Iman Sandifer

Iman Sandifer grew up in Hallandale Beach. As Iman Sandifer got older, he became inspired to help young people reach their full potential because of the adults who helped him when no one else would. In fact, if it wasn’t for his mentor in high school, Iman Sandifer would have never discovered himself, his talents, and explored a world beyond what he knew. And I definitely would not have made it to Florida A&M University (FAMU), my proud alma mater. Its the type of support every child needs and deserves. Throughout my tenure at FAMU I served in numerous educational capacities; forming MOTG was just a natural next step. While graduating FAMU, I started Manhood On The Go in 2014, as an initiative at first. In 2017 we officially became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to flatten life’s learning curve for the next generation of young men by providing access to meaningful community resources and support. Since becoming a nonprofit, the support has been overwhelming and I’m so proud of how much we’ve grown. We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? A few challenges I’ve faced down the road…some things I’m still facing in a way. When I started out, in 2014, I didn’t have the paperwork. When I would go to different places and pitch a program or an event the first question I would get asked is, “are you a nonprofit?” It’s great to want to do something out of the goodness in your heart, but turning that will only get you so far when you’re trying to make a strong impact. My biggest struggles now is balance and publicizing the work MOTG has done. Although my career as a teacher parallels my work with MOTG, finding the balance between the two is something I’m learning. MOTG is my passion, its something I would do even if there wasn’t social media or the Internet. I would still be doing this because there is a real need for this; I was one of those kids. So my “work/passion” balance is something I’m still learning. I’m also learning the difference between doing the work and publicizing it. It’s hard for me to talk about myself. MOTG is growing so fast and making such possible impact on students, I forget to take a step back and tell people about it. Which I’ve learned is important for funding, participation, and just overall awareness. So, as you know, we’re impressed with Manhood On The Go Foundation, Inc. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others. MOTG tackles the excellence and opportunity gaps impacting our nation’s young men. We believe early exposure to numerous fields of study and industries give young men the chance to dream big and achieve even bigger. We utilize our expansive network to connect young men with dedicated professionals who help mentor our young men as they chase their dreams. We are committed to developing and facilitating innovative data-driven programming to ignite the passion to succeed for young men nationwide through 3 focus areas: teaching transferable life skills, providing career exploration opportunities and leveraging communities. We provide interactive workshops that build oratorical, culinary, mechanical, technical and etiquette skills. Our programs include the Hallandale Beach (FL) Youth Leadership Academy, MOTG Empowerment Suite, MOTG Social Change Internship, and the MOTG Foundation Scholarship Fund — which has awarded over $20k in scholarships. What I’m the most proud of is that people I respect, respect the brand. From the people we’ve assembled, I’m truly humbled by their genuine belief in the organization. It’s something I really appreciate. What sets us apart from other organizations is the delivery in our approach. I don’t talk to my kids in a colloquium sense, I don’t tell them what to do. I speak to them in realistic sense. My goal is to expand their point of view. Actually getting students to appreciate their education for more than what they experience in the classroom. If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently? If I had to start over, I would’ve started the non-profited before 2017, because I had been doing the work informally for so long before then. Without investing in myself and my vision for MOTG the organization would not be where it is today.