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Speaker 1: Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke.

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Speaker 1: I'm your host, Coleen Wit and today we have very

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Speaker 1: special guests. Entrepreneur founder of Elite Learners, Kamara Jackson is

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Speaker 1: in the building.

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Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me.

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Speaker 1: How are you doing today?

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Speaker 2: I'm good, excited.

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Speaker 1: Excited thk you. So, guys, we are not in a

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Speaker 1: kitchen today, we are in New York, So when in Rome,

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Speaker 1: eat out. So before we get into your story, which

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Speaker 1: and before we get into your story, actually, why don't

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Speaker 1: we start with telling us a little bit about Elite Learners.

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Speaker 2: So, Elite Learners is a five oh one c three

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Speaker 2: nonprofit organization and we provide services to young people and

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Speaker 2: their families. We are part of the New York City

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Speaker 2: Crisis Management System, which focuses on public safety and making

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Speaker 2: sure that our communities are safe for our young people.

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Speaker 3: Along with Elite Learners comes an education department that serves

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Speaker 3: in New York City public schools. So we support many

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Speaker 3: schools in the boroughs with mentorship programs. We do a

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Speaker 3: lot of robotics and sports things that really keep young

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Speaker 3: people in tuned and excited about learning in school.

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Speaker 1: What makes you, guys unique that I call. My attention

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Speaker 1: to was twenty four to seven. Yes, how is that possible?

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Speaker 1: So we have on call teams. We have support teams

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Speaker 1: that work either at the hospital for those that may

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Speaker 1: be victims of crimes, or we have our Let's Eat,

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Speaker 1: which is our food program where individuals may need food.

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Speaker 2: So we have on call shifts.

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Speaker 1: And then do you guys do after school care services?

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Speaker 3: So we are in about two public schools in Brooklyn,

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Speaker 3: we have one in the Bronx, so we're servicing anywhere

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Speaker 3: from six hundred to eight hundred kids weekly and after

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Speaker 3: school services.

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Speaker 1: Wow, this is a big feat now. And just to

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Speaker 1: get into the New York schools, by the way, is

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Speaker 1: really really tough. If you guys know anything about it's

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Speaker 1: LAUSD and New York. They are probably one of the

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Speaker 1: toughest schools to get yes up partnership. But so I'm

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Speaker 1: pretty sure it was a heavy feet all right. Now,

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Speaker 1: why don't we get into what are you gonna have

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Speaker 1: me eating today? Because you could smell the aromas.

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Speaker 2: Yes, so we're eating fried chicken.

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Speaker 3: And it's not just fried chicken, it's from our local

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Speaker 3: Chinese restaurant.

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Speaker 2: So very much a go to.

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Speaker 4: For me.

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Speaker 1: Last time I was in New York. I want to

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Speaker 1: say a couple of times ago. Let's open, let's try

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Speaker 1: to take a bite of this. Last time I was

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Speaker 1: in New York, I think the last person I had

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Speaker 1: me eat this with cipher sounds, you know, yes, yes,

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Speaker 1: And when he ate it, he was like, yo, it's

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Speaker 1: taking me back. He really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it.

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Speaker 1: But you know, sometimes these Chinese foo spots mess it up.

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Speaker 1: But I feel like the fried chicken is.

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Speaker 3: Thet It smells good, it has the right amount of crunch,

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Speaker 3: so definitely that every time.

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Speaker 1: Okhay, oh my god, it's so good. It is now

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Speaker 1: just random random. I know this is your broke dish,

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Speaker 1: but when was the last time you actually ate this?

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Speaker 3: So I haven't had Chinese food in probably about six

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Speaker 3: or seven months.

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Speaker 1: Oh.

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Speaker 3: I have sickle cell disease, okay, and I'm really trying

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Speaker 3: to work on my diet and you know, just being

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Speaker 3: able to have longevity in life. So I've been watching

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Speaker 3: what I eat, trying to cut back on the fry foods,

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Speaker 3: more of the fruits and vegetables.

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Speaker 1: So what you eat affects the sickle cell. Yes, and

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Speaker 1: for listeners that don't know about sickle sell, could you

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Speaker 1: tell them a little bit about it?

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Speaker 3: Yes, So, sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease disorder,

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Speaker 3: and it affects your red blood cells. So it is

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Speaker 3: the lack of oxygen moving through the body which causes

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Speaker 3: your bones to form a sickle shape. And when that

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Speaker 3: shape forms, when you're in that sickle moment, it's called

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Speaker 3: a sickle cell crisis. But any and every joint that

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Speaker 3: you can have really hurts at that moment. It's excruciating

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Speaker 3: pain and it's really nothing that you can do but

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Speaker 3: hydrate yourself. You know, in the past, I've been on

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Speaker 3: chronic blood transfusions to try to keep fresh blood coming

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Speaker 3: in the body. But that wears and tears on you.

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Speaker 3: So unfortunately, it's a disease that I've been born with

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Speaker 3: and I'm going to continue to live with. But it's

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Speaker 3: very painful and it attacks the bodies. It attacks you.

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Speaker 3: So your immune system is not strong like the average

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Speaker 3: person's immune system, and any and everything can really cause

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Speaker 3: that change in health to where your bones and your

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Speaker 3: body's just aching. Lack of oxygen to the chest, it

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Speaker 3: gets really difficult.

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Speaker 1: Oh wow, So there's no way to actually predict it.

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Speaker 1: But no, but the best thing you could do is

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Speaker 1: watch diet. Yes, so you utivity.

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Speaker 3: I'm watching my diet the best that I can, right

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Speaker 3: because a part of it is when you are in

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Speaker 3: so much pain, it's really hard to even consume food

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Speaker 3: that you would normally, you know, consume because you're just

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Speaker 3: in so much pain. But watching my diet definitely trying

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Speaker 3: to manage stress because it is an illness that can

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Speaker 3: be brought upon when the individual is really under a

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Speaker 3: lot of stress. So managing that, dressing warm according to

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Speaker 3: the weather, you know, when the weather changes, we have

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Speaker 3: to be prepared and changed before so that we can

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Speaker 3: kind of protect ourselves against coals and the flus and.

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Speaker 2: Things like that.

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Speaker 3: So it is definitely a full time job.

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Speaker 1: I would imagine though, being an entrepreneur and stress goal

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Speaker 1: kind of hand and hand.

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Speaker 2: Hand in hand.

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Speaker 1: How do you, I guess, reduce your stress levels? Like,

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Speaker 1: how can you do that? Because entrepreneurship is pretty much unpredictable.

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Speaker 1: It's rough.

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Speaker 3: So for me, you know, one of the things that

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Speaker 3: I do is communicate, right. I find that when my

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Speaker 3: employees or my mentors allow me the ability to talk

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Speaker 3: through a lot of my challenges. It alleviates some of

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Speaker 3: my stress. So although the stress is there, but if

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Speaker 3: I'm able to communicate and really just express myself, it

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Speaker 3: helps me. So it doesn't feel like I'm doing this

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Speaker 3: on my own and I'm, you know, relying on that

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Speaker 3: village to help me. In the business, time management is

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Speaker 3: what I'm finding to be more successful the more that

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Speaker 3: I manage my time, meaning I have to take care

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Speaker 3: of myself. So my monthly hematology appointments, I have to

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Speaker 3: make them. I want to know what my blood levels

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Speaker 3: are beforehand. So just carving out the schedule where it's

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Speaker 3: conducive to me and my illness is big for success. Now,

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Speaker 3: when I'm not doing those things and I'm completely elevated

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Speaker 3: and completely stressed out, nine out of ten times I'm

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Speaker 3: in the hospital because that's what it does to your body,

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Speaker 3: just a complete shock.

