Omar Bareentto is an investor—but not the kind focused just on finance. The Newark attorney believes in putting time into people.
In his current portfolio are: Aaron, a 17-year-old he connected with through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America a decade ago; fellow members of The Collective, a loose association of lawyers of color that he helped launch; and the next generation of African-American legal leaders.
Omar spoke with Super Lawyers and said, “black lawyers in the ‘70s and ‘80s … didn’t have people that came before them to share their experiences. They were kind of doing it on their own.” Because of this, Omar feels he has an obligation to share his “experiences so people can learn from them.”
That’s part of the idea behind The Collective, a group of about 30 male African-American lawyers focused on promoting community service and business development, which has taken part in initiatives ranging from placing computers in Central New Jersey schools to packing lunches for the unhoused in Camden.
“Making a difference is having a positive impact on the next person’s journey,” said Omar. “Networking and relationship-building is a long process … but that’s where opportunities are going to come from.”