Alvin Irby

Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, comedian, and author. As Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, his work has sparked a national movement of barbershops that promote reading. Irby’s TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. His transformative work inspires thousands of Black and Brown children across America to read for fun. Irby holds an MS in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, an MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, and a BA in Sociology from Grinnell College.