Meet Byron Brooks: Activist & Social Entrepreneur
We had the good fortune of connecting with Byron Brooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Byron, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As an activist and agent of change, I have directly witnessed and been affected by issues hindering, ostracizing, and more simply hurting our communities. I quickly came to the realization that we must be the change of which we seek. So eventually, I founded my own 501c3 organization: From The Hood For The Hood. Not wanting to depend on federal funding to fulfill our mission, I decided that social entrepreneurship was the path that I needed to take to help society become more equitable, combat racism, pursue community development, and fight to end homelessness. So for the past few years, I have utilized the revenue from MoSoul Records, Public Speaking engagements, and other ventures to help fund the grassroots endeavors of From The Hood For The Hood. I believe that as a people, we should no longer have the mindset of trying to make it out of the hood, but rather building up the hood, and what better way to do that than starting a business and using your resources to better the community.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At MoSoul Records, our mission is: Creating Perfect Harmony between Music and Community, One Chord at a Time. Our Vision entails combining elements of the music industry, the community development, and the social advocacy realm to revitalize, empower, engage and develop communities within the city of Detroit that have been overlooked over the years. We want to give the inner city of Detroit the same amount of attention and renovation that Downtown Detroit has received. Over the past couple of years, we have extended our vision nationwide through our Non-Profit organization: From The Hood For The Hood. This upcoming spring, I will be obtaining a Bachelors’s Degree in Music and Entertainment Business. I look forward to utilizing the knowledge I have learned and the resources I have obtained throughout my undergraduate experience to help strengthen and scale MoSoul Records with a strategic 5-year plan.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Favorite Spots in Detroit: Fenkell, Brightmoor, Joy Rd, Sweet Potato Sensations, Enjoy Detroit, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, Andiamo, Vegan Soul.
Favorite Spots in Atlanta: Pawkids at Grove Park. Paschal’s Soulfood Restaurant.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I must shout out Jesus Christ, who is my Lord and Savior. I’m just so grateful that He saw enough in me to look past my faults and embed in me a purpose. I was born in prison, homeless for nearly two years while pursuing my associate’s degree, but God! I must also give a huge shout-out to my great-grandparents the late Roscoe and JoEsther Corner, who raised me, and were my first example of entrepreneurship within my life as my Papa was a jitney after retiring from Eaton Steele, and my Granny was a Florist. I must also shout out Josh and Ura Mobley, who once finding out about my situation of plight took me into their own home and has become my extended family. I would also like to shout out both a couple of my mentors and my Ferris Aunties of whom surrounded me with so much encouragement and support during my time of undergrad at Ferris State University: Dr. Matthew Chaney, Darnell Lewis, Dr. Angela Guy-Lee, and Dr. Rita Walters.
Instagram: MoSoul495
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byron-brooks-3984bb153/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosoul313
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-AhHjPg2kM
Other: Way to Donate to our Non profit Organization: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/from-the-hood-for-the-hood-1
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