BUILDERS OF MINNESOTA | LeBrent Speed and the Work of Opening Doors for the Next Generation

Raised in North Minneapolis, LeBrent Speed built a career in business, real estate, and professional networking before turning his attention toward a question that increasingly troubled him: How can young people prepare for opportunities they have never been given the chance to see? His answer has become a growing effort to connect entrepreneurship, mentorship, practical education, and community responsibility.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 29, 2026). LeBrent Speed had spent considerable time preparing for a youth development summit that he believed could make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across the Twin Cities. Business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals had agreed to participate. They were prepared to discuss their careers, share practical knowledge, and establish relationships with young people who might benefit from their experience. Speed had hoped to welcome approximately 150 participants. When the gathering began at 9 a.m., however, only about 20 to 25 young people attended.

The turnout was disappointing for a man who had invested considerable effort in creating the opportunity. Speed knew the speakers had busy schedules and professional responsibilities of their own. Many had agreed to participate because they shared his belief that young people needed greater access to experienced professionals and practical guidance. Yet the people he had hoped to reach were largely absent. Some families had other commitments, and the morning's schedule competed with sporting activities and other obligations. Speed understood those circumstances, but he struggled with the knowledge that so much expertise had been assembled for so few participants.

Near the end of the summit, a young man stood to thank the organizers. He expressed appreciation that adults had taken time from their schedules to help him and other participants. According to Speed, the young man had received contact information from professionals who were willing to offer guidance, and he was overwhelmed by the opportunity to meet people he might otherwise never have encountered. His gratitude helped Speed reconsider the morning. The event had not reached the number of young people he wanted, but those who attended had received something valuable.

"I get frustrated, but I keep moving," Speed said during an October 28 interview with MinneapoliMedia. He explained that he reminds himself why he began the work and draws encouragement from the people who benefit, even when the results fall short of his expectations.

The experience captures an important part of Speed's approach to community development. He believes that opportunities can change lives, but creating those opportunities is only part of the challenge. Young people must know they exist, understand their value, and receive enough encouragement to participate. Families, community organizations, and professionals must also recognize the roles they can play in helping young people prepare for adulthood.

Speed has spent much of his professional life building relationships. A North Minneapolis native who attended North High School, he established a career spanning corporate sales, marketing, business development, real estate, and professional networking. His experiences eventually led him to establish the Better Black Business Project, an initiative focused on strengthening professional relationships and encouraging business development among Black entrepreneurs.

In recent years, his attention has increasingly turned toward younger generations. Through youth business camps, professional exposure programs, and a developing workforce mentorship initiative, he is attempting to introduce young people to opportunities that might otherwise remain unfamiliar. His work is guided by a belief that education and technical preparation are important, but that relationships, personal development, and access to experienced mentors can also influence the direction of a young person's life.

A North Minneapolis Beginning

Speed's understanding of community opportunity begins with his own upbringing. He grew up in North Minneapolis and attended North High School, experiences that exposed him to the strengths of the community as well as the difficulties some residents encountered in pursuing education, employment, and economic stability. Those observations stayed with him as he continued his education and eventually entered the business world.

He attended North Central University, where he studied ministry and urban studies, and later pursued graduate coursework at Bethel. His educational interests reflected an early concern with people, communities, and the relationship between personal development and social conditions. Although his career would eventually take him into corporate business and entrepreneurship, his interest in ministry and service remained an important part of his identity.

Over the years, Speed worked in corporate sales, marketing, and business development while establishing entrepreneurial ventures involving real estate, mortgage lending, and property investment. Those experiences required him to understand clients, identify opportunities, negotiate relationships, and manage the responsibilities that accompany business ownership. They also gave him firsthand experience with the challenges entrepreneurs encounter when trying to establish credibility, secure resources, and develop sustainable operations.

As his career developed, Speed became increasingly interested in the role professional relationships play in business success. He observed that entrepreneurs often benefit from access to people who can provide advice, make introductions, share information, and connect them with potential customers or partners. Some relationships emerge through established professional networks, while others develop through repeated interactions that gradually build trust.

