Recently I spoke with Majak Wenyin, Co-Director of the Republic of South Sudan (ROSS) Leaders, a national non-profit empowering youth in 5 states through mentorship, academic tutoring, and athletic training. Born in South Sudan, Majak Wenyin immigrated to the US as a refugee when he was a child. He played college basketball before founding So Elite Basketball and joining forces with ROSS Leaders. He regularly returns to South Sudan to mentor and host basketball camps for local youth. Recently launching RISE Management Group with Jacob Idra, he has forged a path that intertwines his passion for athletics with a profound commitment to community service. He is truly using his entrepreneurial talents to better international communities.
I spoke with Coach Majak the evening before he left for Europe to support several of his previous ROSS Leaders and So Elite Basketball youth in their Olympic debut with the South Sudanese basketball team.
This was a great interview for me. Majak Wenyin is both one of my basketball coaches, and a truly inspiring entrepreneur. Being able to blend my two passions together in this meaningful way was really rewarding.
The Interview
Griffin Connolly: Coach Majak, you’ve been really involved with Jacob Idra and the Republic of South Sudan (ROSS) Leaders, forming a partnership with them and your So Elite Basketball program. Can you start by sharing a bit about your background and how this all came to be?
Majak Wenyin: Absolutely. So, I’m originally from South Sudan, but I moved to the US when I was about five years old, in the year 2000. My family came here as refugees due to the ongoing conflict in our homeland. My mother brought us here to escape the war and applied for refugee status, which we were granted. We settled in Manchester, New Hampshire, about 45 minutes outside of Boston, where I grew up and attended elementary, middle, and high school. There’s a significant South Sudanese community in the Midwest, but in Manchester, the community was relatively small.
After high school, I played basketball in junior college in Salina, Kansas, for two years before moving on to Howard University in DC. Growing up I had a lot of growth-related basketball injuries, mainly from not stretching enough. After my junior year in college, these injuries became so debilitating that I couldn’t continue playing basketball. Determined to stay connected to the sport, I launched So Elite Basketball, initially as a training program.
Growing up, I was mentored by Sudi Lett, who started a program called Bishop Elite in Manchester. This program was a sanctuary for many of us in the inner city, providing a place to play basketball and stay out of trouble. Inspired by this, I wanted to create something similar for the younger generation, and thus, So Elite Basketball was born. The program quickly gained traction. I was working with the South Sudanese community in Manchester before moving to Dallas, Texas.
In 2019, I met Jacob Idra. Jacob had started ROSS Leaders, a program similar to So Elite Basketball, based in Omaha, Nebraska. We collaborated on a camp in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic, where Jacob and I and our kids connected deeply. This led to So Elite Basketball merging under the ROSS Leaders umbrella, and we became co-directors. Today, ROSS Leaders has chapters in Omaha, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Manchester, New Hampshire; High Point, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; and St. Cloud, Minnesota. We started gaining a lot of traction with kids outside the South Sudanese community as well, so today we mentor youth from all backgrounds, focusing on educational hope and athletic training.
Griffin Connolly: It’s fascinating to hear about your journey and how it spans across two different countries. Can you elaborate on the initial phase of starting your organization and what it looked like?
Majak Wenyin: Initially, my mission was to help kids in the South Sudanese community, but I welcomed any youth interested in mentorship, training, and tutoring. Many kids aspired to play college basketball, and background didn’t matter if they wanted to be there. While the initial focus was on the South Sudanese community, we attracted a diverse group of kids over time. The common goal was to provide a safe space for growth, both mentally and physically.
I always dreamed of returning to South Sudan, which I finally did in 2022. My friend Wenyen Gabriel, who played in the NBA, wanted to host a camp there. Jacob and I organized it, and it was an amazing experience. We were welcomed with love and enjoyed reconnecting with our roots. Since then, I’ve been returning yearly to mentor and host basketball camps, balancing my efforts between the US and South Sudan.
Griffin Connolly: Building a community through storytelling and entrepreneurship is something I’m passionate about. Can you expand on why community and entrepreneurship are so important to you?
