Due to overwhelming demand for guidance, Jahkil Jackson created the Don’t Wait to Be Great Social Entrepreneurship Workshop Series, a program that blends community service and entrepreneurship to educate and empower youth. Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on activities, the program focuses on philanthropy, financial literacy, leadership, and business development to equip young people with the confidence and skills to launch their own service initiatives.

A national needs assessment revealed that 90% of youth want to help their communities, yet 80% lack confidence in executing a successful service project. Additionally, a lack of financial education often leads to poor financial habits in adulthood. Research also shows that participation in youth sports builds character, leadership, and teamwork, benefiting individuals, families, and communities.

In 2024 and 2025, 60 students from Heritage Elementary School participated in an ongoing workshop series, developing service-oriented business ideas focused on poverty, food insecurity, helping high school students access scholarships and resources, pollution, animal protection, and environmental sustainability.

Thanks to the generosity of the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, Project I Am joined the 2023 Freedom Summer program, implementing a safe summer initiative for 20 youth of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides. The Don’t Wait to Be Great 2.0 program took a holistic approach by combining entrepreneurship, community service, and sports—helping young athletes prepare for middle and high school sports while also developing leadership and teamwork skills.

As a student-athlete and social entrepreneur, Jahkil worked alongside professionals to teach youth how to balance athletics, academics, and social life. The near-peer mentorship model proved to be an innovative success, offering a blueprint for future programs aimed at developing well-rounded, socially responsible young leaders.