About six years ago, Speed became more intentional about networking and joined BNI, an international organization that brings business professionals together through structured meetings and referral relationships. He advanced within the organization and eventually became managing director of BNI Minnesota. Speed said he was the first Black managing director in the organization's history and described a Minnesota network that included approximately 2,000 members and more than 150 chapters during his tenure.

He recalled the experience positively. Managing a large professional network gave him opportunities to work with entrepreneurs from different industries and observe how business relationships developed over time. Members could exchange referrals, introduce one another to prospective clients, share professional knowledge, and collaborate on opportunities that might have been difficult to pursue independently.

The experience also influenced how Speed thought about economic development within communities. He became interested in creating environments where entrepreneurs could develop stronger relationships, support one another's businesses, and share information that could help them grow. Rather than treating networking as an occasional social activity, he began considering it an important part of building professional capacity.

That interest eventually led him to establish his own business development initiative.

Building the Better Black Business Project

Approximately two and a half years before the interview, Speed founded the Better Black Business Project, an initiative designed to strengthen networking and business development among Black entrepreneurs. He described the project as a for-profit organization that creates opportunities for professionals to establish relationships, exchange information, and explore business collaboration.

The organization holds four meetings each month, including a virtual gathering. Speed said it was also beginning to expand beyond Minnesota, with efforts involving Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. His interest in those cities reflects a desire to develop professional relationships across different markets rather than limiting the project's activities to a single metropolitan area.

Speed's reasoning grew partly from what he had observed during his years in professional networking. He had seen entrepreneurs benefit from organized relationships and wanted to make similar opportunities available to business owners seeking stronger professional connections. He believed that entrepreneurs could accomplish more when they were willing to exchange knowledge, identify shared interests, and support one another's development.

His vision also extends to collaboration between African American entrepreneurs and professionals from African immigrant communities. During the interview, Speed discussed his interest in strengthening relationships among people whose experiences, cultural backgrounds, and professional networks may differ but whose economic and community interests sometimes overlap. He sees opportunities for collaboration in business development, professional training, investment, and the exchange of expertise.

For Speed, those relationships can extend beyond the United States. He discussed plans to visit Ghana and expressed interest in traveling to Nigeria, where he hopes to explore connections with professionals and communities. He believes business development can benefit from relationships that cross national boundaries, particularly when participants approach collaboration with a willingness to learn from one another.

The Better Black Business Project became a practical expression of those ideas. It offered Speed a way to bring professionals together regularly and encourage relationships that could continue beyond individual meetings. Yet as he developed the initiative, he began asking whether the principles he had learned through networking could benefit people who had not yet entered the professional world.

The question emerged as he interacted with students and young adults through speaking engagements and community activities. He encountered young people who were uncertain about their career direction, unfamiliar with different industries, or unsure how to prepare for the opportunities they hoped to pursue.

Some had limited exposure to entrepreneurs and professionals working in fields that interested them. Others had aspirations but little understanding of the training, relationships, or practical experience necessary to pursue those goals.

Speed began thinking about what might happen if young people were introduced to professional networks earlier in life, before they had settled on a career path or entered the workforce.

That question became the foundation for his youth development initiatives.

A Business Camp With a Broader Purpose

In 2025, Speed organized his first youth business camp. Approximately 40 young people participated in the three-day program, which featured 17 speakers representing fields such as real estate, development, and financial planning. The camp brought professionals into direct contact with participants, giving young people opportunities to learn about careers and ask questions of people already working in those industries.

The following year, Speed expanded the program to four days and welcomed approximately 60 participants. The range of professional subjects also grew. Speakers introduced young people to venture capital, real estate development, law, financial planning, marketing, photography, videography, and other fields. Speed wanted participants to encounter a variety of occupations and understand the different ways people build careers and businesses.

The camps were designed to offer more than general encouragement. Speed wanted young people to hear directly from professionals about the work they perform, the preparation their careers require, and the challenges they encountered along the way. He believed those conversations could help participants make more informed decisions about their education and future employment.

