#MogulMonday 

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Jasmin Corley by Pilar

Project Level’s Jasmin Corley developed a love for dance at an early age. At just seven years old, she recalls watching and dancing along to movies such as Step Up, Stomp The Yard, and Honey. At just sixteen, Jasmin manages the dance department at PL, teaching aspiring dancers and pursuing her dreams as a choreographer. When Jasmin first started at Project Level, she was only thirteen. She came into PL with interests in Marketing before fully realizing her potential as a professional dancer. Her life changed the day she was called up for a dance battle at what she thought was going to be a “regular PL meeting.” “They said everyone that called themselves a dancer had to go up and battle. I considered myself a dancer, so I had to do it even though I was nervous! They called me and Alexa up and I was shaking. I took off my glasses purposely so I couldn’t see everyone watching, but as soon as I started dancing the fear was gone! Apparently I won that one!” Jasmin continues to be a part of the marketing and fundraising team, helping Chloe (Head of Marketing), and working to make PL the best it can be. She is part of the dance group, Memberz Only Crew, with fellow partners Alexa, Taylor, and Tylor; together they have starred in a variety of music videos and live performances. When I asked Jasmin what inspired her to be a dancer, she simply replied, “the future.” She expressed that her possibilities are endless and imagining all that she can accomplish is what inspires her to keep moving. “When I dance, I’m thinking about hitting the next move, it’s always about what’s going to happen next. I can do something with a choreographer, or I can be dancing on TV,” She danced in her chair; “I can do anything with my future!” Dancing makes her feel free. She doesn’t have to look at anyone, she can focus on herself and her movement. “Of course I get butterflies, and I get nervous, but once I start, it all goes away.” In five years Jasmin hopes to be an established choreographer. Her dream is to go on tour with Beyonce and open up her own studio! Jasmin looks up to Chloe (Head of Marketing) and Kayla (Head of the Fashion Department) because they are doing so much at a young age and killing the game. She also looks up to Richard Bougere (Executive Director of Project Level and Danielle Banks (Program Director of PL) for all the support they have given her in her time at PL. “I look up to my PL fam. I look up to Chloe and Kayla, even though Kayla is younger than me. I look up to Rich and Danielle because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.” Jasmin is inspired by many dancers on YouTube, but her biggest inspirations are Wildabeast, the Les Twins, and KK, and Kida The Great. “Wildabeast was my first master class and the Les Twins have inspired me in their classes, they push me to the limits. KK has really fun classes and she brings out the girly side in me. Kida The Great is younger than me, but I look up to him because of his arm movements.” She pops her arms and laughs. The most difficult element of her job is having to find music to dance to , She usually can't pick just one song. She teaches little kids in bootcamp, and sometimes getting them to cooperate is also a challenge. “I really want to teach choreography at other studios; I’ve been doing it for 2 years, teaching up to 30 kids at a time.” Jasmin says the hardest thing about being a young boss is that the pressure is on her. She is always looking for a way to think positively about tough situations. “The best thing about having the pressure on you is that once it’s all done, all the people watching are so proud!” One of her biggest accomplishments was putting on the award show and doing the choreography for several performances. Jasmin advises young people to stay on track and not be shy. “Stay focused and get out there! You can’t do what you want and be shy.” Jasmin is devoted to dance and is passionate about her future. The eagerness to keep teaching and making moves is what makes her a mogul.

Fun Fact: Jasmin loves french fries so much!

Jasmin’s List of Accomplishments:Music VideosKeemy Cool D “Squad” - DancerDante “Yeah” - DancerLive/Stage PerformancesChapkis- World of Fear San Francisco Pride Parade World Of Dance Bay Area Warriors Dance Clinic Damsf Urban Legends USA Oakland Black College Expo San Francisco Zoo Feel Good Food and Wellness Festival Haight Street Music and Merchant Fair ModelingOCC Makeup FBM Boutique A Christmas Carol

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Kayla Mezo is a model, actress, stylist, and graphic designer. She is also the head of the fashion department at Project Level. As the head of the department, she is responsible for producing all of the fashion shows at PL as well as styling all of the artists during photoshoots. She was Director of Styling, and lead actress in Project Level’s short film “A Long Walk Home”. Her ability to take the lead in various projects at PL shows how determined she is to become a successful businesswoman, model, actress, and stylist.

