Bobby Hudson III was “born, bred, and buttered” on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. From an early age, he discovered the power of creativity as a tool for advocacy—using art and storytelling to illuminate social, economic, and political challenges within his community. By high school, Bobby was already leading large-scale initiatives that merged service, leadership, and community organizing. At the University of Mississippi, where he studied Public Policy Leadership in the Trent Lott Leadership Institute, he sharpened his ability to design meaningful programming that empowers individuals and strengthens communities.

Today, Bobby proudly serves full-time as the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Hudson & Company, Inc., a leadership consulting agency dedicated to inspiring, educating, and equipping emerging leaders, organizations, and institutions. Under his vision and direction, Hudson & Company has become a regional hub for leadership development, civic engagement, strategic planning, and community-centered program design. For Bobby, this work is more than a profession—it is a calling. As CEO, he views Hudson & Company as both platform and responsibility: to illuminate pathways for rising leaders, to invest deeply in community capacity, and to transform bold ideas into sustainable impact.

Bobby’s professional experience spans youth development, civic education, nonprofit leadership, and political engagement. He previously served as Regional Coordinator at Mississippi Votes, where he mobilized young voters, expanded access to democratic participation, and built civic power across the Gulf Coast. He also served as the Director of Education at Climb Community Development Corporation, overseeing educational programming, student support initiatives, and workforce development pathways for youth and adults. These experiences continue to inform his leadership at Hudson & Company, grounding his work in both community needs and strategic, solutions-focused thinking.

His leadership and impact have earned recognition across institutional, statewide, and national stages. Bobby was named to TIME Magazine’s “30 in 2030: A Generation Creating Change,” received the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State, was a finalist for the James Meredith Changemaker Award, and was an inaugural recipient of the University of Mississippi Diversity Innovator Award, among other honors.

Beyond Hudson & Company, Bobby remains deeply committed to community empowerment. He is the Executive Director & Founder of the Griots Society, home of the annual Gulfport City-Wide Juneteenth Celebration; the Founder & Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Leadership Project, Inc.; and an active civic leader through organizations including Prince Hall Masonry, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, and multiple nonprofit boards. He also founded the University of Mississippi Society for Blacks in Political Studies (BIPS), dedicated to cultivating political education, representation, and leadership among young Black changemakers.

Guided by his personal motto—“to exemplify the standard of servant leadership”—Bobby remains devoted to sparking a fire in others. His life’s work centers on empowering communities to recognize their collective power, elevate local leadership, and drive sustainable change that will shape generations to come.