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Speaker 1: Oh gosh, Well, you've had a lifetime so far to

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Speaker 1: kind of get it right. So take me back to

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Speaker 1: what was going on in the Fried Chicken survival mode error.

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Speaker 1: Can you take me back to that pivotal moment where

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Speaker 1: when you thought about what am I gonna have on

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Speaker 1: eating while broke? I think I'm gonna go with fried

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Speaker 1: chicken or chicken Alfred. Oh, can you take me back

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Speaker 1: to that era of time? What was going on?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I just had my daughter, so fresh into motherhood

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Speaker 3: and really trying to balance being a mom but not

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Speaker 3: wanting to be home, right. I really wanted to continue

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Speaker 3: my journey and working with young people. So what I

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Speaker 3: would do is, I'm rushing to take my daughter to school.

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Speaker 3: I'm working and going into a school building, and then

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Speaker 3: I'm rushing home, and I'm just grabbing that meal, right

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Speaker 3: and Chinese chicken and the wings and fried rice was

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Speaker 3: my go to meal, something that I can get while

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Speaker 3: coming in and really just affordable rights, something that I

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Speaker 3: something that I know I could afford at that time.

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Speaker 3: Timing is everything, you know. Having the disease and then

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Speaker 3: bearing a child is big, is big, and I knew

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Speaker 3: that it was going to be a challenge, and you know,

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Speaker 3: so I wanted to ensure that I was able to

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Speaker 3: do that, but I still wanted to have a career.

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Speaker 1: What were you doing prior to having the baby?

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Speaker 3: So prior to having my daughter, I was working, but

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Speaker 3: working wasn't as major as it become as it became

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Speaker 3: after adder.

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Speaker 2: So I would work in schools. I was teaching.

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Speaker 3: Oh, you were still in education, always an educator, always teaching.

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Speaker 3: I would work with other nonprofits. I had many jobs, right,

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Speaker 3: But the idea was that I could not remain consistent

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Speaker 3: because I couldn't remain healthy right, And corporate America wasn't

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Speaker 3: accustomed to folks saying, hey, listen, I'm really not well today.

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Speaker 2: You know I can't come in today.

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Speaker 3: You look at me now and you say, wow, you

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Speaker 3: look great, you look strong and healthy.

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Speaker 2: I can leave here and in ten minutes I'm in

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Speaker 2: a crisis.

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Speaker 1: So with sickle cell, is that something that you would

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Speaker 1: disclaim upfront or would you be more fearful to tell employer? No.

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Speaker 3: I would always tell my employers upfront because it's a

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Speaker 3: part of me right, and I know that I can't

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Speaker 3: prevent what may happen. You know, no one wants to

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Speaker 3: be but you don't know when that's gonna happen. So

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Speaker 3: I've always been an upfront person because it's a part

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Speaker 3: of my journey. However, you know, I think once an

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Speaker 3: employer hires someone and they need them and they get

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Speaker 3: them in the workforce, then they just don't understand how they.

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Speaker 2: Own this works.

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Speaker 3: Right, you were here today, you did great, fine, you

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Speaker 3: seem fine, and now all of a sudden, you can't

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Speaker 3: come in or you're at the hospital. So I knew

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Speaker 3: it was that moment that I had to make a decision.

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Speaker 3: And the decision was, Yeah, I have my daughter. I

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Speaker 3: need a career, but not only that, I want a career,

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Speaker 3: and then what am I going to be able to

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Speaker 3: do that's going to allow me to take care of

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Speaker 3: myself and really accept the fact that if I'm not well,

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Speaker 3: I can't be there.

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Speaker 2: And that was me creating Elite Learners, Inc. And becoming

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Speaker 2: an entrepreneur.

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Speaker 1: Now when you pitch a family, hey I'm gonna go

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Speaker 1: into Elite Learners or I don't know if you pitched it,

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Speaker 1: but typically from that hospital, yeah, I had a black

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Speaker 1: and white notebook and from the bed, they will go,

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Speaker 1: you sick.

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Speaker 2: Again, What are you going to do? What did the

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Speaker 2: job say? What about the kids?

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Speaker 3: You know?

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Speaker 2: What did the principles say?

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Speaker 3: And I'm like, so from the bed, it was a conversation.

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Speaker 3: I am going to pivot and I'm going to find

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Speaker 3: something that allows me to be a mom but also

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Speaker 3: something that I can take care of myself and impact

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Speaker 3: youth impact.

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Speaker 1: Youth, and you need it. Being a momm you also

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Speaker 1: need that like kind of unpredictable schedule because now you

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Speaker 1: have you have you are juggling too things here, you're

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Speaker 1: juggling sickle, which is in my opinion, its own monster.

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Speaker 1: Then you have it because it's unpredictable. Then you have

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Speaker 1: your child, which I'm a new mom, I get it.

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Speaker 1: Like you're on call, You're on demand. Yes, you're on

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Speaker 1: and as a mom, you're like even more wanted on

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Speaker 1: demand as far as like the nurturing and the neediness. Right.

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Speaker 1: But then you're like, Okay, now I'm gonna want to

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Speaker 1: add this business to my life. What is the first

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Speaker 1: steps you took when you decided to launch Elite Learners.

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Speaker 3: My first step was to get the name. Okay, security name,

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Speaker 3: security name. And the name came about because as I

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Speaker 3: was explaining this vision I had, everyone would say, well.

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Speaker 2: What are you gonna name it? I don't know, but

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Speaker 2: whatever we do, whatever I do, it has to be elite.

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Speaker 1: Oh.

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Speaker 2: I like that.

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Speaker 3: That was the conversation. Listen, I really like that if

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Speaker 3: I am going to bring services to communities like mine, right,

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Speaker 3: me being from Brownsville, Brooklyn, it's going to be elite.

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Speaker 3: It's going to be the highest caliber of service. We

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Speaker 3: are going to do everything.

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Speaker 2: To the best of our ability. So we knew. I

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Speaker 2: knew elite, elite?

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Speaker 1: Was it? I like that?

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Speaker 3: And then I had to figure out, how is this

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Speaker 3: girl from Brownsville, Brownsville, Brooklyn tackle corporate America. You know

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Speaker 3: what it's like to be outside and be in the

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Speaker 3: community and hang out, but want to be influential. And

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Speaker 3: I knew that I was going to be the voice

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Speaker 3: of the young people that is, so what am I

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Speaker 3: going to do? So I knew it was a lot

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Speaker 3: of teaching involved, It's going to be a lot of

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Speaker 3: learning experiences.

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Speaker 2: So it came up elite learners.

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Speaker 1: In Now, what was the initial need that you were like,

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Speaker 1: is not being met that you saw where you had

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Speaker 1: to create elite.

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Speaker 3: School based programs that actually captured students' attention.

