FreeCon 2025

OJ Oleka believes in the American Dream because his family has lived it. His parents came to the United States from Nigeria, where his father grew up in extreme poverty. Through hard work and unwavering faith, OJ’s family went from poverty to prosperity in a single generation.

OJ has dedicated his life to public service and preserving America as a beacon of hope and opportunity. He is part of a new generation of leaders who will work tirelessly to make the 21st century an American century.

Education has fundamentally changed the trajectory of OJ’s life. After graduating from the University of Louisville, he joined Teach for America to help students in low-income communities improve their lives through education. He went on to earn his MBA and Ph.D. from Bellarmine University and would later become President of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) to support 57,000 students at Kentucky’s 18 independent higher educational institutions.

In 2015, OJ joined the staff of Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball. As Deputy Treasurer, OJ protected millions of tax dollars from fraud, defended private property and won national recognition for increasing fiscal transparency in the state budget. OJ currently serves as a senior executive for a global business processes company, focusing on public sector business development in the upper midwestern United States.

OJ has taken his passion for public service and experience in business and government into a new role as the CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, a national organization with a mission to drive fiscally sound public policy, by partnering with key stakeholders, and educate Americans on the role of responsible financial management in a free market economy.

OJ and his wife Jamie live in Frankfort with their two daughters. OJ and Jamie are deeply committed to their faith, and serve as leaders at Multiply Church in Frankfort, Kentucky.