Jay Ellis
Charismatic television and film actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur Jay Ellis is the breakout star as Bryce ‘Blue’ Westbrook,” the highly educated, first round, wide receiver draft pick from Stanford in BET’s hit television series THE GAME. Since THE GAME premiered on BET in 2011 the series has maintained a strong following and was recently picked up for an upcoming eighth season.
Born in Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Ellis spent the majority of his childhood traveling due to his father being a lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He attended 12 schools in 13 years, becoming used to the constant moving around. Ellis’ mother was an accomplished finance executive and instilled in her son the importance of community service at and education at an early age. Ellis credits his mother for setting an example of higher education. Standing 6’ 3” at the age of 15, Ellis shined as a basketball star, taking his team all the way to the state finals in Idaho where he caught the eye of a college recruiter from the University of Portland.
After graduating from Concordia in 2003 where he was also held the position of student body president, Ellis interned briefly with the Portland Trailblazers before joining AmeriCorps to provide care and resources to disadvantaged citizens in Chile and Morocco. After serving with the organization for two years, Jay traveled the world as a fashion model where he lived in Milan, Tokyo, Sidney, London and many other countries abroad. Ellis appeared in several fashion campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch, Nike and Addidas. During this time, he was extremely grateful because modeling providing him with an opportunity to see the world and experience such a diverse array of culture.
In 2007, Ellis made the decision to move to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting and worked tirelessly at perfecting his craft, taking classes day and night with Lesly Kahn Studios. In 2008, Ellis had his his first film debut in Elizabeth Banks directorial feature MOVIE 43, starring alongside Kate Winslet, Dennis Quaid, and Hugh Jackman. Ellis has also appeared in numerous primetime television series including “Hart of Dixie,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” among many others.
When Ellis is not in front of the camera, he enjoys working out, surfing in California, traveling abroad and playing the guitar. Additionally, he is a certified Pilates trainer and is the co-owner of several successful studios and body spas located along the Gulf Coast region of United States with additional locations slated to open late summer 2015.
Ellis is actively involved with Miracles for Kids, a California based organization, which provides once in a lifetime opportunities to young children battling terminal illnesses. A staunch advocate for higher education, Ellis is active in Minds Matter, a organization which provides inner city youth with mentors and resources in an effort to increase their chances of attending college after completing high-school.
Charismatic television and film actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur Jay Ellis is the breakout star as Bryce ‘Blue’ Westbrook,” the highly educated, first round, wide receiver draft pick from Stanford in BET’s hit television series THE GAME. Since THE GAME premiered on BET in 2011 the series has maintained a strong following and was recently picked up for an upcoming eighth season.
Born in Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Ellis spent the majority of his childhood traveling due to his father being a lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He attended 12 schools in 13 years, becoming used to the constant moving around. Ellis’ mother was an accomplished finance executive and instilled in her son the importance of community service at and education at an early age. Ellis credits his mother for setting an example of higher education. Standing 6’ 3” at the age of 15, Ellis shined as a basketball star, taking his team all the way to the state finals in Idaho where he caught the eye of a college recruiter from the University of Portland.
After graduating from Concordia in 2003 where he was also held the position of student body president, Ellis interned briefly with the Portland Trailblazers before joining AmeriCorps to provide care and resources to disadvantaged citizens in Chile and Morocco. After serving with the organization for two years, Jay traveled the world as a fashion model where he lived in Milan, Tokyo, Sidney, London and many other countries abroad. Ellis appeared in several fashion campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch, Nike and Addidas. During this time, he was extremely grateful because modeling providing him with an opportunity to see the world and experience such a diverse array of culture.
In 2007, Ellis made the decision to move to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting and worked tirelessly at perfecting his craft, taking classes day and night with Lesly Kahn Studios. In 2008, Ellis had his his first film debut in Elizabeth Banks directorial feature MOVIE 43, starring alongside Kate Winslet, Dennis Quaid, and Hugh Jackman. Ellis has also appeared in numerous primetime television series including “Hart of Dixie,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” among many others.
When Ellis is not in front of the camera, he enjoys working out, surfing in California, traveling abroad and playing the guitar. Additionally, he is a certified Pilates trainer and is the co-owner of several successful studios and body spas located along the Gulf Coast region of United States with additional locations slated to open late summer 2015.
Ellis is actively involved with Miracles for Kids, a California based organization, which provides once in a lifetime opportunities to young children battling terminal illnesses. A staunch advocate for higher education, Ellis is active in Minds Matter, a organization which provides inner city youth with mentors and resources in an effort to increase their chances of attending college after completing high-school.
