Recap: Mentoring in the Moment with @hereSeattle

I've always thought of myself as more of an animal person over someone who would want to be around kids. It's something I'm playful about, but in all honesty I'm the youngest in my family and never grew up having to be around or care for kids younger than me. However, as I've gotten older I've had more of an inclination to give back to the next generation of kids who will become functioning adults and rule the world whenever I'm old.

When HERE Seattle announced their annual "Mentoring in the Moment" event held a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to participate and work with kids. It honestly blew my mind how much I connected with the kids and genuinely enjoyed being around them. Tina and I were paired with 2 teen girls and 1 teen boy for a pool competition, karate demonstration, and food/drinks. It was only a few hours, but just enough to leave me craving more... I left the even wanting to really give back and focus on pre-teen/teenage girls.

You guys -- it's a crazy time to be in the world, let alone a teen! Although I had a few moments where I was like, "Holy Shit... I'M actually the adult," it was great being able to help instill some confidence into the teens and bond with them in an organic way.

I'm really excited about the work HERE Seattle is doing for people of color in technology, the community of Seattle, and the kids... all around dope things are happening! Their goal is to take this yearly event and make it into a quarterly mentorship event.

If you're interested in learning more about HERE Seattle click here.

Tina and I with our mentees for the day

Check out the recap video below:

Cruise the Sound & Raise Money with @hereSeattle #TheSummerCruise

Everyone loves a party, but getting lit for a cause is even better! This Saturday (8/27) HERE Seattle will be hosting #TheSummerCruise, with 100% of proceeds benefiting WAPI (Washington Asian Pacific Islander Community Services).

I've been a member of HERE Seattle for a while, but recently became more active. I love that their events are focused on creating a community of support for people of color in technology, but also branching out to help the community, give back to the youth, and incorporate a few parties to add some balance.

For #TheSummerCrusie, HERE Seattle rented an Argosy boat and will have food, music and a cash bar. Tickets are $30 and 100% of the proceeds are going to WAPI, so you can have the confidence that your ticket price isn't going toward the boat or lining the pockets of HERE Seattle, but truly helping to fund a great organization.

WAPI's mission is to provide and advocate for culturally competent and age-appropriate prevention and substance abuse treatment services for Asian Pacific Islander youth and all youth of color. One program in particular that HERE Seattle is focused on helping them to grow is the Level Up Music Program that "teaches students the fundamentals of digital audio recording from signal flow to audio software to song arrangement. The 20-week program provides a safe, non-clinical creative outlet in addition to technical audio production skills."

To learn more about WAPI click here.

Purchase your #TheSummerCruise tickets here.

Black/Latino Men needed for "Mentoring in the Moment" @HERESeattle

HERE Seattle will be taking part in the "Mentoring in the Moment" event next weekend in Capitol Hill to connect Black/Latino youth with potential big brothers and sisters. Right now the event is seeking more male volunteers to connect with the majority male kids. This is the perfect opportunity for the professional Black and Latino men of Seattle to take 2.5 hours out of their schedule and foster a relationship with kids in need. It really only takes one interaction to change the direction of someone's life, so any time that can be spent with the kids will be greatly appreciated.

Seth and Eric, two of the co-founders of HERE Seattle, can be seen in the below video giving an update on the event. For more information and to volunteer, please reach out directly to HERE Seattle via their website or Facebook Page.


Mentoring in the Moment Update from Here Seattle on Vimeo.

Uniting Seattle Minorities in Tech & Creative Industries (via @hereSeattle)

I've worked in advertising for quite a number of years and for the most part I've been the only (or one of a few) minorities in the company and on my immediate team. Moving to Seattle this was even more present as I realized my new company (and city) had an even fewer number of brown faces.

At times the reality of having few people "look like me" can take its toll and make life as a Tech/Creative professional in Seattle seem daunting. In short, the struggle is real.

Founded in 2014, HERE Seattle is "an organization for minorities in creative and technical industries in Seattle, founded on the principles of empowering members through networking, philanthropic activity and enhancing industry knowledge."

A girlfriend told me about the group back in March and I had the pleasure of attending my first event in May when they hosted their "We Got the Jazz" social at the Columbia Towers. I didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised! Also, if I'm keeping it 100, I was just excited to have a reason to get mildly dressed up (Seattle's version -- because I didn't rock jeans out socially like that in Chicago lol).

The founders (Seth, Andre, Eric & Todd -- 4 dapper black men) did a great job working the room and taking the time to connect with everyone who attended. From my past experiences attending social events geared toward black professionals, the event hosts have dropped the ball in making the effort to connect with folks. I could tell everyone in the room at the HERE Seattle event felt welcome and appreciated. On top of that the music was dope and the vibe was chill. It lacked the pretentiousness that can often follow young, black professionals...

Their upcoming June event will take place on Wednesday, June 17th (full details can be found by joining the group -- click here). I can officially give them my stamp of approval, but if you require seeing some receipts, check out a quick recap of their May "We Got The Jazz" event below.


HERE Seattle Presents: We Got The Jazz - 5.1.2015 from Here Seattle on Vimeo.