Kristyna Jones
Kristyna N Jones is the Chief Operating Officer for Brothers Empowered to Teach. She has 15 years experience in community development and earned her Bachelors degree in Metropolitan Studies from New York University and a Masters of Science from The New School. She has previous social venture experience working on a team to develop a skin care line for women on the go with a portion of the profits going to programs for at-risk girls. The team raised $1 million in commitments. Her inspiration for working in the educational space comes from her grandfather who believed, “Each child should have access to an education that will lead them to their individual area of success.

Larry Irvin
Larry John Irvin Jr is the Chief Executive Officer for Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T). Raised by an early childhood educator, Larry was most inspired by his mothers’ perpetual benevolence, which extended from the classroom deep into the community. As a former teacher and high-school football coach, Larry has adopted those same values of education and community to create positive change through social entrepreneurship. A New Orleans native, Larry earned an Associates degree in Journalism/ Media Arts from Delgado Community College and Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies from Louisiana State University. Recently, Larry was awarded a professional development fellowship via the Kellogg Foundation Leadership Network.

opportunity/Challenge

In public schools, only 3% of all teachers are black men, limiting young black males’ scope of what they believe is possible in educational attainment. Young black males are dropping out of high school at a rate of 2:1 in New Orleans, a rate highly correlated with crime. This trend starts as early as 8th grade.

impaCt

• 4 BE2T pilot program graduates now pursuing careers as teachers in New Orleans public schools.

• 30 young black men mobilized to support tutoring sessions for 200 kids at the Andrew H. Wilson Charter School.
• Work with school age children impacting 650 children in primary grades in New Orleans
• Winner of PitchNOLA: Community Solutions and 4.0 Schools Education Pitch