Our History

Nylinka History


Desmond Williams, our founder is a former teacher and administrator. Williams launched Nylinka in 2018 to help schools increase their impact, with a focus on traditionally marginalized groups. It was John Maxwell who said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." However, mentorship and execution are a big part of that leadership. Schools often have district mandated goals and professional developments that do not mirror the lived experiences of educators on a day to day basis. Nylinka's goal is to help schools bridge the gap while focusing on execution goal setting at a micro level.

Nylinka represents a lifetime of hopes and aspirations of all students. In a post-George Floyd America, Nylinka maintains its laser focus on outcomes for all students regardless of race, gender, religion, background, etc.


The Meaning of the Name

Our founder, Desmond Williams, grew up in Detroit, Michigan. As a young man, he noticed a boy outside playing with matchbox cars. Desmond told the young boy how much he loved cars when he was that age. The young boy, Devin, dashed into his small apartment and came back with a tattered notebook. He told Desmond, “These are the cars I’ve drawn.” Desmond was amazed at how great an artist Devin was. His cars looked futuristic and stylish. Devin promised he would one day own a car company called Nylinka. That was over 25 years ago. Unfortunately, there is no Nylinka Motor Group. Our founder adopted Nylinka, reminding us that all children have dreams. Schools, teachers, and principals are dream catchers and dream harvesters. Their chief duty is to shepherd children to their dreams. Devin serves as a reminder that there is a Nylinka in all children, and there is a Devin in all the children.