Adrian Anderson is a Motivational Speaker, Award-winning Recording Artist and Entrepreneur who has pledged to live by using all of her gifts and knowledge to help others reach their full potential. As a Motivational speaker, she encourages woman with sessions including Beauty From Within and Success Will Be Mine. For teens and young adults she speaks from Designing Your Future - The Dream Engine which includes topics such as Professional Conduct, Dream Mapping and Social Media choices. Adrian spent 12 years performing around the world as 1/3 of multi-platinum trio Trin-i-tee 5:7 who are a Dove Award-winning, Grammy and BET nominated recording group. A true California girl at heart, she has a love for nature and adopted an all-natural eating regime for long stretches on the road that kept her energized and fit. Adrian continues to write music and will soon record a collection of inspiring and uplifting songs that transform her speaking platform into a musical soundtrack. Adrian will also launch her beauty brand Halo Tu Beauty this fall; a company that purely reflects a culture of kindness, love and glamour. Make-up Artistry was her first career (MTV and Estee Lauder) prior to joining Trin-i-tee 5:7 and now she has coupled her life experiences, love for make-up and business into this new and exciting vision.
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Brianna Bennett has always had a heart to serve. As a senior in high school, she was given the privilege to attend an Anti-Defamation League Diversity conference at the University of California, San Diego that sparked a fire in her to bring positive changes to her surrounding community.
As a student leader at San Diego State University (SDSU), she helped to spread the importance of ethnic diversity on campus through her involvement with the Office of Intercultural Relations, Multicultural Caucus, and other various ethnic student organizations on campus. Her greatest achievement while at SDSU was coordinating the Afrikan Student Union (ASU) 35th Annual High School Conference, which served high school students in the San Diego and Los Angeles school districts by providing educational and social resources to them to help them attend college. She was also involved with the Urban League of San Diego County, Scholars Without Borders Honor Society and Mortar Board National College Senior Honors Society. Her involvement helped her to receive the “Quest for the Best” Vice Presidential Student Service Award, which is one of the top awards given to students at SDSU. After graduating from SDSU in May 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism, she moved to Los Angeles County to attend CSU Northridge. In May 2012, she graduated from CSU Northridge with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a specialization in Public Policy and Management. While in graduate school, her research was mainly on ethnic diversity in education, which gave her a desire to work in the education. Currently, she works as a Student Data Management Analyst and assist charter schools , mainly in low income areas with state reporting and public policy issues that impact the success of their schools. In addition to working in education, she loves volunteering with LAULYP as the Community Service Committee (CSC) Chair. She hopes to use the valuable skills that she is learning from being a YP to continue to make positive changes and help to uplift those in need. |
Issa Rae
With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae's content has garnered over 20 million views and close to 150,000 subscribers on YouTube. In addition to making Glamour Magazine's "35 Under 35" list (2013) as well as Forbes' "30 Under 30" list (2013 and 2014) and winning the 2012 Shorty Award for Best Web Show for her hit series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," Issa Rae has worked on web content for Pharrell Williams, Tracey Edmonds and numerous others. She developed a TV series with Shonda Rhimes for ABC and is currently developing a half-hour comedy for HBO with Larry Wilmore. Rae is also slated to release a book of essays with Simon & Schuster in 2014. Issa has received national attention with major media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, ELLE, Seventeen, Rolling Stone, VIBE, Fast Company, MSNBC, Essence, Fader and more.
With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae's content has garnered over 20 million views and close to 150,000 subscribers on YouTube. In addition to making Glamour Magazine's "35 Under 35" list (2013) as well as Forbes' "30 Under 30" list (2013 and 2014) and winning the 2012 Shorty Award for Best Web Show for her hit series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," Issa Rae has worked on web content for Pharrell Williams, Tracey Edmonds and numerous others. She developed a TV series with Shonda Rhimes for ABC and is currently developing a half-hour comedy for HBO with Larry Wilmore. Rae is also slated to release a book of essays with Simon & Schuster in 2014. Issa has received national attention with major media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, ELLE, Seventeen, Rolling Stone, VIBE, Fast Company, MSNBC, Essence, Fader and more.
Christopher Isaac Brown, a native son of Los Angeles, is the latest in a new generation of leadership set to transform Los Angeles County into its 21st Century potential. Brown is an American politician and entrepreneur in the State of California. In November 2013, he became the first African American mayor of Hawthorne, California. Brown took the gavel and was inaugurated on December 5th, 2013.
