Meet Joseph Kemp, JD, MBA, MSEd: Entrepreneur, Educator, Lawyer, Gamer – and Queensbridge Kid!

Joseph Kemp is a first-generation American and the first in his family to graduate from college. Raised in NYCHA’s Queensbridge Houses, the 29-year-old has overcome many challenges to forge a unique and impressive educational path and an already-distinguished professional career. Combining work as a lawyer, educator, entrepreneur, and game designer, he is melding his passions to create opportunities for those who also dream of success.

Born in Brooklyn in 1995, Mr. Kemp’s family moved to Queensbridge Houses when he was 6 years old. After graduating from Long Island City High School, he earned a BA in philosophy from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He then earned sizable scholarships from the University of Michigan, where he pursued his JD and MBA studies concurrently while also earning an MS in education, focused on educational entrepreneurship, from the University of Pennsylvania. While pursuing all those studies simultaneously, he also taught Michigan undergraduates as his day job and founded his own company, JMK & Co., an admissions consulting firm that helped aspiring law and business students navigate the graduate and professional school application process.

Just a few years later, Mr. Kemp founded Games That Matter LLC, a mission-driven gaming company dedicated to turbocharging professional education through the power of play. Its flagship game, Disbarred: The Card Game, helps players gain practical legal knowledge in areas like criminal, family, and real estate law.

“One of my lifelong passions is gaming,” Mr. Kemp said. “With my background in both law and in education informing the process, I came up with the idea of creating a legal-themed card game, one where you can have fun with friends while gaining real knowledge of high-level legal subjects. The learning happens effortlessly while you’re playing!”

Future titles in the works will focus on other industries, such as medicine. Mr. Kemp’s work with Games That Matter embodies his commitment to breaking down the barriers to professional education that Americans from less privileged backgrounds must overcome to achieve success. A portion of the proceeds from sales of Disbarred go toward providing financial support to aspiring law students.

“I was honored to be named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list this year, in recognition of the work Games That Matter has been doing, and of the dreams we hope to make achievable for so many deserving young people in the future,” Mr. Kemp proudly noted.