Meet Jeurys Santiago of Minds With Purpose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeurys Santiago.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The way I started was all with an idea of helping others and giving them a platform in which they can connect with others to help them get exposure and connections. I struggled for a while not knowing how exactly to start till one day I said to myself I am just going to start helping others get connected with those they normally don’t have any connections with and I did exactly that. I was connecting artists with producers, business owners with videographers, fashion designers with photographers and many more different groups of people. I am someone who knows a lot of people and I am always looking to meet more. So I asked myself how can I turn my skill into a business and that’s when I decided that I would create my own personal brand that will be a networking platform to help others grow but also do a lot of good things for the community and now we have Minds With Purpose.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road because nothing good comes easy. I had a lot of ups and down with this because I just didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do with it. At one point, I wanted to make it a non-profit but then noticed that it was a lot of paperwork and decided to not go that route. Some of the challenges that I had along the way were things like people not feeling comfortable at my events because I had the structure of having people from all different crowds under the same roof so at first people were kinda nervous about it but once they attended my event, they would leave super satisfied with the event itself and with the connections that were made during the event which is one of my main goals of my business. Also with this COVID-19 pandemic going on it has affected me a lot because I am not able to host any type of events to connect others. I am keeping my business alive although by releasing new merchandise and also transitioning the connections and exposure of locals through a podcast form called “talks with purpose” which I plan to release pretty soon.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business/company is called minds with purpose. What I do is connect others, help local businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and people from all walks of life gain exposure through promotion and events. My business also has its own clothing brand in which many different types of clothing is released. I specialize in my events in which I plan and host to give a platform for these locals to do what it is that they do like for example a musical event to let local performers perform for a chance on incentives and exposure, a fashion show to let local designers present their work to the crowd and at the same time. It be modeled by upcoming models from the area. We are known for mostly for the kind work we do around the city we are located in right now which is Lawrence, Massachusetts in which we do many giveaways of clothes for the homeless and recently did a giveaway of face masks and gloves to help stop the spread of the COVID-19. What I am most proud of as a company is what we stand for which is helping others achieve their dreams and helping others get connected. What sets me apart from others doing events and merchandising is the message that my business leaves behind which is that the support that us locals need is literally right in front of us which is our own community so we should start supporting one another instead of working against one another.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up at first, I wanted to be a detective because I always enjoyed helping those in need but then I suddenly fell in love with entrepreneurship. I would sell pokemon and yugio cards in elementary school to make an extra buck. I would make necklaces and bracelets during middle school and sell them to people who would come into my father’s barbershop. I would buy hats at a wholesale price and sell them at a higher price throughout high school. Before I knew it, I saw that my future had to include me being my own boss. Personality-wise I feel like I have always been the same loving, hardworking person and I have people who can vouch for me. Growing up, I was always part of every single program in school, I was always making connections with the teachers enough to be cool with them but to not be considered a teacher’s pet. All my life, my best skill has been to connect with others.

Pricing:

• Our we are all in it together hoodies will be released starting at $45
• Our mwp shirts vary depending on the design but starting at $25
• Our tickets for different events to support our locals start at $10

Contact Info:

• Phone: 718-679-7982
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindswithpurpose/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindswpurpose
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/j__sant/

Image Credit:
@va.mediaa, @dualvsn, @mindswithpurpose

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.