Congratulations to Stonewall Young Democrats members Brigham Yen and Vincent Jones on being named to the Advocate’s Forty Under 40. From the following excerpts of the Advocate, read about how they are impacting our community and then go to the website listed after and read about more amazing people.
Brigham Yen
28 / Pasadena, Calif.
Blogger, real estate agent
Most gay people like to make things pretty. This desire, real estate agent and blogger Brigham Yen explains, is why they often lead the charge in urban renewal, and it’s what fueled his passion to help turn downtown Los Angeles from a no-man’s-land into a 24-hour district. Yen developed a love for cities while growing up in un-urban Utah (yes, Brigham is his real name). After college he moved to Los Angeles, where he became engrossed in the city’s effort to clean up its blighted downtown and expand its transit system. Yen began attending planning meetings for new buildings and subways, made contacts with politicians, and was soon hired by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District as an economic development associate. He was part of an effort to convince residents and businesses to move downtown, including a Wolfgang Puck restaurant and a trendy sneaker store. Now a real estate agent, he leases retail spaces and sells condos in neighboring Pasadena, where he lives with his partner. His enthusiasm for sustainable cities recently led him to launch Pasadena Real Estate With Brigham Yen, a popular blog on the city’s pedestrian-friendly developments.
Vincent Jones
34 / Los Angeles
Senior program officer, Liberty Hill Foundation
Liberty Hill Foundation was founded in 1976 on the premise that there were many organizations dedicated to various social changes, but one thing all those groups needed was cash to reach their goals. Groups seeking grants go through a rigorous application process, which is largely the responsibility of Vincent Jones. Jones has worked on a number of gay initiatives, including a Liberty-funded voter education program to help fight California’s Proposition 8. He also works with Lambda Legal, Camp Courage, and the National Teen Leadership Program, creating initiatives to inspire more African-Americans to get involved in social justice philanthropy. As a young man, “several youth programs helped me hone certain skills, realize my potential, get connected to a positive peer network and to think about things I’ve never thought about before,” Jones says. “If more teens access those types of experiences, we’ll have a better world.”
http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Cover_Stories/Forty_Under_40/