There’s an old adage that says: If you catch someone a fish, you feed them for a day, if you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. Mentorship matters, especially today, where there are so many needs and so many people are looking for role models.

Trey Godfrey is executive director of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, a nonprofit organization that mentors and empowers young Black men, starting in middle school. Through a variety of programs, 100 Black Men helps boys and young men improve their educational outcomes and develop their leadership potential. It also empowers them economically.

The organization is the local chapter of a national nonprofit by the same name that was founded in the early 1990s by, among others, Trey’s father, the late Brace Godfrey Jr., a community leader and developer who helped restore and return to commerce some of downtown baton rouge’s historic buildings in the early years of the downtown redevelopment.

Trey has been executive director of 100 Back Men of baton rouge since 2018. He also is president of Cyntreniks, the company founded by his father. 

Kasra Kahlili is CEO and co-founder of Mintor, a  networking app that helps entrepreneurs build mutually valuable connections using recommendations based on experiences, needs and personality.

Mintor acts as a real mentor would to understand your strengths, weaknesses and communications style, then introduces you, virtually, to colleagues who will be valuable to you.

Kasra co-founded Mintor in 2018. It’s a departure from the career path he was on originally – as a safety technician for the heavy equipment dealer, H&E. 

Photos from this show by Jill Lafleur are at our website. Here's more lunch table conversation about Baton Rouge entrepreneurs.