WHO WE ARE
To provide deserving college bound Los Angeles City high school seniors’ ancillary financial support “Gap Funding”, mentors and internship opportunities in order to facilitate the process of succeeding in college and preparing to contribute to the development of their community.
WHO WE ARE
OUR MISSION
GAP FUNDING
MENTORING
INTERNSHIPS
This fellowship was founded by Michael Gordon and Maynard Brown in order to support graduating seniors who have been accepted and enrolled in colleges, universities or trade schools under various funding programs. Many times, like Warren, these students do not have the ability to cover the additional costs of attending these institutions.
In addition, college becomes a ‘disconnect’ between them and the critical actions necessary to help develop community. They are not mentored into having a consciousness of “service” and “giving back”. Once they’ve graduated, there is typically a stark reality that they are not prepared for entrance into the job community.
The Fellowship seeks to address both problems – covering additional ‘Gap’ costs as well as continuous mentoring during the two to four years of college education in preparation for responsible citizenship and employment readiness.
PURPOSE DRIVEN
OUR PURPOSE
OUR TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Maynard Brown received a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Economics and Master of Business Administration from Cornell University and played professional basketball for three seasons in Leige, Belgium, Europe. He started his business career at Union Bank of California.
In 1984 he co-founded Management Reserves Institute, Inc., a holding Company, and launched Metropolitan Distribution Co., the only African American wholesale distributor of dairy products in Southern California.
Maynard co-founded the Business Entrepreneurship & Technology Academy at Crenshaw High School, one of the largest and most comprehensive High School Entrepreneurship Academies in the U.S. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Santa Monica College and West Los Angeles College.
He is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Granite Equities LLC, a Real Estate Investment firm.
Maynard has received more than 30 distinguished awards, from Universities, National, Community, and Civic organizations for his work on Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Education. He serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement So Cal, CA State Controller’s Financial Literacy Advisory Committee, and Board of Directors of The Gordon/Brown Fellowship.
Michael Gordon was the founder and senior partner in the accounting practice of Gordon, Fishburn & Company, and the business management practice of The Brentwood Management Group where he provided business management, financial planning, investment analysis and accounting advice to successful individuals, primarily in the entertainment industry.
A graduate of UCLA, Mr. Gordon received a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting in 1961 and earned his CPA certificate in 1963. He also holds a law degree which he received from USC in 1965. He also earned the accreditation of Personal Financial Specialist through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1988.
Mr. Gordon was a co-founder, developer and operator of Toscana Brentwood, a popular and very successful Northern Italian trattoria. Subsequent to that time he developed and operated several restaurant concepts and currently is the President and Chief Executive officer of Toscana and Bar Toscana in Los Angeles and SY Kitchen in Santa Ynez, California.
Most recently Mr. Gordon co-founded the Gordon Brown Fellowship along with Maynard Brown, head of the Business Entrepreneurship and Technology Magnet at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. The general purpose of the Fellowship is to financially assist deserving high school graduates in furthering their college education and fulfilling their desire to be productive leaders in their community.
Dr. Imani Brown is Social Equity Programs Director for the City of Los Angeles. She works with city, state and local thought leaders to implement equity centered policy reforms.
For 30 years, Dr. Brown has been involved with progressive policy initiatives, public private partnerships and inner city sustainable economic development projects. She has worked at the federal, state and local levels of government to secure economic resources and training for small businesses, as well as, create ground breaking programs specifically for minority and female entrepreneurs.
Her passion is to effect progressive policy reforms. Dr. Brown has directed hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development in Southern California and has created multiple community-centered workforce development projects. Dr. Brown earned her doctorate degree from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in 2009.
Originally from Compton, California where he attended the local public schools before enrolling in the Dunn School, a private boarding high school in Los Olivos, CA. After attending Vassar College and the University of Southern California (USC), he graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, Political Science and Black Studies.
Guy’s career path was in the accounting field for 10 years before entering into the world of financial services where he has been in practice since 1990. After completing a three-year Executive Training Program with New York Life Insurance Company, he founded Wealth Management Strategies Insurance & Financial Solutions in 1994.
Guy became a Registered Representative, attaining his FINRA Series 6 & 63 in 1993 and has been a top producer in the industry for over 25 years. He is recognized in the industry and community as a forward-thinking practitioner who takes complicated problems and helps his clients develop an understandable roadmap to their financial and life’s goals.
Guy is married to Molly Carrillo-Walker since 1984. They have two adult children, Cianna & Gary, and a granddaughter, Sadie (Cianna’s daughter). As a promoter of Community Wealth and philanthropy, Guy is active in various non-profits and has served or is serving on the following non-profit boards: Allan Hancock College Foundation, CommUnify (A Community Action Agency), College Elementary School District, Dunn School, Endowment for Youth Committee, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Incorporated.
CO-FOUNDER
MAYNARD BROWN
CO-FOUNDER
MICHAEL GORDON
BOARD MEMBER
DR. IMANI BROWN
BOARD MEMBER
GUY WALKER
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