Charles Israel is a 2018 Concord-Carlisle METCO alum and currently serves as METCO Inc.’s Alumni Relations Coordinator. He joined METCO in kindergarten through the Concord Public School system, where he built lifelong friendships and developed a strong sense of having a second community. Charles credits his experience as a METCO student, particularly in Concord, with being a major part of who he is today. From an early age, he showed an entrepreneurial spirit, launching his first small business/clothing brand “Black Matches Everything” (or “BME” for short), in the sixth grade. BME was supported by the town of Concord and neighboring suburbs as well as his home communities of Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park and Mattapan. BME began as a creative outlet for Charles, inspired by sneaker culture, he created designs to match sneaker colorways. Eventually, Charles grew the brand into a platform that built community and supported activism. Through the brand, Charles supported and donated to causes such as Black Lives Matter and Hoops 4 Heart, while also making clothing pieces that celebrated Black History Month. In 2018, following the tragic Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, he helped lead a schoolwide walkout and gave a speech on the tragedy and the need for gun control. He also created and sold “Enough” t-shirts for the walkout, donating proceeds to support the victims and their families.

Charles took this entrepreneurial spirit with him as he went on to attend Curry College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with double minors in Communication and Management Information Systems. After graduating, he continued his education by earning a Master of Business Administration at Curry. His academic path reflects a strong foundation in leadership, communication and systems thinking.

A natural networker and dot connector, Charles has built friendships and connections across several METCO school districts. In his role at METCO Inc., he plans to use this strength to help connect the broader METCO alumni population in meaningful, intentional and impactful ways.

A fun fact about Charles is that he is passionate about movies, watches, fashion and Boston sports. So if you ever want to talk about any of these topics, he welcomes you to give him a call!