JAY'LEN K. BOONE
SOCIAL IMPACT STRATEGIST & ENTREPRENEUR
ABOUT JAY'LEN
Jay’Len Boone is a social impact strategist and entrepreneur currently serving as the CEO of Black Joy Ave, a streetwear brand that uses fashion as a medium for tackling social issues. Boone previously served as the 8th United States Youth Observer to the UN, traveling across the country engaging young people in the work of the UN and advocating for solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals.
His passion for youth activism has taken him across the globe, speaking and equipping young leaders with the tools they need to be lifelong changemakers. Much of this work is done through a nonprofit Boone started in 2018 called SOAC IMPACT, formerly Sustainable Youth in Action, where the group supports students with project development, leadership training, and mental health/leadership burnout. Boone is a regular speaker with the State Department's PAYLP program, Global Montessori Model UN, and the UN Foundation. His work has been recognized by NowThis News, Business Insider, and Global Citizen, among others.
Boone received his BA in Global Affairs and Sociology from the University of Texas San Antonio, and a MS in International Development from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Global Citizen Curtis Scholar, Cultural Vistas Fellow, and a winner of the 2016 Gates Millennium Scholarship.
JAYLEN'S WORK
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(Formerly Sustainable Youth in Action)
The Shape of a Changemaker, or SOAC for short, is a platform dedicated to helping young people take their ideas and turn them into projects, businesses, and initiatives that impact their local communities. The group works in three areas: project development, leadership training, and mental health support/leadership burnout. Founded in 2018, SOAC has impacted more than 15,000 students globally through its events, workshops, and speaking engagements.
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Black Joy Ave is a social impact streetwear brand using fashion to highlight the often overlooked and unheard stories of joy found in the Black community. The existing narratives surrounding the Black experience - as displayed in news, television, and popular culture - continue to perpetuate the negative stereotypes of Black people as violent, angry, dangerous, and poor. But there's another story - one that doesn't gather the same buzz or attention. It is the story of joy, happiness, success, and love that fuels the Black community. This is the story Black Joy Ave plans to tell through media, art, and fashion.
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Jay’Len served as the 8th United States Youth Observer to the UN, advocating across the country for a stronger US-UN partnership and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. During his tenure, he focused on climate action, poverty, and youth entrepreneurship. Through workshops, speaking engagements, and meetings, Jay'Len was able to reach more than 20,000 unique individuals and participate in more than 35 events both in-person and online.
WATCH JAY'LEN
SPEECHES + PODCASTS
![Remarks from Jay'len Boone [Social Good Summit 2019]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NLIsBgBR9QA/maxresdefault.jpg)
SPEAKING TOPICS
Youth Activism
Leadership in Action
Social Business & Entrepreneurship
Youth Mental Health
UN SDGS/2030 Agenda
Social Media Strategy
Regular Speaker With