Ignite 2 Impact Podcast - Raise Up And Inspire The Next Generation Of Leaders

 Jason K. Appling is the Co-Founder of Cool Smart, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that has a mission to educate the youth and young professionals on the importance of philanthropy and increasing awareness of charitable initiatives in metropolitan areas through Cool, Smart, and Fun programming. Cool Smart, Inc. was founded in 2014 by Jason Appling and his business partner Byron Suggs. Elite professionals and socialites unite with the goal of giving back As approaching the age of 30, Jason was inspired to become more socially responsible in his community and realized that growing up, volunteerism and charity was not a major influence in his household. This inspired the birth of the Cool Smart, Inc., assuming that the youth would be more apt to volunteer and raise money for their community if educated on the importance of philanthropy but done in a manner that infused Cool, Smart, and Fun activities. Byron Suggs, Fox2 Detroit Reporter and Jason Appling In 2011, Jason Appling and his partner launched

Loretta A. Forbes is a nationally recognized girls empowerment speaker, Author of two best selling books “Hello, My Name is B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.” and “If God is a King, That Makes Me a Princess” and a licensed therapist. Loretta has been featured on PBS, FOX 2 news, Rolling Out Magazine, Michigan Chronicle Newsprint, and has also been interviewed on a wide variety of radio shows including The Deborah Smith Pollard show on Mix 92.3, Dr. A.R. Bernard Show, author of “Four Things Women Want From a Man” and former BET host Cheryl Martin’s nationally syndicated podcast. Due to her passion for girl’s advocacy, Loretta established her own business, Life Beyond the Norm LLC in 2012 to provide and offer a wide range of services to girls.  Such services include, counseling, keynote speeches, confidence coaching programs, various workshops to foster girl empowerment and personal development. Loretta has a passion and mission to motivate and inspire girls, by helping them understand who they are, and how powerful they ar

When Meryl first fell in love with figure skating on a frozen lake by her childhood home outside of Detroit, Michigan, she had no idea the journey she was about to embark on. Teaming up with partner, Charlie White at the young age of nine, Meryl and Charlie began their quest together. Neither knowing much about the discipline of ice-dance, the team was driven by a passion for skating and the desire to learn, grow and see improvement from one day to the next. 20 years later, Meryl and Charlie are the reigning Olympic Champions and the first and only Americans to win the event. They’re also six-time U.S. Champions and 2-time World Champions, making them the most decorated U.S. ice dancers of all time.             Immediately following their 2014 Olympic win in Sochi, Russia, Meryl and Charlie continued to dance into the hearts of Americans on season 18 of the hit TV show, Dancing with the Stars. With pro partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Meryl again came away with a win and the coveted Mirrorball trophy. Continui

Dr. Moorer flunked-out of Kettering University twice returned earning a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems –then later returned as a professor and was recognized as Kettering’s most distinguished alumni. Cleamon Moorer Jr., DBA, is a father, husband, philanthropist, educator, author, mentor and educational entrepreneur. Moorer is the author of best-selling memoir “From Failure to Promise: 360 Degrees,” the story of how he overcame flunking out of college to become an engineer, college professor and dean. From Failure to Promise has held the #1 top-rated spot on Amazon in the US and Canada on several occasions in the genre of memoirs/biographies of educators. Black Enterprise magazine named him "Modern Man of Distinction." Defying obstacles is what makes him true motivational speaker because he can transform audiences to catch his “never give up spirit.”    Speaking at many conferences across the nation – including a TED Talk where he delivered “Pursue Promise: Success is Not Enough.”  In t

Look at any leader - and you'll see they were once a volunteer.  Volunteers launch movements. Think about the Civil Rights Movement where countless volunteers, including Rev. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, banded together to make an impact. Many leaders were also birthed from that movement - my dad being one of them.  "Money Helps But People Solve Problems," said my friend, Governor George Romney. Just some history on me: I co-founded United Way Community Services, merging two United Way affiliates to more effectively provide health and human services, and served as its first executive vice president and chief operating officer.  I also engaged Detroit’s mayor and auto companies to mobilize hundreds of professionals to mentor Detroit youth, worked with former Michigan Gov. George Romney to increase volunteerism throughout the region, and championed quality education as chair of the Compact, Detroit’s first successful education reform effort. While at United Way, I attended Harvard Business School, and tau