Majak Wenyin: When we arrived in America, it was a culture shock. But we had a saying back home: it takes a village to raise a child. This means everyone in the community looks out for each other. Growing up, my community in Manchester played a crucial role in my development. My mom instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community that supported me.
Starting my organization was challenging because I didn’t come from an educated family background. I was the first to attend college, learning everything on the fly. Despite these challenges, I was fortunate to have mentors guiding me. The community’s support was vital, and I wanted to continue that legacy by creating a supportive environment for the youth.
Griffin Connolly: I can hear the passion you have for creating a lasting, positive change.
Any undertaking that’s cross-cultural can have challenges. Can you share some specific challenges you faced while starting your organization?
Majak Wenyin: One of the biggest ongoing challenges is the lack of parental support amongst the kids in our program. Many parents in the South Sudanese community work long hours, so they can’t attend their children’s games or events. It’s not that the desire isn’t there, it’s a matter of putting food on the table. So, the kids start to look to us to be that support. We fill the gap by providing practical and financial support with lots of little things. So that pulls our resources, both time and money, away from other endeavors we’d like to pursue with the kids. It’s a challenge making the parents understand that if they can provide more basic support to their kids, it frees us up to do more for them.
Financial support is another significant challenge, as we primarily work with low-income families. We rely heavily on grants and donations to keep the organization running. But you end up spending a lot of your own money on the kids as well. So that’s an ongoing challenge.
Griffin Connolly: Given these challenges, is there anything you would have done differently if you were to start over?
Majak Wenyin: Honestly, no. The challenges shaped who I am and helped the organization grow. Any entrepreneurial journey comes with its hurdles, and these experiences are crucial for growth. Embracing and overcoming challenges is part of the process, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Griffin Connolly: What has been the most fulfilling part of your entrepreneurial journey and starting this organization?
Majak Wenyin: The most fulfilling part is seeing the kids succeed. Whether they earn scholarships, make the honor roll, or achieve personal goals, it brings me immense joy. Knowing that I’ve played a part in their development and success is incredibly rewarding. I get a lot of fulfillment from the kids and their journeys.
Griffin Connolly: I noticed you recently launched the RISE Management Group. Can you tell me more about that?
Majak Wenyin: RISE is our management agency, focused on representing athletes, models, and entertainers from our community. We have many talented individuals in these fields, but they lack proper representation. We’ve been working at the grass-roots level with ROSS Leaders and the younger kids, but Jacob and I saw an opportunity to support them professionally as they grow older.
RISE stands for Real Impact Sports and Entertainment Management Group, and we launched it on June 15th. We’re excited about its potential and already have some significant athletes joining us.
We’re heading to London to support the South Sudanese team at the Olympics, which is a historic moment for our young nation. We got our independence in 2011 and are the youngest country in the world. We have a couple of kids from our ROSS Leaders camps who will be playing with the basketball team, so we’re going to support them. It’s a big moment.
Griffin Connolly: That’s amazing. Can you expand on your long-term goals for ROSS Leaders, So Elite Basketball, and RISE?
Majak Wenyin: For ROSS, our goal is to grow to continue accepting more kids into the program. We want it to become a nationwide platform like the Boys and Girls Club, offering academic and athletic support. Right now, we’ve got more kids wanting to be part of the program than we can afford. So, we’re working on ways to increase donations and grants to enable the growth we need to continue to be inclusive of everyone.
For RISE, we looked at the formula that Klutch Sports had with Rich Paul and Roc Nation had with Jay-Z, and we’re aiming to be at that level, providing comprehensive support to our clients. We’ve got some big announcements coming up, so I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement around what we’re building.
Griffin Connolly: As someone who runs a Student Launch Club for young entrepreneurs at school, what piece of advice would you give us based on your experiences?
Majak Wenyin: My biggest advice is to keep going, no matter how tough it gets. There will be challenging days, but perseverance is key. Push through the obstacles, ignore the naysayers, and stay focused on your goals. Success is on the other side of those challenges.
Griffin Connolly: Thank you so much, Coach Majak. Your journey is truly inspiring, and I appreciate you taking the time to share it with me. Enjoy the Olympics!
Majak Wenyin: For sure Griffin. It’s been great to speak with you.