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Speaker 2: You know, those programs that you can't wait to get to.

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Speaker 3: You're in the class and you're like when it's because

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Speaker 3: I got to get to that class. I was that

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Speaker 3: person in the school. Right, you walk into lunch.

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Speaker 2: Room, all of the kids run to you, They're excited

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Speaker 2: to see you. You know, life.

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Speaker 3: It's heavy for our kids that are going to school, right,

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Speaker 3: and sometimes when you walk in those buildings, you want

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Speaker 3: to know that there's someone that you can talk to,

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Speaker 3: someone that's safe. So I knew that there was a

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Speaker 3: need for programs, but not just regular programs, programs that

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Speaker 3: gave hands on experience, programs that allow young people to

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Speaker 3: talk their problems to their mentors, problem solve, mediate conflict,

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Speaker 3: those type of programs, and then programs that had excellent,

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Speaker 3: you know gear materials, you know, top of the line.

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Speaker 3: So that was the first thing. And all of our

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Speaker 3: programs is our mentorship through so it's mentorship through sports,

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Speaker 3: mentorship through culinary and you know, that allows for our

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Speaker 3: instructors to not only be instructors, but to be instructors

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Speaker 3: and acting mentors to the students.

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Speaker 1: I love that. Now, what were some of the tougher hats,

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Speaker 1: Because if you're on the service side of a company,

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Speaker 1: you're the service brider, you're the teacher, you're you know,

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Speaker 1: the other side of entrepreneurship is typically sales, sales and marketing, Right,

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Speaker 1: these are if you're on the service side, If you're

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Speaker 1: like say the chef of the restaurant, you enjoy cooking

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Speaker 1: the food. But you want but you have to step

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Speaker 1: out of the comfort zone and you know, do all

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Speaker 1: the other stuff, negotiate your leases or what have you.

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Speaker 1: In your case, what was some of the hurdles that

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Speaker 1: you would say you faced in getting out of your

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Speaker 1: comfort zone? And what was out of your comfort zone

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Speaker 1: to you?

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Speaker 3: Out of my comfort zone was actually asking for what

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Speaker 3: I needed in order to do the work. Right, So

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Speaker 3: being able to present, to talk about my company, to

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Speaker 3: talk about, you know, what resources are needed, to start

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Speaker 3: to advocate for communities.

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Speaker 2: All of that was foreign to me.

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Speaker 3: Right, This is someone who want to do so many

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Speaker 3: things but lived in a shell. So now I now

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Speaker 3: have to break out of that shell because I got

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Speaker 3: to be able to represent my business and represent you know,

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Speaker 3: the vision and the mission that I see for young people.

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Speaker 3: So definitely number one, I would say asking for funding, right, so.

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Speaker 1: Trying to get and like what was that approach? How

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Speaker 1: did it look?

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Speaker 3: And so my first funder, I definitely would say the

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Speaker 3: New York City Doe, right was education, the education now

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Speaker 3: New York City public schools, but the principles in the

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Speaker 3: areas I went back home, right, went back to my community.

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Speaker 3: That's where I wanted to start, so definitely reaching out

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Speaker 3: to those principles and allowing them to see my program

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Speaker 3: and then deciding that they would want to work with

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Speaker 3: me as a vendor.

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Speaker 1: Was it hard to like name your price or did

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Speaker 1: you try and do like a competitive scope.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's it's hard because.

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Speaker 1: You got to get them to take a chance on

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Speaker 1: a brand new.

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Speaker 3: Brand new and that's what And in the beginning it

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Speaker 3: was a lot of volunteer work.

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Speaker 2: It was a lot.

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Speaker 3: I was not afraid to volunteer to show you know

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Speaker 3: what I bring. And then you want to see the difference, right,

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Speaker 3: You want to know that if you're working with the

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Speaker 3: vendor that is working with some of our students that

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Speaker 3: normally don't come to school or maybe late to school. Right,

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Speaker 3: you want to know that after that work has begun,

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Speaker 3: you see a difference, You see progress in the students

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Speaker 3: that they're working with. So we did a lot of

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Speaker 3: volunteer services.

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Speaker 1: Now, when you do volunteer services, you're in for another

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Speaker 1: tricky bit because you are providing for your child, you're

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Speaker 1: providing for yourself, and you're providing for this brand new company.

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Speaker 1: And volunteer doesn't exactly keep people on your team. And

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Speaker 1: it also makes you a triple headed person with sickle

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Speaker 1: cell respectively.

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Speaker 3: So yes, and you know what that brings me back

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Speaker 3: to this, right, It became a point in my business

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Speaker 3: where I knew not having a store front was detrimental, Right.

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Speaker 3: I didn't have a place that my young people could

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Speaker 3: come outside of their school to work with the organization.

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Speaker 3: And I wanted that place so bad that I stepped

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Speaker 3: out and rented our first office, our first store front.

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Speaker 3: And I kid you not, that first month I signed

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Speaker 3: the lease. The day I signed the lease, I stood

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Speaker 3: there and I looked around and it was a white box.

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Speaker 3: You know when you buy a storefront, you know the

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Speaker 3: term white box. I didn't know any of this, and

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Speaker 3: I signed, got to keys and went in and it

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Speaker 3: was literally a white box. So that means I had

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Speaker 3: to do everything. And leaving there, I remember saying to myself,

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Speaker 3: this is the time that I make the decision do

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Speaker 3: I pay my rent at home or do I pay

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Speaker 3: my rent.

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Speaker 2: In the storefront.

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Speaker 3: And I knew at that moment I was paying my

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Speaker 3: rent in the store from of course, not my rant.

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Speaker 1: Of course, what kind of logical entrepreneur would do it

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Speaker 1: the other way? Right, so logic there, Yes.

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Speaker 3: So I secured the next month's rent at the storefront,

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Speaker 3: did not pay my rent?

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Speaker 1: Oh you actually did forego your own rent?

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Speaker 4: Yes?

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Speaker 2: Oh, yes, what, yes, I didn't have anything.

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Speaker 1: So but did you have a path on before you

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Speaker 1: sign this lease, on how you're going to make the

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Speaker 1: revenue to pay.

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Speaker 2: For the lease?

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Speaker 3: No?

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Speaker 1: Oh, you're all faith No.

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Speaker 3: I only I knew that it was an hindrance to

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Speaker 3: my young people because school would dismiss at two twenty

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Speaker 3: and if there's no after school program, and I wasn't

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Speaker 3: a large enough vendor to be the after school program

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Speaker 3: at that time, so that means that there's no place

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Speaker 3: for the children to go.

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Speaker 1: But they didn't when you're they didn't say, hey, even

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Speaker 1: though we have an after school program in the school,

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Speaker 1: will allow you this certain area. To know, my princes

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Speaker 1: always wondered if schools would allow to My principal said,

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Speaker 1: and it was very much appreciated.

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Speaker 3: She said, you can use the space anytime during the day.

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Speaker 3: But you know, unfortunately it's not open twenty four hours

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Speaker 3: a day, seven days a week. It's not open on

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Speaker 3: the weekends. And this is all I could offer you.

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Speaker 3: And at that time, I said, you know what, I'm

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Speaker 3: gonna take it because I got to start somewhere. So

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Speaker 3: I had a little office and I had a little

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Speaker 3: you know, computer setup during the day, but I had

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Speaker 3: no I had no place to.

