Torry Labon

Name: Torry Labon

Age: 26

College: California State University Dominguez Hills

Major: Business Administration: Finance concentration

Grad Year: 2010

Master's Degree: Accounting

Grad Year: 2013 (December)

About Torry: My mother was addicted to crack from the time of my birth until I was about 16 years old, maybe even longer. I've never met nor have I ever known who my biological father was and I was raised by my grandmother. Though battling a drug addiction, my mother still managed to be around throughout my childhood. Dealing with my own family issues and living in South Central Los Angeles, I sought to find a way to progress and not be trapped by the ills of my surroundings. At an early age I discovered the importance of money management, which would later prove to be what I was most passionate about.

After graduating from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles I chose to stay local to pursue higher education. I chose Cal State University Dominguez Hills because of its close proximity to my home. Just as I enrolled in the fall of 2003 I was hospitalized which forced me to withdraw from classes my Freshman year. I picked back up on my studies in the fall of 2004, at which point I was a math major. In 2006 I became interested in Real Estate so I took 2 years off of school to pursue a career in real estate. After the collapse of the housing market I went back to school in 2008 to pursue a degree that was more fitting to my interest, which was Finance. In 2010 I completed the requirements for my bachelors degree in Finance.

While studying for my degree in Finance I found that I had become as passionate about people as I had been all my life about numbers. With that said I began to find different ways to give to those who were in need. In 2011 myself and one of my good friends, Jarred Wilkins, began feeding the homeless at downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row. During the year we had four events there called “Help Us Serve Us” where we were able to feed nearly 1,000 people.

Growing up and being passionate about sports and finding out the importance of higher education, I started a company on December 21st 2011 called The Athletic Corner. At The Athletic Corner we specialize in custom Letterman Jackets, Varsity Sweaters, Chenille Patches, and Fitness apparel. Every sale that is made by The Athletic Corner a portion of the proceeds are given to The Athletic Corner Scholarship Fund. The purpose of the TAC Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance to graduating High School seniors who are both needing and deserving. This past December we hosted a #31DaysOfFitness Challenge in which we challenged our followers on twitter to stay fit and help us raise money for scholarships. Far too often we hear of kids not pursuing higher education because they can’t afford it. With these two companies I plan on changing that one, scholarship at a time!

What is your life's mission?

My life's mission is to bring financial literacy to those in the inner city who don't have access to and/or know about how to manage their finances. Philanthropy is also one of my goals in life. I want to make more money to be able to give more money!

What does being a black man mean to you?

The way that I feel about being black is similar to how many felt during the late 50's & 60's. In those times Black people forged bonds with one another on more than just the family level, primarily due to the fact that oppression was so overt. During those times we all shared at least one thing in common, whether you were poverty stricken or from the middle class, being oppressed. Over time as conditions became better the sense of community and the need to care for one another turned into the crabs in a bucket mentality. So being a black man means being a man of strength, not in stature but will! Being a family man and most importantly being a community leader!


"Dealing with my own family issues and living in South Central Los Angeles, I sought to find a way to progress and not be trapped by the ills of my surroundings"

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Jasmine Crowe

Name: Jasmine Crowe 

Age: 29

College: Northern Carolina Central University

Major: Broadcast Journalism and Communication

Grad Year: 2005 

Master's Degree: Business Administration

Grad Year: 2007

About Jasmine: Compassionate, Zealous, Visionary and Inspiring are just a few of the words that describe Jasmine Crowe, the 29 year old MBA graduate who is working to make the world a better place, one day at a time. The impetus behind Jasmine’s drive is simply making the world a better place. With an uncommon goal of fostering change and creating awareness on the world’s leading socioeconomic issues and challenges including: poverty, health, education and energy to name a few. Jasmine created Black Celebrity Giving (BCG) in 2011, the site serves as a platform to inform audiences of ways to give back in black communities across the world.

"I wanted to create a paradigm shift, I wanted to create a site where people can come and get information and insight on how to make the world a better place. As we began our work, I knew that we could do more if we worked with nonprofits on a grassroots level, so we are creating an Urban Giving Center to serve as an incubator both in person and online for non-profits to truly reach their potential." 

Born in Texas and growing up as a military child, she has resided in Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, and North Carolina where she attended high school in Charlotte and college at North Carolina Central University in Durham with a background in public relations, celebrity foundation management and events. Jasmine has successfully created events and fundraising initiatives for organizations: The Boys & Girls Club, All in For a Cause, Discoverlaw.org, Mack's Miracle's and The Miss Black Arizona Scholarship Foundation, which she founded in 2008. In addition to her most cherished work in the non-profit arena, she has spearheaded campaigns and executed events across the United States for some of the country's preeminent venues, brands and acts including: Studio 54 in the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Grammy award winner Common, Soulja Boy, boxing champion Wink Wright, NFL Pro-Bowler Marcus McNeill, former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, Peter Kent Luxury Leather Handbags, Belvedere Vodka, Cadillac, Vitamin Water, Hummer, Nike and Tiffany & Co. 

A public and motivational speaker, Jasmine has delivered a message to audiences around the country and has served and moderated panels in business, education, technology and entertainment realms. Jasmine lives by the saying, "if God is for me then who can be against me," and knows that in her life the sky is the limit. Her hobbies include: mentoring, traveling, reading, writing, giving back, church, spending time with family and friends and working out. Jasmine currently resides in Atlanta, GA where she plans to open the first office for BCG and launch the Urban Giving Center to serve nonprofits. She is working on her first book titled Lessons Learned in my Twenties, slated to release fall 2013. 

