Meet Kylon Gresham of Vanguard Initiative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylon Gresham.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was initially inspired to become active in my community in response to many of the injustices involving melanated people and law enforcement throughout the United States. After a series of heartfelt conversations with an old neighbor Ishmael Smith (now Co-Founder), we decided to embark on a mission to fill voids and enhance experiences for youths who come from similar backgrounds and face the many challenges that we are familiar with in our old neighborhood.

Over the past 18 months, we have sustained life skill development, career exposure, and recreational programs which we offer to youth in the Phoenix area between the ages of 5-17 years. Through productive relationships with local businesses, servicemen, and volunteers from the community, we have been able to facilitate a multitude of programs to encourage maximum exposure to alternative avenues of success for underserved youth with an emphasis outside of typical sports and entertainment routes.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Organizing workshops has been very enjoyable for our team primarily because of the response we have gotten from supporters and most importantly from participants. Their curiosity and anticipation of the next event, serve as fuel for us to continue to be creative with our approach to different activities.

The most challenging part of our journey has been funding and marketing exposure. Though we are located and serve many families in and near the South Phoenix area, we are well aware that there are countless young lives that we have yet to impact due to our limited funding and outreach capability. This is an area we are looking forward to address through innovative campaigns and building productive relationships with other organizations that share our target audience and agendas.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Vanguard Initiative, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that facilitates youth recreation programs, career exposure, and life development workshops. Our mission is to revitalize urban communities through the advancement of underserved youth.

I am personally most proud of the impact that we have had on many young lives through our efforts. This is confirmed through the positive and constructive feedback that we receive from our supporters. Their willingness to help us enhance our methods validates the necessity of what we do and keeps us grounded in the fact that there is immense potential for us to expand the scope and reach of what we do.

Our integration of music, physical fitness, ethics, and life skill development is a testament to our unique approach in creating comfortable settings for youth to be active and aware of the resources that can be leveraged to enhance their futures. A key component of our vision is to promote a code of conduct which reinforces principled living and diminishes the school-to-prison pipeline across all city, county, and state lines. Ultimately, our efforts are implemented to prepare the next generation of leaders to embody visionary leadership, integrity, and a sense of purpose to develop a model community that is ideal to work live and play in.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, like many of my peers, I was heavily invested in athletics and influenced by hip-hop culture. Many of us mistakenly believed that sports and entertainment was where our future were destined to take us. In my youth, I was definitely more introverted and even now I am more of an observer than someone would be considered the loudest in the room. I was fortunate to have parents that would enable my siblings and I to travel frequently. The consistent exposure to different places, cultures, and experiences was definitely a large factor in me having an open mind to new ideas and helped me mature with a great sense of humility for others.

These days I enjoy traveling more than ever especially family vacations. I also enjoy discovering new music artists and reading books on philosophy, history, and biography. Through my participation in Vanguard Initiative, Inc., I am able to integrate my interest in sports with positive efforts in the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: vginitiative.org
• Phone: 480-420-4943
• Email: info@vginitiative.org
• Instagram: @vg_initiative
• Facebook: facebook.com/vanguardinitiative
• Twitter: @vg_initiative

Image Credit:
Dennis T. Griffin

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