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Speaker 2: Get to grow the business.

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Speaker 1: So you didn't think that possibly trying I'm trying to

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Speaker 1: play Devil's advocate here, you didn't think about those living

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Speaker 1: work spaces. I don't know if they have those out here.

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Speaker 1: I know in Kelly they do. They have like the

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Speaker 1: you have that's on the bottom, and then you have the.

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Speaker 3: At that time, I couldn't I knew I couldn't afford anything.

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Speaker 1: And you had to be in a certain area, right.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I was in my area. Yeah it was.

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Speaker 3: It was in the Brownsfelt section of Brooklyn. So I

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Speaker 3: got those keys.

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Speaker 1: Just so you guys know, just to fast forward a

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Speaker 1: little bit, she has four locations now, right, Yes, four locations.

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Speaker 1: So that's a huge leap of faith to skip rent on.

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Speaker 1: How long did you have to kind of like balance

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Speaker 1: the rent Dance Act?

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Speaker 2: So I did that for two years?

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Speaker 1: Two years? So what would you do, like play two

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Speaker 1: months with from where was that?

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Speaker 3: And I'm telling you my little secret, but where was that?

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Speaker 3: You could miss two months and then after the third

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Speaker 3: month they would serve you with the court papers.

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Speaker 2: Okay, right, So what.

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Speaker 3: I would do is I would miss and then pay

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Speaker 3: at the storefront. And then I knew I could not

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Speaker 3: allow a payment not to reach the third month or

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Speaker 3: I would have to be in court.

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Speaker 2: So I was juggling, juggling.

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Speaker 3: You know, my personal needs versus what what I needed

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Speaker 3: to do because I believed.

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Speaker 2: In your company.

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Speaker 1: Your cash flow was at this point, you're really learning

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Speaker 1: how to juggle cash flow, because yes, even even with

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Speaker 1: the three month system or what have you, how are

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Speaker 1: you able to make or I guess, before you got

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Speaker 1: the storefront, did you predict that you were going to

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Speaker 1: be able to whether the cash flow storm but still

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Speaker 1: have enough revenues to cover both.

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Speaker 3: No, so I knew for a fact, I had no

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Speaker 3: city or government contracts at that time. It was only

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Speaker 3: the work that I contract subcontracted with other larger nonprofits

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Speaker 3: or working within a school, and it was nowhere near

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Speaker 3: where I needed to be to be able to even

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Speaker 3: have a budget.

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Speaker 1: Right, So you, how are you able to take that

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Speaker 1: much faith?

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Speaker 2: I had to do.

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Speaker 1: It in another shout out, not only for locations, but

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Speaker 1: it's ten years now, ten years ten years yes, wow, yeah,

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Speaker 1: So how did you whether that's storm to be able

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Speaker 1: to grow the business.

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Speaker 3: So what I did is I started to get out.

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Speaker 3: I started to meet my elected officials in the area.

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Speaker 3: I met with them, Listen, this is who I am,

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Speaker 3: this is what I've believe in, this is my.

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Speaker 2: Calling, and this is my plan.

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Speaker 3: And it was just me getting out and really pitching,

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Speaker 3: putting the you know, putting my feet, my hands, everything

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Speaker 3: all in community, all in So, if there was a

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Speaker 3: walk in my community, I was there. If there was

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Speaker 3: a community board meeting, I was present. You know, police

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Speaker 3: gatherings as far as community forums and settings meeting NYPD

444
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,280
Speaker 3: and the roles that they played with our communities, I

445
00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:35,840
Speaker 3: was there.

446
00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 1: What made you decide to look up electors who pointed

447
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,240
Speaker 1: you in a direction? Because a lot of people do nonprofits.

448
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,959
Speaker 1: They don't necessarily I don't know why they don't, but

449
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,760
Speaker 1: they don't necessarily think, let me go to my.

450
00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,040
Speaker 2: Elected for me.

451
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,440
Speaker 3: I was really intrigued by the lack of resources that

452
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,760
Speaker 3: were in our school system. Right I'm in the schools

453
00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,000
Speaker 3: and I see computers that are really expired, old programming,

454
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,480
Speaker 3: not up to date. So For me, it was just

455
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,919
Speaker 3: the lack of what is happening in the community. And

456
00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:10,800
Speaker 3: I knew that A lot of the funding and a

457
00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,919
Speaker 3: lot of the structural how should I word it, A

458
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,639
Speaker 3: lot of the funding that comes down comes from city

459
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 3: council comes from council members. Right, they advocate on behalf

460
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,440
Speaker 3: of their areas and their communities. Like they're normally who

461
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,840
Speaker 3: you go to when you want to really make change.

462
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,360
Speaker 3: And I saw the need immediately to make change. But

463
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,720
Speaker 3: more importantly, like I knew I wanted to be right

464
00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,560
Speaker 3: with them to make that change. So I, you know,

465
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:39,080
Speaker 3: it was like a you know, get in where you

466
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,160
Speaker 3: can fit in, right, what can I do?

467
00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:43,160
Speaker 1: I love the fact that you didn't even have relationships

468
00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,520
Speaker 1: because even in Cali it's very political.

469
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:46,240
Speaker 2: So it's like you.

470
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,120
Speaker 1: Call, you call, you make six phone calls. You don't

471
00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,840
Speaker 1: get to that elected No, it's but another thing is

472
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,760
Speaker 1: your storefront at the time, what services was your storefront

473
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,000
Speaker 1: offering to the community.

474
00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:59,919
Speaker 3: So at the time when we first started, I had

475
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:05,040
Speaker 3: my first employee, right, So I did I did have

476
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,760
Speaker 3: someone that said listen, I will come on and work

477
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:08,160
Speaker 3: with you.

478
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,160
Speaker 2: She had another job, so she would.

479
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:15,200
Speaker 3: Carve out hours that were donated hours to the organization.

480
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,560
Speaker 3: Very grateful for my board because my people I put

481
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:24,200
Speaker 3: together board. Yes, my board comprised of community members. These

482
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:29,080
Speaker 3: were individuals, homeowners, folks that were already involved in community.

483
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,920
Speaker 3: So my board played a major role in volunteering time,

484
00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,760
Speaker 3: leading me to some of the resources I didn't have.

485
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,959
Speaker 3: And really they were my backbone, they were my strength.

486
00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:40,720
Speaker 1: And how did you put together your board?

487
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,320
Speaker 3: So my board was put together by people, by myself,

488
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,680
Speaker 3: but with people that I would see at the meetings.

489
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,440
Speaker 2: So you know, you go to community.

490
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 3: Board meeting, Oh you were building your board, yes, yes, simultaneously,

491
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,040
Speaker 3: so I was. I would go to the meetings and I,

492
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,480
Speaker 3: you know, see the same people, right. So when you

493
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,600
Speaker 3: see the same people and they're advocating for sanitation, then

494
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,000
Speaker 3: they're at the education meeting, then they're advocating for policy,

495
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,639
Speaker 3: they're you know, involved in NICHA. Then those are folks

496
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,199
Speaker 3: that are willing to give their time and those are

497
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,320
Speaker 3: folks that are dedicated to community. So once I identified

498
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,040
Speaker 3: those people, I asked them to be a part of

499
00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 3: my board. And that's really what gave me the strength

500
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,080
Speaker 3: to know that although I didn't have the finances at

501
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 3: the time I would be able to continue to do

502
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,240
Speaker 3: some of the work. So I had my board and

503
00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,560
Speaker 3: then I had, you know, my first staffer, who said, listen,

504
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:36,119
Speaker 3: I'll volunteer at these amount of.

