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How an East High student who liked to wear suits became a CEO who sports one every day

By , Daily Memphian Updated: March 08, 2026 9:41 AM CT | Published: March 08, 2026 4:00 AM CT

In 2004, Cortney Richardson was frustrated.

Now CEO ofΒ educational nonprofit Peer Power Foundation, at the time Richardson was a sophomore at East High School.

And the school had just implemented a new uniform policy, requiring students to wear khakis and a polo shirt, and he was being told to follow it.

The problem? Richardson had started wearing suits in kindergarten and was still doing so in high school.

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tutoring Charter schools MSCS Subscriber Only Cortney Richardson Peer Power Foundation William Sehnert

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John Klyce

John Klyce

John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.


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