Reuben Ogbonna II is the son of Reginald Chinedu and Sandra Yvette Ogbonna. He is a graduate of Southeast Raleigh High School and Duke University. Currently, he is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Marcy Lab School. Marcy Lab is an innovative alternative to college designed for students who face financial barriers or for those that are seeking a unique experience better suited to their career interests. In their first two years, they have raised nearly $10MM in philanthropic capital from funders such as JP Morgan, Microsoft, and Cognizant. They have placed nearly 50 recent high school graduates into software engineering careers at companies such as Spotify, Squarespace, and the New York Times. Their graduates earn an average salary of over $100,000 per year.  

Reuben was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. His family is split between Imo State, Nigeria and Shreveport, Louisiana. Prior to founding the Marcy Lab School, Reuben coached teachers across New York City as a Director at Teach For America. He recently had his first child but one could argue that he has been a dad on the inside for several years already. When he is not trying to disrupt the higher education system, he is smoking briskets on his Big Green Egg while playing afrobeats and Black cookout music. He is currently listening to African Giant by Burna Boy.