MINDSET DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
Creating Power Through Opportunity
MINDSET DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
Mindset Development Network’s (MSDN) primary programs focus on: 1) Establishing self-reliance through supporting grassroots organizations, 2) Educational support for marginalized communities, and 3) Research and development of the causes for and solutions to the condition of women and youth in marginalized communities. MSDN has developed relationships with communities in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Belize, California, Mississippi, etc.. In each area, MSDN works with the community to identify specific projects and activities to assist them in becoming more self- reliant.
HISTORY
Mindset Corporation was founded in 2004 and incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit that same year. Its founder, Maceo Lott, was a long-time entrepreneur in the Los Angeles area and had become increasingly concerned with the declining conditions in the community. He had experienced the 1965 Watts riots, the 1992 Rodney King uprisings and the crack cocaine epidemic - all of which had devastating impacts on the African-American and larger community. As the daily news, on more than one occasion, reported the finding of newborn babies in dumpsters, Baba Maceo (as he was affectionately called) decided to use his meager resources and somewhat extensive network toward engaging the youth in more productive ventures.
During this period (1990 - 2004) Baba Maceo’s primary business venture was journalism; the production of a small community free paper called the LA Capsule, later changed to Mindset. At its height the distribution reached about 15,000 (mostly placed in local businesses for customers to access). He was basically a one-man show: writing, layout for print, selling ads, designing and distribution of the final newsprint. There were some contributing writers, but the bulk of the work was done by Baba Maceo during his normal twelve-plus hour days.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
It is instructive that Baba Maceo’s maternal grandparents, Nelson and Janie Ballard, were landowners in South Madison County, MS in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They had nine children and 180 acres to tend. “There were no public schools for Black children, therefore, (Grandpa) Nelson, with the help of his neighbors, built Spring Hill, a one-room school, to educate his children and his neighbors’ children.”
Maceo’s mother, Bessie Ballard Rozelle, moved to St. Louis during the “great migration” like most of her nine siblings (except one, Seth Ballard). There, young Maceo, as did many other members of the community, learned of the tireless, charitable work ethic of “Aunt Bessie”. She taught piano lessons, shared her humble living space with those in need, and produced an endless list of programs and activities at her church. The work ethic of Baba Maceo has its roots in this family lineage.
BOARD
Board President/Executive Director
Akubundu Amazu (Mark Lott)
Akubundu has been the President of the Board and CEO of MSDN since 2008 following the transition of his father, Maceo Lott, founder of MSDN. As an adjunct professor at San Jose State University and a Pan-African activist, Akubundu expanded the focus of MSDN to an international level. In 2011 - 2013, MSDN sponsored two student trips to Haiti. Working closely with members of the Haiti Action Committee in the SF Bay Area, they were able to deliver a significant number of medical supplies, as well as computers to Haiti. He has led and been part of groups to Belize, Cuba and several countries in Africa. These travels have helped formulate the MSDN current strategy. “I am so very excited about MSDN’s new projects and look forward to working with our Board and our many partners and groups.”
Board Member - Education Support
Nancy Wright
Nancy Wright’s activism began in high school, and has never ended. She began her activism as an anti-war activist struggling to end the US war against the people of Viet Nam. This experience led Nancy to abandon many aspects of the view of the world that she had previously held. Coupled with the newfound consciousness came an intense sense of responsibility to serve humanity. Over the years, Nancy has volunteered with the Black Panther Party’s Breakfast Program in New Haven, Connecticut, collaborated with students at several universities in New Haven to create a community library to house progressive publications, worked in a food co-op providing workshops on nutrition, and served as a founding member of Black Women United in Struggle, a grassroots community service organization that collected and donated clothing, toys, and household items to struggling single mothers. She is presently involved with two schools in Kenya that are seeking to provide technological opportunities to their students. Nancy has donated almost 30 laptops, shoes, a solar panel, and other items toward this initiative. Nancy broadened her scope to include the struggle against colonialism and imperialism, and the struggle for pan-Africanism, resulting in nearly 50 years as an organizer with the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party.
In addition to her activism, Nancy is a retired educator, having taught in public, private, magnet, and charter schools. While Nancy is a political activist, philanthropist, educator, union leader; she considers her most rewarding experience to be a wife, mother, and grandmother. She maintains the long held belief that everything can be made better.
Board Member - Organization Development
Sanders Trent III
Sanders Trent III is an accomplished entrepreneur and visionary leader, who has 15 + years of experience in the non-profit human and social services sector in various capacities. Sanders has strong a passion for his community, and for ensuring that his people have an equitable opportunity to achieve success.
Sanders received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Tennessee, and a Master's of Public Administration degree, with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management from California State University at Northridge.
Post-college graduation, Sanders embarked on a remarkable journey that would establish him as a prominent figure in the industry. From operating Foster Care programs to the development of educational institutions and many community-based programs. Sanders delightfully enjoys project & program management and implementation.
Sanders is renowned for his strategic vision, inspiring leadership style, and unwavering commitment to excellence. He believes in pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and leveraging the strength of your entire team, to drive positive change. Through his endeavors, Sanders continues to leave a profound impact on the Non-Profit human and social services industry, paving the way for a more connected and equitable future.
In addition to his role on the board at MindSet Development Network, Sanders is also a member of the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party, Co-Founder of Culturally Coordinated Services, and Liberation Gardens. He is also the founder of Non-Profit Innovation Group and Dis-placed.com
In his spare time, Sanders enjoys traveling, exploring new cultures, and engaging in outdoor activities. He believes that a balanced life, filled with curiosity and adventure, fuels creativity and fuels his drive to make a meaningful difference in the world
Board Member - Financial Research
Dr. Mjiba Frehiwot
Mjiba Frehiwot is a Research Fellow in the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, and Visiting Assistant Professor in the Pan-Africana Studies Department at Lincoln University.
Dr. Frehiwot thinks deeply about how to decolonize and re-Africanize knowledge production in Africa. She is engaging in debates, discussions and research around Made in Africa Evaluation and its ability to serve as a vehicle for development in Global Africa. Her primary research focuses on Pan-Africanism, African political thought, and social movements in Global Africa. She recently released her first film titled: Umoja: Africa Must Unite Now! The link to the documentary can be found here: https://youtu.be/nTi_hEB7fik.
Mjiba does research in Ghana, Tanzania and the Diaspora and travels frequently to engage with political organizations and academic institutions. She has keynoted several programs and events including the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day School, South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association, Kwame Nkrumah International Conference, All-African People’s Conference @ 60, Cuba May Day Celebrations, African Liberation Day, Pan-African Women’s Day, Shirley Graham DuBois and W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Lectures.
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