Dr. Troy Nash

They Said He Wasn't College Material

In 1970s Kansas City, a young boy named Troy Nash was born into circumstances that statistics said would define his entire life.

Section 8 housing. Welfare. Single mother working multiple jobs. Bouncing between Holy Temple Homes and Friendship Village Apartments —public housing projects where drugs, crime, and violence were everyday realities.

The Kansas City Missouri Public School System labeled him "at-risk." Teachers told him he wasn't "college material." Counselors suggested trade school.

United States Air Force Veteran

As a teenager teetering on the edge of becoming a high school dropout, Troy discovered the United States Air Force. It changed everything.

At just 20 years old, he was selected as dorm chief of Honor Flight 048 at Dover Air Force Base—responsible for the direct supervision of 50 airmen.

He participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

First in 193 Years

In 2014, Dr. Nash became the first African American to become a principal/shareholder in a top-tier commercial real estate firm in the 193-year history of the State of Missouri.

He shattered a glass ceiling that had stood since Missouri became the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

Proof of Concept

When Troy returned to Kansas City at 25, his first mission wasn't his own career— it was his family.

He converted his mother's living room into a classroom. Night after night, he tutored his three older brothers until all three enrolled in college.

At 55 years old, his mother earned her GED. She enrolled in college. When she passed away on March 15, 2003, UMKC posthumously awarded her a Bachelor's degree.