NBA Hall of Famer, Businessman and Former Mayor Dave Bing continues his conversation on leadership strategies that he feels will ignite the next generation. His passion is making it happen in the Bing Youth Institute where is the founder and chairman.   "One of the biggest challenges in the face of adversity is to provide leadership that gives hope and empowers our young men." - Dave Bing  Bing feels it's about mentorship. He has tapped successful black men to mentor Detroit boys. "Time is important - and that's the main thing that will make a difference," said Bing, who kicked off the BINGO program with four Detroit schools and is now in 15 schools.   The program, whose acronym stands for: Boys Inspired through Nurturing Growth & Opportunities (BINGO).  What is BINGO? The Issue: One of the most prevalent issues facing many urban communities throughout our country is the plight of young men of color. The Mission: To create a meaningful mentoring experience that will help to unleash the unlimited potential

Besides being an American retired Hall of Fame basketball player, Dave Bing has many other major accomplishments. He's run a steel company where he became the top minority supplier to the the auto industry and later was elected Mayor of the City of Detroit.  But after all that, this show discusses the thing he is most proud of  - and the reason why he leaps out of bed in the morning excited about life and the impact he can make in the lives of young men.  BINGO!  This show will give a picture of what the young Dave Bing was all about and what makes him the leader he is today. (This is just part 1) Dave Bing has uniquely claimed success in three distinct arenas; professional sports, business and politics. Dave Bing was elected the 62nd Mayor of the City of Detroit in May 2009. A native of Washington, D.C., Bing is a graduate of Syracuse University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and was later bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2006. He was also a standout basketball player in both hig

Collin Mays is one of Michigan’s fastest rising young professionals. Mr. Mays graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.A. in Political Science. On campus he was very active and held numerous positions including, President of the WMU College Democrats and Chairman of Political Affairs for the Student Association. Collin began his career interning for the Michigan State Senate and Wayne County Corporation Counsel.  ​Mr. Mays is a 2012 Who’s Who in Black Detroit inductee, a 2014 Young Democrat of the Year, a 2015 Spirit of Detroit award recipient and a 2015 Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40. Collin has appeared on numerous television and radio programs as well as being featured in multiple publications. He previously served as District Director to State Representative Vicki Barnett as well as District Director to State Senator David Knezek. Currently, he serves as Talent Development Director for Southeast Michigan Community Alliance.  ​Mays is also a member of the UNCF Detroit InterAlumni Council, Nat

Andrew Morrison is Chief Operating Officer of Mentoring in Medicine (MIM). As one of Mentoring in Medicine’s original visionaries, he has utilized his 25+ years of award-winning marketing skills to assist the organization with strategic planning, fund development, outreach and new programs. He is credited with creating, “Morgan’s Big Biology Test” – a hip-hop science stage play, the virtual summer science camp and planning MIM Day – a mentoring event in several cities on the same day. In addition he has spearheaded MIM’s efforts in Montana with the Crow Indians, and in Anchorage with the Alaskan Native Americans. Mr. Morrison is an accomplished entrepreneur who has built several million dollar revenue businesses in the areas of direct marketing, design and training. He is the founder of Small Business Camp, an entrepreneurial training and marketing services firm that provides high-impact strategies for entrepreneurs, executives and non-profit leaders. In this capacity, Mr. Morrison has trained hundreds of ind

