#PeopleOfWilmDE: Matt Chacko

Wilmingtonian Matt Chacko is a local entrepreneur, professor, and advocate for the city of Wilmington and all it has to offer. Because of his passion for advancing the city and his work within his nonprofit “The Glue”, he is this week’s #PeopleOfWilmDE. Read his story below.

“I grew up right outside of Philadelphia in Delaware County (DELCO). I first came to Delaware in 2005 to attend Delaware State University on a wrestling scholarship. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s from Delaware State University. My first job out of college was at Wilmington University. This is what brought me to the city. I have transitioned since then into various entrepreneurial endeavors in and outside of Wilmington. Even though I am a transplant to Wilmington, this is the city where I feel that I truly discovered who I was and wanted to be as an individual navigating this complicated Journey, we call life.

I co-founded/launched a company called BumpOut which was a portable Bluetooth speaker that was specifically designed to fit in your pocket that you can take with you anywhere. One of our investors in the company was Mark Cuban who is a regular on Shark Tank and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise. My partners and I sold the company in 2020.

Currently, I invest in the real estate market here in Wilmington. I also sell commercial real estate in the state of Delaware. I love seeing all the historic architect all around this city. If you take a step back and just observe, you will notice how beautiful this city is. It was a no brainer for me to start getting involved with real estate in Wilmington due to that reason. 

I choose to live and work in Wilmington because this city resonates well with my personality. I see Wilmington as a city with Grit. The neighborhoods and people who reside here have a passion and commitment to this community. I grew up not having much and having to work hard for everything. My perseverance and drive have opened many doors in my life to succeed and this City embodies those qualities which naturally attracted me to it. 

This city has many like-minded individuals from its’ visionaries, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, educators, and creatives. Being surrounded by these individuals has helped me grow as a person and inspired me to reach my goals and aspirations.

I co-founded a non-profit called “The Glue”. The Glue programming is designed to help middle and high school age students who demonstrate initiative develop critical 21^st-centry skills to increase their overall probability of success. Today’s youth dream big however, the gap between their desires and the tangible skills needed to reach their goals is often times an insurmountable chasm. This is due to the lack of resources dedicated to teaching these timeless principals of character development needed to succeed in any endeavor.

We had the opportunity to do implement our programming in Philadelphia and Chester, PA. Prior to the pandemic we were working to bring our program to Wilmington. I look forward to continuing those efforts next year and sharing this unique program to the Wilmington Community.

I am hopeful this city continues to grow on the development and economic side with more job growth. I truly believe more the outside world will see Wilmington from the same lenses that I view Wilmington and bring those jobs and infrastructure needed to employ the residents of this city.

I am also encouraged by all the non-profit work in this city. There is a true commitment to the youth in this city by many organizations. I am excited to see the opportunities that our youth will have in the coming years. I hope to make an impact here with all the like-minded individuals doing that good work in our city. 

I have made it a personal mission of mine to bring an influx of outside capital into this city to help renew our neighborhoods and provide affordable housing for future generations.

I would encourage folks to really take the time and explore this city. It has so much to offer. It does take initiative to go and explore and I truly recommend anyone to do so. If you ever had your doubts about Wilmington, I am certain you will change your preceptive once you take a deep dive and see what this city has to offer.

I’m a true fan of this city. I believe in its growth and potential. However, it takes a village and this city is on the right path to make waves across the nation.”

Follow Matt on Instagram. Follow The Glue on Instagram.

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