In his office at headquarters on Olentangy River Road, he gestures to a motivational poster that he hopes the 900 workers under his supervision buy into. He pulls out his cell phone and points to the private numbers of many of the city’s most prominent leaders, folks who understand his ability and desire to better the community.

“Service is my raison d’être,” said Bakare.

Even though he describes himself as “spiritual, not religious,” he also said, “I know that God has a plan for my life.”

Others have noticed how he’s carrying out that plan, including CableFAX Magazine, which in 2009 named him one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable,” and Business First, which recognized his professional and civic involvement by naming him one of its 40 under 40. He’s 39.

Bakare takes pride in being one of the highest ranking African-Americans in his industry, and he openly talks about how his position allows him to experience the arts locally and elsewhere.

His roots are in Lagos, Nigeria, where he grew up in a middle-class family. He traveled a lot with his father, who was an entrepreneur.

In 1993, a mentor handed Bakare a form that would change his life — an application for an immigration visa to the United States. Of the million applicants, 55,000 were chosen in that special lottery.

“I was blessed to be one that was picked,” Bakare said. “I came as a legal immigrant, which allowed me to start looking for a job immediately.”

Bakare saw snow for the first time the winter he came to the States, which wasn’t the only surprise for someone who came to this country with only $100 to his name.

How he got where he is reflects commitment, hard work, and determination to surmount obstacles. The means might not resemble his childhood vision, but the results show significant elements of the original dream.

That vision called for him to attend college in the United States. That didn’t happen when he was an undergrad; he earned his bachelor’s from Lagos State University and a master’s from the University of Lagos.

Eventually, however, he would add a graduate degree from the University of Maryland and would continue to upgrade his résumé with training and studies offered in connection with his current job.

Bakare was married when he came to this country in 1995. “We came to study youth ministries,” he said. “We had been involved with children’s ministries in Nigeria.”

The idea was to set up libraries and safe places where teens could play video games.

Bakare is no longer married, and he didn’t set up arcades and libraries, but he’s involved with helping young people as the board vice president for Starr Commonwealth Columbus (formerly the Hannah Neil Center), as a mentor with the Oakmont Elementary School Young Gents Club of Columbus, and as a volunteer with Junior Achievement of Central Ohio and The Ohio State University’s Todd A. Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male. He also volunteers as a coach with The Vineyard Community Center Career Clinic in Westerville.

As a lottery selection, Bakare was legally permitted to seek work as soon as he arrived in this country. With two years experience back home in computer science and a master’s degree in international law, he figured he’d pick up where he left off as soon as he arrived in the States.

He spoke English, but with an accent that made it difficult for many people in this country to understand him, he said.

The dream would be deferred. To make ends meet he passed out fliers in Baltimore and sold vacuum cleaners before a temp service referred him to Nextel, where he became an office clerk.

“I filed invoices for nine months,” Bakare said. “That was my entry to telecommunications. I worked my way up.”

In 2006, he began working for Time Warner in Los Angeles as vice president and general manager of voice services. While there he led the digital phone launch team in the L.A. region, which resulted in more than 300 percent subscriber growth throughout the TW Cable/Comcast/Adelphia integration.

He moved to Columbus in 2008 as vice president and general manager for Time Warner’s Southeast Ohio area. His expectations for the city were low, but he quickly learned it had much to offer, especially in the arts.

In his current position since May 2009, Bakare has been responsible for field operations — the techs who come to homes in central, northern, and southeastern Ohio, and the front desk workers who check in equipment.

“I’m responsible for what makes the cable company a cable company,” Bakare said.

The way he carries out those responsibilities suggests that the cable company has hit the lottery, too.