Founder of My 1st Suit, Christopher Williams aims to help young men from low income areas who are first generation college students reach their full potential.
Growing up in Gainesville, Florida without a father made childhood tough for My 1st Suits founder, Christopher Williams. It was a rough start not knowing how to work with a male who had interest in getting to know me, says Chris. Sadly, this scenario is becoming more common in todays modern family, and the importance of positive male role models is grossly undervalued. Fathers set the standard for what every little girl looks for in a husband, and they demonstrate, define, and teach all of the little life lessons that equip a boy for the journey into manhood.
It wasnt until his freshman year in college before Chris encountered a mentor that became his positive male role model. He invited Chris to meetings and lunches and allowed him to just observe. Although Chris had limited understanding about the subject matter, he allowed him to ask questions about the experiences, and most importantly, took the time to answer his questions. According to Chris, I was exposed to so much it got me interested in learning more about business. The culmination of this experience came when Chriss mentor bought him his first tailor made suit. His experience inspired Chris to create My 1st Suit.
My 1st Suit is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young men between the ages of 18-26 who are first generation college students and come from low income areas. Chris explains, Most of these young men may have never met productive men in a setting like ours. Due to a serious lack of exposure, they are just accepting life for what it is versus pushing themselves to their fullest potential. The program provides them with resources and exposes them to male business leaders, entrepreneurs, and mentors in order to stimulate social wellness and self-esteem. Candidates enter into a four weekend intensive that includes classroom discussion, special projects, mock networking scenarios, etiquette classes, and much more. At the end, My 1st Suits tailoring partners provide the suit they receive and wear for the first time at our annual gala.
Chris is looking for companies willing to step up and creatively engage through sponsoring special projects, and men in the business community to volunteer to join their intensives by way of purchasing or donating a suit, sharing their story, or giving financially to help provide top notch experiences. Donations can be given by emailing info@my1stsuit.com or sending funds to P.O. Box 366 Mooresville, NC 28115. Getting involved personally can be done by contacting Chris directly at chris@my1stsuit.com and more information can be found at my1stsuit.com.
