Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Williams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jordan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I developed a passion for entrepreneurship at a young age. When I was ten years old, my dad gave me Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and it inspired me to start my first entrepreneurial endeavor with my good friend, Brandon Iverson. We called this company Kids Toys Inc. Every week, we would gather up our used toys and games and sell them to our peers at school, church, and online. This was definitely the experience that solidified our love for business and entrepreneurship.
Later, Brandon and I went on to create Making Money for Teens (MMFT). Through MMFT, we created a CD series, book series, and various educational products that shared entrepreneurial lessons with our generation in a simple, clear way. However, our main endeavor together has been Young Moguls Brand, an urban clothing line that promotes an empowering message to young entrepreneurs. Through our designs and clothing, we aim to inspire young individuals to pursue their creative passions and create their own opportunities.
Our passion has led us a long way. Since starting the brand in 2014, Brandon and I have had amazing opportunities such as being featured on Steve Harvey’s talk show, receiving awards and honors from our community, and being featured in various magazines. But without a doubt, the most rewarding part of the process has been seeing other individuals be positively impacted by our brand and the message that we promote.
In 2017, I co-founded the Youth Entrepreneurs Diversity Corporation (YED Corp), a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for college students to network, collaborate, and network. Every summer, we hold an annual conference called the YED Summit to bring together hundreds of students from across the country and generate a vibrant, collaborative community. We also hold Campus Mixer events in cities across the country to give students a chance to network with other nearby creators and mentors.
Two months ago, I published my new book entitled “Breaking the System.” The book is intended to serve as a resource to help individuals find their unique path even while they operate within structured, strict systems. My hope is that BTS helps others challenge the status quo and bring new ideas and solutions to society. This project means a lot to me because it highlights many of the life lessons I’ve encountered over the past few years. Overall, writing this book has been a therapeutic process for me and it’s been amazing to see it provide value to others as well.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Along my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve ran into the challenge of having to raise money for my projects. As a college student, I do not have much money to bring all of my ideas to life. My experience planning the YED Summit is the perfect example of this. While we had a lot of dreams and ideas about the conference, we had no money to make it happen. Instead of being discouraged and giving up, we went back to the drawing board and developed a strategy to reach our goal. We pitched to various potential sponsors, and eventually, we were able to partner with Squarespace, Jopwell, and InXAthlete. Our collaboration with these partners made it possible for the YED Summit to become a reality.
Another roadblock has been managing business projects with business partners while being in different cities. My Young Moguls Brand co-founder, Brandon Iverson, attends Georgetown University in D.C. My business partners within YED Corp (Brandon Moorer, Leo Moronta, and Paige Garrison) attend school in Massachusetts and Florida. We all have different schedules and it can be very difficult to maintain consistent communication. Over time, we’ve learned how to work together effectively and use all of our various talents.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My main initiative through YED Corp has been the launch of our annual conference, the YED Summit. Sponsored by Squarespace and hosted at their NYC headquarters, the 2018 YED Summit brought together over 150 diverse college students from across the country to explore the topic of entrepreneurship. Throughout this jam-packed day, attendees listened to riveting panel discussions, engaged in intimate breakout sessions with industry professionals, and created powerful connections during the Rooftop Networking Party. In 2019, we held our summit at New York University and hosted over 200 students.
Starting in the Fall of 2018, we also launched a new project, the YED Campus Mixer Tour. Under this project, we held networking meet-ups for college students in different cities to provide them with a space to learn about entrepreneurship and meet other talented students from nearby schools. During these intimate events, students heard from a panel of community leaders and business owners, then had the opportunity to engage in networking activities and icebreakers. Our events in Philadelphia, Boston, and NYC have been a great way for us to engage with students on a close level and strengthen their network with talented individuals.
What sets YED Corp’s events apart from others is that they are completely run and managed by college students. I am currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, and the rest of my team members are college students as well. While other people may view our age as a liability, we view it as our greatest strength. Our relatability allows us to structure events optimally because we are in tune with what our target market values, while other conferences fail to truly understand which type of speakers and lessons their attendees want to hear.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always involved and interested in sports (basketball, football, and baseball). I’ve always been very interested in hip-hop music and cinema. Although I was usually very sociable and outgoing when I was younger, I typically spent a lot of time hanging with family or working on my entrepreneurial ventures and ideas after school.
Pricing:
- “Breaking the System” book ($15)
- YMB shirt – $20
Contact Info:
- Website: JordanWill.com
- Email: jordan@yedcorp.org
- Instagram: @jpwill23
- Other: YoungMogulsBrand.com / YEDCorp.org
Image Credit:
Brandon C. Ballard
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