Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazzmann LeSane.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised in Pompano Beach, FL, I am the youngest child of the LeSane family. My mother, Debra LeSane, is a retired Broward County school teacher, author, and entrepreneur. My father, Nathan LeSane is an employee with the City of Pompano, an artist, and a long-time youth football and basketball coach. As a child, I participated in cheerleading, gymnastics, track, karate, basketball, Girl Scouts, and numerous community service activities.
While at Pompano High, I participated in basketball, flag football, and student government. After graduating from Pompano Beach High School, I went on to attend Florida State University where I majored in Sociology, with a minor in Entrepreneurship. While at FSU, I participated in the NAACP and the Black Student Union. I also worked as a basketball manager for the Lady Seminoles basketball team. Prior to graduating from FSU, I decided to take a break from college and spent two years with City Year Jacksonville serving as a mentor and tutor in low-performing middle and high schools.
In Jacksonville, I realized that many of the underprivileged students I worked with began to drop out of high school with no plan, no life purpose, and no resources to prepare them for the real world. With these students ultimately succumbing to petty crimes and developing a criminal record before they truly lived life, their future opportunities were bleak. I began to believe that equipping these individuals with the tools to open their own businesses would help them forge their own path to success and avoid a life of crime and potentially premature death. After completing that journey, I returned to FSU to finish my degree. During that time, with the help of a friend, I began to develop the idea for The LeSane Project. In the fall of 2016, after the unexpected death of my 18-year-old cousin, I decided to return to Pompano to get started with the idea. Two and a half years later, The LeSane Project, Inc. is currently serving in Pompano Beach, Florida with students who attend Blanche Ely High School and surrounding schools. From 2016-2017, our first year in operation, we met bi-weekly with a group of 10 middle and high school students for Saturday retreats under a pavilion at Apollo Park in Pompano Beach, Florida.
After a few months, we moved to the Mitchell Moore Recreation Center. Each session included a set of team-building, career exploration activities, and guest speakers.
The second year, we established a presence at Blanche Ely High School. Study Hall with Ms. LeSane consisted of facilitating games and activities that served as team-builders, career exploration activities, group discussions, and inviting guest speakers. We also started the Young Entrepreneur Club with four young ladies.
Our third year, we focused more on entrepreneurship by forming a group of thirty 9th-12th grade students at Blanche Ely High School. The group met twice a week, during lunch, in The LeSane Project’s classroom where they learned the fundamentals of building a business. We facilitated local field trips to eight millennial owned businesses. We continued to have guest speakers visit the school to share their entrepreneurial journeys. On June 15, 2019, The LeSane Project hosted a Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase where 14 students presented their business or business ideas to a panel of judges and an audience of parents, peers, and community members.
Has it been a smooth road?
Yes and no. On the hands-on, mentoring side, things have been smooth. I have been able to develop great relationships with the students, teachers, and families of the youth I serve. I also love that the people who are familiar with The LeSane Project are able to understand and articulate the vision of the program to others. Now, on the organizational end, things have been a bit bumpy. The LeSane Project has run mainly on kind and in-kind donations from the community, supporting schools, and local businesses. I was denied from the first few grant opportunities that I applied for. At times, money is a struggle, but when I look back on the past few years, I am thankful because I was able to do everything that I needed to do. For instance, last school year, I set the goal of raising 5,000 dollars in donations. Due to the many hats, I wear – executive director, employee, basketball coach, mentor – I had a hard time making time to go around town soliciting donations. However, by the grace of God, there were three individuals who each donated 1,000 dollars, and with the additional donations, the 5,000 dollar goal was met! I have had a tremendous amount of help from individuals who have the skills and funds that I lack, so I am honestly enjoying the roller coaster ride that is building a nonprofit organization from the ground up.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The LeSane Project, Inc. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The LeSane Project is an initiative that focuses on using mentoring, entrepreneurship, and the arts to drive positive educational and economic outcomes. Our mission is to inspire youth to create a better life for self, family, and their community by exposing them to a variety of career choices and providing opportunities for gainful employment through internships, and apprenticeships.
Our most known program is The Young Entrepreneur Club whose goal is to catch the students who have fallen through the gaps of the education and/or judicial system. Students meet once every other week to learn the skills necessary to build their own business proposal and develop the connections and support to become small business owners. Some key components of the Young Entrepreneur Club include small business guest speaker workshops, field trips to explore various business and career opportunities, mentorship and internship connections, professional development and financial literacy skills. Students will be guided to acquire paid and/or unpaid (internship) employment positions upon completion of the program.
I am most proud of the positive reception and support I receive from people near and far. I am happy that in such a short time, I have been able to follow my dream and help others to create a better life. My proudest moment has been completing a full cycle of the entrepreneurship program and gifting the top 3 winners with a cash investment into their business at the 1st Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase.
The LeSane Project is different from others in that we are satisfying a need gap that currently isn’t being satisfied in the Pompano Beach community. Also, the entrepreneurship programs that are currently in Broward County schools focus heavily on middle school students.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that my city is full of movers and shakers who are redefining what it means to be successful. There has been a huge wave of entrepreneurship and I love that my community is creating a better future for our children who will not have to wait around for someone to give them a job because we are creating our own businesses.
I dislike that there is a big divide in the city. The east side of town and the west side of town operate like two independent cities, with the east side receiving the majority of funding and support from city hall. There is a nasty “us vs. them” thing going on and I hope that it ends soon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thelesaneproject.org
- Email: info@thelesaneproject.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelesaneproject
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelesaneproject
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
