After graduating from SDSU in 1991, Jahi accepted a position with Intel Corporation, and worked there for ten years. He held design responsibilities for the Pentium processor, coded one of the first media processor video players for the PC, and received numerous awards for his work. As a software developer and manager, he led efforts that resulted in his code appearing in products from Symantec and Macromedia. While at Intel he attended school fulltime, and earned an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University. He also co-founded Intel’s first employee group, NIA-e (Network of Intel African Employees), and instituted the first student “Shadow Day”.
While at Intel he created the “High School Engineering Program” at Castlemont, and began teaching fulltime at Laney College, earning tenure, and serving as the Department Chairperson of the Computer Systems department. At Laney, he taught Java and C++ programming, web page design and other courses; he also created several new degrees and certificates programs. After leaving Intel, he continued to work at Laney, until the call of supporting and growing Ile Omode proved much stronger than parttime participation would allow; although he served as an adjunct faculty member at Holy Names University in Oakland, teaching computer programming.
Jahi previously participated actively in youth sports, and volunteered with youth track, softball, and soccer, as well as coached football for the Oakland Dynamites, a team he played for while growing up in Oakland, and served as assistant coach for CA Track Club.
He and his wife own two businesses, CalPremiere, Inc., a realty and mortgage company, and Awakoaiye Properties, a property investment firm. Their family strongly believes in the need to develop, sustain, and support enterprise in our community. He lives in Oakland with his wife, Sia, whom he met while at SDSU. The couple has been together for over 30 years, and they have three children, Bakare, KaRa, and Khukheper, each of whom attended Ile Omode until graduation. All three children were selected for the National Honor Society, and received numerous full academic scholarships to attend college.
He serves on the Council of Elders at Wo’se Community Church, and has taught courses in the Medu Neter (Egyptian Hieroglyphics), Rhythms of Nature, 2000 Seasons, and others. While at Ile Omode he has authored several books addressing critical social studies lessons, including: “Africans in Americas”, “Black Power Movement”, “Kemet: The First Civilization”, and “Africans Fight Against Slavery”.
Jahi believes that his life has prepared him for this unique position, and he says that Ile Omode is “my life’s work, and my calling”.