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The creative agency owner, who has worked with major national brands, is now sharing what she’s learned about business with students.
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minnesota — On Tuesday, in the media room at Brooklyn Center High School, teens like Rovella Charles shared images of the t-shirts and hoodies they designed as a group during a year-long enrichment class.
“I learned I could start my own business,” said a junior.
Instead of traditional teachers, five young Skntones entrepreneurs lead the class. The school district pays a business fee to work with her students twice a week.
“These kids didn’t know at first [anything] We were thinking about profit, but now they know the formula and are leaving the class,” said Antione Jenkins, product developer and art director. She is also known as Antine the Artist.
Skntones figured out how to make money in the 2020 madness after semi-truck drivers speeded toward thousands of people on the Interstate 35W bridge.
“We were basically traumatized after being on the bridge,” Jenkins said. “So after that I felt like I had to use my talent elsewhere to protest.”
The group turned to art, painting a mural outside the spy house and garnering national media coverage. An uptown coffee shop offered him $1,000 to create and sell specialty drinks, and eventually their business was born.
“We are a brand and a creative agency,” explains Creative Director Stephon Atuti. “We were founded to do thought partnerships, content creation, events and activations.”
Since then, Skntones has partnered with Ye’s Donda Academy, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Urban Outfitters. The brand frequently hosts pop-up events and plans to expand to New York this year.
Rather than keep what they learned about business to themselves, they decided to think about their younger selves and pay it forward at the Brooklyn Center. Classes cover topics such as the importance of collaboration, how to effectively use social media to market your brand, and non-traditional paths to success.
Media director Anthony Brown said, “We discussed and thought about how we could make a bigger difference earlier and catch our kids when we thought we were in our prime.” What we do is what it is for us, and we look forward to continuing to do so.”
“Once you decide who you want to be or what you want to do, it always comes back to the community,” added Atuti.
For Ms. Charles, the class gives her the confidence to shout out her ideas because she knows her peers and teachers won’t dismiss them outright, she says.
“This class comes with criticism, but it also comes with support,” she said.
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