505
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,960
Speaker 2: Hours a week and we'll get started.

506
00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:43,399
Speaker 3: And literally we went to school to school, we interviewed.

507
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,640
Speaker 3: We couldn't take on too much because we couldn't pay staff,

508
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,800
Speaker 3: and you know, folks will volunteer a little bit of

509
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,280
Speaker 3: their time, but they're not really into volunteering. So we

510
00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 3: did what we could at that time. And then it

511
00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,240
Speaker 3: began to grow. And the way it really began to

512
00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:05,359
Speaker 3: go but was by elected officials and government agencies and

513
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 3: us applying to grants and now really starting to market

514
00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:12,280
Speaker 3: Elite Learners as a community based organization.

515
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:18,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that now sometimes. Okay, so right now,

516
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,720
Speaker 1: I currently reside in Los Angeles, as you guys know,

517
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:22,800
Speaker 1: I am originally from New York. But I know in

518
00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,080
Speaker 1: Los Angeles sometimes these electeds they have access to also

519
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: buildings and stuff like that, and sometimes you can kind

520
00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,399
Speaker 1: of get a building for like a dollar, you know,

521
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,920
Speaker 1: or whatever. A month you're still trying to figure it out.

522
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:37,960
Speaker 2: I was gonna say, you helped me out.

523
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 1: If you haven't cracked it out, then it's probably not possible.

524
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,120
Speaker 1: And with New York real estate, I'm pretty sure it's

525
00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:48,040
Speaker 1: almost impossible. But I know in Kelly, yeah, you can

526
00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:53,479
Speaker 1: try to hear about those lucky nonprofits, those nonprofits that

527
00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 1: really get buildings, and listen, I've been out there, I'm looking.

528
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,080
Speaker 1: I need put it out there.

529
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:02,120
Speaker 2: Put it out there.

530
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:07,160
Speaker 3: Definitely is my dream to not only own a building,

531
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,879
Speaker 3: but to have a community center for young people.

532
00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,280
Speaker 1: So I know you talk about some of your setbacks

533
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 1: being like obviously the beginning of the company, which is

534
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:21,280
Speaker 1: like juggling, you know, building a business, creating these services

535
00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 1: while not having the funding. Before I get into my

536
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,480
Speaker 1: next question, at some point, do you decide to take

537
00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:29,320
Speaker 1: on loans.

538
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,760
Speaker 2: No, because I know I couldn't pay them back.

539
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:37,320
Speaker 1: Really at that time or forever because you're ten years

540
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:37,880
Speaker 1: olds now.

541
00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,280
Speaker 3: Yes, we did take on loans during the COVID time, right,

542
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,520
Speaker 3: and we were forced to, but very grateful for those options,

543
00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 3: you know, and those opportunities because we didn't lay anyone

544
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:52,040
Speaker 3: off during that time. So definitely, But in the beginning though,

545
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 3: because I knew I.

546
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 1: Didn't have to be yes on what was probably the

547
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,840
Speaker 1: most heartbreaking in the company in the whole ten years

548
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:03,800
Speaker 1: where you were like, you don't know if you could

549
00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,120
Speaker 1: weather this storm, and I don't even know how that

550
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,200
Speaker 1: works with sickle cell also, But what was there was

551
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,320
Speaker 1: there ever a point in the business where you're like, ooh,

552
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,440
Speaker 1: this is a bit yeah, I may be in over

553
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,040
Speaker 1: my head, we may closed doors or.

554
00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 3: Yeah making it So it was definitely during COVID and

555
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,600
Speaker 3: right before the city shut down officially like New York

556
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,960
Speaker 3: City public schools are closed, we're in a state of emergency.

557
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:35,040
Speaker 3: Right before that, I signed a lease for my second location.

558
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,280
Speaker 2: Jesus right.

559
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 3: So it was at that time, and the vision for

560
00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:46,360
Speaker 3: my second location was adding on from the work I've

561
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,720
Speaker 3: done in Brownsville and I did in Brownsville, moving it now,

562
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 3: expanding it to East Flatbush. So we were like in

563
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,680
Speaker 3: a time where we're jumping out on a on a

564
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,360
Speaker 3: leap to just even expand a small nonprofit at least

565
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,400
Speaker 3: signed ready to move in all of a sudden city

566
00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:08,240
Speaker 3: shed stand again, the only folks that can come out

567
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,960
Speaker 3: their homes or technically do anything are essential workers. We

568
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:16,120
Speaker 3: were considered essential workers doing the public safety work, you know,

569
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:21,400
Speaker 3: keeping our seniors and our community members safe, right safe

570
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,000
Speaker 3: passages and things like that. Here I find myself in

571
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 3: this white box again with another set of keys, and.

572
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,960
Speaker 1: There was no way to possibly say. And at that time,

573
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,400
Speaker 1: you couldn't predict it. COVID it was going to be

574
00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:35,800
Speaker 1: two years.

575
00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,440
Speaker 3: I couldn't predict it. But what you know, what I knew.

576
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,200
Speaker 3: I knew it was going to be a time where

577
00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:47,960
Speaker 3: food and seniors were going to be in need. And

578
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,440
Speaker 3: one of the programs that I was planning to run

579
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,160
Speaker 3: out of that office was.

580
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:55,440
Speaker 2: A food pantry program.

581
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,440
Speaker 3: Okay, So what I did is I said, listen, it's

582
00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,960
Speaker 3: a white box. We can't paint the walls, we can't

583
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,680
Speaker 3: move in, but what we can do is we can

584
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:10,160
Speaker 3: use it as a space to collect food items to

585
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,080
Speaker 3: distribute to community members during.

586
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:13,600
Speaker 2: This hard time.

587
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:14,840
Speaker 1: So you pivot it.

588
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:16,080
Speaker 2: So I pivoted again.

589
00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,760
Speaker 1: Why do you say again, did I miss the first pivot?

590
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,680
Speaker 3: The first pivot was me pivoting from not having an

591
00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:24,360
Speaker 3: office space.

592
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,360
Speaker 2: You're getting the first space.

593
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,240
Speaker 1: The first one, yes, But oh I was when I

594
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:33,760
Speaker 1: think pivot, I think you shift your market. Well oh okay, okay, okay, okay,

595
00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,880
Speaker 1: But technically I see what you're saying. All right, all right,

596
00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:40,560
Speaker 1: I like, I like acknowledging that, guys, just because I

597
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,880
Speaker 1: think pivot. When you're a founder and a creator, it's

598
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,040
Speaker 1: extremely hard to say this is the number one focus,

599
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,479
Speaker 1: this is why my business was created, and then say, Okay,

600
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,880
Speaker 1: even though this is my focus, the world or something

601
00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,600
Speaker 1: shifted in the market where I have to adapt and

602
00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:00,640
Speaker 1: say we're not going to close this focus off, but

603
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,480
Speaker 1: we got to renavigate how we get to this goal.

