Kenneth Orr and Family
Kenneth Orr and Family

Kenneth Orr has built his career by spotting undervalued assets. Now, the activist investor, and former Tufts University defensive lineman, is betting that America's political center is one of them.

This summer, Orr unveiled Meet Me at the Fifty, a nonprofit dedicated to facilitating purposeful conversation. The football-inspired name, suggested by his sister Jackie Orr, anchors the group's key proposition: if rival teams can shake hands at midfield, United States citizens ought to be able to do the same on life's 50-yard line.

"Maybe the answer isn't about teaching people something new," Orr says. "Maybe it's reminding people of what they already know but have lost sight of in all of the outrage."

The organization plans to fund a series of initiatives it will call "Dialogue Drills." They will launch digital ad campaigns to cool partisan hotspots on social media, host campus forums where college students across the political spectrum can engage in open dialogue, and lead small-group listening sessions that pair Republicans and Democrats alike. In these sessions, participants will earn points by accurately restating an opposing viewpoint before offering their own — a practice meant to reward understanding before rebuttal.

"Specific locations and dates for the Dialogue Drills are still being finalized" says Orr. He also envisions deploying a mobile recording booth to capture short conversations for a future podcast and video series.

This project traces back to P.S. 28 Wright Brothers, the Harlem elementary school where Orr's mother Barbara taught art and coached basketball.

"She instilled in me that education is a great equalizer," Orr recalls. The doctrine "equal opportunity, not equal outcome" would later inform his philanthropy and investment ethos.

His family places importance on generosity, a value that has followed him into his business career. In 2014, Orr founded KORR Acquisitions Group and has since led activist campaigns at small-cap firms across industries from telecom to energy. Orr has built a reputation for polite but firm shareholder letters that shun the verbal flamethrowers preferred by some in the activist crowd. Team sports taught him the importance of working together for a common good or goal.

"Call strikes and balls the way you see them," he jokes. "Just make sure you're seeing clearly."

Meet Me at the Fifty will measure its progress in decibels rather than legislation. The organization's stated mission is to normalize moderation and create a public space where centrist voices are not drowned by the extremes.

"If two people who voted opposite ways can finish a meal without walking out on each other, that is progress," Orr said.

Through ad campaigns, local events, and educational content, the group aims to restore the art of listening and create a space for reflection, not reaction. The group has no partisan affiliation and will not endorse candidates, Orr says. Its messaging will be intentionally nonpolitical, focused on behavioral norms like patience, listening, and curiosity. The idea is to build trust before taking sides.

Formal nonprofit paperwork is being prepared for filing in New York, according to Orr. He expects 501(c)(3) status to follow next year and says that political affiliations will not be a factor in his board selection. Early funding will come from his family foundation and personal resources, with the goal of inviting outside donors once the group secures 501(c)(3) status in New York.

"People think in binaries: left or right, black or white," he says. "But most of us agree on more than we think. We just need help seeing it."

Critics may dismiss the middle ground as watered-down centrism, but Orr argues that it can be "the strongest turf on the field when it focuses on principles first." He points to recent public-opinion research suggesting that many Americans still view their opposing side as fundamentally decent.

"We're living in a land of hypocrisy and divide," he said. "Take the blinders off, and you will find that most Americans actually can agree on most things."

Whether that principle can scale beyond a slogan depends on funding and reach, but Orr plans to combine digital outreach with volunteer-led Dialogue Drills moderated by trained facilitators.

Orr expects early challenges. He admits that "moderation isn't popular" and that viral content often favors outrage. But he believes a growing exhaustion with extremism opens a door for what he calls "compassionate centrism." While he doesn't expect Meet Me at the Fiftyto solve polarization overnight, he hopes it can build small bridges that add up over time.

For the time being, the former football player is satisfied with moving the ball a few yards at a time. Like the classroom where his mother once taught, Meet Me at the Fifty is a space where every voice matters and where the real lesson is learning how to listen. "Meet me at the fifty" Orr states. "Let's start talking."