COMMUNITY & CULTURE
20 PEOPLE TO KNOW
MARVIN
MITCHELL
President and CEO
Compass Retirement
Solutions
To say that 30-year-old business owner Marvin Mitchell beat
the odds would be an understatement. Marvin grew up in
north Saint Louis as an inner city youth. He was determined
to make something of himself, graduating high school at 17,
and college at 21. Marvin shares his story with Gazelle.
“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My mom
became pregnant with me at the age of 15. By the time
she was 21 she was raising three kids alone. We became
homeless for a short while when I was 8. Through her, I
learned strength and determination. Somehow she worked
three jobs and always managed to keep food in our mouths.”
Marvin became the first person in his family to graduate
college. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville and moved to Dallas to attend
law school.
“Then my grandmother became ill. She was diagnosed with
cancer, and I had a choice to stay in law school or come back
and enjoy time with an important woman in my life. I moved
back to St. Louis. My grandmother’s savings was wiped out.
I said to myself, ‘What can I do to break this generational
curse and make a difference?’ I prayed and soul searched,
and realized I hated law. An Edward Jones commercial came
on TV,