Kristen Ingram Archives - PLUS ONE society

DEAR, HIP HOP

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, August 5, 2021, Intentional Service, Common, Community, Community Service, Criminal Justice Reform, HIP HOP, Kristen Ingram, PLUS ONE society, Social Justice, 0

On August 25, 2021, PLUS ONE society and CEO + Executive Producer Kristen Renee Ingram will be honored with the 2021 Trailblazer Award presented by Hip Hop Week, hosted by PDX Hip Hop Week Co-Founder and Portland Trail Blazers’ DJ, O.G. ONE in recognition of our exemplary social impact work and innovative approach to leveraging hip hop to advocate for policy reform.

In 2017, Kristen led the historic production of IMAGINE JUSTICE with Common and J. Cole on the steps of the CA state Capitol in Sacramento. As a result, four criminal justice reform bills were passed that year and signed into law – including an end to the cash bail system.

In 2018, she returned to IMAGINE JUSTICE and led the production of the HOPE & REDEMPTION PRISON TOUR: a series of live concerts in various correctional facilities featuring Common and a special guest appearance by Talib Kweli. The three-day Tour throughout California’s Central Valley restored hope in over 5,000 incarcerated men and women and inspired countless youth in the surrounding communities most affected by mass incarceration.

In 2019, she partnered with Good Films Impact to oversee production on all sports and music programs and events for REPRESENT JUSTICE – a social impact campaign that launched alongside Warner Bros.’ theatrical release of JUST MERCY, starring Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson and Jamie Foxx – inspired by the true story of Equal Justice Initiative founder and Executive Director, Bryan Stevenson.

Currently, Kristen is serving as an Executive Producer with Grammy Award-Winning Producer, Greg Wells (The Greatest Showman) and Academy Award-Winning Artist, Common along with four formerly incarcerated artists (Bobby Gonz, Maserati E, Richie Reseda and David Jassey) to create a one-of-a-kind album that elevates the voices of incarcerated artists.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the city that raised me — our work is our protest and we fully intend to finish this race!” — Kristen Renee Ingram

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MEMORIAL DAY

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, May 30, 2021, Blueprints, BLM, Equality, Kristen Ingram, Memorial Day, PLUS ONE society, Race, Racism, Social Justice, Whitewashing, 0

Like many other things in U.S. History that are fabricated to fit white America’s agenda, Memorial Day is another one to add to the never-ending list.

Did you know that the first Memorial Day observance was actually started by former enslaved Africans in Charleston, SC in 1865 to honor and provide a proper burial to union soldiers (who were prisoners of war) that lost their lives in the Civil War?

Historically, we’re taught that Memorial Day is about remembering the veterans who’ve fought for our freedoms as Americans, however it is not common knowledge that the first Memorial Day celebration on record was in fact started by Black people.

According to the College of Charleston, a grand gesture of care, the emancipated Black community exhumed the mass grave of roughly 260 Union soldiers in April 1865 and reinterred each soldier in their own grave in a new cemetery they built with a tall white-washed fence.

To our brothers and sisters who fought and sacrificed their lives for the people (willingly and unwillingly), we remember, honor and pay our respect.

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” – James Baldwin

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PLUS ONE RESOLUTION 2021

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, January 25, 2021, Blueprints, 2021, Community Service, Hannah Gordon, Kristen Ingram, New Year Resolution, PLUS ONE society, Service, 0

Welcome to the end of the first month of 2021!

At this point, 45% of people that made New Year resolutions have failed…Welp!

Why not try a new approach to the year that will serve the community by asking — who am I resolving to be in 2021 rather than what am I resolving to do?

PLUS ONE society CEO (Kristen Ingram) has a personal purpose statement that challenges her to elevate and inspire people toward the realization of their highest self and one of the protocols in achieving that is to consistently ask quality questions — this month we are taking a page from her playbook!

Ironically, sustainable impact for the collective is made through many individual actions. In an effort to serve our community in a tangible, practical way — please say, hello, to San Francisco 49ers ultimate “girl-boss” Hannah Gordon and author of SZN of CHANGE: The Competitor’s Playbook for Joy on the Path to Victory. This 8-week journal has proven to be an incredible resource and tool for framing 2021 resolutions and seeks to answer the question – who are you resolving to be?

“Genius begins great works; labor alone finishes them.” – Joseph Joubert

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PEACE, 2020

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, December 29, 2020, Team Wins, 2020, Criminal Justice Reform, Influential Justice, Just Mercy, Kristen Ingram, LA Rams, Marian Wright Edelman, PLUS ONE society, Sacramento Kings, Shirley Chisholm, Social Justice, 0

2020 exposed our most valuable commodity — time.

PLUS ONE found light in the darkness of a pandemic, uprisings and immeasurable injustices by building capacity to continue our mission of leveraging the power of sports and entertainment to uplift and amplify social justice movements in a new headquarters located in DTLA.

As a marketing and events agency focused on social justice and racial equity, our work throughout the year laddered up to tangible results driven by our clients and partners’ shared goals for social impact:

Election of Los Angeles District Attorney (George Gascon)
- Announced Sweeping Criminal Justice Policy Reform
10,000 Incarcerated Individuals Participated in our Unprecedented Events
Provided Over $20K Worth of PPE to (5) State Prisons in the U.S.
Raised Over $200K in Donations Through PLUS ONE Produced Events
Supported Election of the First (not the last) Woman of Color Vice President
Assisted in Passing Prop 17, AB 376 and Blocking Prop 20 in CA
Influenced Policy Reform (SB 13) in OH
Advanced Aggressive Criminal Justice Reform Plans in WI

Our 2020 progress was driven by PLUS ONE curated campaigns and conversations with celebrities and system-impacted individuals as well as a mix of the following live and virtual events:

Additionally, PLUS ONE is excited to announce that in 2021 we will be expanding into Portland, Or — hometown of our CEO + Executive Producer Kristen Ingram.