604
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,680
Speaker 1: And so that's why I like to say the pivot,

605
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,160
Speaker 1: the pivot game is really tough as a founder, you know,

606
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,440
Speaker 1: as a CEO, I think pivots are you know, you're

607
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,360
Speaker 1: not as tied to that original. If you're not a

608
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 1: founding partner, you're not as tied to that original. But

609
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:24,800
Speaker 1: when you created created, yes, you like ooh. I was

610
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,000
Speaker 1: having this conversation the other day. I said, man, you know,

611
00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,240
Speaker 1: we got to just figure out another way to capture

612
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,440
Speaker 1: this audience. You know what I'm saying. And you work

613
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,360
Speaker 1: with a very when you're working with teens and kids,

614
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:39,280
Speaker 1: you know, your pivot game gotta be strong because the

615
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 1: trends changed and they don't mess with you no more.

616
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:42,280
Speaker 2: Yeah.

617
00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,000
Speaker 3: And then on the just to add on on the

618
00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,320
Speaker 3: public safety violence prevention side of the work. We are

619
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:54,360
Speaker 3: employing or I'm employing individuals that were formerly incarcerated, individuals

620
00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:59,400
Speaker 3: that were previously involved in gangs or you know, just

621
00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,240
Speaker 3: in be behavior that may not have led them to

622
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,920
Speaker 3: a road of success. So now the organization is about

623
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 3: creating success and showing our young.

624
00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:09,760
Speaker 2: People how to get there.

625
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:14,520
Speaker 3: Right, So in this moment of uncertainty, you don't know

626
00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,640
Speaker 3: when funding is going to come in. A lot of

627
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:23,760
Speaker 3: our programs, remember were school based, their mentorship, they were

628
00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,440
Speaker 3: hands on. So now we go to a virtual world

629
00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,640
Speaker 3: and we can't capture the audience the same way.

630
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,000
Speaker 1: And kids that are coming from like not so great environments. Yes,

631
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:40,080
Speaker 1: it's you know, I would imagine those two years could

632
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,440
Speaker 1: have set some set them back pretty far and created

633
00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 1: some damage.

634
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,600
Speaker 3: So what we did is we utilize the new location

635
00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 3: at that time, which is the second office, and we

636
00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,680
Speaker 3: stored our pantry goods there.

637
00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:57,800
Speaker 2: Set it up.

638
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,560
Speaker 3: We were coming out every day masks, you know, full soup,

639
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:06,720
Speaker 3: full gear, and we were making home deliveries of pantry

640
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,160
Speaker 3: food to community members. So at one point we were

641
00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,120
Speaker 3: doing maybe five hundred and fifty stops a day.

642
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,719
Speaker 1: What yes, and where were you getting the food. You

643
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,680
Speaker 1: did a contract with the city or something. So what

644
00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:24,120
Speaker 1: we did is we worked with different organizations. We worked

645
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,560
Speaker 1: with some warehouses, and you know, we just rallied around.

646
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,720
Speaker 2: But that's you doing a lot. Restaurants were calling and donating.

647
00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,640
Speaker 1: Meals, but you were doing a lot of the legwork

648
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:36,920
Speaker 1: as far as sparing all of that, right, because it's

649
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:38,759
Speaker 1: not I would imagine you're not giving it to some

650
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,920
Speaker 1: employer or whatever. So your career, not only are you pivoting,

651
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:43,919
Speaker 1: but you're like picking up the phone and saying, hey,

652
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,120
Speaker 1: but at this point, how many years in are you?

653
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:46,800
Speaker 3: So?

654
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:52,920
Speaker 2: And this point I was six years in?

655
00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,000
Speaker 1: Six years in? Okay? So you you you gained enough

656
00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,440
Speaker 1: of a roller decks, yep. But also like right when

657
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:02,480
Speaker 1: you hit your stride, you got the wind kicked out

658
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,200
Speaker 1: of you. Yes, so during the two years you successfully

659
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,120
Speaker 1: pivot the company. But when you come out of hybration,

660
00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,120
Speaker 1: you return to your initial focus.

661
00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:17,560
Speaker 3: Yes, returned to initial focus and expanded to being able

662
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:19,280
Speaker 3: to have actual food programs.

663
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 1: Now, oh wow, because of all that. Wow, So we.

664
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,919
Speaker 3: Still have our food pantry every week. We never cut

665
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,319
Speaker 3: that off, we never stopped. And then it has now

666
00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,360
Speaker 3: led us to actually have a food program, so we

667
00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,360
Speaker 3: have the Let's Eat program, and.

668
00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,279
Speaker 1: Then do you still cater to seniors in addition.

669
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:41,360
Speaker 3: Still working with seniors. Our pantry line weekly is comprised

670
00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:47,279
Speaker 3: of seniors. Still answering those emergency calls when families, you know,

671
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,560
Speaker 3: don't have enough food and resources.

672
00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:50,919
Speaker 2: So yeah, still doing the work.

673
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:52,960
Speaker 1: Wow, Now how many employees do you have?

674
00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:53,279
Speaker 3: Now?

675
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 2: Now I'm up to seventy eight employees?

676
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:04,600
Speaker 1: Seventy a yes, yes, yes, that's a huge fate. And

677
00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:07,160
Speaker 1: you know, employees is a tricky thing because not only

678
00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:11,640
Speaker 1: are you responsible for you know, one bad a can

679
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:17,120
Speaker 1: can roten an entire part of your company or if not,

680
00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:20,239
Speaker 1: take out your company. And then you have the other

681
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:20,759
Speaker 1: thing is.

682
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,120
Speaker 2: You have cash flow. Yes, and that well how do

683
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:25,640
Speaker 2: you how do you how did.

684
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:29,200
Speaker 1: You scale the business business to navigate those waters to

685
00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:30,200
Speaker 1: that capacity?

686
00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:30,839
Speaker 2: Yeah.

687
00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,520
Speaker 3: So earlier when you asked about the loan opportunity, right,

688
00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:37,680
Speaker 3: that was that was pivotal. Well, that was major at

689
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,920
Speaker 3: that time. So we were able to do that and

690
00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:44,520
Speaker 3: do that and now we have contracts, right, so now

691
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,360
Speaker 3: we're actually contracted to do some of the most of

692
00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,840
Speaker 3: the work that we're doing in the city. Yeah, so

693
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,400
Speaker 3: we were able to, you know, gain those relationships and

694
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:59,640
Speaker 3: get solidified contracts where now we know, okay, this is

695
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:00,840
Speaker 3: what we're contracted to do.

696
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:04,120
Speaker 2: We perform those services and the companies compensated.

697
00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 1: So just to recap, I could I wish I do

698
00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:09,680
Speaker 1: wish we were in LA because I feel like this

699
00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,920
Speaker 1: conversation could go a little bit longer. But just to recap,

700
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,160
Speaker 1: can you give us a snapshot on how we know

701
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:20,640
Speaker 1: you have over seventy eight, seventy eight employees for locations,

702
00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,480
Speaker 1: how many people are being serviced at the moment right

703
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,600
Speaker 1: now on average? Because I saw it in the day,

704
00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:28,600
Speaker 1: it was a big number. Go ahead, you can shout

705
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:36,399
Speaker 1: it out talk wow, I wow, you've serviced over half

706
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:36,800
Speaker 1: a million.

