Joy Profet

SPARKING MENTORS, MONEY-MAKERS AND MOTIVATION FOR YOUTH TO LIVE THEIR POTENTIAL.

Contact me to help your high schooler with their journey to college or to be a mentor, money-maker or motivator.

Joy Profet's commitment: Joy is a first-generation college graduate, but she will not be the last generation. She believes that education propels economic equity and social mobility. She mentors underserved students and advocates for creative, non-traditional means to enable gifted or talented youth to attend college.

Joy Profet's story: High school was her shot and she was not throwin' away her shot (as Hamilton would say). So, she took a school bus two hours each way to attend high school (CAMS Academy) in Carson, CA, where she would not have the neighborhood gangs, drugs and boys to distract her academic potential. She studied every day, passed every exam with merit and would eventually graduate as valedictorian. But, what about college? Her mentor, Susan Wegleitner (who still mentors to this day) encouraged her to keep going, but how? She had no money, no means and no internet. Back in 1990, the library was her internet, and her guidance counselors were her Facebook. So, in comes the Jackie Robinson Foundation and a full four-year scholarship to attend UCLA (Jackie's college). She mailed in her handwritten application, and prayed for a response. She got the interview, found her divine confidence and wowed them all (or so she thought). She would receive a phone call at CAMS two weeks later - "we liked you, but cannot offer you a scholarship at this time, but if anything changes, we'll let you know." Desperation, despair and defeat turned into two hours in the CAMS restroom, in tears, but on her knees, praying for a divine intercession (and, well no matter your faith, she has more than a flesh and blood mentor to help her out). But a week after that, she would receive another phone call at CAMS - "congratulations, we found the money to offer you a scholarship. We'd like to welcome you to the Jackie Robinson Foundation." And so, her journey began!

More of Joy Profet's journey: Joy is currently Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Kind Capital, an impact investing firm compelling greater capital and diversity in the education, healthcare, environmental sustainability and financial technology sectors. Prior to Kind Capital, Joy was COO of Essence Communications, Inc. and developed growth opportunities for its portfolio of beloved brands.