Originally published 12/23/22 | By Team Subkit
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jerome Gumbs, founder and CEO of Empower ME Academy, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What’s your business, and who are your customers?
My company is the youth basketball social enterprise Empower ME Academy (EMA). I founded EMA in 2013 in San Francisco to provide a holistic training experience to children from all backgrounds and communities. EMA offers them a place to belong so they can break through, achieve excellence, and make an impact by teaching them high-quality basketball and leadership skills, unlocking each of their leadership potential for a lifetime of achievement and meaningful impact—in sports and life.
Tell us about yourself
Since when I was very young, at 9, I knew my deepest passion would be to inspire other people. I grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and I learned everything about human service with my mom, who worked in the hospitality industry for 40 years. Among other important lessons, this taught me not only to meet expectations but to exceed them, especially as a man of color. And that’s the commitment we have for our student-athletes.
When I started playing basketball professionally, I had the opportunity to travel to 20+ countries, and I noticed the disparity between athletes who had a chance to work with a mentor and those who didn’t. This enormous gap sparked my mission at EMA and kept motivating me to be not only a great coach but an even better person and example to our students who come from all walks of life.
To read the full article, visit Go Solo.