Olin Chamberlain – PYB Board Member since 2017
Bio
Born in Carson, California, Olin Chamberlain’s upbringing was defined by themes of accessibility, accountability, and community. This is evident in Chamberlain’s recounting of moments from his childhood where he seized his own opportunities by working a paper route and washing cars in his early teen years. As for community, he remembers how numerous people in his inner circle, from his mom to his friend’s parents, his brother, colleagues, and others molded his life and his actions. It is the initiative that Olin showed early on in his life, in conjunction with the importance he places on community and learning from others, that has guided Chamberlain’s professional life.
Following high school, he studied at Rio Hondo College while working part time in telemarketing at the LA Times. While in this role, a colleague suggested that the young man pursue an open managerial position. While originally hesitant, being only 19 years old, Chamberlain took the leap of faith, dropped out of college, and became a manager at the LA Times. This was the origin of Olin’s long career in sales. After a few stints at a myriad of companies, he landed at Wells Fargo. It has been 18 years since he first started at Wells Fargo, working his way up to Program Manager for the Union Plus Program.
Olin takes pride in not only being a successful businessman, but as a husband and father. Together, with his wife Michelle, Olin has raised three children: Bria, Kayla, and Olin Jr., and have recently welcomed a granddaughter, Kelani, to the family.
Connection with PYB:
Olin first encountered PYB through co-founder and Neighborhood Based Programs Director Eric Worley. He recalled that after seeing a post on Facebook of Kenny Holdsman, Aaron McKie, and Dawn Staley at the first PYB press release, he started up a conversation with Eric, beginning a relationship with the organization. Chamberlain officially joined the board in 2017, and since then, has dedicated himself to ensuring that PYB thrives and expands its impact.
The ‘Sixth Man’ Center:
“I admire how Philadelphia Youth Basketball is able to utilize basketball as a medium to connect with youth and introduce them to a variety of other subjects and opportunities.”
With the creation of the Sixth Man Center, Chamberlain sees this as an opportunity to further the organization’s ability to provide children with a safe haven. He is excited at the center’s ability to be a space to address all aspects of kids’ well-being – mind, body, and soul.
The Sport of Basketball:
Being the nephew of the late great Wilt Chamberlain, Olin has always been connected to the iconic sport of basketball — he is both a Lakers and Sixers fan. When asked about a potential NBA Finals matchup, Olin said, with a laugh, “I’ll cross that bridge when both teams can get there.”
His connection to basketball has continued through his son’s involvement with the sport, who joined PYB as a temporary Junior Coach previously at our Collegiate Summer Camp Series (now Lace Up & Learn Up Summer Camp Series).
Words of Wisdom:
Olin shares that it is important to understand the difference between “feel good” and “do good.” He explains that there are certain people that you go to that expect you to do good, and there are other people in life that you go to to feel good, and both play an important role.
Chamberlain believes that if you wake up every day and follow your true passions, it’s almost like you’re not working. Having this kind of attitude towards work, he says, not only allows for greater enjoyment, but also greater success.