Barbershop Books is proud to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Lola Ajayi, David Baral, and Robert Richardson.
Together, they bring deep experience in technology, program management, strategy, business development, operations, government contracting, organizational change, and community leadership. They also bring a shared commitment to helping children build positive, joyful relationships with reading. As Barbershop Books continues to grow its national impact, our board plays an important role in guiding the organization’s strategy, strengthening our capacity, and helping us advance our mission to inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun.
Lola Ajayi is a Vice President and Technical Program Manager at Morgan Stanley, where she works with the firm’s Securities Settlements team. As a certified Project Management Professional, Lola helps drive delivery across complex technology initiatives using agile principles and cross-functional collaboration.
She also serves as the Program Governance Lead of Morgan Stanley’s Race and Ethnic Diversity network, which supports the recruitment, retention, and recognition of historically underrepresented communities in technology.
Before joining Morgan Stanley, Lola worked for the federal government as both an employee and consultant, holding roles in enterprise-wide project management, policy planning, process improvement, communications, and investigations.
Outside of her professional work, Lola is a published children’s book author, a financial literacy advocate, a real estate investor, and a mentor. She is passionate about closing the financial literacy knowledge gap among children and helping young people access opportunities that support lifelong learning.
“What excites me most is being part of an organization making a meaningful impact on children and communities,” Lola shared. “I love Barbershop Books’ approach to meeting children where they already are and making reading feel accessible, engaging, and empowering.”
For Lola, reading is deeply connected to confidence, imagination, communication, and opportunity. She believes early experiences with books can shape how children see themselves and their potential.
David Baral is a Managing Director at PwC and a co-founder and practice leader of the firm’s Human Capital services in Mergers and Acquisitions. He brings more than 25 years of experience in integrations, divestitures, spin-offs, stakeholder engagement, organizational structure, talent retention, change management, and culture.
Throughout his career, David has supported complex transactions across multiple geographies and industries, helping organizations navigate major transitions while supporting employees and stakeholders. His experience spans entertainment, media, communications, technology, finance, consumer, industrial, health, private equity, corporate, and nonprofit sectors.
David has also helped launch new service offerings, develop thought leadership, and cultivate talent from entry-level positions to senior leadership roles.
David has long been passionate about education, health, the environment, the arts, and government. He is also an avid reader.
“My parents shaped my love of books from the earliest age that I can remember, not necessarily through active guidance but rather by demonstrating their own love for reading,” David shared. “Helping to pass along that legacy to young children, especially from vulnerable backgrounds, is deeply meaningful to me.”
David said he was especially drawn to Barbershop Books’ unique mission of cultivating Black boys’ reading identities and helping children experience reading as fun.
Robert Richardson is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acme Business Solutions, LLC, a firm specializing in federal government contracting, project management, and business development.
With more than 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Robert brings deep expertise in contracts management, capture strategy, operational leadership, and organizational growth.
Robert currently serves as an Operating Unit Contracts Manager at Northrop Grumman, where he leads the negotiation, administration, and execution of complex federal contracts while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies. In this role, he works closely with technical, program, and operations teams to support contract performance, manage risk, and advance business growth initiatives.
Previously, Robert held leadership roles at CACI as a Project and Business Operations Manager, where he managed cross-functional teams, supported program execution, and drove process improvements. He has also held contracts management and financial analysis roles at organizations including MOSAIC Technologies Group, Stanley Black & Decker, Textron Systems, and Northrop Grumman.
Robert shared that he is excited to support an organization that inspires young boys to identify as readers. One book he remembers loving as a child is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which stuck with him because it introduced the idea of cause and effect at an early age.
Outside of his professional work, Robert enjoys traveling, watching sports, trying new restaurants, and can even juggle.
We are honored to welcome Lola, David, and Robert to the Barbershop Books Board of Directors.
Their leadership, experience, and commitment to children’s learning will help strengthen our work as we continue partnering with communities to create joyful, culturally meaningful reading experiences.
Please join us in welcoming Lola, David, and Robert to the Barbershop Books family.
