COVID laid bare the inequities in education and how equitable opportunities are so dependent upon parental background, wealth and access to resources. True to our “set of the sail” philosophy, we seamlessly shifted to a virtual platform to deliver year-round programming in 2020, including one-on-one academic coaching, mentoring, real-world experiences and opportunities for advocacy and service. Highlights have included the following:

  • Bi-weekly BOSS Talks, a leadership series developed to increase our engagement, COVID notwithstanding, featuring the likes of former NBA Rookie-of-the-Year and CBS basketball analyst Clark Kellogg; Grammy-award winning producer, writer and Recording Academy President, Harvey Mason, Jr.; billionaire venture capital fund managing partner and Golden State Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens; Steelers quarterback and aerospace engineer Josh Dobbs; The Black Tax author, Shawn Rochester; Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul; the NBA’s Adam Harper; Investment banker Michael Haddix; former NFL exec turned ASU Athletic Director, Ray Anderson; NASA scientist Tony Magee; and real estate mogul and former business partner to Magic Johnson, Ken Lombard;
  • Participation in the 2020 Global Appathon for Good presented by MIT’s App Inventor team in conjunction with partners from across the globe.
  • Bi-weekly sessions around the 6 BOSS Pillars (Economically, Mentally, Physically, Socially, Emotionally and Spiritually BOSS);
  • Regular, one-on-one academic coaching in English, History, Math, Science and Technology;
  • Year-round STEAM activities in partnership with Microsoft;
  • Participation in the LA Promise Fund’s 2020 Intern Project (TIP) which provided the opportunity for selected high school juniors and seniors to grow, and for businesses to build a diverse pipeline of future talent and invest in and generate social impact;
  • Selected for participation in the LA Lakers Annual Mentor Night game versus the Orlando Magic
  • Selected for participation in the LA Lakers Black History Month Celebration including a dinner reception at Shaquille’s at LA Live featuring appearances by former Lakers great AC Green, former Bad Boy Dennis Rodman, and 1968 Olympic medalist, John Carlos. Afterwards, we took in the Lakers game versus the Houston Rockets.
  • Attended the opera “Dream Variation”, including the performance of unheard songs and arias of Black composers throughout classical music history that explored the expression of the Black experience from musicians in other centuries compared with those of today by pairing classical pieces with poetry, hip-hop, and soul selections from this century that reflect similar themes and emotional content
  • Clippers SciFest, an all-day event set to influence the next generation of STEM / STEAM professionals.  Exhibitors and sponsors inspired more than 15,000 students, teachers, families and the general public with their exciting, interactive activities from the LA Convention Center to:
    • Raise Awareness for Workforce Development in STEM – Showcase STEM beyond the classroom and offer our nation’s youth the chance to discover their inner scientist or engineer
    • Focus on the Future – STEM encourages critical thinkers, entrepreneurs, and change makers who will lead the nation in the forefront of discovery
    • Bridge the STEM Gap – STEM jobs are in critical demand with companies, government agencies, non-profits and universities looking for the next generation of skilled workers to fill vacancies required for growth
    • Illuminate Your Organization – Use the event as a springboard to launch your STEM initiative, latest technology or employee development