings of those she leads.”

Mendenhall characterizes the experience of connecting with alumni around the world as deeply rewarding. “Being among our international community, even virtually, has underscored the importance of making room at the table for a diverse set of alumni voices across our global community,” she says.

Looking ahead, Mendenhall is excited to pass the baton to Moore. “The HAA board will be in great hands under Ty’s exceptional leadership,” she says. “Ty is a keen observer of people and organizations, and an expert at coaching them toward impact. He is passionate about boosting inclusive alumni engagement and hearing all perspectives.”

Moore is thrilled to harness the opportunities that emerge to advance the alumni community and thoughtfully navigate challenges along the way. His goals for the year ahead include furthering values-driven, mission-aligned board initiatives while helping the alumni community understand and connect with the work of the HAA.

He also wants to help uphold a community that treats each person as a human being who can feel safe, respected, and valued as their authentic selves, regardless of their perspectives and experiences.

“Respect, kindness, and true appreciation of other individuals — both who they are and where they come from — are the essential building blocks of human society,” Moore says. “I’m hopeful that being compassionate and kind will enable our alums to more powerfully connect with others, redoubling the strength of our community.”