About Principal Muhammad

Wayne Muhammad is the visionary founder and CEO of Leaderacy Consulting, whose journey from “the projects to the principal’s office” stands as a powerful testament to resilience, purpose, and impact. With nearly 30 years in education, Wayne has held diverse roles—elementary and middle school teacher, assistant principal, principal, and HBCU Assistant Director of Admissions.

As a transformative Social Studies teacher in Memphis, Wayne earned Tennessee’s Master Level 5 designation by driving exceptional academic results: over 90% of his students passed the state TCAP Social Studies test for three consecutive years, outperforming Memphis-Shelby County Schools by double digits.

Since 2012, Wayne has built a national reputation as a turnaround principal across major urban centers—Memphis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Greensboro, Durham, and Charlotte. His results-driven leadership revitalized struggling charter schools with KIPP and National Heritage Academies. At Research Triangle Charter Academy in Durham, NC, he led the school to its highest enrollment in 20 years and secured its first-ever 10-year charter renewal—a landmark achievement among urban North Carolina charter schools. Wayne also served as founding principal of Summit Creek Charter Academy, and as Leader on Assignment supporting Forsyth Academy and Winterville Charter Academy.

His commitment to leadership development is backed by prestigious credentials, including graduating from KIPP’s School Leadership Program, National Heritage Academies’ School Leadership Academy, and Harvard’s Race, Equity, and Leadership Institute.

As a speaker, Principal Muhammad blends history, hip-hop, and leadership into unforgettable presentations. A former hip-hop artist and award-winning orator, his viral “9” video rapping to KRS-One sparked wide engagement online. His keynote topics span urban school leadership, equity, classroom culture, and historical perspectives through the lens of hip-hop. Over the past three decades, he’s inspired audiences in Cleveland, Charlotte, Augusta, Las Vegas, South Carolina, Alabama, Bowie State University, and Morehouse College, among many others.

Principal Muhammad is married to his wife April and is a father of four children. He earned his B.A. in History (Cum Laude) from Fayetteville State University as a four-year Chancellor’s Scholar and held numerous student leadership positions. He completed his teaching certification at North Carolina Central University through a full Leave No Teacher Behind scholarship.