Today we’d like to introduce you to Earl Young.
Hi Earl, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in Baltimore City, Maryland, where I was born and raised. Growing up in neighborhoods such as Sandtown-Winchester and Northwest Baltimore, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of poverty, limited opportunities, and negative influences that often shape the lives of young people in underserved communities.
In 1984, at just 17 years old, my life changed dramatically when I entered the Maryland prison system and ultimately received a sentence of life plus 13 years. I would spend the next 34 years and seven months incarcerated.
Although incarceration deprived me of my physical freedom, I refused to allow it to imprison my mind or determine my future. I earned my GED, pursued college coursework in Criminal Justice and Safety through Coppin State University, and served as a Senior Counselor with Project Turnaround. I also participated in youth outreach initiatives, sometimes speaking to young people through video conferences while physically restrained, hoping my experiences might prevent them from making similar decisions.
Those experiences helped establish my life’s mission: empowering young people, creating opportunities, and demonstrating that genuine transformation is possible.
In 2019, following executive clemency from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, I returned to society. Reentry presented extraordinary challenges, particularly adjusting to a world that had changed dramatically while coping with the loss of my grandparents, parents and siblings, who had passed away during my incarceration.
Determined to rebuild my life, I worked two jobs—mentoring students at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School during the day and working overnight at H&S Bakery. Through discipline, perseverance, and faith, I eventually established financial stability, became a homeowner, and expanded my professional and community involvement.
Today, I serve as Senior Program Coordinator with New Vision Youth Services, helping oversee mentoring and intervention programs within Baltimore City Public Schools. I have also participated extensively in criminal justice reform advocacy, testifying at the state and federal levels concerning juvenile justice, rehabilitation, sentencing reform, and second chances.
My entrepreneurial journey began with Building Not Begging Landscaping, LLC, established in 2020. I subsequently founded BNB Coaching & Consulting, LLC, providing mentorship, reentry coaching, professional development, and organizational consulting.
I also established the Building Not Begging Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth, justice-impacted individuals, and vulnerable families. Our vision includes educational enrichment, scholarships, restorative justice, workforce development, and eventually emergency residential housing with comprehensive support services for vulnerable youth.
Throughout my journey, my Islamic faith has remained my foundation. I recognize that my accomplishments are possible through the grace and mercy of Allah and the support of those who believed in my ability to change.
I went from being a teenager sentenced to spend his life in prison to becoming a husband, homeowner, mentor, entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and community advocate.
My past is part of my story, but it does not define my future. Today, I am focused on transforming pain into purpose, experience into wisdom, and second chances into opportunities for others.
That is what Building Not Begging represents—a commitment to building a legacy of hope, opportunity, and transformation for generations to come.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey has been anything but smooth. Some of my greatest challenges involved maintaining hope, overcoming personal loss, rebuilding my life, and demonstrating that people possess the capacity for meaningful change.
Spending more than three decades incarcerated meant enduring separation from loved ones, missed opportunities, uncertainty, and the emotional challenges of confinement. One of the most difficult experiences was losing my parents and siblings while being unable to share their final moments.
Maintaining hope while serving a life sentence required tremendous mental and spiritual discipline. I made a conscious decision to continue educating myself, strengthening my character, and preparing for a future I had no guarantee of experiencing.
When I returned home in 2019, freedom brought new challenges. I had to adjust to unfamiliar technology, employment systems, and everyday responsibilities while confronting the stigma associated with a criminal conviction.
Building financial stability required sacrifice. Working long hours at two jobs was exhausting, but I understood that independence and success required consistency, humility, and determination.
My work with young people has introduced another emotional challenge: witnessing their tremendous potential while recognizing how poverty, community violence, unstable housing, and limited opportunities can threaten their futures.
These experiences have taught me that mentorship requires patience, genuine relationships, and long-term commitment. Meaningful transformation rarely happens overnight.
Establishing Building Not Begging has also required navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship, nonprofit development, fundraising, and building sustainable partnerships. One of my greatest challenges is securing the resources necessary to transform urgently needed youth services into lasting programs.
Throughout these experiences, my Islamic faith has sustained me. I have learned that resilience does not mean ignoring difficulties; it means confronting them without surrendering your purpose.
I accept responsibility for the decisions that contributed to my incarceration, but I also believe rehabilitation and redemption must have meaning.
My incarceration taught me the value of freedom. My losses taught me the importance of relationships. My reentry experience taught me the value of opportunity. And my work with young people continues to teach me the importance of service.
Through the grace and mercy of Allah, I remain grateful for the opportunity to turn life’s challenges into something meaningful for others.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My professional work centers on youth development, credible-messenger mentorship, restorative justice, community engagement, reentry support, and creating opportunities for individuals facing significant challenges.
As Senior Program Coordinator with New Vision Youth Services, I help oversee mentoring and intervention programs within Baltimore City Public Schools. My responsibilities include supervising mentors, collaborating with school administrators, strengthening family engagement, and ensuring that students receive meaningful guidance and support.
I specialize in connecting with young people who may struggle with traditional support systems. My approach combines professional leadership with lived experience, allowing me to build authentic relationships grounded in trust, accountability, and understanding.
I am also the founder of three organizations operating under the Building Not Begging philosophy.
Building Not Begging Landscaping, LLC, reflects my commitment to entrepreneurship and economic independence. BNB Coaching & Consulting, LLC, provides professional coaching, mentorship, reentry assistance, training, and organizational consulting.
The Building Not Begging Foundation focuses on expanding opportunities for underserved youth and justice-impacted individuals through education, restorative practices, workforce development, and supportive services. A major long-term goal is developing emergency residential housing for vulnerable youth.
Beyond my professional responsibilities, I advocate for criminal justice reform, particularly juvenile justice, rehabilitation, and meaningful second chances.
What I am most proud of is watching young people I began mentoring in ninth grade graduate from high school, pursue higher education, explore entrepreneurship, and develop confidence in their futures.
What sets me apart is my ability to combine lived experience with professional responsibility. I understand the consequences of poor decisions, the challenges of overcoming adversity, and the transformative power of someone believing in you.
I do not simply speak about resilience, accountability, and transformation—I have lived those experiences.
For me, success is not measured solely by how far I have come, but by how many people I can help move forward.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is my faith, my family, and living a life of purpose that positively impacts others.
After spending nearly 35 years incarcerated, I developed a profound appreciation for freedom, time, relationships, and opportunities that many people understandably take for granted.
My Islamic faith is the foundation of my life. It reminds me that every day is a blessing and that accountability, compassion, humility, and service are essential to living a meaningful life.
My family provides love, strength, and motivation, while my commitment to young people gives purpose to the experiences that have shaped me.
I believe every young person deserves guidance, stability, encouragement, and a genuine opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Through Building Not Begging, I hope to create lasting opportunities that empower individuals, strengthen families, and positively influence future generations.
What matters most is not how people remember where I have been, but how many lives are better because of what I chose to do after receiving another chance.
I cannot reclaim the years I lost, but through the grace and mercy of Allah, I can make the years ahead meaningful.
My goal is to leave a legacy of faith, compassion, accountability, service, and opportunity that extends far beyond my lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.buildingnotbegging.org
- Instagram: BNB.Coaching.and.Consulting
- Facebook: BNB Coaching and Consulting
- LinkedIn: BNB Coaching and Consulting
- Youtube: @BNB_Coaching_and_Consulting
