This article is part of an ongoing series to chronicle the work of the 30 organizations involved in KHF’s Building Power and Equity Partnership (BPEP) initiative. To learn more about BPEP, click here.

Omni Circle Group’s founder, Michael Odupitan, has an ambitious dream for Topeka and a roadmap to get there.

He plans to get there by empowering people in under-resourced communities to see and achieve their potential, creating a more diverse and inclusive community, and improving the overall health of all Topekans.

“Our core values and culture are built around empowerment, innovation, equity, collaboration and leadership,” Odupitan said.

Based in Topeka’s Central Park, Omni Circle primarily serves Black, indigenous, people of color and women in the under-resourced neighborhood. Omni Circle employs a bottom-up approach to improving the community and strives to create a one-stop community hub for advocacy and collaboration for a multicultural and multigenerational community.

“We’re creating a space to meet people where they are and to provide them with a level of support they need to reach any level of success they desire,” Odupitan said.

Omni Circle Group is one of 30 partner organizations receiving core support through the Kansas Health Foundation’s Building Power and Equity Partnerships (BPEP) initiative. Announced in January 2024, BPEP provides long-term core support to empower organizations to grow their operations and influence as they work to address inequities that lead to health disparities.

“Their ability to empower individuals to take control of their financial futures contributes to reducing the racial wealth gap through skill-building, improved access to resources and support for entrepreneurship,” said Juston White, director of institutional partnerships and special projects at the KHF.

Humble Beginnings, Big Dreams

“I come from very humble beginnings, and I guess you could say I was always trying to find what people typically say is a way out,” Odupitan said. “Coming to college and getting a college degree through sports was my way out.”

Odupitan didn’t have a plan or a path in mind when he got to Washburn University, where he was a student-athlete. He got his degree but still didn’t have a firm plan.

“There’s a difference between knowing what your passion is and then going to do something because it’s what you have to do to make money,” he said. “So I did what I needed to do to make money, but it wasn’t my passion.”

Odupitan worked in social work for 17 years. By about 2015, he was watching what was happening with racial tensions and police shootings, and he wanted to do something for the community that would give people an opportunity to grow into who they could be if they had the resources and opportunities to network that he had when he came to Washburn.

He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and learned about Black Wall Street. The Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street, was an affluent African American community in Tulsa with a thriving business district and surrounding residential area.

“I was 33 years old when I found out about it and felt like that was something I should’ve learned about a lot younger in my life,” Odupitan said. “So I went to go figure out how it worked. How did they sustain it and build and do all the things they were able to do to build a thriving community like that.”

Inspired, Odupitan began to dream and make plans. He worked on the Omni Circle Group framework and returned to Topeka to implement it.

“I wanted to serve Topeka because Topeka gave me the opportunity and the resources to be able to grow into the man I was becoming,” he said. “I don’t know if I didn’t have access to those resources or those opportunities to go to college that I would have ever become the person I am today.”

Connect, Collaborate, Create

Omni Circle operates on three pillars: connection, collaboration, and creation. The pillars build upon one another to empower individuals to positively impact the Central Park and Topeka communities through community service, self-improvement, and business development.

“Omni Circle strives to champion the creation of access and opportunities for racial and equity groups in all the communities they serve,” White said.

Through the Connection pillar, Omni Circle provides food distribution, free tax preparation services through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and youth mentoring and a free mowing assistance program for single moms, disabled vets and elderly people.

“We call it our pro-equity action plan,” said Odupitan, Omni Circle’s founder and CEO. “We just really try to be there for the community and meet those basic needs as we talk about what we do through environment, youth development, and food security. We’re trying to meet those basic needs for those who need it the most.”

In the Collaboration pillar, Omni Circle focuses on personal and professional development. They offer a variety of classes, from personal finance to leadership and health to mindset. Men’s and women’s groups meet regularly for mentorship and support, a boot camp exercise class and more.

“We’re trying to help individuals get to that workforce development. If you’re working at McDonald’s, how do we help you develop the skills you need to get a better job, maybe working in a bank? We want to set each individual on a path to success,” Odupitan said.

Omni Circle’s leadership program provides a sense of community through membership in the organization. The leadership development program is a pipeline for the Topeka Collaborative Leadership Council or TCLC.

The third pillar is Creation, Omni Circle’s Topeka Startup Community, which focuses on small business development through networking, business development and access to capital for startups.

“We try to help entrepreneurs access financing capital to get their businesses off the ground,” said Bonnie Maize, chief financial officer. “We do business and financial coaching with them.”

