Juma Ventures

Nikki Nicholson

Sacramento, Calif – Today, the Sacramento Kings and Legends Hospitality announced a new partnership with Juma Ventures to provide employment opportunities at Golden 1 Center, opening in October, and educational support to low-income high school students in the Sacramento region.

Through Juma, 60 under resourced youth per year will be employed at the Golden 1 Center, working at select food and beverage stations throughout the facility. In addition, participating youth will access additional support services that include tutoring, college prep, mentoring, and life skills training.

“Hard work and a fair shot are the building blocks of a prosperous future,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “We’re thrilled to partner with Juma and Legends to help local students discover and develop new life-skills, as well as help fund their college education.”

“We believe that the world’s greatest social service program is a job,” said Juma Ventures CEO Marc Spencer. “At a job, you learn to show up on time, take personal responsibility and become a leader. It’s about more than a paycheck. Early employment correlates with better paying careers later in life.”

“The hospitality industry is a great place to start exploring the working world,” said Golden 1 Center Executive Chef and Legends General Manager Michael Tuohy. “And, this program provides students with real-life business operations experience, including interacting with customers, managing finances and being an integral member of a team.”

Juma Ventures has employed 5,000 low-income students who have generated $23 million in enterprise revenue, earned $4 million in wages, and saved more than $3 million for college. For most students, Juma is their entrance into the workforce.

Juma successfully pioneered its youth enterprise in the San Francisco Bay Area and has since replicated its model nationwide. Partners included Turner Field in Atlanta; AT&amp;T Park in San Francisco; Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara; Turner Field in Atlanta; CenturyLink Stadium in Seattle; Yankee Stadium in New York City, and the Superdome in New Orleans.

Individuals interested in participating in the program can find more information at Juma.org. Also, Select nonprofit partners in Sacramento joining Juma, Legends and the Kings to reach out to young adults interested in the program include Sac Employment &amp; Training Agency (SETA), Children’s Law Center, FutureReady, 3Strands, WayUp Sacramento and more. To be eligible of the program, youth must be ages 16-24.

Juma Ventures

Kings and Legends Announce New Youth Jobs Program for Golden 1 Center