Meet Jeremiah Steen

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeremiah Steen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeremiah, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from lessons learned from formative experiences and unorthodox activities. The first lesson that comes to mind is one that was shared by my grandfather about not wasting your energy on things that you can’t change. He is a phenomenal community leader and has made a major impact across the lives of millions of Michiganders. The lesson he shared comes from a well-known nursery rhyme- Humpty Dumpty. He said when Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall all of the kings’ horses and all of the kings’ men could not put him back together again. The lesson within this nursery rhyme that he carried with him throughout his life is that if all the kings’ horses and all of the kings’ men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together then you shouldn’t waste your time and energy trying fix something that is broken or can’t change -budget cuts, break-up, a bad day, etc. It’s best for you to learn the lesson from the situation and keep moving forward – don’t become stagnant, because you can’t let things go.

Also, I am constantly playing Mancala; which is a game that requires you to strategically collect the most marbles as possible. Sometimes, this requires you to capture marbles from your opponent and be willing to lose a pile of your marbles to gain more in the long-run. This game teaches me a few things: similar to moving the marbles from one pocket to the next I have to leverage one opportunity to gain the next. Also, you can not hold on to large piles of marbles, because your opponent could capture them and possibly win the game. The lesson from this is don’t get too attached to ideas and approaches, because you could remain stagnant or undo all of the hard work you have done.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
In 2018, I was selected to be the youngest Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Fund II Fellow, which provided me the opportunity to work with Jane Goodall and her team for a year. This opportunity taught me the power of philanthropy, storytelling, social investment and service learning. I returned home from this opportunity inspire and ready to make a difference.

Detroit Public Schools Community District cut their budget significantly, which required them to take out art classes, stem programs and musical theater from their schools. So, I used the funding from my fellowship to start The Steen Foundation – the first black youth lead foundation that follows the Critical Youth Theory model-the intentional resistance of a set of ideas that have historically and culturally stopped young people from holdingpositions of power by inspiring ethical action and true innovation with a lasting impact, across the country. We partnered with multiple grassroots organizations – MOCAD Teen Council, Black to the Land Coalition and Afro-Future Youth to provide programming to decrease this creative deficit happening in our schools.

COVID-19 disrupted our programming, which made it difficult to connect with our young people, so we pivoted our approach. My team noticed that internships and fellowships were being canceled due to budget cuts from the pandemic, which uncovered a larger issue- the underinvestment in tailored career pathways- especially for youth of color in conservation and arts and culture. Now, the Steen Foundation provides internships and fellowships to support young people achieve their aspirations. Also, theSteen Foundation provides organizational critique, focus group support and consultation to for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Also, I leverage my board positions, community connections and skillset to increase youth engagement, resource allocation and career placement for youth in Michigan.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three skills that I think are a necessity to anyone attempting to achieve their aspirations are centered around self-care. Everyone should prioritize their mental health and ensure that they are filling up their own cup before trying to pour into someone else’s. Also, do not allow your peers to rush your process – personally or professionally. You have time to find your path and no one besides you has control over your progress. Lastly, take time to smell the roses – be present. People spend too much time reminiscing about the past, planning for the future and ignoring the present. Enjoy what is happening right in front of you and believe that everything will fall into place, because it will.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Currently, I am trying to determine what my next steps are as a leader. I have so many aspirations, responsibilities and obligations, which is burdensome sometimes. I learning that I need to start delegating task to other people and have more faith in myself as a growing leader.

I want to see everyone achieve their aspirations and I want to help anyway I can. My hope is that one day the Steen Foundation can be a hub for all young people to get them started on their professional journey – career pathway development, grants and mentorship.

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