"I have overcome so much in my life, since being a teenager, I have had good days and bad days. I made a lot of mistakes as a young entrepreneur as it related to credit, business partners you name it; but I like to look at them as life lessons and I've learned from them."

What is your life's mission? 
I am guided by the vision of what I believe BCG can be. Originally my goal was to uplift, enlighten, spotlight, encourage and entertain through the medium of an online website. Now, my life's mission for BCG is to use this platform to transform people’s lives, to make our readers know that even the simplest form of giving can help create social change. I want to train nonprofit leaders and help them reach their individual goals. And although it may sound a bit cliche, I do hope to make the world a better place.

What does being a black woman mean to you? 
Being a black woman to me, means handwork, power and perseverance. I know the sacrifices that have been made for me to be here today. I take pride in representing all black women in a positive light. 


"I want to train nonprofit leaders and help them reach their individual goals. And although it may sound a bit cliche, I do hope to make the world a better place"

Contact Jasmine:
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Howard Jean

Name: Howard Jean

Age: 30

College: Claflin University

Major: Elementary Education & Teaching

Grad Year: 2004

Masters Degree: Social Philosophical Foundations in Education

Grad Year: 2009

Awards:  2011 UNCF Young Alumni of the Year Award Recipient, 2011 Recipient of the “Key to the City” Award, Columbia, SC, 2010 Community Service Award Recipient from the Germantown Community & Local Churches, 2010 Honoree for the 10^th Anniversary of Call Me MISTER Scholars Program at Claflin University

About Howard: Howard Jean has served various roles in the field of education as a teacher, coordinator, consultant, curriculum developer and on-air personality throughout the country. As a mentor and public speaker, Howard has influenced students across the nation with his message of “Embracing your own celebrity, celebrating your own identity” and empowering them to make a deliberate decision to be great and rise above mediocrity.

Howard has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Tavis Smiley Radio Show, USA Today, Associated Press Articles, Jet Magazine, Essence Magazine and was recently featured on the cover of ARETE Magazine for his humanitarian work as an educator. Howard regularly travels across the US speaking to youth groups, professionals in the field of education, parents and related members in the areas of student development, teacher training, community development and self-empowerment.

From 2008 to 2011, Howard served as Director of the Call Me MISTER program at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Towards Effective Role Models) is a collegiate program designed to encourage and support African American males to dedicate their lives to becoming role models in the field of education. As a product and partner with the program for the past 11 years, Jean created a pilot and complimentary program for women interested in teaching Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The program is entitled Teach STEM Scholarship Project (TS2 Project) and is in its 4th year of programming. In 2012, Howard served as the Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Augusta Richmond County in which he supported in increasing the graduation rates of high school students in the Richmond County Public School System, utilizing “Race To The Top” Funding.

Howard is the Principal of SEIL (Success through Education, Inspiration & Leadership); an education based consulting firm and speaking bureau that specializes in working/partnering with organizations and institutions to help develop unique and innovate programs to address multi-faceted issues that affect specific communities. The organizations core focus is program development, leadership training and teaching innovations. SEIL also offers various services that help enhance an organizations profile through branding strategies, marketing and the development of strategic plans to meet the goals of the client.

Howard's accomplishments didn't come without its obstacles. Howard grew up without his father in the home leaving his mother to raise him. "I was blessed to have a mother who did her best to never let me feel the pain of a fatherless home by doing everything in her power to be everything any kid would ever need. Overcoming those hardships were possible because of a sound household, great rearing, a lot of love and discipline. Tragedies have a habit of shaping the person you become. Through the pain and abandonment came a man who only wants to serve, give & love as much as he can during his time on this earth."

Howard currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where he volunteers with educational programs for youth, mentors the next generation of classroom educators and serves on various boards that allow him to give back, empower others and increase entrepreneurship among young people and minorities.

What is your life's mission?

My life’s mission is to build sustainable communities (local & global) through innovative programming, influencing policy decision, philanthropic endeavors and developing leaders who will perpetuate the same.

What does being a black man mean to you?

Being a black man in today’s society means to bear; honor, shame, fear and hope. There’s honor, not only in the uncanny resemblance our President has with the once lauded “lower common denominator” is now at the head of the global table of leadership. The same resemblance of ethnicity cloaks the souls of many ancestors who gave their lives so that we can have a seat on the chariot, bus, board rooms and in the Senate Chambers. 

We as black men bear the shame of our families, communities, ancestors and future generations because of the disease stricken seeds we harvest in the lives of our young people; bearers of our darkness rather than our light. We as Black Men bear the shame displaced on us from our former oppressors which we in turn displaced on one another.

We know as black men, it is not enough to go to the best schools, work the hardest, be the smartest, run the fastest, write the best, speak articulately, be the best stewards of our religion and know all the correct answers. We know that hope and faith are the variables that allow us to continue our journey.

The complexities that exist within our culture as men who are black are results of hardships, institutionalized agendas, psychological conditioning and generations of damaged souls. Those same complexities and misfortunes produced some of the world’s most iconic, talented, controversial, dynamic & strongest human beings. America has dealt us an interesting hand that we’ve learned how to manipulate and because I’m a betting man who sees that images of success have an uncanny resemblance to me; betting on black are the only odds I chose to play. I’m playing to win and for keeps.

"The complexities that exist within our culture as men who are black are results of hardships, institutionalized agendas, psychological conditioning and generations of damaged souls. Those same complexities and misfortunes produced some of the world’s most iconic, talented, controversial, dynamic & strongest human beings."

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