the 2nd annual

VANGUARD

awards

SPONSORED by

MARC ALEXANDER

Marc Alexander, a native of Pontiac, Michigan, has never given up on the potential of the city’s youth. For the last five years, he has taken on the challenge of being a ray of hope for over 300 adolescents in his home town.

When the four community centers that were once beacons of hope for students of Pontiac were closed, thereby eliminating most opportunities for students to participate in recreational sports and after school activities, Mr. Alexander used this as an opportunity to start his first youth program. In 2005, he purchased four basketball rims for the neighborhood children to play with and orchestrated small basketball tournaments. The summer youth program put on by Mr. Alexander would lead to the start of his next program, Engineers of Tomorrow, in the fall of 2005, and eventually his first company, Youth of Tomorrow, in June of 2006.

Youth of Tomorrow (YofT) is centered around giving kids the opportunity to learn aspects of engineering and other careers that will help them become successful students and inspire them to pursue a college degree. Always looking for ways to improve, He has also developed other programs that are designed to cultivate the next attorneys and intelligence officers. He has implemented the Special Security Agency program whose most prominent mission was serving as security to the Michigan House of Representative member, Tim Melton, at the State Capitol. In the summer of 2009, Alexander partnered with Sky’s The Limit Community Foundation to provide recreational basketball for teens. The program was an exact replica of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also teamed up with the Palace of Auburn Hills to host the championship game for the students in the program and provided the students with an engaging and memorable summer experience. The program Youth of Tomorrow provides gives students additional resources to support their extra-curricular and educational needs.

Mr. Alexander has served as an advisor for the Atlanta Peace Project which educates and enhances the lives of families in Cameroon, West Africa. He is a business consultant for WOWE 98.9 FM. He is also on the advisory board for YMCA Camp Phoenix.
 

Mr. Alexander earned a bachelor of science in Business Administration from Kettering University, formerly known as General Motors Institute, in December 2009. He continues to make an impact on the lives of others through his success as an entrepreneur and his words as a motivational speaker. His latest endeavor is a motivational book entitled “Dreaming of Success” due out in March 2010.

Detroit Young Professionals (DYP) is bringing together movers and shakers from across Southeast Michigan to honor 10 remarkable innovators and changemakers at our 2nd Annual Vanguard Awards. This event was established to recognize and celebrate outstanding Detroiters who have distinguished themselves through professional leadership and service to our community.

Hosted by Local 4 News Anchor Rhonda Walker, the 2nd Annual Vanguard Awards will take place on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at Amnesia, perched high above downtown Detroit on the 16th floor of MotorCity Casino Hotel. Attendees will enjoy a special networking reception, awards presentation and after party with a complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music by DJ SloPoke.

Tickets for the 2nd Annual Vanguard Awards are only $25 and can be purchased online at http://www.detroityoungprofessionals.org/vanguards. For more information, please email vanguards@detroityoungprofessionals.org.