Semi-finalist Q&A: ProCity Athletics, Inc.

With the recent upsurge in gang activities and recruitment targeting middle school youth, ProCity Athletics provides at-risk youth with engaging activities that challenge the mind, promote physical fitness, foster respect, teach discipline and develop critical thinking and decision-making skills. Centered around the idea that each participant is a “future professional athlete”, ProCity offers a glimpse of what each child’s potential is with the proper application of life skills and with hard work and dedication.

Information from their grant application is available here. Read below for more, and if you have questions for our semi-finalists don't hesitate to ask them in the comments section.

Also, don't forget to cast your vote! YOUR vote will determine which entrepreneurs most deserve to be amongst the finalists.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?
First, there are no free or low cost athletic programs in my neighborhood that don't require a child to be part of a certain housing project or church and the ones that do exist do not provide life skills, counseling, mentoring and health & fitness activities. Obesity is becoming a major problem among our young people, as is gang participation and we are hoping that the variety of programs we will offer will appeal to the kids as well as to the parents who feel as though they need more support outside of the home.

What do you love most about running your own business?
There is tremendous flexibility in being able to run my own business. First, I get to set my own hours and the vision for how the organization grows is totally mine. Next, if I feel like I want to run track or play football with the kids, there's no one over my head to tell me that playing with the kids is not the job of management (and that has been my experience in the past). I want to be hands on in making a difference in their lives.

What makes your business unique?
There are dozens, if not hundreds of athletic programs in the City but few of them offer the array of sports that we will and none of them provide the supportive services that we will. ProCity is being touted as a "Professionals" program, where each child will be treated as though they are the next Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, etc. They will be mentored, tutored and prepared for all of the "next levels" in their lives so that if professional sports is their dream, they will be prepared. If it is not, they will be equally as prepared for any challenge that they meet. Next, the team that I have pulled together to work on this project are professionals to the highest degree. You can tell that they really love what they do and that they are very passionate about addressing the issues of obesity, violence, illiteracy and truancy among our youth. I am excited about the potential for growth for each child that becomes a part of ProCity.

What are some of your top business-related accomplishments, or business lessons learned?
I once directed a non-profit that attracted more than 2000 kids and there is still a thriving chapter of that organization in Nigeria. Through that program, I have learned how to better market what I do to attract the attention of potential funders and those who can provide more resources and have learned how to better attract young people to participate. I have learned that parental involvement is critical to the success of any youth-venture and have devised ways to help them see that their involvement in anything I do is not an "option", but a requirement.

Why should the Idea Cafe regulars vote for you?
I believe that ProCity is going to be a springboard for something phenomenal here in New York City and that hundreds of kids will be helped. I believe that the model I've created can be replicated nationally and the more people who feel compelled to get involved, the more we can see transformation in the lives of our young people. I would love to see programs return to the caliber that they were when we were coming up and ProCity seeks to do that and so much more! You will see our kids competing and winning in local and state contests and it would be great to be able to say, "I had a hand in supporting that organization"!