Hybrid Focus Consulting

Hello LinkedIn!! Over the past six months, New School Leaders has made remarkable strides toward bringing our vision to life — and we could not have done it without the invaluable support of Hybrid Focus Consulting, Larry Crawford, and Morning Star Mission. Thanks to MSM for providing us access to a facility! Since our official launch in August 2024, the support of Hybrid Focus has been instrumental in building the operational foundation that allows us to serve, mentor, and inspire youth across the Joliet and Will County community. From administrative processes and systems, to designing and launching our website, to collaborating on the creation of our logo and brand identity, Hybrid Focus has ensured that our President Eddie Hodges has the infrastructure needed to function and thrive. More importantly, this work was done with deep alignment to our mission: To instill discipline, teamwork, confidence, and executive functioning skills in young men and women by leveraging professional relationships across education, sports, and media. Everything we’ve built together reflects our core values — Unity, Faith, Leadership, and Service — and keeps our focus squarely on preparing the next generation of leaders. In just six months, we’ve: ? Engaged over 150 youth through our programming (retention 55%, 6+ monthly visits) ? Delivered 125+ skill development hours since August 28, 2024 ? Hosted our first biannual Competitive Showcase, bringing families, community members, and leaders together to celebrate our athletes’ growth ? Incorporated monthly SEL sessions to strengthen character and mindset alongside basketball fundamentals To the HFC team — thank you for your vision, your expertise, and your belief in New School Leaders. We look forward to continuing this work together as we build a future where youth develop into confident, disciplined leaders ready to impact their communities and the world. #YouthDevelopment #Leadership #CommunityImpact #NonprofitLeadership #HybridFocusConsulting #NewSchoolLeaders #MissionAlignment #BasketballAndBeyond

Tuesday, I was honored to serve as a judge for Amplify Chicago's inaugural Business Pitch Competition. In partnership with Chris Ufere and RISE | Regional Innovation & Startup Education, The Academy Group, Inc. and Amplify Talent went through a robust 8 week (24 total hours) entrepreneurship course that put their creativity to work to build on an existing plan or create one from scratch. - 1st took a $5000 investment Mariah Gaines-Boyd - 2nd took $3000 Devonta Boston - 3rd/4th took $2000 Jonte Durr & Tamaya W. Regardless of top picks, all contestants brought energy, enthusiasm, and an innate talent for business. I look forward to supporting these young people through their entrepreneurial journey. Thanks to Ted Christians and E. N. Vaughn, MBA for their hard work and the entire Amplify/AG team! Notable Mentions: Tony Wilkins, Logan Herzog, Believe & Build, Hybrid Focus Consulting, & Sundeep Vira #talentisubiquitous #amplifychicago #theacademygroup #hybridfocusconsulting #believeandbuild