On Friday, February 20, Tilton School welcomed Neya Kalu ’08, who traveled from Nigeria to share a message that was both deeply personal and urgently relevant: “Let kindness be your currency.”
Standing in Chapel, Neya spoke not just as a CEO, philanthropist, or global executive — but as someone who once sat in Chapel as a student.
School Meeting on Feb. 20, 2026 at Tilton School in Tilton, N.H. (Jesse Wolfe/Tilton School)
Born in Los Angeles, raised in North Carolina, and later moving to Nigeria, Neya’s path to Tilton was anything but linear. It was her father who ultimately decided she would attend Tilton as a junior — a decision she now calls one of the greatest gifts. “The best two years of my life,” she reflects. “The best time of my life.”
At Tilton, she was fully immersed — playing basketball, managing the boys varsity football team, and dedicating herself to community service at the local soup kitchen. Faculty members like Candy (her advisor) and Mike Landroche (basketball coach), Coach H, and Mr. O’Neil were instrumental in shaping her character. What she didn’t realize at the time was just how much those two years would anchor her future.
“Tilton gave me discipline. Structure. Organization,” she shared. “It grounded me.”
Those lessons followed her across continents.
After one year at Suffolk University, she moved to the United Kingdom and continued her studies at the University of Buckingham, earning a degree in Law and later a Master’s in Financial Services Management. Over the next 12 years, she built a career spanning gaming, real estate, transport, hospitality, media, farming, mining, and nailcare — becoming a serial entrepreneur and business executive.
Today, she serves as Chairman of The Sun Nigeria newspaper and Sun Heavens Hotels and Resorts. In 2022, she was recognized as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Journalism by Women in Journalism Africa. She is also the founder of the Neya Kalu Foundation, championing women’s empowerment and sustainable development — often reminding audiences that being your “Sister’s Keeper” is more than a phrase; it’s a responsibility.
But perhaps her most powerful credential isn’t on her résumé.
It’s perspective.
As a high schooler, she admits, success meant academics. Status. Being “cool.” But life — and leadership — taught her something different.
“Cool has a five-second shelf life in the real world,” she told students. “Cool becomes cold.”
She spoke candidly about the pressures students feel — the temptation to go along with bullying, to betray their values just to belong. “I’ve been a high schooler before,” she said. “I know the measures.” In a world that often rewards image over integrity, she challenged students to choose something more lasting.
Kindness.
Kindness carried her through transitions between countries, careers, and cultures. Kindness built partnerships. Kindness sustained relationships. And kindness, she emphasized, creates a return far greater than any transaction.
Her definition of success has evolved. Today, it isn’t titles or accolades. It’s peace of mind. It’s being at peace with herself and how she treats others.
If she could send a voice note back to her Tilton self, she said, it would be simple:
“Hi Little Neya, this is Big Neya. Everything is going to be okay. Stop overthinking. Stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Now a mother to her seven-year-old son, Joshua, who lives and attends school in Lagos, Nigeria, Neya balances global leadership with profound personal joy — reminders that success is fullest when it includes both purpose and play.
Her message to students was clear: in a climate that can feel divided and performative, remain grounded in the values you bring from home. Let kindness guide your decisions. Let it define your leadership. Let it be your currency.
Because long after “cool” fades, character remains.
Tilton School is an independent boarding and day school for students of all genders in grades nine through post-graduate.
We are proud to be accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE).
