Boston non-profit Street2Ivy empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve with education, networking
BOSTON -- Ayanna Beach and Thomas Thermidor of Boston now know they have the potential to become whatever they want to be. The college students are part of a program called Street2Ivy.
"My hope is to inspire as many people as possible," Thermidor said.
"I want to learn and educate myself so I am not ignorant to what I could have," Beach said.
The Boston-based non-profit Street2Ivy empowers business and aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve economic empowerment through education and networking.
"It's taking people from the streets to their personal Ivy," Thermidor said.
The vision for Street2 Ivy came from Tavares Brewington. "A lot of times we fail because we don't know. We don't have opportunity or access," Brewington said.
Growing up poor in the south, this MBA Cornell University graduate has quite the story that helps inspire young men and women of color to achieve big dreams.
"Boston is a diverse city, and our new spaces need to reflect that with opportunity and access," Brewington said.
Through Street2Ivy, Tavares is now partnering with Cronin Development Group with the hopes of bringing a historically Black college to the Seaport area through a partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design based in Detroit.
"The programming is really unique. We have the opportunity to have a relationship for the first time in the history of Boston with the HBCU. That will come in and partner with Street2Ivy and teach young people and give us a space to profile lesser-known artists of color and teach them how to activate their business about what they do," Brewington said.
If Cronin Development Group gets the bid and green light to proceed from the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCAA), the space will become a six-acre, 550,000 square-foot space that would also include life science and office space, grocery store, childcare services, and a Black Chip Art Gallery featuring work from artists of color.
One of the biggest challenges Tavares Brewington is having with Street2Ivy now is developing a permanent space to make an impact.
Cronin said his vision for this project would not only solve that issue but change the landscape of the South Boston Seaport area.
"The goal is to combine what's here in the community already with access to people who are not here. Communities of color that cannot get down here that are three bus rides away. We did that with Nubian Shuttle and we want to expand that vision where people can feel comfortable and feel they have a place," Jon Cronin said.
Ayanna said seeing her parents live paycheck to paycheck is something she wants to change. Street2Ivy is giving her that pathway forward. "I hope to achieve financial freedom," she smiled.
Thermidor feels the program has impacted his life dramatically. "Street2Ivy really made it specific for me to look at entrepreneurship as a way to develop my passion and what I wanted to do," he said. The MCCA will make a decision on the land in coming months.