
Denise Hunter, MD, also known by her rapper name Dr. D-Nice Beaugelin (just kidding, but really), has been a medical doctor for over 18yrs and a youth leader for over 30 years. She is a Adolescent Wellness Specialist. She is the founder of Wisdomteethinger and creator of FOUNT.
Jun 23, 2022
1 hr 4 min

Some people called Cordan James a “crack baby,” a negative label he’s learned to reframe.
Cordan is a fighter. As the only black person in a rural community, he fought to belong. As a young man, he also fought to fit in… and sometimes to stand out. He spent his life in the Foster Care system.
He had beautiful relationships with adoptive family and friends, and he experienced boldfaced racial discrimination and stereotyping. But Cordan never stopped fighting to discover who he was.
He joined the US military, where he became a leader, and he was later reunited with his birth family. Through all the challenges, Cordan never stopped fighting. He’s a living example of the kind of resilience that only shows up in a life beset by extraordinary challenges.
And that’s why they call him “The Comeback Kid."
Cordan’s voice, life, and mission are all about giving children hope. Hope for a brighter future, and the tools to see their life in new ways… today. For adults like Cordan who have a traumatic story, Cordan’s life and message show that it’s never too late to manifest the fearless imaginings of their childhood.
Cordan James Haveron is a motivational speaker, life coach, and the founder of The Comeback Kid Mentorship Program. Influenced by the WhyTry Program, he uses WhyTry today to support biological and adoptive families, veterans, and mental health professionals.
May 24, 2022
53 min

Dr Allison Farrington is the Principal of the Research and Service High School. She believes that strong community-school relationships are essential to academic and civic achievement. She navigated her school through the pandemic, where she faced food shortages and unprecedented challenges.
Dr Farrington empowers students to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. Control, Optimism, Resilience, and Empowerment are her school’s CORE values.
And she’s no stranger to adversity… Discover Allison’s story of resilience.
Apr 7, 2022
59 min

Laze Elliot is a pioneering icon in the Hip Hop and R&B worlds and on the international touring stage.
Laze e Laze, as he is known, has sold over 25 million records, collaborating with many giants in the recording industry. Not only is Laze a multi-platinum producer, but he’s also a media and marketing executive.
Laze recently founded Taylos Media which serves as a platform to advance children in the 21st century with new technology in Media Production, and he serves on the board of The Off School Grounds Coalition.
Feb 24, 2022
1 hr 10 min

John Harrell manages a successful business, writes a blog, and regularly engages in public speaking. His audiences include corporations, trade associations, college students and incarcerated children-truly a "captive" audience. He encourages all to pursue their callings and not trade their potential for the security of a paycheck.
John is a fortunate survivor of childhood physical and emotional abuse. Because of his upbringing, Harrell is able to connect with struggling children, offering hope to kids, reminding them their futures are not limited by their circumstances. Everyone has the power within to break the generational malady of abuse and live a full life.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Rachel's Challenge, the largest program in the world which focuses on kindness and compassion. Named for Rachel Joy Scott, the first child killed at Columbine High School, Rachel's Challenge reaches 2 million people per year in 40 countries. John lives in Austin, Texas and is the proud father of two sons.
Aug 5, 2021
1 hr 1 min

With over fifteen years of experience in Retail and Investment Banking along with ten years as a Mortgage Underwriter and her astute acumen of how financial institutions evaluate applicants, Deneise is regarded as one of the best in her business. She graduated Summa Cum Laude at Iona College where she received her bachelor’s in Business Administration and MBA with a concentration in Financial Management.
Deneise McKesey is the CEO and founder of Focused Solutions Services, Inc and Pristine Score, a financial literacy and credit repair firm. She believes that financial literacy is an essential aspect everyone should possess and even more important in today’s fast-paced economy. Beyond credit coaching, Deneise emphasizes building financial literacy among her clients which, in turn, allows them the ability to enjoy the benefits of achieving short and long-term financial goals. Her goal is to create sustainable financial resilience. Deneise’s success has been featured in the publications, New York Wire, New York Weekly, The American Reporter, US News and The Chicago Journal.
Deneise McKesey is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor who provides financial literacy workshops, keynote speaking, and program development in her local community of New York, New York. She also serves groups across the United States that are looking to build financial education programming that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of participants. Over the last five years, Deneise has been involved in presenting financial education programming. Her passion is to help young adults and adults gain the skills they need to be self-sufficient and feel more secure with their personal finances.
Deneise is a business woman and a serial entrepreneur. Her catalogue of business ventures continues to grow. She is a co-founder, of OSG Enterprises LLC, the parent company of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Off School Grounds Coalition, Inc. “OSG”. As the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board Member of “OSG”, Deneise’s mission is to help educate all youth on the importance of finance; investing and money management through financial literacy concepts.
Deneise is a wife and mother of three children. In her leisure time, she enjoys baking and travelling the world with her family.
Jul 31, 2021
53 min