A young person interested in photography, for example, might understand the creative aspects of taking pictures without knowing how professional photographers attract clients, manage equipment expenses, negotiate assignments, or establish businesses. Someone interested in construction might have little knowledge of the different occupations involved in planning, financing, designing, and completing a development project. Exposure to professionals working in those fields can provide a clearer understanding of the opportunities available.

Speed also wanted participants to meet people whose professional journeys demonstrated that careers do not always follow a single pattern. Some people enter an industry through formal education, others through apprenticeships or technical training, and still others through employment that eventually leads to entrepreneurship. He believes young people benefit from understanding those different pathways before making decisions that may influence their future options.

His own professional history helped shape that approach. Speed had worked in established corporate environments and operated businesses of his own. He understood that employment and entrepreneurship require different responsibilities, and that individuals may move between those roles as their careers develop.

He did not want the camps to suggest that every participant should become a business owner. Instead, he wanted young people to understand that they could pursue meaningful careers while remaining open to leadership and entrepreneurship as future possibilities.

The distinction became especially important during a discussion about skilled trades.

Learning a Trade and Recognizing a Future

During the interview, MinneapoliMedia raised the importance of introducing young people to occupations involving manufacturing, construction, technical skills, and other forms of productive work. The conversation explored whether youth development programs should connect participants with employers and professionals who could help them understand opportunities beyond conventional office-based careers.

Speed said his camps had included professionals from construction and related industries. He recognized the importance of connecting young people with skilled trades and helping them understand the training required to enter those fields. He also emphasized that his role was not necessarily to provide technical certification directly, but to help participants develop foundational skills and connect them with organizations that could offer further training.

He explained that some potential partners preferred participants to arrive with certain qualifications already in place. Speed, however, was concerned that technical preparation alone might not address all the challenges young people encounter when entering unfamiliar professional environments.

He wanted participants to develop the confidence, judgment, communication skills, and personal discipline necessary to take advantage of opportunities once they became available.

His interest in the trades also reflects a broader understanding of career advancement. Speed wants young people to recognize that a person entering an occupation as an apprentice or employee may eventually become a supervisor, contractor, or business owner. A skilled worker who gains experience, develops relationships, and learns how an industry operates may later decide to establish an enterprise.

He believes young people should be introduced to those possibilities while they are still considering their options.

That approach does not diminish the importance of skilled employment. Speed recognizes that people can build successful careers in many different roles. His concern is that young people should understand the opportunities for advancement and leadership that may exist within their chosen fields.

He wants them to meet experienced professionals who can explain both the technical demands of their occupations and the decisions involved in building careers.

The same philosophy applies to entrepreneurship. Speed believes young people need opportunities to understand how businesses operate, what responsibilities ownership involves, and how professional relationships contribute to growth. He wants participants to encounter people who can explain those realities from experience rather than relying entirely on general advice.

His goal is to help young people develop a broader understanding of what their futures might include, while recognizing that preparation, persistence, and access to guidance will influence what they are able to accomplish.

Reaching Young Adults at a Critical Stage

Speed's next major initiative is a six-week workforce development and mentorship program scheduled to begin November 14. Intended for young people ages 16 to 24, the program will provide three hours of instruction each week. Speed said he will work with Holly Q. Brown and several other professionals to address personal development, workplace preparation, and practical life skills.

The initiative, which he discussed in connection with the Lock-Up to Lift-Up program, includes an interest in supporting justice-impacted young people. Its broader educational approach focuses on helping participants develop skills that can support employment, further education, technical training, and personal stability.

Speed explained that the age range was selected because young people between 16 and 24 are often navigating significant transitions. Some are completing high school, others are considering college or technical training, and others are entering the workforce or trying to establish greater independence. Young adults who have experienced interruptions in their education or other difficulties may face additional challenges during this period.

His business camps generally serve participants ages 14 to 20, while the six-week program is designed for a somewhat older group. Speed believes the later teenage years and early twenties are an important period for mentorship because young people are making decisions that can influence their education, employment, and personal development.

