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

Hi Winston, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
If you are scared to take risks, you limit yourself and your potential to grow. It is important to know and understand your strengths, your abilities, and your gifts. It is also to important to understand and identify your challenges and build a plan to address them as well as center yourself around people and tools that can help you to navigate and jump hurdles over your perceived “weaknesses”. Taking risks means betting on yourself and abilities. the most important thing to understand, is that ability is the root of availability. If you have a passion for entering in a career field or making life moves, you have to be available for the opportunity. That means walking away from distractions, getting the proper rest, doing research, create a plan and setting goals., and finally action. Potential without action, will only ever equal (=) potential.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding Impact (PARTI) empowers the next generation of leaders! PARTI was created in 2000 to provide activities for youth that build racial equity, gender equality, safety, and wellness. We became a 501c3 in 2007 at the urging of youth, community, and civic leaders, following the murder of an alumni. For 25 years, PARTI has impacted over 50,000 youth, serving 1,000+ annually.

We use fashion, music, and art to provide community outreach and to celebrate our youth. We are seeking students, student groups, business professionals and companies to champion for our bullying and violence prevention events in Los Angeles County.

Youth role’s: Interns, service and project leaders, as well seasonal jobs to lead, organize, plan, and build activities.

Mission: To promote education around youth, healthy lifestyles and healthy decision making.
Vision: Every youth will have access to thrive regardless of race, gender, nationality, family economic status, or ability.
Values: Youth-have equity, feel safe, feel valued, are inspired, lead, are engaged, and thrive.

Goal: To create a seamless network of services that address academic needs, positive social connection to peers and caring adults, concern for personal and physical health, removal of barriers to employment, financial literacy, character development, civic and service, and access to education/vocation institutions.
Strategy: To provide activities communities after school, in the evening, on weekends, during the summer in neighborhoods that are historically and economically underserved, and face disparities.
Disparities Address: Education, employment/career readiness, social justice, and mental/socio-emotional health access.

As an African American founder and leader of an organization, it is difficult and challenging to find mentors, funding, and partnerships to sustain capacity, especially in California. I am driven by MY WHY. When young people ask me for support, I stand up for them and with them. The reason why is: Someone did that for me. I did not have or receive a tremendous number of opportunities from my school. however, people in community and at my church believed in me. Because of this, I was provided opportunities as a teen that helped motivated me to never give up and to believe in myself.

PARTI empowers the next generation of leaders. We have been operating for 25 years guiding youth to identify and to understand their “WHY”. We provide service all over California, and we are members in the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. We want the world to know – that when we invest and provide opportunities for us and our communities, we will have a safer and more inclusive world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love taking people to Universal City Walk. It’s lively, safe, and a great opportunity to have group or intimate conversations. An itinerary for me would be a group activity in the morning and explore Venice Beach, followed by taken in an arts or cultural event/activity. We would follow up with a team bonding meal at Roscoes Chicken and Waffles and then walk it off at the City Walk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Taimane, Moon and Jazmyn – my children – keeps me focus on the legacy I want to leave them
Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding Impact (PARTI) Program participants and board members.
Chris Boyd – Mentor, coach, former Board President – helped to assemble true oversight and accountability for our work.
Ravindar Lal
Jan Eric Nordmo
Matador Involvement Center California State University Northridge
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
My Mother – Patsy Gordon
Imani Groce –
Rev. Eugene Bryant

Website: https://www.partiprogram.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parti_program/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parti-program/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepartiprogram

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

Image Credits
UCLA PHI BETA SIGMA
EXPOSURE BULLYING PREVENTION FASHION SHOW
PERFORMERS: ANTHONE SINGS, PHILQ, LADY-SN3AK, Lily Van Dang

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