We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yasmin Salina a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Yasmin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Growing up I always knew I wanted to have my hand in entertainment. I didn’t know how to break into the space. I begged for a job at the radio station through my best friend dad. I just needed one shot, to prove my skill set and to show that I am willing to learn. I showed up there with no experience, still in high school, and just ready to work. For me, that opportunity meant the world. For him I’m sure he was just giving an eager teenager a chance. That access unlocked the doors to so many relationships that are just coming public, and became the foundation to why I started The Hustlers Guild.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
With over 15 years in the social justice realm, impact leader and youth advocate Yasmin Salina is well-skilled in disrupting industry norms, building community, and creating pipelines of opportunity for community based organizations. A former political appointee under the Obama Administration, Yasmin pivoted from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to be the Founder and Executive Director of The Hustlers Guild, a game-changing, nationally recognized social innovation enterprise that provides STEM/Arts opportunities to youth through hip hop education. Prior to launching The Hustlers Guild, Yasmin’s portfolio shows her ability to successfully navigate public and private partnerships. At the Department of Homeland Security, she managed a portfolio of state governors in the Southeast Region, connecting them to federal level access and resources. She was instrumental in advising external engagement teams on strategies and tactics to increase partnerships, and enhanced positive, effective relationships with inter-agency partners, external stakeholders, and elected officials. Her leadership skills have afforded her the opportunity to lead the White House Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) office and serve as an advisor on the Blue Campaign—the federal government’s human trafficking public awareness program housed under Homeland Security.
Now, Yasmin and The Hustlers Guild are dismantling narratives – and realities- about what it takes to make it in the innovation space. Yasmin has partnered and advised corporations such as Apple, Microsoft, Red Bull, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Sony Music Entertainment, Monumental Sports, Roc Nation, and dozens of community based organizations across the country to amplify their impact and strategic community engagement. Her track record has positioned her to manage philanthropic efforts for entertainers and athletes such as Snoop Dogg, Anthony Anderson, NBA Champion Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, and Russell Westbook to name a few. Under Yasmin’s leadership, The Hustlers Guild has provided over $50,000 worth of technology to over 2,000 low-income neighborhoods, $5.5 million in free resources and trainings for families and students in need, and landed nearly 20 HBCU students corporate and government contract deals to date. She frequently leads masterclasses, seminars, and workshops about community building, navigating federal partnerships, and corporate and social responsibility. She has hosted several guest lectures at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. Yasmin is a graduate of Alabama State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
How it started:
After leaving the federal government as a political appointee, I had a global
Rolodex. I understood the power of social capital, decision making, policy shaping, and mobilizing your network. I also most importantly knew the lack of African American representation in leading industries. I wanted to find a way to merge the world of advocacy that I soared in with the interest in policy and entertainment. I know that many students were becoming uninterested in the traditional career fields that generations before them promoted. I wanted to educate and expose them to opportunities that aren’t championed. That’s when I came up with the idea of
The Hustlers Guild. A community impact organization that focuses on the capacity building of skills based programs for disenfranchised youth.
The Hustlers Guild (HG) is a 501(c)3 social-impact driven, nonprofit organization, founded in 2017, with a mission geared towards “…providing capacity-building services and programming opportunities to non-profit and community-based organizations, helping to amplify their impact and ability to effectively support students from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.” HG is renowned for providing services to 875K+ program participants across the country, with focus areas that include Violence Prevention, Social-Emotional Skills Development, Accessibility, Affordable Programming, Black Male Achievement, Generational Poverty, Generational Trauma, STEM/Arts, Youth Violence, Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Financial Empowerment, Career Readiness, and Name Image Likeness. The Hustlers Guild specializes in leading campaigns and initiatives to build awareness and supply support to marginalized neighborhoods and communities.
Things about my routine and discipline:
– I write down the main pie in the sky goal for my organization. Then from there, I create smaller items and projects that are aligned with the main goal. The biggest thing I keep in mind during the creative process, is silencing the noise around me. I don’t like watching tv, social media, or anything that would cloud my judgement in my creative strategy. I just listen to music, read some books, and align myself with the universe. I know people probably think what does that mean? I can throw on a playlist and go for a drive for a few hours and I will find inspiration. It could be at a restaurant talking to a complete stranger. They may something that can spark an Idea.
The Hustlers Guild has made a name for itself because we are authentic, unapologetic, and push the envelope on what the face of social impact looks like. By boldly redefining how society perceives community work with high engagement we are constantly on the radar for many entertainers, Fortune 500 companies, and educational institutions.
Most proud of: I am most proud my siblings and friends can say I am who I say I am. All the accolades and accomplishments are great, groundbreaking but — take all those
things away and my core values are the same. In private and publicly, I hold who I am a person at the highest standard.
Problems that I solve:
Schools: my goal is to pipeline job and opportunities to their programs.
Students: educate., expose, and educate them based on their interest. Advocate for intentional policy that’ll support them and build a stronger sustainable ecosystem.
Corporations: to advise on effective strategies to engage a diverse talent pool, and provide them an entry point to African American communities.
Entertainers: to amplify their visibility to social causes that are important to them. Execute their ideas and goals in a non conventional way.
The work that we do is critical I hold it near and dear and it’s an absolute honor to be on the front line of change and disruption.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Things that helped me build my reputation in this field is my work ethic, producing high quality experiences, and strategizing connecting and mobilizing my network. Working in entertainment and The White House there isn’t always months to plan. Sometimes things change quick and you have to provide solutions that make sense. I’ve been able to take those skills and put them to work. I am the queen of pivot ! I think it puts my stakeholders at ease being able to immediately provide solutions. On top of that, I am intentional about building and maintaining relationships. Social capital is extremely powerful. Being that black women business owners are under funded, I have to spend a large portion of my time maintaining a strong ecosystem.
How’d you meet your business partner?
My co founders were the most important decision I made starting The Hustlers Guild. Jason and I have known each other since freshmen year of college. We went to rival colleges, and ended up becoming great friends. He ushered me into the world of federal policy. Jason is my conservative business partner. Which is extremely important when you’re pushing the envelop. He is the one I go to and he’s going to shoot the idea down or raise the major flags. Once he does, I’m able to address his concerns and move forward.
Then there’s Kevin, I met him while we both were working at The White House. Getting to know him outside of campus I’ve learned that we had so much in common from family dynamics, thought process, sense of humor, and temperament.
When I came up with the idea I thought who do I know that is already doing the work, who has strong areas I am weak in, and who I like as a person. They were two that came to mind and agreed to embark on this journey next to me. The key to board members, and co founders is identifying individuals who bring something to the table you don’t have.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hustlersguild.org
- Instagram: Thehustlersguild
Image Credits
Jason Spear Andrea Smith