Raised in local public schools, Brown received his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from National University and studied Real Estate Securities & Investment Analysis at Allied Real Estate School. Brown began his professional career in the technology industry and has brought that spirit of innovation into all his endeavors. Brown was the youngest Account Executive in the nation for Nextel Communication and he found his leadership role also befitting at AT&T Wireless. As a successful small business owner, Brown most recently operated a business to help homeowner’s manage their assets. Brown was elected to serve as a delegate for President Barack Obama at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and has served as the Los Angeles County Regional Director for the California Young Democrats along with serving on the Board of the Westchester Democratic Club. As Mayor, Brown will fulfill his commitment as a candidate and work with the Hawthorne City Council to establish citywide ethics guidelines and form an independent ethics commission to ensure that Hawthorne’s elected officials are held to the highest standards of conduct while in office. Brown will establish the ‘Mayor’s Business Roundtable’, which will meet regularly to engage leaders in Hawthorne’s business community to foster innovation, create jobs and increase business and investment opportunities throughout the city. Brown will increase economic development in Hawthorne by bringing dining and entertainment businesses to the city. Rebuilding the Hawthorne Mall is one of Brown’s largest plans for the city. He recognizes the importance of restructuring Downtown Hawthorne to make it an attractable hub for businesses and the community. Brown will also pursue an agenda to increase public safety and improve public access to parks while protecting Hawthorne’s fiscal health. Brown and his wife Hedako, an educator, are the proud parents of a three-year-old son and are expecting their second child in early 2014. |
Tyrin
Ford, better known by his Industry Name "DOE", has a proven track record
of success in the Entertainment, Advertising, and Software Industry.
In Corporate America, Tyrin has helped several Fortune 500 clients from many different industries achieve great results from strategic digital content marketing initiatives. Tyrin has provided creative services and custom music for clients such as Revolt TV, Skype, Nissan/Infinti, McDonald's, Verizon, Coca Cola, Doritos, T.G.I. Friday's, GMC, Cadillac, Hummer, Crush Soda, US Forest Association, Jason Of Beverly Hills, Hill Harper, Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant, just to name a few. In 2011, Tyrin founded Ethno Nightlife and launched EthnoNightlife.com. EthnoNightlife.com is a multi-media entertainment website geared towards tastemakers, trendsetters, socialites, and information-movers within the urban lifestyle segment. The site serves as a resource guide for everything related to nightlife entertainment in Los Angeles, CA and Saint Louis, MO. In 2013, Tyrin accepted a position as the Media Director and Brand Ambassador for Dream Flights International (DFI). DFI provides bespoke private aviation charter and on-demand services to some of the most discerning clientele worldwide. The company recently celebrated their 15 year Anniversary and launched their new site, www.DreamFlightsIntl.com. Civically, Tyrin has been affiliated with the Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals (LAULYP) since 2009. In 2010, Tyrin accepted the role of Chairperson of the Marketing Committee. In 2011, Tyrin received the Western Regional Young Professional Member of Year Award along with the Man of Honor Award. In 2012, Tyrin Ford was appointed a position on the Executive Board with the Young 100 Black Men of Los Angeles. Tyrin is a mentor (Big Brother) for the Big Brother Big Sister Program of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA). Tyrin is also an active volunteer for The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) Organization, Black Aids Institute, and C.L.I.M.B. Inc. In 2013, Tyrin was awarded the C.L.I.M.B. Leadership Award for his involvement in the Los Angeles community. Tyrin and his Wife, Marketa Ford, recently launched Ethno Cares in the fall of 2013. Ethno Cares is a social responsibility initiative that provides tools and resources to promote Lupus awareness, research, education, and advocacy. Ethno Cares reaches the Lupus community through philanthropy, hands-on service, and social events. Tyrin is a graduate of University of Missouri Saint Louis and holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing Concentration in Management Organization Behavior of Business. Tyrin is a current member of the University of Missouri Saint Louis Alumni Association. Tyrin is also a proud graduate of the Value Selling Methodology program. Tyrin's favorite quote is "Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value" - Albert Einstein. |
Chamberlain Duru 2014
Vice President of the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, one of the fastest growing business organizations in West Los Angeles, Chamberlain Duru facilitates business interactions among and between small, mid-sized, and large corporations. His efforts to promote business through extensive community outreach and relationship building are responsible for immense economic growth spanning from Mar Vista to El Segundo. In addition to working on behalf of the Chamber, Mr. Duru provides business consult to companies and non-profit organizations who want to do business in the Westchester/LAX areas.
Mr. Duru joined the Chamber Executive team by way of Wells Fargo, where he held the position of Senior Business Banking Specialist as well as Commercial Banking officer. Originally from Charlotte North Carolina, Mr. Duru attended Hampton University where received his Bachelors of Science degree in marketing in 2002, one year before relocating to Los Angeles in 2003. Representative of his passion for financial literacy, youth health and wellness, and entrepreneurship, Mr. Duru currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army, has a position as a Junior Board Member for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and also represents the Chamber voice through his participation on the Westchester Vitalization Board.
Vice President of the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, one of the fastest growing business organizations in West Los Angeles, Chamberlain Duru facilitates business interactions among and between small, mid-sized, and large corporations. His efforts to promote business through extensive community outreach and relationship building are responsible for immense economic growth spanning from Mar Vista to El Segundo. In addition to working on behalf of the Chamber, Mr. Duru provides business consult to companies and non-profit organizations who want to do business in the Westchester/LAX areas.