707
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:38,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, over half a million.

708
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:41,319
Speaker 3: Who I thought it was in the seven hundred, it's

709
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:45,320
Speaker 3: about it's about six hundred and I think six hundred

710
00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:48,919
Speaker 3: and fifty thousand people comprised of all of our after

711
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:55,600
Speaker 3: school programs, our senior programs and events, our staff. We

712
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,440
Speaker 3: have consultants. So my seventy eight employees, that's just my employees.

713
00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,080
Speaker 3: Those are my full time, part time employees. Doesn't factor

714
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,359
Speaker 3: in all of the consultants that we have shut out

715
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,239
Speaker 3: to the consultants, the other businesses that we support in

716
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:08,960
Speaker 3: doing the work.

717
00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:11,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're servicing.

718
00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:12,000
Speaker 3: Wow.

719
00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,160
Speaker 1: Wow, when you look back at that ten years, what

720
00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:19,560
Speaker 1: advice would you give to someone in your shoes may

721
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:22,319
Speaker 1: potentially could have been? It could be a single mom.

722
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:23,759
Speaker 1: I don't know if you're a single mom or not.

723
00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:28,479
Speaker 2: Yes, okay, yes, even tougher, even tougher. Yeah.

724
00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:33,200
Speaker 1: When I say the cards, the cards somewhat seem a

725
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,160
Speaker 1: little stacked against you, even though you're so graceful and

726
00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:40,600
Speaker 1: so sweet and so packaged, so well, and you've accomplished

727
00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:45,160
Speaker 1: so much. But it definitely seems like the road was

728
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:50,479
Speaker 1: one hundred percent uphill during those ten years. I would

729
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,120
Speaker 1: imagine you had crisises right. Yes, yes, and your team

730
00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:55,759
Speaker 1: stayed stayed the course.

731
00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,920
Speaker 3: Yes, my team, very very grateful for all of my

732
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,440
Speaker 3: team members directly, but also for all of the supporters,

733
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,160
Speaker 3: you know, those that really support and stand with elite learners.

734
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:09,840
Speaker 2: I can't, I can't thank.

735
00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:13,280
Speaker 3: You, very gracious, but I suffer daily with the illness

736
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:16,600
Speaker 3: crisis in and out the hospital. So yes, that still,

737
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:22,719
Speaker 3: you know, continues to happen. It's it has not been easy, right,

738
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:28,680
Speaker 3: And what I could say is keep going right, we

739
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:32,239
Speaker 3: all have our tough days and times, and we have

740
00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:37,040
Speaker 3: our you know, periods where we don't see the good

741
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:39,560
Speaker 3: and the work that we're doing, but keep doing it.

742
00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,920
Speaker 3: And I think for me, what keeps me going is

743
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:47,680
Speaker 3: I see the way elite learners has changed the trajectory

744
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:52,080
Speaker 3: of communities. I see the difference, the decline. I haven't

745
00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:56,239
Speaker 3: had a shooting in my catchment area in over three hundred.

746
00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:00,319
Speaker 2: Days, right where these are areas that.

747
00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:06,920
Speaker 3: Are infiltrated with gun violence, right, it's just violence. I'm

748
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:11,719
Speaker 3: watching the schools that we work with and partner with.

749
00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:15,879
Speaker 3: I'm watching those kids walk across stages, you know, when

750
00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,360
Speaker 3: they didn't believe in themselves, when they just needed the support.

751
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,400
Speaker 3: So I see the difference that the organization makes and

752
00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,520
Speaker 3: for me, that is what keeps me going despite you know,

753
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:30,760
Speaker 3: the hard times and the health issues.

754
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,719
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, So your advice would be to stay the course,

755
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:36,759
Speaker 1: stay the course. And during the ten years, was there

756
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:41,360
Speaker 1: any point where you thought I want to quit? Yes? Okay,

757
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:43,440
Speaker 1: Well I think it's good to know because I think

758
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,880
Speaker 1: people will see this in ten years. All the success

759
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:49,520
Speaker 1: self made, self made. You know, it's self made. When

760
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,560
Speaker 1: your go to dish is you know fried chicken wings

761
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:56,080
Speaker 1: and poor fried riot or self made is also when

762
00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:59,439
Speaker 1: you're like, I'm going to choose between my storefront rent

763
00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:03,239
Speaker 1: and my house rent. Yes, and so I just want

764
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,640
Speaker 1: I want everybody listen to walk away with you this

765
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:10,440
Speaker 1: single mom sickle cell, like your cards were stacked against you.

766
00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,239
Speaker 1: With what's going on in the world today. I'm sure

767
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,000
Speaker 1: you heard about the incident happened in Chicago. I have

768
00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:20,560
Speaker 1: a theory. I'm gonna share my theory. No, I'm gonna

769
00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,320
Speaker 1: ask you because people don't care about my theory. But

770
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:25,560
Speaker 1: what do you think some of the route behind this

771
00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:28,920
Speaker 1: childhood bullying is? And do you think that parents should

772
00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,080
Speaker 1: somewhat be a little bit responsible for some of this

773
00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:33,000
Speaker 1: bulling that's going on.

774
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:37,920
Speaker 3: Parents have to definitely step up right, they have to

775
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:42,920
Speaker 3: definitely take responsibility and accountability for what is.

776
00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:48,080
Speaker 2: Happening and definitely what has happened. It's hard, though, it's hard.

777
00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,040
Speaker 2: You know, there's so many.

778
00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:56,560
Speaker 3: There's so many things going on that really just influence

779
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,640
Speaker 3: the behaviors of young people. You really, you know, there's

780
00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:04,480
Speaker 3: the pair pressure, there's the just not thinking, there's the

781
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:07,320
Speaker 3: lack of support. It could be it's so many different

782
00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,480
Speaker 3: challenges that are just happening in the world. But definitely

783
00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:16,239
Speaker 3: it's a hard topic to speak on. Very It's very

784
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:19,919
Speaker 3: difficult for me because the mom suffered with sickle cell

785
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:23,120
Speaker 3: and it's dealing with that disease, right, And I know

786
00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,480
Speaker 3: the beast. I know what it feels like to not

787
00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:29,560
Speaker 3: be able to get your kids from school because you

788
00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:32,040
Speaker 3: don't feel good, But you got to push yourself and

789
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:36,000
Speaker 3: pick them up, right, I deal with that. There's days

790
00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:38,120
Speaker 3: I don't want to go to my daughter's softball game.

791
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:41,120
Speaker 3: I know, sitting out there the weather is just too much.

792
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:42,680
Speaker 2: It may but I gotta go.

793
00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:46,759
Speaker 3: So I can only imagine she may not have even

794
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,960
Speaker 3: been feeling well right to be able to deal with

795
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:55,480
Speaker 3: what was put in front of her for no apparent reason.

796
00:42:56,239 --> 00:43:00,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say for the side of the kids

797
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:02,480
Speaker 1: that are actually doing the bullying.

798
00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, but they need they need help, they need support, right.

