Gratitude Is A Must | RozaayMGMT Book & Sneaker Drive

Living in world where selfless acts of devotion are underappreciated, We must shed light on those who inspire the our generation to make the world a better place. CEO/Founder of RozaayMGMT Randy Osei has created a platform that has served various communities globally. The Brampton native started the “ RozaayMGMT Book & Sneaker Drive in Fall of 2017, where he began collecting shoes and books to donate to schools and orphanages back in Ghana. Randy saw a problem in Ghana due to the lack of educational resources and access to greater opportunities. That was the harsh reality for a kid in Ghana, whereas in first world country, children have the necessary tools in pursuit of a better life. The first step was spreading awareness across The Greater Toronto Area. RozaayMGMT hosted various events to collect shoes and books, also with the help of NBA athletes and personnel helped raised funds for their initiative. I had the opportunity to support Randy with his humanitarian initiative and conduct an interview with him too. It was quite refreshing hearing some insight being the RozaayMGMT Book and Sneaker Drive.

RozaayManagement facilitated a basketball clinic for the youth in Ghana (Photo by: Steven Van)

“I’ve known him for a very long time, he’s a good guy and does things the right way and I’m happy to be apart of these charities that he’s contributed to. ”

— C.J. McCollum (Portland Trailblazer)

R: The Idea for RMBSD launched back in 2016. After a successful NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto, I decided that I wanted to go back to Ghana to visit for the first time ever. So I booked a flight for my Dad and I, and when i got there, i was so overwhelmed with emotions to finally be home that I was brought to tears. My tip only lasted 10 days, but while there I saw a lot of kids not in school, working in the markets and not many had shoes that would sustain the tough African terrain.

But that’s not the main reason as to why I started the RMBSD; I looked at all those kids and saw myself in them. I said to myself “if my parents didn’t find ways to Canada, I could have been one of these children”. I got back to Toronto and began to put together a project in which I can give back to Ghana and also Toronto.

In year 2 of the RozaayMGMT Book & Sneaker Drive Randy Osei and team collected over 550 sneakers and raised $12,000 dollars. (Photo by: RozaayMGMT)

H: What are some Challenges that occurred during this project?

R: Challenges for me this year was being able to juggle so many things at once. Running a company full time by myself and running the passion project was extremely tough because their is only so many hours in a day. With that being said, I had to turn to my dad and best friend for support. With their help and a lot of people within my network, we were able to get over our biggest hurdle, raising money. We had a goal of raising $20,000 through the year 2 campaign but fell short and only raised $12,000.

We figured out some things out and brought forth partners and sponsors that helped alleviate some costs. We would like to thanks the Townsend Team for sponsoring this year’s RMBSD and also Summer Hill Estates and Ghanalink for taking care of our accommodations while we were in Ghana.

CEO Randy Osei imparting his knowledge back to the residents in Ghana. (Photo by: RozaayMGMT)

“First of all the RM Book and Sneaker Drive itself is an incredible campaign, its from the heart and it’s genuine. ”

— Martin Romaris (Educator Cardinal Leger HS)

H: Where do you see the RMBSD in the next 5 years?

R: In 5 years, I definitely see the project becoming way more. We want to create sustainable solutions to grow the game of basketball in Ghana. Next year, we would like to bring down some high level coaches to host a coaches clinic. We also want to buy basketball nets for all orphanages and schools that we’ve visited. We also plan to refurbished basketball courts as well. I see this project going across multiple countries and touching more and more lives.

“I’ve been inspired by Randy’s humanitarian work over the years, it’s been a pleasure to watch the RMBSD flourish. ”

— Hussein A. (Founder of TGQ)

Figure: Randy Osei

Interviewer: Hussein Abdullahi

Thanks: @RozaayMGMT, @randyrozaay, @tgg.inc, @StevenVan

Create Your Narrative | The Dominican Dream

It’s the quintessential American story as they call it, Dominican Republic native Felipe Lopez transcended the American culture during his prolific basketball journey. Felipe fled to New York City at the age of 14, speaking no lick of English and being outside of his comfort zone. Despite all the stacked obstacles, Felipe was able to carve a unique path, which led him to a historical program in St. John’s and to the NBA. Jonathan Hock and ESPN teamed up to produce the documentary titled “The Dominican Dream”. This documentary captures the defining story of Felipe Lopez from the beginning of his journey; it premiered on April 30th at 9pm.

Felipe Lopez attended Rice High School In Harlem, NY in 1990, where he emerged as a household name. (Photo by: The New Yorker)

“There was more hype surrounding Felipe then there was around Lew Alcindor, around Kenny Anderson. He was the most hyped player to ever come out of NYC.”

— Tom Konchalski (NYC Hoops Scout)

Growing up in the South Bronx where gang culture and the drug epidemic was at an all-time high, Felipe decided to stay close to his family and the basketball courts. He attended the Rice High School in Harlem, NY. During his tenure as a raider, Felipe garnered some attention, becoming the top recruit in the country. During his senior campaign Felipe won the CHSAA City Championships defeating perennial powerhouse St. Rays and was named to the 1994 McDonald’s All-American Game. Felipe then decided to be the hometown hero and play for the St. John’s Red Storm joining All-American Zendon Hamilton. This is when the SUPER FRESHMEN was born. Felipe Lopez was the first High School athlete to grace the cover of Sports illustrated, paving the way from HS stars such as Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Jabari Parker.

St.John’s Freshman Guard Felipe Lopez was the first ever high school athlete ever to grace a sports illustrated cover. (Photo by: Sports Illustrated)

“His Legend was so big.. It was a little bit LeBron-esque”

— Alex Rodriguez ( New York Yankees '16)

After his Sports Illustrated cover shoot, Felipe and the St. John Red Storm were in for a big surprise. Felipe had a bulls eye on his back and every team in the Big east wanted to see if Lopez would live up to the hype. In Felipe’s freshman year the Red Storm finished 8th in the Big east with a 7-11 record. Felipe like many top freshman’s had the opportunity to enter the NBA draft, but Lopez decided to return to St.John’s. In the end it was all worth it, staying all four years cemented Felipe Lopez career as a Red Storm. In his senior year Felipe and the Red Storm finally got to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, they came up short in the first round losing to the Detroit Titans by 2 points. Felipe Lopez missed the game winner in the dying seconds of regulation. In 1998 Felipe Lopez concluded his season as a Red Storm and declared for the NBA Draft. He was drafted late in the first round, and played 4 season on 3 teams (Vancouver Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves), before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Everyone had high hopes for Felipe but God had other plans.

Felipe Lopez goes head-to-head with Allen Iverson in the Big East Tournament. (Photo by:Getty Images)

Aside from all his unprecedented success Felipe’s story is bigger than basketball. Here is a kid from the Dominican Republic that comes to America as an immigrant, that speaks no English, and in less than 10 years graduates from a prestigious university and plays in the NBA. Felipe Lopez epitomizes the American Dream, he is also a unique representation for the Latino community in America. Felipe’s compelling narrative has inspired the courageous acts of his work today; He’s fully invested in community work through the NBA Cares. Felipe Lopez continues to break barriers and open doors for the Dominican republic, and continually affecting lives through the platform that he created. Success isn’t about what others expectations are, but fulfilling your true purpose in life.

“Here’s a kid that comes to America the summer before his eight-grade year, can’t speak English and within a few years is the best basketball player in high school.”

— Tom Konchalski

Thanks: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, 30for30,

Figure: Felipe Lopez (NBA Cares Ambassador)