Mr. Duru joined the Chamber Executive team by way of Wells Fargo, where he held the position of Senior Business Banking Specialist as well as Commercial Banking officer. Originally from Charlotte North Carolina, Mr. Duru attended Hampton University where received his Bachelors of Science degree in marketing in 2002, one year before relocating to Los Angeles in 2003. Representative of his passion for financial literacy, youth health and wellness, and entrepreneurship, Mr. Duru currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army, has a position as a Junior Board Member for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and also represents the Chamber voice through his participation on the Westchester Vitalization Board.
Brandi Richard currently serves as President of the National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP), an auxiliary of the National Urban League (NUL), supporting 64 chapters nationwide and reaching almost 2 million young professionals. Brandi is a civil servant with 10+ years of service, and currently is a Policy Analyst for FEMA National Processing Service Center Operations. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University in General Studies with an emphasis in Business, Computer Science and English and a graduate of the Ploughshares Fund Nuclear Security Cohort of the White House Project Go Run Political Leadership Training. Brandi participated in the NUL delegation to China, the African American Leaders Roundtable and the 2013 Aspen Institute Racial Equity Leadership Development Seminar.
She has created multiple business ventures including Awakened Concepts idea generation firm, Inspired Designs Apparel, and Sacred Aroma All Natural Bath and Body Products. Her Sacred Aroma products garnered her recognition as one of 5 designers to watch by the Dallas Morning News Guide. After creating natural products for social causes like the Safety Net Foundation and American Cancer Society, Brandi decided to create social capital as the Young Professional Advocate. Her focus is the Young Professional Agenda, a blueprint for YP community engagement tying the aspirations of young professionals 21-40 to their community responsibilities. Brandi is the co-founder of OnBoard DFW, an initiative designed to place YPs on community boards. In 2014 under Brandi’s leadership, NULYP convened a historic group of national young professional leaders (YP Leaders Convening) to create a combined agenda and action plan. Brandi’s current business venture is BR Communications. It allows her to use her love of written words and extensive background directing information, product and public figure campaigns to create innovative messaging for clients. She was recognized for her charitable and professional contributions in Mass Communications and Media as a Black Woman in Media. Brandi has a track record of successfully working with volunteer groups, increasing membership numbers, creating innovative events, providing value for fundraising dollars and motivating individuals to achieve their personal best. She was named a Talented Tenth by the Dallas Weekly newspaper, Dallas Business Journal top 40 under 40, Dallas Furniture Bank top 40 under 40 and Who’s Who in Black Dallas, and was honored with the 2011 Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Community Service Lifetime Achievement Award. For her work in NULYP, Brandi received the 2013 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from the Urban League of Long Island Young Professionals, the IMPACT Champion of Change award during the President’s Inaugural Weekend in 2013 the National Society of Black Engineers Professionals award for service to the community, and the Envest Foundation’s 40 under 40 award for philanthropy. |
Marshawn Williams
Though I was raised with both parents, they resided in separate homes. My family’s inability to communicate effectively caused some of my pivotal life decisions to be overlooked and unacknowledged, particularly by my father. My home held much tension and I needed an escape, basketball became that sacred place. Over time, basketball became my life, to the point that I dreamed of playing in the NBA. An alternative to playing in a national league was to become a police officer. I always had a heart to help others and I knew serving as an officer would fulfill this passion. Education was valued and graduating high school was a must. My teenage years were the beginning to the end. Graduation marked my day of liberation. It was my brand of freedom, but I did not understand all the responsibilities that came with being an adult and this new found independence. Essentially, I was discovering what it meant to be a “real” man. At age 16 I began working in the field of retail which helped me realize that hard work pays off. Soon I was managing money and opening a checking and savings account. This was my first exposure to the American Dream. As time passed and I began to grow mentally and mature, I “caught it.” At the age of 24, I realized it is time to make a change and I did just that. I reconnected with my roots by volunteering, coaching basketball, and mentoring youth. I believed that they needed an opportunity to be in the presence of positive people, in a safe and comfortable atmosphere which would help them understand, “if there is a will, there is always a way.” Through personal mistakes and triumphs, I recognized the importance of credit and budgeting at a young age. I understood financial management is paramount to success in life, unlike basketball, it is not a game, it is reality. I began to work in the field of finance and gained knowledge of its structure. With the heart of an entrepreneur, as I obtained this information I started spreading the meaning of credit to my peers and anyone who would listen. Watching their growth and listening to the questions people asked led me to dedicate my life to the nonprofit vision of UNITED DREAM FACTORY. Our mission is to empower our youth to believe, to build their self-esteem, to understand life, and to reach their education and maximum potential. |