Recording and performance artist, educator, and activist Mahogany Jones's career is distinguished by titles. Mahogany Jones harnesses the true power of music to uplift the spirit, body, and soul and educate the masses. A sensational performer and lyrical powerhouse, Mahogany embodies Hip Hop, femininity, spirituality, and passion in each commanding performance. The 4x Undefeated BET's 106 & Park "Freestyle Fridays" champion has gone on to headline in over 13 countries on four continents as an official U.S. music ambassador. As a Hip-Hop activist, she launched A PURE Movement to empower women and girls and confront violence against women. Most recently Mahogany was named a 2016 Kresge Arts Fellow. In her career, Mahogany has now released 3 full-length albums and has been featured on over 30 compilations, Mixtapes and CDs. She was able to achieve all of the feats listed above, while still taking the time to give back to the future leaders in music, as facilitator for one of Detroit’s largest literary arts n

Jason Lee, CEO of Focus: HOPE talks about how the organization is retooling to meet the current inequities in Detroit. Focus: HOPE was created to address the issues that led to the 1967 Rebellion. Now, 50 years later, Lee talks about "how we see Detroit" and their mission of  FIGHTING RACISM, POVERTY AND INJUSTICE. Focus: HOPE address the problems of hunger, economic disparity, inadequate education and racial divisiveness through its three primary programs. Lee talks about how the organization is refocusing on these initiatives:    FOOD Our Food Program provides 41,000 low-income seniors with monthly food packages to assist with independence, healthy living and addressing basic needs. Our program also provides important infrastructure for health screenings, income support, tax preparation and utilities assistance for seniors and the community at large. CAREERS With an extraordinary record of success in working with underserved and underrepresented individuals in the Detroit/Southeast Michigan community, w

jessica Care moore is a poet, playwright, actor and activist. She’s shared the stage with Steve Harvey, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka… jessica Care moore has graced the cover of The New York Times, The Metro Times, Michigan FrontPage, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, African Voices Magazine, Black Elegance Magazine, and has been featured in print and online magazines across the world, including, Essence,Huffington Post, Blaze, The Source, Vibe, Bomb, Mosaic, Savoy, One World,  Upscale, Ambassador Magazine, UPTOWN and others. SHE IS POETRY IN MOTION making it happen!  Her multimedia show, God is Not an American, was produced by The Apollo Theater and Time Warner’s NYC Parks Summer Concert Series.  She was the host, writer and co-Executive Producer of the poetry driven television show, Spoken, which was executive produced by and directed by Robert Townsend.  As an artist/activist, jessica Care moore lent her powerful voice to the international fight against AIDS. She performed for the United Natio

Coleman Alexander Young (1918-1997)was the iconic mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit. He left a real legacy for our youth. The mission of Coleman A. Young Foundation is to develop leadership among youth through college scholarships, mentoring and other supports for personal growth and development. In this interview you'll hear the wise words of Khary K. Turner, Executive Director Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF), since 2012. He is amazing! The core program of the Coleman Young Foundation (CAYF) is the Scholars Program that: Awards college scholarships Facilitates Scholars' success Creates future leadership To learn more about CAYF, contact:  Khary K. Turner, MAED Executive Director 313.962.2200 kharyturner@cayf.org ​ #ignite2impact  Please share this podcast, subscribe in iTunes and leave a review

Gail Perry-Mason, of Detroit, has come a long way, from foster care to caring for others.  Gail is a respected authority in the financial industry. And now she can add bestselling author to her list of accomplishments. And it’s her years of experience coupled with her down-to-earth but also down-to-business style that has made her a sought-after speaker and presenter. She regularly addresses capacity crowds educating people on financial literacy and has conducted financial training sessions and workshops for companies from auto companies to banks to Fortune 500 organizations. Gail was also recently a featured financial speaker at the Essence Festival. Gail’s book, Girl, Make Your Money Grow, written with co-author Glinda Bridgforth is a national best seller and the book was featured on Oprah’s Debt Diet.  Gail recognizes the necessity of teaching youth the importance of money management and she founded the original Money Camp for Teens and the first youth investment club.  Each year, Gail hosts Money Matter

Debut podcast with leaders that are igniting their community, our nation and the world to be a better place.  Be inspired and enlightened as we pull back the curtain and dive into intimate and energetic conversations with achievers and doers with host and Master Leadership Strategist, Dr. Geneva Williams.