Last month, hip-hop artist, actor, and philanthropist Joey Bada$$ hosted the inaugural ImpactMENtorship Holiday Celebration at Tatiana, the acclaimed restaurant created by celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi.
Joey and guests celebrated the second anniversary of ImpactMENtorship, an initiative aimed at empowering men of color through mentorship and fostering a legacy of professional and personal growth.
The celebration, sponsored by Tres Generaciones® Tequila, brought together a community of mentors, mentees, and supporters. Guests were treated to a curated culinary experience by Chef Kwame Onwuachi, complemented by bespoke cocktails.
Notable attendees included Colm Dillane (Kid Super founder), Grammy-nominated artist Cordae, directors Coodie and Chike (Jeen-Yuhs), Jon Gray (Ghetto Gastro), and fashion designers LaQuan Smith and Dynasty Ogun. Everyone came to celebrate the program’s impact and its mission to redefine mentorship by bridging gaps across industries such as music, fashion, culinary arts, and activism.
In a heartfelt speech, Joey Bada$$ described ImpactMENtorship as his “greatest creation.” He emphasized the significance of mentorship in communities of color, reflecting on the underrepresentation of men of color in leadership roles across many industries.
“This is my small contribution to the world on how I can make a difference. How I can make a change,” he said.
ImpactMENtorship has attracted a dynamic roster of influential mentors dedicated to empowering men of color. Among the notable figures involved are NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs, motivational speaker 19 Keys, and fashion stylist Aaron Christmon. These mentors, from diverse industries, embody the program’s mission to inspire confidence, foster professional growth, and pave the way for mentees to achieve leadership and financial independence.
In our interview with Joey Bada$$, he discusses the program and explains how this mentorship initiative stands apart from others.
QG: Impact Mentorship is going into its second year. What are you most proud of?
Bada$$: I am most proud of the community that we have built. We’ve connected a lot of people—mentors to their mentees—but also mentors to each other. People who may have known of each other but never crossed paths are now connected. Even among the mentees, we’ve created opportunities for them to meet in person and share like-minded spaces.
One of our mentees once said, during a Zoom session, “I’ve never been in a room like this, where there were so many like-minded individuals who look like me.” That really resonated with me. It’s moments like these that remind me of how special this work is. We’re not just building a community; we’re reuniting people with their “troops,” if you will. It’s incredibly rewarding.
QG: With the world constantly evolving, why do you feel that an organization supporting men of color is important now more than ever?
Bada$$: It’s more important now than ever because we [men of color] are still underrepresented in many industries. When you look at Fortune 500 companies and positions of leadership, there’s a lack of representation for men of color.
So I just think that it’s important for us to be able to find ways to uplift each other. For those of us who have made it over the fence…for us to make it easier to make the space accessible for our kind.
QG: What makes your mentorship program different from others?
Bada$$: What makes mine different is there is no barrier to entry. While the floor age is 18, you can be 75 and apply. That was something that was very intentional for us because I believe that mentorship is something that is needed at any age and every stage of life.
And a lot of the time, we have people who are changing professions, changing industries, or they’ve been doing this one thing for so long, but they always kind of wanted to do another thing.
But I think that one thing that stands out the most, for sure. This is not like usual mentorship programs. Like people see this and they’re like, “Oh, it’s for the kids, or it’s for the young people.” But no, this is for people who are just hungry to get into the professional space of their liking.
QG: What have you learned from your mentees?
Bada$$: it’s funny because I just had my last mentee session an hour ago. I’ve learned so much and I’m trying to sum it all up in one word.
Asking questions is kind of something that I’ve taken from this. While I’m not anybody who necessarily struggles with asking questions, I still think that there is a freedom of that that could be navigated and explored more on my part. I feel like that’s something that I learned from this process because I think a lot of time we’ll be more than surprised at how much help and support are available to us through our resources or through our extended networks.
We’d be surprised by how much help and support are available to us through our networks and resources. Asking curious questions can save time and make navigating any field more efficient. That’s something I’ve deeply appreciated learning from this process.
QG: When you think about the word “legacy,” what does it mean to you?
Bada$$: When I think of legacy, I think of generational impact. I think of something that you build, whether it be an idea, a belief system, or a service that can expand generations.
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Check out his speech during the event.
Check out the photos below.
Photo credit: Emerald Knox