Service is the rent we pay for living on this earth, for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time. — Shirley Chisholm and Marian Wright Edelman

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THE UNDEFEATED

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, November 1, 2020, Team Wins, ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristen Ingram, Mass Incarceration, NBA Teams, Social Justice, THE UNDEFEATED, 0

The U ndefeated, ESPN’s content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture leveraged the power of storytelling to showcase ‘Play for Justice’, a PLUS ONE society produced event that was created to expose policy makers and NBA teams to people directly affected by mass incarceration through a series of basketball games and round table discussions.

WATCH: Playing for Justice

Thus far, PLUS ONE and Represent Justice has partnered with four NBA teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento King. The 30-minute documentary highlighted the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings prisons visits. Featuring NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo along with Trevor Ariza, Sterling Brown, George Hill, D.J. Wilson, Kyle Krover and more, as they discuss their experiences with the incarcerated men.

Our main goal was to effectively change hearts and minds by:

Humanizing incarcerated individuals through storytelling
Advancing criminal justice reform bills in key states
Inspiring players and teams to become effective advocates

“The documentary captured the incredible impact teams can have when supporting social justice initiatives. In addition, it illustrated the solution focused approach of changing policies that contribute to mass incarceration.” Kristen Ingram, CEO + Executive Producer PLUS ONE society.

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STRONGER TOGETHER

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, July 1, 2020, Champions, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Black Lives Matter, BLM, Build Power, Coloring Book, Conscious Children, Equality, Kasey Jones Ink, Kristen Ingram, Race, Racism, 0

As the hearts and minds of people globally shift towards a more racially conscious society, it is incumbent upon all of us to do our part to fight systemic racism.

That process begins with the youth. Studies repeatedly show that children are not born with biased or prejudiced thoughts. Those impressions are received throughout society and shapes their opinions of people, places and cultures.

“If tolerance, respect and equity permeate family life, they will translate into values that shape societies, nations and the world.” – Kofi Annan

In an effort to take steps towards an equitable future, PLUS ONE society has partnered with Kasey Jones, Ink. to announce the release of our ‘Stronger Together Coloring Kits’ for children.

SHOP: Stronger Together Coloring Kit

We believe that change starts at home with honest family conversations and this coloring kit, which includes 7 Tips for Raising Race-Conscious Children, will help guide those discussions.

Additionally, 100% of profits from our Stronger Together Coloring Kit sales will directly benefit Los Angeles based grassroots organizations that advance social change like Black Lives Matter LA, BLD PWR and Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

The San Francisco 49ers and SportTechie hosted Horizon Summit 2020, the premier sports business, technology and analytics conference. Together, the San Francisco 49ers and SportTechie organized executives and thought leaders to discuss and present on the most important trends that are shaping our industry. Horizon Summit provided a platform for leagues, teams, corporate partners, vendors, innovators and investors to come together to share ideas, experiences and outlooks. By encouraging learning across key themes and trends, we ensured attendees remained at the forefront of what is happening within our industry and prepared for what is approaching on the horizon. Kristen Ingram, CEO + Executive Producer at PLUS ONE society joined the lineup of speakers to discuss -- Play for Justice: Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact. Highlighting the three things organizations can do to achieve equitable social impact:

Be Honest About Company Values -- Partnerships, Programs and Leadership
Lean In -- Empathy is a Derivative of Connection
Engage the Forgotten Fan -- 2.3M Fans are Currently Incarcerated

WATCH: Play for Justice: Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact Ultimately, the discussion centers around the driving force and experience of PLUS ONE society: Leveraging the power of sports and entertainment to uplift and amplify social justice movements that influence positive messaging and promote solution-based changes to pressing cultural issues.

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PVO GLOBAL

WRITTEN BY PLUS ONE SOCIETY, July 1, 2019, Champions, Community, Community Service, Dayo Okeniyi, Kristen Ingram, PLUS ONE society, pvo global, 0

Social impact is a team sport.

PVO Global a collective of four enterprising leaders (Chinasa Nworu, Chi Ude, Dayo Okeniyi and Walu Mwalilno), connected by their passion for uplifting black culture and a commitment to social impact through a ‘Positive Vibes Only’ (PVO) lifestyle event series. In the spirit of collaborative ethos PVO Global celebrated its one-year anniversary in that fashion, through its Positive Vibes Only . PVO Global is committed to positive social impact and curates an environment of contribution through community partnerships with non-profits like Distant Relatives Project (Washington, D.C.), African Health Now (Nigeria/Ghana) and C.O.O.L. Kids (New York).

Kristen Renee Ingram, CEO + Executive Producer at PLUS ONE society, donated her time and agency resources to support this movement that included artists, athletes, politicians, executives and advocates like Naturi Naughton, Bresha Webb, Dayo Okeniyi, Clifton Crosby, Renny, Ezinne Kwubiri and others.

Additionally, the PVO team partnered with Distant Relatives Project, a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. committed to providing access to resources to underserved communities, feeding over 200 local neighbors in the homeless community at Franklin Square Park in D.C..

“PVO is about bringing beautiful people together in a safe and perfectly curated environment. We celebrate individuals, brands and non-profits that are doing amazing inspiring work in their respective communities.” – Dayo Okeniyi, Actor & Co-Founder PVO Global

Ultimately, the event accomplished the goal of empowering the underserved community local to Washington, D.C. and bringing together dynamic leaders and change agents in Government, Technology, Finance, Health, Media, Fashion, Sports and Entertainment to celebrate black excellence.