Discover the story behind on of the most influential movements in education.
Dennis McKesey has more than twenty five (25) years of experience in
working for private, public and charter schools in New York City. He's
a former principal, a graduate of Mercy College, with accreditations
in School Administration and Supervision. He's also a graduate of the
Columbia University in Business Leadership Development. Dennis is a
very passionate educator. He consults nationally with teachers and
administrators at schools and districts and has presented at school
leadership conferences.
Dennis is the founder of Off School Grounds, a virtual hub for dozens
of school leaders, from across the nation, where they engage in
leadership development and share best practices alongside
Entertainment special guests like Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, and
Dame Dash.
Jun 24, 2021
58 min

Magdalena Yesil is a founder, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author. She's been active in Silicon Valley for three decades. She was the founding board member and first investor in Salesforce, and she has invested in over 30 companies.
Magdalena was a pioneer in the commercialization of the Internet in its early days, helping it move out of the government and university domains and in establishing the infrastructure for e-commerce and financial transaction platforms.
She's the author of the book Power Up, and was featured as one of Silicon Valley's "Alpha Girls."
She started her career as a semiconductor design engineer at Advanced Micro Devices. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management Science and Engineering and a Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, all from Stanford University.
May 24, 2021
1 hr 17 min

Dedication, Communication, Results- with a genuine smile on her face, and her office adorned with her beauty pageant crown hanging beside her Navy uniform.
She's a doctor, an officer, and… the International Ms. 2020.
Dentistry and duty run in her blood. Her father, also a dentist, inspired her love of service and teeth, and she followed his footsteps becoming a Navy officer- a heritage that goes back to the Revolutionary War and earned her a Daughters of the American Revolution college scholarship.
While she continues her service as a Navy orthodontist based off-base, she has a passion for working with civilian kids and their moms. Whenever she can, she moonlights in private practices, using her strengths as a compassionate communicator (with a confidently feminine charm) to help improve the self-esteem of women, girls, and boys, one orthodontic procedure at a time.
She has lived in and visited over 50 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including her deployment with the United States Navy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Al Asad, Iraq where she took care of the smiles of over 25,000 active duty, contractors and Iraqi security forces.
After practicing for three years as a general dentist, she was selected to attend the elite Tri-Service Orthodontics Residency Program at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
While in residency she competed and won the title Ms. Texas, followed by Ms. United States 2012 and Ms. Galaxy 2014. The titles allowed her the opportunity to mentor young girls and show them that they can be and do anything- from beauty queen to Navy officer to orthodontist. At the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Conference she was a keynote speaker, speaking to over 1,000 middle school girls for the Department of Defense in Japan.
Apr 30, 2021
42 min

Amen Mandela Rahh is the author of the book Revolutionary School Culture. He's known as the Revolutionary Principal for how he has built and founded University Pathways Public Service Academy, “The U,” an urban public school in South Central Los Angeles.
Principal Rahh distinguished himself in the classroom and as a school leader. As an middle school teacher in Watts, CA, he was selected as the turnaround teacher which ultimately helped him obtain his position as dean of students. As a principal, he founded one of the most highly-regarded schools in the area by students and parents.
Currently, Principal Rahh is one of the most engaging speakers for transforming the way schools serve their at-promise student populations in America. He is a published author of a chapter he wrote in the book titled Restorative Practices Meets Social Justice. He is also the recipient of many educational, professional and community awards.
He was born and raised from Compton, California in which he takes pride in saying. Amen received Associates Degree from Compton Community College, his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Black Studies, from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills. He holds two Master degrees in Education and in Special Education from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills. Amen is a certified trainer of trainers in Restorative Justice by the Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP). Amen began his Professional career as a Special Education Assistant.
Principal Amen Rahh was selected by to be the Founding Principal of University Pathways Public Service Academy “The U”. The U is currently in its second year and the school is already a model school for building a Restorative Community as well as establishing school-wide system to improve student achievement.
Apr 16, 2021
1 hr
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