799
00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:07,920
Speaker 1: I heard that some people were saying that they're going

800
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:09,719
Speaker 1: to try and try them as adults, Like you can't

801
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:11,880
Speaker 1: really do that, do the right, you know?

802
00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,360
Speaker 3: For us, and in this, in the work that we do,

803
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:19,080
Speaker 3: we are about supporting both sides, right. We support the

804
00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,400
Speaker 3: folks that need the help and that have committed the

805
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,400
Speaker 3: crimes or may have partaken in the active bullying, and

806
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:29,520
Speaker 3: then we also support the families right that are victims.

807
00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:33,880
Speaker 3: So in my stance, it's very hard. Both need a

808
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:36,800
Speaker 3: lot of support and not a lot of love. But

809
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,320
Speaker 3: at the end of the day, there has to be accountability.

810
00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:43,480
Speaker 3: What that looks like, I don't know, and I you know,

811
00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:45,400
Speaker 3: I guess, you know. For me, it's hard to answer

812
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,439
Speaker 3: because I'm struggling with the entire situation as a whole.

813
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:54,000
Speaker 3: You know, it hit home, but definitely the school has

814
00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:55,640
Speaker 3: to take accountability.

815
00:43:55,719 --> 00:44:00,640
Speaker 1: As all members. Yes, Okay, I I like that answer

816
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:03,240
Speaker 1: cause I was kind of coming from a more ignorant state,

817
00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,839
Speaker 1: and I say ignorance, But I come from a more

818
00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:09,600
Speaker 1: ignorant state, and I say, you know, I think sometimes

819
00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:12,920
Speaker 1: parents and single and or single parents are up against

820
00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:15,879
Speaker 1: a lot of pressure, and I feel like, if there's

821
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:22,840
Speaker 1: not enough active role models touching the youth regularly, this

822
00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:25,239
Speaker 1: is what happens. Yes, where you don't have someone that's

823
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,680
Speaker 1: constantly checking in, who are your friends, where'd you do,

824
00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:29,960
Speaker 1: what'd you eat? Or whatever? Like I was at a

825
00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:34,200
Speaker 1: pizza joint yesterday and I saw like six ten year

826
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:36,399
Speaker 1: olds rolling in order they pieces and pay. And it's

827
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:38,919
Speaker 1: just like, Yo, these kids are like you know, they're

828
00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:41,719
Speaker 1: they're living their lives. But it's like, yo, you really

829
00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:44,360
Speaker 1: need someone that's like actively active.

830
00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:48,040
Speaker 3: And I want to say, what was key for me

831
00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:51,719
Speaker 3: and what is really still bothering me is the fact

832
00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:55,560
Speaker 3: that mom explained that her son had been bullied for

833
00:44:55,760 --> 00:45:00,040
Speaker 3: several years and that she had contacted the school and

834
00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:02,800
Speaker 3: you know, try to reach out. And that for me,

835
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,720
Speaker 3: right is the school needs to provide support.

836
00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:07,440
Speaker 1: Right.

837
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:11,320
Speaker 2: We can't turn a blind eye to bullying. We can't

838
00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:13,200
Speaker 2: turn we can't.

839
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:17,040
Speaker 3: Say it's dismissal right, you know, see you later write

840
00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:21,080
Speaker 3: what happens outside of my building? No, you know, as educators,

841
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:24,880
Speaker 3: as leaders, we got to protect our children and our families.

842
00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:26,239
Speaker 2: At every step of the way.

843
00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:30,320
Speaker 3: So at Elite Learners, we have safe passage programs that

844
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:35,120
Speaker 3: actually puts individuals outside of school buildings to ensure our

845
00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:39,399
Speaker 3: families get to and from school. So, had I had

846
00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:44,920
Speaker 3: a violence interrupter, a credible messenger, a mentor outside of

847
00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:48,320
Speaker 3: the perimeters of the school, we alleviate things like this

848
00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:52,920
Speaker 3: from happening. There's someone there to intervene, right, someone that's

849
00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:57,320
Speaker 3: not afraid to say, hey, listen, this is not acceptable behavior.

850
00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:58,360
Speaker 2: This is not going to happen.

851
00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,359
Speaker 3: So we create and have programs to do that work

852
00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:05,840
Speaker 3: because we see the need. We know what happens, you

853
00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:09,120
Speaker 3: know after school and during dismissal and what could happen.

854
00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:12,239
Speaker 3: But you know, we got to start to address these things.

855
00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:13,759
Speaker 3: We can't turn a blind eye to it.

856
00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,680
Speaker 1: No, But I think that speaks to elite learners in

857
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:19,640
Speaker 1: the fact that your service is elite in the sense

858
00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:24,719
Speaker 1: that you know, you're thinking about everything from on the

859
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:27,520
Speaker 1: way to school, yes, to getting home to the feel

860
00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:30,439
Speaker 1: like what that process looks like for a young person,

861
00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,120
Speaker 1: lunch from support and lunch from support. Right, So when

862
00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:37,279
Speaker 1: this bullying may be taking place right or any of

863
00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:41,719
Speaker 1: those opportunities where children are left and they may not

864
00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:44,399
Speaker 1: know how to deal with those situations, we're in them.

865
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:48,440
Speaker 2: We're in those spaces and in those areas. And you

866
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:50,880
Speaker 2: know this is not only in New York but across

867
00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:52,120
Speaker 2: across the world.

868
00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:57,600
Speaker 3: Like principles, educators really have to dive into utilizing services

869
00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:00,880
Speaker 3: and programs that can alleviate some of these things from happening.

870
00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:05,560
Speaker 1: Wow, well, where can everybody tune into everything? Elite Learners

871
00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:06,239
Speaker 1: and you can.

872
00:47:06,239 --> 00:47:10,040
Speaker 3: Say right there, So please follow us on Instagram. It's

873
00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:15,919
Speaker 3: Elite Learners, Inc. The website is Elite Learnersinc. Dot com

874
00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:19,160
Speaker 3: and we're everywhere.

875
00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:21,240
Speaker 1: Everywhere, And you know you guys can more than welcome

876
00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:25,440
Speaker 1: to donate support. Yes, and I know I was talking

877
00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:28,400
Speaker 1: with you prior to our taping. I definitely want to

878
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,319
Speaker 1: see a ten year anniversary gala. Okay, so all y'all

879
00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:34,799
Speaker 1: funders and everybody pull out your checkbooks and supports more.

880
00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:37,880
Speaker 1: We want to see more storefronts, more schools, more communities

881
00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:39,200
Speaker 1: impacted by Elite Learners.

882
00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:44,160
Speaker 3: We appreciate it and very very much into making sure

883
00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:49,360
Speaker 3: that if anyone donates supports the organization, the resources really

884
00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:53,160
Speaker 3: impact the individuals on the ground. We really change the

885
00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:58,160
Speaker 3: trajectory of communities and support families. So looking forward to

886
00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:00,520
Speaker 3: continue in the mission. And thank you so much for

887
00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:00,840
Speaker 3: having me.

888
00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:03,360
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for taking time out of your

889
00:48:03,400 --> 00:48:06,279
Speaker 1: day and feeding us. Thanks you all for tuning in.

890
00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:07,440
Speaker 2: Peace out. Thank you