We had the good fortune of connecting with Elijah Beauford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elijah, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Aurora, Colorado, and was raised in a very dynamic, multifaceted household — with a single mom, later married, and also a single father in the picture. Growing up in such a diverse environment shaped me in many ways.

In school, I was very foolish at first and had only a 1.7 GPA. But when I transitioned from living with my mother to living with my father, everything changed — my GPA jumped to a 4.2 almost overnight. I come from a very pressed background, but my foundation has always been rooted in God, and I’ve always felt called to help my community.

In high school, I shifted from being an athlete in football to joining speech and debate, which became a turning point for me. Living with my father gave me structure and a sense of masculinity that I didn’t have before, while my mother instilled in me compassion. With that balance, I grew stronger and more focused. By my junior year at Manuel High School on Denver’s east side, I placed second in the City Championship for speech and debate — an experience that had a lasting impact on who I am today.

Speech and debate was a major turning point for me. It gave me a knack for public speaking and showed me I could pursue content creation rather than staying limited to sports. As I began to reevaluate my choices, I quickly found success — I was elected class president during my first week at a new school in my junior year, and in my senior year, I was honored as Student Leader of the Year.

In speech and debate, I excelled, earning nine first-place trophies in my very first year. I also broke the district record by raising $2.1 million in a single night, accomplishing this with only one year of speech and debate training. My dedication and achievements earned me a full scholarship to an Ivy League college. By senior year, I made history as the first Black male keynote speaker, a distinction I won from among 70,000 students who were being considered.

I’ve been creating content since I was 19, and at 26, my work has collectively earned over 50 million views across platforms. This journey has shaped my influence in commentary videos and fueled my growth as an entrepreneur. Today, I’m the owner of a six-figure commercial company and a clothing and merch brand that blends my personality with modern fashion, built on a foundation of activism.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Other: Content Creator / Community Activist

As a content creator and community activist, my journey definitely wasn’t easy. But I don’t believe becoming a successful entrepreneur is as hard as people make it out to be. In fact, I think it’s easier than most give credit for. Too often, people don’t fully appreciate the process. For me, I was genuinely excited to make money doing what I love.

Money has never been my main driver—I’m motivated by success. And success and money are not the same thing. I’m grateful for my health, for living clean, and for the fact that I don’t need to flex with bottles or chase a worldly lifestyle. I value being comfortable, taking pride in how I present myself, and living a good, fulfilling life. I have a passion for fashion, art, and helping others. At the end of the day, I’m a family man. Being featured on major platforms is great, but what truly matters is being able to come home and be at peace.

I believe the real key to going far in business is surrounding yourself with people who want to see you succeed even more than you want it for yourself. That’s the sauce, in my opinion.

If you rock w/ me you rock w/ me if you dont you dont. my journey is to help my people and change the world for the better if possible. that is my goal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend came to visit, I’d start by taking them to Casa Bonita, one of Colorado’s most iconic restaurants. We’d also dive into the local fashion scene—Colorado is a hidden gem for vintage style, with some of the best shops around. Of course, no trip would be complete without heading to the mountains. Known for their breathtaking scenery and sunny skies, they get a touch of snow each year but stay bright and welcoming most of the time. From hiking and skiing to camping and exploring, the outdoor adventures here are endless.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out my dad and the Bible. If it weren’t for my father reprogramming the way I think, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I was the only one who didn’t grow up with him, but when I finally moved in, it was at the perfect time—he was transitioning from street life to God’s path. That timing allowed him to instill in me masculinity, resilience, strength, and the mindset of being a problem solver instead of a problem maker.

I’m grateful for the lessons he taught me, and I take pride not in his past, but in his future. To me, it’s a flex that he passed those values down to me to build a better life. I plan to be a successful, married man one day, and I’m still grinding toward my goals.

Contact Info:

Management: MoneyTrain MGMT
📧 immoneytrainmgmt@gmail.com
📱 IG: @moneytrainmgmt
Executive Manager: Geo “G6” Smith
📱 IG: @capitalg6

Other Information:

Website: https://theyoungactivist.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/young.activst | https://www.instagram.com/youngactivist_apparel

Twitter: https://x.com/Eyoungactivist

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/young.actvst

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youngactivist

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@young_activist7
https://youngactivistcommercialcleaning.com

Image Credits
n/a, i took myself or my management team

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.