Keith Bass

Keith Bass was part of the launch of Co-LLAB, a year-old entrepreneurship training hub which is part of the Male Mogul Initiative. Based in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, it is a haven for job training, creativity and engagement in a community too often known for disinvestment.

“We’ve been ramping up our screen printing orders, but we want more. We’re looking to grow this so we can have more young men working here. It gives us a chance to teach our entrepreneurs. They learn not only how to use the equipment, but also how to build a brand themselves.”

“We have this space that people can use for content creation, to make social media videos promoting their own business ideas and brands. We also have event space rentals, if people want to host their own events. There’s a cheerleading program that practices here too, now.”

“The real issue is just getting Englewood people out, getting them here and engaged.”

“We want people to connect and collaborate. We’re building a culture and community. This is a collaboration center, and we want everyone – whether they have a creative skill, an entrepreneurial idea or a business – to come here and create together.”

“We had our summer program here. A lot of students like it because teaching in schools is different. It doesn’t always connect with their interests.”

“When they learn here, we’re able to give them the reality of life outside of school. A lot of these young men face real challenges outside of school, which can affect them in school. So, when they’re here, we teach them how to deal with those things.”

“We let them know it’s okay to express yourself, to be vulnerable. We try to be real and transparent with them, to let them know we went through the same things they did.”

“Hopefully, we can expand Co-LLAB and expand people’s creativity. If anybody has a skill, they can come here, create and collaborate. We’re really trying to get everybody to come here, learn from one another and grow.”

Keith Bass
Operating manager, Co-LLAB
Chicago, Illinois