    Kayla developed a love for fashion at the age of eleven. She was most inspired by the bright colors and creative outfit ensembles of New Boyz and Willow Smith. At just twelve years old, she began modeling and styling for Project Level. Kayla’s decision to pursue a career in fashion presented itself as she continued to work at PL. She now manages ten interns, the most interns in any one department at Project Level. The hardest part about managing the fashion department is looking  after so many people and making sure they are benefit from PL while also enjoying their work. “A lot of people are influenced by fashion, and I always have to make sure my interns are taken care of. It’s like having a little company of your own”, she states. Managing PL’s fashion department proves to be good practice for her future goals.

    Mezo’s plan for the future involves owning a few different companies. She hopes to own a clothing and makeup company while continuing her work with Project Level. Although her focus is fashion and styling, she also aspires to be a successful model and actress. “I work best when all eyes are on me. I have the looks and I know how to work. I’m not just a pretty face, I know how to do my job”, she says.  In the next five years, she hopes to continue to grow and improve her skills.

    Kayla’s desire to start a business comes from her idols Jay-Z and Diddy. “They’re everything I want to be in life, and they’re African American. They own more than one business and they’re killing the game”, she exclaims. Her fashion icons are Zendaya and Rihanna. She loves their unique styles and the way they carry themselves. She praised Rihanna saying, “I love that she is so humble, and she is so beautiful and talented. You can’t compare her to anyone.” Mezo also looks up to Richard Bougere (Executive Director of Project Level) and Danielle Banks (Program Director of PL). “My family isn’t always supportive, and they don’t understand what I want to do with my life. They don’t think I will be as successful”, she says. “I definitely look up to Rich and Danielle. I don’t want to give up on them. I’ve known them for four years and they are there for me every day. They have helped me grow as a person, and I really love them for that.”

There are many difficulties being a teen and managing a busy career. Kayla says the hardest part is not being able to live like a regular teen. “Normal teens want to have boyfriends, go to basketball games, and parties. Me being a boss, I have to focus on keeping my grades up to continue school and keep my money up to travel and go places.” She expresses the importance of maintaining a balance between her high school career and so many other responsibilities outside of school. “Now it’s time to grind,” She says with a big smile on her face.

Not only is it hard to balance school and work; there are also many struggles that Kayla has to overcome as a model and a stylist. As a model, one usually has to adhere to certain standards. “It’s challenging to be a model. People are so judgemental. People don’t always agree with your creative process. In the modeling world, you have to be skinny, tall, and white”, she states. “For me, being a thicker model that isn’t the average body size, I’m out of the ordinary and it’s hard.” As a stylist she is constantly challenged to create concepts that other people are going to love. The most difficult part is working with your team and making sure that everyone is on the same page. “There’s always a problem, it’s always something new, but I always find a way to fix it. I never forget my main goal, and I have a clear vision,” she pauses, “You have to keep both ends equal. I keep my grades up and don’t slack on my work, and I don’t fall off!”

    Kayla has accomplished so much through Project Level. Her proudest moment was producing a fashion show for Target and Uniqlo. The fashion show was created for teens to attend and learn how to dress for job interviews. She also recalls the PL Award show as one of her proudest moments. “We did it all by ourselves. It was a crazy experience, but we had so much fun!” She loves seeing of her projects come together in the process of event production. Her advice to young people trying to make it big is to go for their goals. “To really be about it you have to be mentally and physically able to do it. Know what you want in life, and have a plan. Don’t ever get discouraged because people don’t believe in you. You have to believe in yourself before anyone can believe in you.”

AT school she is BSU secretary and part of leadership group and at Project Level she is head of fashion department. She has produce all fashion shows and style all of the artist when they do photoshoots. She say's,  " I am one of the graphics designers for the fashion department and create album covers. I am also an actress, I starred in PL’s “A Long Walk Home Video” about a girl who falls in love with a boy. It revolves around teen pregnancy and teen life. I also model, with my modeling career I’m trying to blast off on my social media and grow as a model. I have the looks and I know how to work. I’m not just a pretty face, I know how to do my job. "

Kayla’s List Of Accomplishments:

2013:

1) Hosted and presented a Pop up shop 2013

2) Created 2 online clothing brands (Marketing and Designs) 2013-2015

3) Styled Summer showcase/and produced fashion show 2013 (up cyling, tie dye distressing and bleaching)

4) Having a store booth at Fillmore district Jazz festival and Juneteenth

2014:

1) Created a 4 piece collection for Academy of Friends Fashion show

2) United Way Jobs Fair+ Fashion Show 2014 partnered with (Uniqlo)

3) Styled Summer showcase 2014( 90's theme fashion )

4) Visual Director for OCC makeup Content mode magazine blog

5) Attended Agenda Trade show Long Beach -Fall

6) Director of Styling Bay Area feature film (“A Long Walk Home”)

7) Created 2 Online Boutiques (Fbmboutique.com and ODTClothing.bigcartel.com)

