Joshua Samuel

Joshua Samuel was born and raised in Southeast Washington D.C’s 8th Ward. He was greatly affected by the loss of his closest cousin at a young age to gun violence. At 16 years old Joshua was arrested and sentenced to prison for seven years after an armed robbery. Joshua’s wake-up call happened two years into his sentence after his mother had a stroke. He joined a book club program and was able to create a bond with his peers with whom he shared similar stories. Now motivational speaker and business owner, Joshua believes entrepreneurship is the pathway to providing resources and job opportunities to our communities. He hosts youth-focused events that provide financial education to youth in his community.