2016 HRAP Graduation Commencent Address 

"Be skilled in speech so you will succeed. The tongue of a man is his sword, and effective speech is stronger than all fighting. None can overcome the skillful. A wise man is a school for the nobles and those who are aware of his knowledge do not attack him. No evil exist when he's near. Truth comes to him in its essential form: Dressed in the saying of the ancestors." -The Husia

Mr. Akili West Bio

Born and raised in the diverse political and socioeconomic climate of the Nation’s Capital, Akili West learned early of the marriage between legislation, business, and jobs, and how to position one's interests for the opportunities which fiscal budgets create. An entrepreneur and activist uniquely situated at the nexus of education, renewable energy policy, sustainable technology integration, and product and service delivery, Mr. West brings a well-rounded perspective to the business of national energy independence.

In November of 2008, West co-founded Reclamation Energy LLC (RE for short), an energy company infused with a mission to help Re-define, Re-energize and Re-claim how energy is viewed, created, and used in the U.S. West fondly recalls RE’s nascent goals of becoming a "new type of energy company, one that helps bill-payers save energy and money through holistic approaches to energy management, generation and procurement." Today his affiliated business and non-profit initiatives are redefining how energy, sustainability, and jobs are represented and delivered.

In 2009 West was invited to the White House by the President's Council for Environmental Quality (CEQ) to meet with the Secretaries of Energy, Labor, Interior, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Identified as one of 100 Emerging Leaders in the fields of Energy and the Environment, West and RE were asked by the CEQ to collaborate closely with the White House on ways to help inform, and bring awareness to President Obama's environmental and energy policy initiatives. Often called upon by both the public and private sectors to contribute to the formulation of local, regional and national sustainability initiatives, West has consistently been able to see ahead of the curve, where policy meets ground-floor opportunity. With a keen understanding of how legislation and policy initiatives create business and jobs, he has positioned RE to win key marketing, sales, public relations, and distribution contracts with innovative private sector clients.

Mr. West was raised in the Anacostia neighborhood of Ward 8, Washington, DC. He sits on the boards of the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Healthy Families Thriving Communities Council, and is a founding board member of both DC Solar United Neighborhoods, and The DC STEM Alliance.

HRAP Invited to Listen Live Radio 2016

Dwayne Ross, Executive Director of The YES Summit discussed why Brown & Black Girls are increasingly placed in the 5 steps towards Incarceration…. beginning with School Suspensions. In his subject, "The School to Prison Pipeline: Attack on Young Women", he provided solutions. Also joining Dwayne was Guest Guest Ernesto Rodriguez, Chairman, President & CEO, Human Resources Achievement 

Human Resources Achievement Program, Inc. (HRAP)

Human Resources Achievement Program, Inc. (HRAP, Inc.) grows confident, capable and caring students with the life skills to thrive in today's high performing organizations. HRAP, Inc. is a DC based non-profit designed to teach Undefended Students (US), also known as "At-Risk", the professional Lifestyle of Human Resources as a way to break the pipeline from school to incarceration, and gain economic independence.