He Didn’t Finish College. He Built Something Instead

For one ACHIEVE 2025 attendee, Alonzo Abron, the idea of ‘success’ never followed a straight line.

Long before he became the founder and managing broker of a growing real estate organization, A. Progeny Global in Oak Forest, Abron was a college student trying to navigate a system he did not fully understand. And he was doing that without the resources or guidance many others take for granted.

“I went to college, but I didn’t finish,” Abron said. “And it wasn’t because I didn’t want to. It wasn’t because I just dropped out and quit.”

This was the origin story for one of ACHIEVE’s most resilient attendees.

Raised by a mother of five with limited financial means, Abron entered college without a clear understanding of loans, grants, or how to access long-term support. He stayed enrolled for about two and a half years, but eventually, the financial reality became unavoidable.

“Staying in there was just not reachable anymore,” he said. “We didn’t understand financial literacy. We didn’t understand how to even go get all that stuff. And when that happened, when I couldn’t go back to school, it took me down mentally, spiritually, all of that.”

He describes that period as deeply destabilizing.

“It almost felt like I was unworthy,” Abron said. “Like, maybe this just isn’t meant for me. Like it’s one of those things that just ain’t for us.”

But that was exactly when the fire was lit under him, he said. Abron began searching for direction anywhere he could find it. He tried multiple ventures. Moving companies. Clothing brands. Entertainment projects. He was not chasing a title or a label. He was trying to understand who he was and where he fit. Ever curious, he used books to guide him.

“I never stopped reading,” he said. “You would never see me without a book. Leadership, history, spirituality, economics. That’s what I was reading.”

Eventually, that curiosity led him to real estate. It was a turning point that reshaped his life.

“Real estate changed everything,” Abron said.

Today, A. Progeny Global is Abron’s full-service real estate organization based in the Southland. The firm offers residential and commercial brokerage services, property development, title services, and property management, with additional ventures planned for the future.

“I’ve been in the industry coming up on 15 years,” he said. “I started as a realtor, then went into buying and fixing homes. We were doing the contracting ourselves. At that point, looking back, we were hustling. We were paying the bills. Taking care of the kids.”

As the work expanded, so did his sense of responsibility.

“When we started going deeper into these communities, especially underdeveloped communities, it felt different,” Abron said. “I grew up in them. But being active in them made me realize I could become part of the solution.”

That realization shaped the mission behind A Progeny Global. Abron and his wife began building an integrated model that allows them to control costs, reduce barriers, and approach development with flexibility.

“If we go into a community, we’re the developers, the brokers, the property management, the title company,” he said. “That lets us adjust. We can take less profit if needed. We can control some of the costs.”

Beyond real estate, Abron emphasizes financial literacy as a root issue.

“A lot of the problems we see come back to finances,” he said. “Health, food, housing, all of it ties back to money. If you’re financially educated, you can get yourself out of a lot.”

That philosophy extends into how the organization operates day to day. Their office is designed as an open, welcoming space for community events, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and local professionals. Abron also recently launched a nonprofit, Let’s Get It Together, focused on workforce development, entrepreneurship, and financial education.

“It’s all tied to purpose,” he said. “To elevate individuals and organizations.”

That shared mission is what drew Abron to the Southland Development Authority (SDA) and to ACHIEVE 2025.

“We researched organizations in the Southland that we felt were reputable and actually making a difference,” he said. “The SDA kept coming up.”

When he saw the ACHIEVE Summit, the decision was immediate.

“I couldn’t miss it,” Abron said. “This is the type of stuff that needs to be happening in the Southland.”

What stood out to Abron most was the intention behind the event.

“To get those faces on that stage, that takes coordination. That’s not cheap,” he said. “It felt like the SDA saying, we’re not playing.”

Abron described the summit as both inspiring and grounding.

“It wasn’t about changing my mindset,” he said. “It was confirmation. Like, keep going. You’re on the right track.”

He left the event energized, immediately sharing insights with his team.

“I was calling the team, sharpening things,” he said. “Look where they started. Look at the failures. Just keep doing it.”

He also made tangible connections through the event, including being selected as a realtor to sell property for the Land Bank.

“I think that happened because of that event,” he said.

As he looks ahead, Abron is already thinking about the next ACHIEVE Summit and who he wants to bring with him. He said he wants more of his team there next time. To hear the stories of the speakers and gain those insights, because they were so relatable to him.

“When I hear those stories, I know what it feels like to build from nothing,” he said. “To not have a cushion. To question yourself.”

It all tied back to that painful memory – dropping out of school.

“That moment of losing school broke me a little,” he said. “But my mom gave me the words. If there’s a will, there’s a way. I went out and found a way.”

Now, Abron is focused on making sure others have paths he did not.

“That’s why we built what we built,” he said. “It’s not just business. It’s purpose.”

In that sense, ACHIEVE 2025 did not change his story. It reflected it back to him. It was an intense reminder of where he started… and how far he has come.

About the Southland Development Authority

The Southland Development Authority, a not-for-profit economic development organization, is committed to driving equitable and sustainable economic growth in the south suburbs of Chicago. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and impactful direct investments, the SDA is building a vibrant, inclusive economy that drives wealth growth for individuals, businesses and municipalities. Combined with the benefits of the South Suburban Land Bank and the Monarch Fund, the SDA serves as a model for regional development.