When asked what a participant would experience in the program, Speed made an important distinction.

"The workshop is not specifically about starting a business," he explained.

Instead, the sessions are intended to provide foundational tools that participants can apply across different circumstances. A young person who eventually enters a trade may need many of the same personal development skills as someone pursuing college or entrepreneurship. Speed wants the program to address those shared needs before participants encounter the pressures associated with employment and adult responsibilities.

He plans to lead the opening session on vision and goal-setting. Participants will be encouraged to consider what they want their lives to look like and identify practical steps toward achieving those goals. Speed wants them to leave with written objectives and a clearer understanding of how to translate aspirations into action.

His emphasis on goal-setting comes from his experience conducting training in professional environments. He believes the ability to establish goals, anticipate difficulties, and monitor progress can benefit people regardless of their chosen careers.

The program will also include a session on emotional wellness led by a mental health professional. Speed considers emotional well-being an important part of personal development, particularly for young people who may be managing stress, uncertainty, or difficult circumstances while preparing for adulthood.

Other sessions will address de-escalation, overcoming obstacles, and financial literacy. Participants will receive guidance on managing difficult interactions, responding constructively to setbacks, and making informed decisions about money.

Speed explained that the program is intended to help young people manage opportunities once they receive them. He has encountered situations in which individuals possess the qualifications for a position but need additional support adjusting to workplace expectations or handling unfamiliar responsibilities.

He believes those difficulties should be addressed through preparation rather than assuming that technical qualifications alone will guarantee success.

The financial literacy component is intended to help participants understand how to manage their earnings, make thoughtful spending decisions, and plan for future needs. Speed sees those skills as important whether a participant eventually becomes an employee, enters an apprenticeship, pursues further education, or establishes a business.

The sessions on emotional wellness and conflict resolution are similarly intended to provide tools that participants can use in different environments. Speed wants young people to understand how to respond to challenges without allowing difficult experiences to derail their longer-term goals.

His approach reflects a concern that youth development programs sometimes concentrate on helping participants enter a particular occupation without giving sufficient attention to the broader responsibilities that accompany adulthood.

Speed wants the six-week program to address those responsibilities directly.

The Importance of Being in the Right Room

Throughout the interview, Speed returned to the value of professional relationships. His years in business networking had taught him that access to experienced people can influence the opportunities available to an individual. He wanted young people to benefit from that understanding before they had established professional networks of their own.

He summarized the idea with a phrase he frequently uses: "Proximity is power."

For Speed, proximity means more than being physically present at an event. It involves gaining access to people who possess useful knowledge, experience, and connections, and having opportunities to establish relationships that may continue afterward.

He offered an example from a recent summit. A business professional asked young participants what they would do if they received $500. One participant described how he would use the money, prompting the speaker to give him $500. According to Speed, two additional supporters contributed money, bringing the young person's total to $1,500.

Speed regarded the encounter as an example of what can happen when young people are given opportunities to present their ideas to people who are prepared to listen. The participant had explained his thinking and received practical support from adults who recognized something worth encouraging.

The experience also demonstrated the importance Speed places on connecting young people with professionals who can offer guidance beyond a single event.

He wants participants to leave programs with a clearer understanding of the fields they are considering and, where possible, with relationships that may help them pursue further opportunities.

During the interview, Speed recalled professionals who had shared their contact information with young participants and invited them to reach out for guidance. He regarded those gestures as meaningful because they gave young people opportunities to continue conversations after the formal programming ended.

He understands that not every introduction will lead to employment, mentorship, or financial assistance. Professional relationships often develop gradually, and some conversations may simply help a young person understand what preparation is required for a particular career.

Even so, Speed believes those encounters can influence how young people think about their futures.

A teenager who has never met a business owner may find entrepreneurship difficult to imagine. Someone unfamiliar with the construction industry may not understand the training required to enter it. A young adult considering a career in finance may benefit from speaking with someone who can explain the educational and professional decisions involved.

Speed wants to make those conversations possible.

