Our 4th Annual BOSS Weekend was a huge success, COVID notwithstanding. We presented our 4th Annual BOSS Showcase virtually on Friday, January 29, 2021 and our 4th Annual BOSS Awards the next evening. The Showcase is our annual opportunity to share the BOSS “process” with area youngsters who are not already a part of BOSS. Employing a “speed mentoring” concept, participants engaged in lively conversations with mentors representing careers in accounting, computer engineering, construction, finance/investment, law, logistics, real estate, technology and trade. Mentors included LARRY ABEL, Manager, Business Development, AEG/Staples Center MARVIN BISHOP, Peak Performance Guru ROBERT BROWN, Marketing Expert, Lecturer, Author SEAN COFFEY, Former NFL Player, Emmy Award winning film MICHAEL COOPER, Founder/CEO, Human Performance Mentors MIKEL DAVIS, Director, Consumer Analytics at NBCUniversal (Peacock) RYAN DELANEY, Managing Director, Oaktree Capital Management TAJ DASHAUN, Athlete Career Transition Coach CEDRIC FERRELL, Investment Specialist, Broker, Owner at Sperry Commercial CURT FLOOD, JR., Advisor, Nonprofit Executive BOBBY FRANKLIN, former D-1 athlete, Retired Corporate (Mattel) Executive WADE MANNING, Former NFL player, Retired Educator, President, Denver Chapter, NFL Retired Players GLYN MILBURN, former NFL player, Communications/Public Affairs Executive CHARLE’ MOORE, former D-1 athlete, Storyteller, On Camera Talent THOMAS MURPHY, Retired, Former MLB player ELSTON RIDGLE, former NFL player, Program Safety – COVID 19 Mitigation Specialist, Turner Construction JASON ROBINSON, former D-1 athlete, Founder, Playbook Five DEBRA RUSSELL, Certified Business Coach, Entertainment, Athletes, Small Business CESAR SANCHEZ, Partnership Manager, Kia Motors. The luncheon keynote was delivered by nationally celebrated author, international speaker, flight surgeon and medical doctor, CLARENCE M. LEE, MD. On Saturday, January 30, we presented our 4th Annual and 1 st virtual BOSS Awards, celebrating the accomplishments of an amazing group of people whose accomplishments are aligned with our BOSS Pillars including Tennessee State/Florida A&M President Emeritus Dr. Frederick S. Humphries; Grammy Award winning producer/writer and Recording Academy interim president Harvey Mason, jr.; NFL Hall of Famer Jackie Slater; First Foundation’s Stasia Washington; CBS’ Clark Kellogg; LA Rams VP Molly Higgins and City of Refuge leader Bishop Noel Jones.  We unveiled the patent-pending and award-winning mobile App, Safe Encounter, developed by our BOSS Coders as part of the 2020 MIT Global Appathon for God. Guests were treated to a special guest appearance by Keedron Bryant who delivered a rousing, live performance of his hit song “I Just Wanna Live and international saxophonist, producer, song writer, brand ambassador and music mentor, Jay Boykins. Another great fundraising weekend, during which we raised nearly $75,000 that will be used to help us achieve our goal of commercializing our Safe Encounter mobile app; build capacity by strengthening current staffing and programming; scale our impact to change the life trajectories of so many more of OUR boys, and continue to combat the impact the COVID pandemic has had on operations.

You can click here to view the program journal for our BOSS Showcase, and here for our BOSS Awards