2015:

1) Styled an Urban African fashion show

2) United Way Jobs Fair+ Fashion Show 2015 Partnered with Target

3) Created Theme, script, styled and a member of the marketing team for Project Level Awards

4) Director of Fashion Department of Project Level Junior Camp: teaching junior students from the age 4-12 fundamentals of fashion( runway walking, facials) and acting (tone, facials, presence)

5) Director of Styling Bay Area feature film 2015 (“Daddy issues”)

6) Styled EquipeMajor new Winter collection photoshoot for website

7) Hosted Project Level’s 1st Annual Awards show

8) Casting Director for “Daddy Issues”

2016:

1) Design Floor Plan for Vault Tradeshow (2016)

2) Co-Founder of Vault Tradeshow (2016)

3) Produced "Gridiron Hoops" Celebrity Charity Basketball Game

More to come !

Fun Fact: I like to dye my hair different colors and i can do a weird trick with my ear.

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Chloe Young

by Pilar Tisker

Chloe is the project manager and head of the marketing team here at Project Level. In addition to being a busy high school student, she also manages to actively pursue her aspirations. Chloe and I met at the PL headquarters where she told me a little about what she does as a seventeen year old boss.
As project manager and head of the marketing team, Chloe takes care of every project that goes through PL. She is hands on with a variety of tasks such as finding videographers for shoots, to thinking of innovative ways to promote on social media. She’s spearheaded the planning and coordination of events such as PL’s first annual Award Show, the three annual summer showcases, and Silence the Violence. Chloe even managed to raise over $40,000 for PL’s past two annual College Tours! Since starting Project Level three years ago at the age of fourteen, Chloe has seen tremendous growth and accomplishment within herself.  

When Chloe was younger, she didn’t consider herself a leader because she followed the crowd. When she joined Project Level, she was pushed to confidently make her own decisions without relying on the aid of others. What she enjoys most about being project manager is that she is not limited to one task or medium of art. Chloe fell in love with the event coordinating process. She is versatile and has acquired a variety of managerial skills in the past three years. “It’s important because you don’t have to rely on anybody”,  her face lighting up as she smiles, “It’s so rewarding that you can do it yourself. It’s all about knowing your value and making connections.”

Balancing  high school and extracurriculars can be difficult, so I asked Chloe what aspect  of her job at PL challenges her the most. She sighed and smiled simultaneously, “The most stressful part of the job is when it all comes down to you. It’s a good stress, it lets me know that what I’m doing is needed. On some days I have so much to do, but I stay positive and know that I’ll get it done.” She attributes her leadership skills to the mentorship of PL’s founders.

Chloe is most inspired by Richard Bougere (Executive Director of Project Level), Danielle Banks (Program Director of PL), and her dad. When I asked about how these three mentors influenced her,  she immediately brightened up, sat up straight, and said, “I’m going to start off with Rich of course.” Rich has inspired her by the distinguished manner in which he carries himself. “He does it so effortlessly. When he snaps into game mode, he makes it look like it’s nothing.” Along with Rich, Danielle has also been a motivating mentor to Chloe, always encouraging her to never give up. “She lets me know it’s going to be okay. When I think it’s over she tells me to pull it together.” And finally, “My dad,” Chloe said as she closed her eyes, smiled, and wiggled in her chair a bit. “My dad is such an inspiration, I want to get to the point where he doesn’t have to work as hard and he can just chill.” With the exemplary mentorship of these three, Chloe is determined be the best she can be.

When asked about her future plans, Chloe said that she wants to be an integral part of Project Level expanding to its full potential not only in San Francisco, but also worldwide! Of course, her main goal is to have a successful career, and she is definitely on the right track. Chloe advises other young people to keep working toward their dreams and never give up. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.” She clapped her hands together, “Go beyond what you are expected of, don’t be basic and shoot for the stars. If you have a vision follow it through! If you want to be a fashion designer, be a fashion designer. Be a Mogul!” Chloe is dedicated, and enthusiastic about her work, but also incredibly funny and energetic. Maintaining the balance between business and fun is what makes her the definition of a young boss.

Chloe’s List of Accomplishments:

• Planned and Created first annual PL award show

• Three annual Summer showcases

• Spoke on 106 KMEL Street Soldiers

• Planned and Created Silence the Violence event

• Hired by Identity Event to create three college tours (fundraised over $40,000)

Fun Fact: Chloe Young is a lover of Pandas. She fell in love with their calm personalities, and how they eat bamboo which is green and happens to be her favorite color. She owns a panda stuffed animal, slippers, robe, and many more panda items. She hopes to own a panda one day.