Omni Circle also operates a co-working space where entrepreneurs can start businesses and have office space.

“I spent 17 years working in social service, and I realized that there were too many times when we handed people off to another entity, and because we were handing them off, they did not stay on track,” Odupitan said. “Now we get to build a relationship with somebody through the entire process to help them go from survival to creation.”

Creating a sense of belonging

Omni Circle programs are supported through volunteer service and monthly membership fees. Being a member provides a sense of belonging to something.

Membership at the Connection level is free. Members are encouraged to volunteer four hours a month to support the programs, including VITA tax preparation, youth programs, and food security.

“Connection is about serving our community,” said Maize. “It started as a Black serving organization, but now we focus on those who need the resources most.”

At the Collaboration level, there is a monthly fee for access to the personal and professional development courses and the career development pathway to success. Some programs are fee-based, but members pay a discounted rate.

“We’re trying to bring in the Kansas Leadership Center programs, so that’s a bigger process, and they would have to pay some type of fee,” Odupitan said. “We want them to have some skin in the game.”

The Creation level is the Omni Circle start-up community, which has business networking and support for starting a new business. Joining the Omni Circle start-up community doesn’t mean you have to join any of the membership levels, but the opportunity is open.

In 2020, Omni Circle purchased and renovated a building to serve as headquarters and provide a collaborative workspace. Membership and access to a dedicated workspace are separate from the Creation community membership.

The KHF Connection

Shortly after Omni Circle purchased its building, Jeff Usher, senior advisor at KHF, contacted Odupitan to learn more about the program.

“I couldn’t have told you that the Kansas Health Foundation existed,” Odupitan said. “I’m thankful that they identified our work and found us.”

The BPEP initiative marks the largest investment in KHF history focused on racial equity. Historically, KHF has offered a short-term grant opportunity focused on short-term projects and goals. KHF has a three-part purpose statement guiding its work to improve the health of all Kansans:

• Empower Kansas to lead the nation in health.
• Eliminate inequities that create health disparities.
• Become the model for philanthropic impact.

Among KHF’s six key strategies for achieving this vision are building the power and influence of partners working closest to the communities with greatest health disparities, and building and supporting institutions that can anchor the vision to lead the nation in health.

“Omni Circle strives to champion the creation of access and opportunities for racial and equity groups in all the communities they serve,” White said. “Their strengths are their ability to empower individuals to take control of their financial futures and contribute to reducing the racial wealth gap through skill-building, improved access to resources, and support for entrepreneurship.”

Being a BPEP partner allows Omni Circle to expand its capacity. Through the initiative, KHF will walk beside Omni Circle for 10 years, providing long-term support to further the organization’s work in central Topeka.

“We already do quite a bit, but for many years, doing this program and running this program and trying to build this organization, it was just me as a paid employee,” Odupitan said. “With this funding, this is the first year we have been able to hire two more people to come along with me.”

Maize joined the team and Nikki Ramirez was hired as chief operating officer to help with programs.

“That allows me as the CEO to continue to network and grow and build,” Odupitan said. “What we’ve talked about quite a bit is how do we leverage this to let other people see the value of investing in organizations like this to allow us to build and add value to our community if they would walk along with us the same way.”

Odupitan said if they could get those long-term commitments, they could further the work of community development, developing individuals and growing the business ecosystem in Topeka.

“With their initiative to improve the health of Kansas and make Kansas one of the healthiest states across the nation, I’m just glad that we landed on their list,” he said.

A story of success

Omni Circle is gaining momentum as more participants transition to a better future, working through the organization’s leadership development and self-improvement process.

“I always tell the story of a young man named Jarvis Doleman,” Odupitan said. “He started pretty much in our connection phase. He was bringing his son to be a part of our mentorship program.”

But Doleman wasn’t satisfied just with bringing his son; he wanted to get involved as well. Originally from Lawrence, he moved to Topeka in 2011 with his son and his son’s mother. After they split, the isolation began to take a toll not only on Doleman but also on his son.

“I grew up being around many different people, my culture, and my family. I felt good about who I am and my identity,” Doleman said.

Things were different for his son, attending a predominantly white school in Topeka. Around fourth grade, his son told him he knew he was different from the other kids at his school.

“I realized I needed to start getting him around some people who look like him,” Doleman said. “But also, I needed to get more involved in the community. I realized I still didn’t know a lot of people.”

At the time, Doleman worked at Prairie Band Casino and sold insurance. He wanted to help people, but he didn’t know how. He got certified as an EMT and worked in a volunteer fire department. He sold insurance. He owned and ran a car detailing business.