His professional network provides a foundation for that work, but he also depends on the willingness of other people to participate. Entrepreneurs, business owners, educators, and community leaders must be prepared to contribute their time and knowledge if the programs are to reach their potential.

The recent summit demonstrated both the opportunities and the difficulties involved in that effort.

The Frustration Behind Community Leadership

When asked about the personal challenges of organizing programs, Speed did not have to search far into the past for an example. The disappointing summit turnout was still fresh in his mind.

He had assembled speakers, arranged programming, and invested resources in an event intended to benefit a much larger group of young people. The attendance fell considerably short of his expectations, leaving him frustrated by the difference between the opportunities available and the number of people who participated.

Speed acknowledged that families had competing obligations. Some young people had sporting activities, while others may have been reluctant to attend an early morning event. He nevertheless believed the gathering offered experiences that could be valuable to participants considering their educational and professional futures.

The challenge raised a practical question for his organization: How could he help families recognize the importance of these opportunities before the events took place?

During the interview, MinneapoliMedia proposed organizing a gathering for parents in the community, giving Speed an opportunity to explain his programs and discuss their potential benefits directly with families. He welcomed the suggestion and said he would be interested in participating.

He also explained that members of his team and community partners had been discussing the need for stronger parental engagement.

Speed believes parents and guardians play an important role in helping young people prepare for adulthood. Families influence decisions about extracurricular activities, education, employment, and participation in community programs. When parents understand what an initiative offers, they may be better positioned to encourage their children to participate.

He would like to see families give career exploration and practical preparation sustained attention alongside other activities that contribute to young people's development.

His concern is not that young people should abandon sports or other interests. Rather, he believes families should also make room for experiences that introduce children to professional opportunities and help them develop skills for adulthood.

Speed recognizes that community programs cannot succeed through the efforts of organizers alone. They require participation from young people, encouragement from families, and continued support from professionals and community partners.

The experience has prompted him to consider how the Better Black Business Project and its youth initiatives can communicate more effectively with the people they hope to serve.

He remains committed to the work, even when the response is smaller than expected.

The young participant who thanked the summit organizers gave him a reason to continue. Speed knew that the gathering had made a difference to at least some of those who attended, and he did not want disappointment over the numbers to obscure that result.

His challenge now is to build on those experiences while finding ways to reach more young people.

A Personal Understanding of Opportunity

Speed's commitment to mentorship is informed by his own experiences and the people who helped him develop during his formative years.

During the interview, he spoke with particular gratitude about his mother, who died nearly 20 years ago. He recalled the sacrifices she made for him and credited her with helping establish the foundation that allowed him to pursue education and build a professional life.

His mother's influence remains important to how he understands responsibility.

Speed believes that the guidance and support young people receive can influence their choices and opportunities. He recognizes that his own journey was shaped by people who invested in him, encouraged him, and helped him develop a sense of direction.

His work with young people reflects a desire to extend similar support to others.

Faith has also remained an important part of his life. Speed studied ministry and urban studies at North Central University and continues to be involved in ministry, including preaching in churches. His interest in personal development is connected to his understanding of service and the responsibilities people have toward their communities.

Those convictions appear in his recently published book, The Transformation Code, which he described as exploring five keys to transforming one's life and making a positive impact on the world.

The book draws from Speed's experiences and his work helping individuals think about their goals, responsibilities, and personal development. He explained that transformation is a recurring theme in his professional activities, whether he is working with entrepreneurs, conducting training, or helping young people prepare for their futures.

Speed wants people to recognize that they can make deliberate changes in their lives. He believes that identifying meaningful goals, developing practical skills, and establishing supportive relationships can help individuals pursue those changes.

He also hopes to expand his speaking and training activities, including opportunities to connect with audiences internationally. During the interview, he discussed plans to travel to Ghana and expressed interest in visiting Nigeria.

Those ambitions reflect his desire to connect with people who share his interest in entrepreneurship, professional development, and community collaboration.

Although much of his public work involves business and youth programs, Speed's personal life remains central to his sense of fulfillment.

