Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Sheppard.
Hi Sean, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Brooklyn, NY, raised in South Brunswick, NJ, went to undergraduate school at Georgetown University, and have a Master’s degree from San Diego State University. I spent seven years coaching on the collegiate level as a strength and conditioning coach. I coached at San Diego State University, Kansas State University, Boston College and wrapped up my career as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic sports at the Ohio State University before deciding to return to San Diego, California to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I decided to create a nonprofit whose main purpose was to bring together people from all walks of life why regular basis to learn from one another while serving people in need. Do your organization is now 17 years old. During that time, we have remodeled homes for disabled veterans, mobilized college students to serve the homeless population, taught under privilege middle school children the importance of healthy lifestyle habits and cultural awareness before discovering our sweet spot of improving law enforcement/community relations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Less than 1% of all nonprofits in the United States are run by black men. Less than 1% of foundation board members are comprised of black men in the United States. To say it has been a challenging road would be an understatement. Until moving to Los Angeles, 99.9% of the time I was selling the merits of our various programs to decision-makers who were of European-American descent. 98% of the time we were rejected. I always felt like I wasn’t just selling the merits of our programs, I had the added burden of convincing them that it was safe to invest in a black-managed business.
Being an entrepreneur is challenging. Being an entrepreneur in the nonprofit world is beyond challenging. Being an entrepreneur in the nonprofit world while being a Black man? I would never recommend it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the creator of Game Changer, nations premier law enforcement/community relations Training The Model. We bring together members of law enforcement, civilian residence, and elected officials to engage in moderated focus groups three hours before the start of collegiate and professional sporting events. The participants engage in moderated focus groups where they discuss problems and devise solutions together. Wants to focus group concludes, all participants attend the game together to communicate in an environment we are friends typically spend time. We are accredited in the state of California so we literally utilize community residents and sports franchises to train members of law enforcement in community policing and communication.
The US department of homeland security has told us that they are unaware of any other nonprofit organization in the nation that does what we do, the way we do it while collecting data. Two data analyses conducted by the San Diego State University Institute of Public Health have proven that our model is highly effective at changing perceptions and changing behavior of the individuals that participate.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Our model was designed for the participants to spend in person time with one another. The COVID-19 crisis forced us to attempt to convene focus groups virtually. What we learned is that community residents around the country still had a robust thirst for engaging with law enforcement in a virtual space. What was of particular interest is the fact that young people were clearly more comfortable engaging with law enforcement virtually. They were much more communicative in the virtual space compared to the in-person focus group setting.
Pricing:
- Free for members of the general public to participate
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: GameChanger1.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriginalgamechanger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalGameChanger
- Twitter: @gamechanger_usa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhlb4bNxzAVGTAQjdQLAgg
Image Credits:
Photo credits: Game Changer
