"Being in STOKED has completely changed my life. It's not only given me purpose as far as mentoring young kids, but it has given me an entirely new circle of friends and like minded people to hang out with and enjoy the weekends with."
When STOKED, a national nonprofit that has a mission of creating a community of fearless leaders through mentoring opportunity and action, was launched in 2005, many things became abundantly clear. While the organization exists to close the opportunity gap for underserved youth by giving them the skills, relationships, and experiences they need to become successful, it wasn’t just the youths’ lives that were changed.
The most profound and unexpected result of STOKED was seeing the lives of the mentors, supporters, and donors lives change, too. From supporting STOKED, there was a trend, or blueprint emerging—people were tapping into the community by giving back, learning new skills, and creating opportunities for themselves. Many of these people have gotten new jobs, new relationships, and life changing opportunities as a result of their involvement.
It was this growth that inspired the beginning of STOKED Lifestyle, the media and culture side of the organization. A project of STOKED, the social enterprise brand started as a podcast and has been slowly expanding to other mediums like Instagram and a private membership community. STOKED Lifestyle seeks to build, hand in hand, a community of highly motivated and creative individuals who want more out of life. As the project succeeds, so does the chance to not only provide opportunities for the current generation, but for the next generation of young people and beyond.
STOKED Lifestyle was started by Steve Larosiliere, an award winning social entrepreneur, marketer, and mentor who’s passion is building and working with businesses with a purpose. Steve serves as the host, mentor, and curator of STOKED Lifestyle.
Steve is also the Founder and President of STOKED. He’s been honored as a Hometown Hero by Metro NY. His work has appeared on the Today Show, GOOD Magazine, NBC Chicago, Modern Luxury, New Yorker Magazine, ESPN, Huffington Post, Nylon Magazine, Fuel TV, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and Transworld Business. Steve’s been named a United Way Senior Fellow and was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Pace University’s Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
Steve speaks worldwide on the subject of youth empowerment, social entrepreneurship, and closing the opportunity gap at places such as Do Lectures, Creative Mornings, Nike, The United Nations, and various universities. Steve began his career starting an independent marketing firm working with clients such as Sony Music, Reader’s Digest, and Rock the Vote where he helped pioneer ninja marketing.
Nottingham Forest owner flies in for emergency meeting, Ipswich face 'must-win' match at Leeds United
Aitor Karanka and Paul Hurst are facing crucial evenings in the Championship as club owners sharpen their axes, claim the Sun.
Karanka takes Nottingham Forest to Bolton tonight (8pm) after Evangelos Marinakis had flown in from Greece, apparently to ask why the side isn't pushing for the top two.
Ipswich are at high-flying Leeds United (7.45pm) on the back of only one win all season. Hurst, who joined from Shrewsbury Town in the summer, is said to "need a win to relieve the pressure".
Forest legend Garry Birtles, however, is adamant that Marinakis's visit to the East Midlands should lift players and coaches, rather than put them in a panic.
He writes in his column for NottinghamshireLive: "No doubt a few people will put a negative spin on it, but I don't see it that way. To me it's an example of how he is putting his mouth where his money is.
" It was a scheduled visit to see everyone and remind them of what the expectations are this season. I doubt anything he said will have shocked Aitor Karanka.
"The manager is aware that the owner has high expectations. Given the investment made in the team, Forest should be much higher up the table than they have been for the last few years. No doubt Karanka will have relayed that to the players, but hearing it from an owner who has flown in all the way from Greece should be no bad thing."
Speculation about Hurst's future grew after Ipswich hero Matt Holland told TalkSport listeners he had heard owner Marcus Evans "has spoken to other managers and there's a possibility something might change".
James McClean’s charge sheet is growing in the eyes of an ever-expanding number of critics in and around Stoke City Football Club.
Even those backing his stance on not wearing a poppy will be shaking their heads after his social media outburst on Saturday night when, let’s be honest, he should have simply kept his head down and ignored a criticism he must be well used to by now.
* reacting publicly to his critics and alienating a sizeable portion of Stoke’s support in the process
Any one of those is a cardinal sin, a huge no-no in any rule book for professional footballers, but added together they drive a huge wedge between McClean and his hopes of any kind of meaningful future in Stoke.
By issuing his Instagram attack on those Stoke City fans he accused of barracking him and his religious convictions on Saturday, McClean unforgivably runs the risk of leaving his manager out on a limb.
Gary Rowett has had to justify his signing of a player with so much baggage and, only this week, had to justify his inclusion for a game doubling up as Remembrance celebrations.
His patience, and that of his football club, is being needlessly stretched towards breaking point by McClean’s public outburst.
And just as seriously, if not more, he is now threatening to alienate those Stoke supporters who were willing to bite their tongue and, however reluctantly, respect his `silent’ protest of refusing to join team-mates in wearing a poppy on Saturday.
His outburst can only bring voice to their previously silent opposition towards a player who will surely struggle to perform if he feels most supporters are opposed to his very presence.
If there is a road back into the affections of the majority of fans it is a considerably long one and, sadly, his form to date suggests it might be a never ending one.