Recognized as Legacy Miami Magazine's 40 under 40, The Miami Times' New Generation of Dreamers, and Harvard Business School's Young American Leaders, Matthew A. Pigatt became the youngest elected official in South Florida in 2016 as Commissioner for the City of Opa-locka. He then defeated legacy politicians to become mayor in 2018. Former Mayor Pigatt graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and Psychology. As the first in his family to go away to college, Matthew earned over $100,000 while in school and participated in international research training programs in Paris, France, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He conducted national award-winning research at UC Berkeley, Emory, and Morehouse on high-achieving students and professionals. After returning home, he organized the Juvenile Justice Committee of People Acting for Community Together, which assisted in the elimination of out-of-school suspension in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Matthew is the former chair of the premier mentoring program for boys in South Florida, the 100 Black Men of South Florida Leadership Academy. He is the founder of the annual South Florida HBCU Picnic, founder of the HBCU Scholarship Community Facebook Group, and author of The Academic Hustle: The Ultimate Game Plan for Scholarships, Fellowships, and Job Offers. Through The Academic Hustle, Matthew helps thousands of students secure millions in funding to attend school and develop their careers.
