Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Everett Glenn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Everett, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Born in inner-city Cleveland, Ohio, I used my challenging circumstances to fuel my success. Surrounded by an alcoholic father and negative influences, my path, much like my siblings, pointed to a life as a factory worker. Then entered middle school math teacher, Mr. Robert Vaughn. Mr. Vaughn recommended me for a summer enrichment program for high achieving inner-city youngsters at Oberlin College. I would participate in similar summer enrichment programs at John Carroll University, University School and Case-Western Reserve University during the summers between 6th and 12th grades. These experiences fortified me for my educational journey and equipped me with the fuel to propel myself along an impressive journey of personal and professional success. Circumstance would no longer dictate my future.
I broke the intergenerational cycle that plagues the inner-city and charted a new course for my sons as well as others in my family. Together with a team of high-achieving athletes and scholars who share the lived experiences of the boys we serve we’re paying it forward through BOSS. BOSS is inspiring, equipping and empowering the next generation of boys of color and those from under-resourced communities and schools to be transformed through teaching foundational pillars and showcasing excellence, moving them from passenger to driver in their life’s journey in spite of the inequities in education and society laid bare by the pandemic.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
It was a single number that prompted me to start BOSS (Business of Student Success) six years ago: 72.8%. That’s the percentage of male African American students in Long Beach public schools who graduated high school without meeting the requirements to enroll in either of the state’s public university systems in 2018.
Since then and as a result of COVID, which laid bare the inequities in education and how equitable opportunities are so dependent upon parental background, wealth and access to resources, the lingering disparity in achievement persists. Most recently, Smarter Balanced Assessment results confirm that the share of students meeting or exceeding English standards dropped 3.81 percentage points from 2019 to 2022, falling to 47.06%. In math, those numbers were worse: falling 6.35 percentage points to just 33.38%.
The LBUSD’s decrease was nearly double the state average. Students meeting or exceeding English standards fell 6.05 percentage points to 47.05%, and in math, the number fell 12.66 percentage points to just 32.99%. The percentage of Black students meeting or exceeding English standards fell from 39.58% in 2019 to 33.1% in 2022. In math, that number fell from 28.14% in 2019 to just 17.7% in 2022. Hispanic students meeting or exceeding English standards fell from 47.83% in 2019 to 41.62% in 2022. In math, that figure fell from 39.63% in 2019 to 25.98% in 2022.
Scores for White students dropped less sharply, from 76.99% to 72.51% in English and 68.87% to 58.97% in math.
What I’m most proud of is that during the same time period, we achieved 5 years of across the board-outperform by Target Boys versus their peers on all metrics tracked. More Target Boys are taking Algebra as 8th graders; more are attaining proficiency in the core content areas; more achieved proficient/advanced status in reading and math by the end of 8th grade; more are high school ready entering 9th; and more are college ready entering the 12th grade. As a result, we have achieved a 100% success rate with our Target Boys pursuing post-secondary education following high school graduation.
Our goal is to transform rather than simply touch the lives of the Target Boys we serve and by teaching our foundational pillars and showcasing excellence, we are moving more from passenger to driver in their life’s journey.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Even though I understand and appreciate the value of relationships and imagined that it would be somewhat of a challenge to break into the nonprofit funding arena, I had thought the fact that I was a 45-year business attorney with a track record of success leading the effort would lessen the challenge of raising funds to start BOSS. I was wrong! While leadership would ultimately turn out to be an important factor in funder decisions, the lack of a track record impacting target boys made the lift a difficult one. I ultimately turned to my personal savings to lift the effort off the ground.
Our first third-party support was from the Munzer Foundation. Each of the members of the Munzer family are allowed to make discretionary $5,000 contributions annually, and Liz Middagh selected BOSS for her 2017 donation as a result of a chance meeting between a BOSS counselor enrolled in USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Shelly Smith of ESPN, a personal friend. The $5,000 would ultimately turn into a $100,000 grant and fuel fundraising efforts that would finance our progress from survival to success and ultimately include support from a host of corporations and foundations including, but not limited to, AEG, African American Alliance Fund of the Orange County Community Foundation, All Ways Up Foundation, AT&T, Bella Canvas/Alo Yoga, First Foundation, Gumbiner Foundation, HSBC Bank, LA84/Play Equity, Marriott Corporation, Microsoft, Miller Foundation, NBA Foundation, Orange County Youth Sports Foundation, Port of Long Beach, LA Rams, The Alliance (12 Southern CA pro sport franchises), US Bank and Valero,
Along the way, I was selected to participate in the City Scholars Foundation’s Education for Fellowship. The fellowship helps nonprofit CEOs develop the skills, confidence and connections to move their nonprofits from survival to success to significance. The Fellowship facilitates learning, supports accountability and promotes collaboration. Together each year, Foundation Fellows (including me) lead education nonprofits (currently 21 including BOSS) that collectively help over 56,000 predominantly low-income youth, particularly those of color, throughout the Greater Los Angeles region have a better chance to learn and achieve against the odds.
We recently completed a strategic plan that will guide fiscal and management decisions as I lead BOSS from success to significance.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
My 45-year legal career, that included representing Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs and governmental entities on sophisticated business, banking and real estate matters, along with a pioneering career in sport representing some of the greatest athletes of our time, helped me build my reputation in the nonprofit area. A lifetime track record of being part of the “few who make things happen” and sharing my time, talent and treasure also helped me build my reputation in the nonprofit arena. In fact, this Facebook comment from the mother of a former athlete client says it best:
Congratulations to you as well, wow I’m so proud of you, everything you do you go to the top…#nolimit you’re so successful at all you touch it turns to gold 🪙🪙💰💰💵💸👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾👍🏾🤎🤎👊🏾☝🏾☝🏾👌🏾🤙🏾⚘️
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bossprograms.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bossprograms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessofStudentSuccess
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9313495/admin/feed/posts/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESP_bossprogram
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BOSSScholar
Image Credits
William Byers, Explorer Studios