OUR PURPOSE
Our purpose is to ensure that youth from disadvantaged communities avoid the trajectory of poverty, violence, self-harm, and equip them to make wise life and career choices through Young Investors Group three pillars of investment—self, economic, and community investment
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to equip black youth with career exploration and education in finance and technology as tools to avoid risky behavior, make informed decisions and succeed both personal and professionally.
OUR VISION
To create a world where every young person is empowered with self-awareness, financial and technology literacy, leading to a reduction in risky behaviors, prevention of violence, and decrease in youth incarceration, ultimately fostering safer and more prosperous communities.
Shiqueen Brown
Board Member
Shiqueen is a creative, entrepreneur, working at the intersection of technology and social impact.
She enjoy travel and believe collective entrepreneurship will move society forward. She gives back through her work with young women pivoting in their career, and through telling international travel stories around the world.
She is the founder of Just level career workshops and Cultural Connect a travel vlog.
JACQUELINE “JACKIE” GLASS
Board Member
Jacqueline “Jackie” Glass is a self-proclaimed Certified Doer, Navy Veteran, Chicagoland native and a social entrepreneur working to improve markets and government policies influenced by racism, sexism, and classism. With her small media business, Rubbish, Jackie develops strategic media services for transforming female and parental leadership to an enabler of innovation for economic growth while promoting an in-home “civics first” mentality so that every citizen’s actions support global cities. She produces and hosts the Your Neighbor’s Hood and The Mayher Podcast and manages Head Call a female veteran platform, Mamas on the Block (MOB), DREAM Builders, and Hampton Roads Black Boy Joy initiatives.
Katie Stanley
Board Member
Meet Katie Stanley, a dynamic member of our board at the Young Investors Group. Katie excels in marketing, event planning, logistics, and community service. She's a passionate advocate for the arts and an avid nature explorer with a green thumb. Katie's work ethic is unmatched, and she's always ready to motivate and inspire. She actively supports the Young Investors Group and is known for her kindness and support. Katie Stanley, a valuable asset to our team and our community.
Larry Pendleton
BOARD MEMBER
Larry has been a CPA and strategist for over a decade with a focus on serving investors. He is also been a real estate investor for nearly a decade. Currently, we oversee over $4M in assets such as mortgage notes, multi & single family rentals, corporate housing, short-term rentals, and new developments.
GALLERY
 |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |
Our History
Young Investors Group is a social entrepreneurial internship that help at-risk teens with learning life skills by educating them on how to increase their emotional intelligence, hands on training in financial management, investments in real estate, business and wealth management to decrease generational poverty in high crime and low income zip codes.
Founder, Kezia Hendricks began her journey after one of her siblings was incarcerated for 15 years at age 14. It was her mission to empower youth who had been incarcerated or that lived in challenging environments. 2014 Kezia began to research ways to decrease mass juvenile incarceration and find ways to attract and inspire youth to identify the importance of personal budgeting, savings, and creating a credible financial reputation to divert the trajectory of generational poverty and incarceration. Young Investors of Virginia "the program" began June of 2018. The organization Young Investors Group was awarded their certification as a non-profit 501(c)(3) October 2018.
Kezia Hendricks - Founder
KEZIA'S BODY OF WORK
Check out the articles on Kezia
Young Investors Group's DEI Statement
At Young Investors Group, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are essential values that guide our mission to provide financial and technology education to black rising middle and high school youth in low-income and high-crime zip codes. We recognize that our work is crucial in creating opportunities for underrepresented and marginalized communities, and we are committed to fostering an environment that celebrates and respects differences.
We acknowledge the systemic and historical barriers that prevent access to quality education and financial resources for black and low-income communities. We believe that our programs can help bridge the gap and provide a pathway for our youth to succeed in the future. We are dedicated to providing a supportive and safe learning environment that prioritizes the needs and experiences of our youth.
​
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. Our commitment to DEI means that we actively seek out and provide opportunities for black youth, especially those who live in low-income and high-crime areas, to access our programs. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone can feel comfortable to learn, ask questions, and participate in discussions.
As an organization, we strive to continuously learn, improve, and adapt to better serve our youth. We welcome and encourage feedback from our participants, staff, and partners to help us make our programs more accessible, equitable, and impactful. We are committed to promoting DEI not only within our organization but also in our communities and the broader FINTECH industry.
​
In summary, we at Young Investors Group believe that our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is crucial to achieving our mission of providing financial and technology education to black rising middle and high school youth in low-income and high-crime zip codes. We are dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment where our youth can thrive and succeed.