Cheyney University Names Quiy Saunders to 2026 Top 40 Under 40

MDM Brands Agency Co-Founder recognized for leadership, entrepreneurship, talent development, and continued commitment to his alma mater.

MDM Brands Agency is proud to celebrate Co-Founder and Operational Strategist Quiy Saunders, who has been inducted into Cheyney University’s 2026 Top 40 Under 40.

The recognition honors Saunders’ professional accomplishments, continued commitment to Cheyney University, and his work creating opportunities for emerging leaders.

For Saunders, however, the honor represents something larger than an individual milestone.

“Cheyney gave me an opportunity. I’ve always believed part of my responsibility is creating more opportunities for the people coming behind me.”

A Relationship With Cheyney University That Continued After Graduation

Saunders’ journey with Cheyney began as a Keystone Scholar and later included the opportunity to serve as the 4th Mister Cheyney.

But his connection to the nation’s first Historically Black College and University did not end at graduation.

As the author of Lead from the Front, Saunders later collaborated with TRIO Scholars to place hundreds of copies of the book into the hands of Cheyney students, providing another resource for conversations around leadership, personal development, and impact.

He has also returned to the university to lead several seminars, including a recent session focused on Personal Branding and Identity, helping students think intentionally about how their experiences, skills, values, and stories shape the way they navigate their professional lives.

Creating Opportunities Through MDM Brands Agency

That commitment to developing people has also become part of the work being built through MDM Brands Agency.

In 2026, the agency completed its first paid summer internship with a Cheyney University student, providing hands-on experience in marketing, content, and organizational brand positioning.

For Saunders, the internship represented the type of opportunity he wants MDM Brands Agency to continue creating as the company grows.

The goal was not simply to allow a student to observe the work.

It was to provide meaningful exposure to how ideas become strategies, how brands communicate value, how organizations position themselves, and how creative work operates inside a growing business.

That philosophy reflects a larger belief Saunders carries into both leadership and organizational strategy:

The measure of growth is not only what an organization can produce, but what its growth makes possible for other people.

From Branding to Business Systems

While much of Saunders’ entrepreneurial journey has been rooted in branding, media, storytelling, and marketing, his work has increasingly expanded into another area:

the systems behind the brand.

Today, Saunders works as an operational strategist with a growing focus on automation design, talent efficiency, workflow development, and organizational systems.

His curiosity centers around a simple question:

How much more could an organization accomplish if its people were supported by better systems?

Growing businesses frequently reach a point where talent and ambition are no longer the primary constraints.

Instead, growth begins exposing operational friction.

Information lives in too many places.

Processes depend on individual memory.

Teams repeat tasks that could be automated.

Leaders become bottlenecks.

Great employees spend valuable time managing administrative work instead of applying the skills they were actually hired to use.

Saunders’ approach to operational strategy focuses on identifying those points of friction and determining what can be automated, systemized, delegated, simplified, or eliminated.

The objective isn't automation for automation’s sake.

It is creating capacity.

Building Systems That Help People Thrive

There is a common thread connecting Saunders’ work as an author, speaker, entrepreneur, strategist, and mentor.

It is the belief that leadership should create environments where other people are positioned to succeed.

Sometimes that means mentorship.

Sometimes it means opening a door.

Sometimes it means creating a paid opportunity.

And sometimes it means redesigning an organization so talented people aren't constantly fighting against inefficient processes.

That philosophy was reflected in the bio presented during Saunders’ Top 40 Under 40 recognition:

“His leadership is defined not simply by what he achieves, but by the opportunities he creates for others.”

It is also becoming increasingly central to the work ahead.

What Comes Next

The 2026 Top 40 Under 40 recognition represents a meaningful milestone, but Saunders sees it less as a conclusion and more as confirmation of a direction.

Through MDM Brands Agency, speaking engagements, consulting, mentorship, and future initiatives, the work continues around one overarching mission:

Build stronger brands. Build better systems. Create more opportunities.

Because the best organizations don't simply accomplish more.

They create the infrastructure that allows people to become more.

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About Quiy Saunders

Quiy Saunders is an Operational Strategist, Co-Founder of MDM Brands Agency, author of Lead from the Front, and member of Cheyney University’s 2026 Top 40 Under 40. His work explores the intersection of brand strategy, automation design, organizational systems, talent efficiency, and leadership.

Bring Quiy’s perspective to your organization.

Explore Quiy's Speaker Profile to learn about his speaking topics and availability.

Looking for strategic support? Discover how MDM Brands Agency helps organizations identify operational friction and build smarter systems for growth.