Shariff Blackwell, CEO

My name is Shariff Blackwell, and I am a single father of two beautiful daughters, ages 9 and 19. As a resident of the City of Brotherly Love, who has lived here for a large majority of my life, I have witnessed many of the highs and lows this city has to offer at a very young age. I have faced prejudices and overcame them, and though I'm not perfect, I'm here to guide today's youth to help them avoid what I have been through.

As the second oldest of 18, being raised by a single mother, I faced a lot of difficulties and have been in positions where I had to navigate the system day by day. I often felt like I did not fit in, and as a result of that I ended up in many troublesome situations where I thought I'd hit rock bottom. I rebelled and turned to the streets because I had given up on myself and felt like everyone had given up on me. However, in 1994 a pastor sat aside and showed me that there was a way out. He taught me that there was a better way, and that I could become a better me who would get somewhere in life.

Since then, I have been improving myself for the better, although I've had times I struggled, but the biggest turn around was when I had my 19-year-old. Becoming a single dad so suddenly, taught me about sacrifice and perseverance. There were days where I wondered if I was doing right by her and being a good parent. We had our ups and downs, however, watching her grow and seeing the struggles her and her friends would face in their daily lives opened my eyes to the idea of doing more for these kids in our communities.