When asked what brings him joy outside his professional responsibilities, he spoke warmly about his wife, children, and three grandchildren. He also acknowledged that the demands of organizing programs and developing initiatives had left him tired.

At the time of the interview, Speed and his wife were preparing for a cruise that would include a visit to Jamaica. He welcomed the opportunity to step away from meetings and professional obligations while spending time with her.

He hoped the vacation would provide time to rest, reflect, and discuss their future together.

The admission offered a personal perspective on the demands of his work. Speed spends considerable time helping others establish goals and prepare for opportunities, but he also recognizes the importance of attending to his own family and well-being.

He was looking forward to temporarily setting aside his professional responsibilities and enjoying time with the people closest to him.

The Responsibility to Help Someone Else

Near the conclusion of the interview, Speed was asked to imagine meeting one of his former program participants five or ten years from now. The young person has returned to explain how life unfolded after attending a business camp or mentorship workshop. What would Speed most want to hear?

He said he would be interested in how the experience had affected the person's financial circumstances, mental and emotional well-being, and overall direction in life. He would welcome news that a participant had established a career, pursued education, developed a business, or achieved greater personal stability.

But his definition of success included another consideration.

"How are they helping others?" he asked.

Speed explained that he would want to know whether the person had begun sharing the opportunities, knowledge, or support received from others. He believes that personal achievement becomes more meaningful when it allows someone to contribute to the development of another person.

A successful career, comfortable home, or financial security would be welcome outcomes. Yet Speed would also want to know whether the former participant had taken an interest in helping someone else move forward.

"If it's all about you, then it dies with you," he said.

The observation helps explain the connection between his business development work and his youth initiatives. Speed wants entrepreneurs to develop productive relationships that support their businesses and communities. He wants young people to gain access to professionals who can help them prepare for their futures. In both cases, he hopes the people who benefit will eventually recognize opportunities to support others.

His understanding of legacy is therefore closely connected to the continuation of the work beyond his own involvement.

He would like to see former participants become mentors, employers, business owners, and community contributors who remember the assistance they received and extend similar opportunities to younger generations.

That aspiration gives the recent summit a larger significance.

Speed had hoped to reach 150 young people, but only about 20 to 25 attended. The disappointing turnout demonstrated the difficulty of connecting families with programs intended to benefit them. Yet the young participant who stood to thank the organizers left with professional contacts and encouragement from adults who had taken an interest in his future.

Speed cannot know where those relationships will lead. The young man may pursue further education, enter a trade, establish a business, or choose another career path. The professionals he met may provide guidance that helps him make an important decision, or the experience may simply encourage him to seek additional opportunities.

For Speed, the possibility of that influence is reason enough to continue.

He hopes that years from now, young people who attended his programs will be able to describe not only what they accomplished but also how they used their experiences to help others.

The responsibility to create those opportunities will remain demanding. Programs must be organized, professionals recruited, families engaged, and young people encouraged to participate. There will be events that fall short of expectations and others that demonstrate the value of sustained effort.

Speed understands those difficulties from experience. He has already encountered the disappointment of investing in an opportunity that fewer people attended than he hoped. He has also seen how meaningful the experience can be for those who participate.

His ambition is to reach more young people without losing the personal attention and professional relationships that give the programs their value.

As the interview concluded, Speed encouraged readers to pursue meaningful interests and contribute to the lives of others.

"Do what you love and contribute. Make the world better than you found it," he said.

For LeBrent Speed, that responsibility begins with the opportunities people create for one another. His professional career taught him the value of relationships, his upbringing gave him an appreciation for the people who helped shape his life, and his youth initiatives have become a way to bring those experiences together.

The young man who stood at the summit to thank the organizers may never know how much his words meant to Speed that morning. He had arrived seeking an opportunity and left with people willing to help him. If Speed's hopes are realized, the significance of that encounter will become clearer years from now, when the young man has established his own direction and finds someone else who could benefit from the same kind of encouragement.

That is the future Speed is working toward: a community in which opportunity does not end with the person who receives it, but continues through the people that person eventually helps.

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