The CYSC Entrepreneur Program has provided participants success in directing their energies through a passionate journey of growth through their creativity on their ideas for their business endeavors. The team’s advisor Faith T. Olofintvy provides tools to teach participants awareness of positive and negative aspects of business ownership.
Olofintvy explained the goal of the program is entrepreneurship. “We’ve made the cohort very narrow for people who are interested in starting a business now, or have plans to get into entrepreneurship in the future. In our class, we have a few people who are in college and running their small businesses.” He added, “The goal of the program is to bring together people who are passionate about getting into business and who really believe that they can learn tools that they can use for their future.”
Participant Courtney Newbern has learned to use these skills in order to run their clothing line ‘Big Boy’s Attire.’ His clothing line hosts two sub-brands creating a brand that promotes self-esteem while wearing something that people can identify with and empowers people’s individuality.
“We don’t really have too many black entrepreneurs,” Newbern said. “And having Phalanx Family Services to support young youth is a good thing because that can embrace more people to be entrepreneurs.”
Marcel Washington Jr. is creating “MythicAdventures’ which welcomes people of any background. They can relate to the stories that they will read, watch, and play. He is creating a comic book company using characters, comic books, and graphic novels that establish his project’s uniqueness from companies such as Marvel and DC Comics.
MythicAdventures includes characters that are diverse and original such as Plasma, a Polynesian character who is a super speedster, and Ms. Strike, an African-American woman whose stories of fantasy are identifiable through the characters with thorough representation that is not typically seen in popular media.
As a mentor, Olofintvy offers daily guidance to give participants the ability to have an outlet for their needs. Moreover, he helps them understand the importance of creatives maintaining positive mental health and motivation.
Written by Skye Leon
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
Interview: Nov. 23, 2021, with Faith T. Olofintvy, Courtney Newbern, and Marcel Washington Jr.
Images Courtesy of TNS Photography – Used With Permission