His insurance mentor knew about Odupitan and helped the two connect. Doleman wanted to educate people, especially minorities, about insurance and finances.

“It was something I was passionate about,” he said. “I wanted to get in touch with that part of the community.”

At the time, Omni Circle was just getting started. Doleman met with Odupitan and got excited about his vision for helping the Central Park community. He began attending Omni Circle meetings and got involved however he could.

Doleman was coaching his son’s basketball team, and he told Odupitan that he’d like to start an Omni Circle basketball team and do youth development. Odupitan already had a framework for a youth mentoring program, but he didn’t have the capacity to run it and build the other programs.

“I’d never really spoken in front of people like that before,” Doleman said. “Michael was there, and he finally stepped in and helped me. He helped me through the first session and from there on out.”

After a while, Odupitan told Doleman he was going to step back so Doleman could lead the group, and eventually he wouldn’t be there every week.

“He told me in the beginning that he didn’t want to be the person up front,” Doleman said. “I just took it upon myself to take that program and make it my own, which developed me a lot. Not just speaking with the kids, but doing the assignments and structuring things, being organized and operational pieces of it.”

The more Doleman got involved with Omni Circle, the more he realized that he enjoyed leading people. He started applying what he’d learned at the casino, developing his co-workers and those around him.

“I decided I was going to take the leadership stuff I was learning outside of work and start to apply it where I am,” Doleman said. “I didn’t know where that would take me, but I was going to put my head down and start trying to progress people at work.”

It wasn’t long after that his current position as director of state operations for child care licensing with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment opened up. A former co-worker from the casino had already made the transition, and he encouraged Doleman to apply.

“Traditionally, the position I’m in was held by someone with a background in early childhood,” Doleman said. “But when I interviewed, they said they were looking for someone who knows how to lead people and is passionate. I’m passionate about people, developing people, and getting things done. I felt confident with that.”

Doleman, who has been in the new role for two years, credits his experience with Omni Circle.

“I don’t think that if I hadn’t hooked up with Omni Circle, I would be here today,” he said. “It’s that personal development piece. Once you become more confident in yourself, understand who you are and what your strengths are. That was one of the biggest things I learned.”

Before Omni Circle, he didn’t see his ability to communicate and relate to people as a skill. He thought skills were more about being good at something technical.

“I continue to push to develop my leadership and interpersonal skills every day to play toward what I now realize are my strengths,” Doleman said.

Doleman’s son, now 15, has made his own network of friends throughout the Topeka community thanks to his involvement with Omni Circle. He’s gained confidence in who he is and has those hard conversations about racial issues with his peers and his father.

“I feel like it’s helped him,” Doleman said. “He’s able to handle any kind of issues or feelings that come to him.”

His son has also been exposed to how other people live and has done community service with Omni Circle, broadening his horizons in his community.

Now married with three teenagers and a preschooler, Doleman has given up leading the mentoring program because his new job and the kids’ activities are more demanding. He misses it but says he will always be grateful and connected to Odupitan and Omni Circle because of the organization’s impact on his life. Once the kids’ activities and life slow down, he plans to become more heavily involved with Omni Circle again.

Looking to the future

Odupitan has a big 10-year goal, one they talk about all the time and hope to take to other communities in Kansas and beyond. It’s a big goal for an organization that started in August 2019.

“We want to be the leading community empowerment and innovative hub driving transformative change that significantly reduces social and economic disparities and underserved communities across the region,” he said. “It’s something that we’re working on. That’s the intentionality of what we’re trying to build.”

The team discusses how they get clear on that purpose and the steps needed to bring that vision to fruition.

“When we say community empowerment, it is the education and the confidence to go out and pursue your dreams,” Odupitan said.

Many of the people they work with are fearful and lack the confidence to pursue their dreams. Odupitan wants to create a safe space where people can develop their confidence and go out and build better lives.

“We feel like if we can improve the community, helping these underserved communities become more confident, more aware, and more educated to go after their dreams by starting with the youth and then enhancing the parents, helping them get better quality jobs, then they live better quality lives.”

When people become individuals who add value to society, Topeka becomes a more diverse and inclusive community. Then, there are more opportunities for economic development.

“Then you get to see the whole community become a better community if we as an organization do this well,” Odupitan said.

As the organization works to reduce poverty and increase business success rates and overall community well-being in Topeka’s Central Park, it sets a roadmap for others to follow.

“If we implement this in other cities, then we are improving other communities across Kansas, if not nationally, with a proven process that will guarantee results improving the social and economic status of people, which improves communities overall,” he said.

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