I'm Barry Cooper, executive director and founder of the BRO Experience Foundation, which stands for Brothers Redefining Opportunity. The space we’re in is called the BRO Wellness Center, designed for young men of color, where all forms of wellness happen, from meditation and yoga, to cognitive behavioral therapy, to one-to-one social emotional support, and social work support. It's a haven for young men in Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, and Bushwick to come and be able to have a safe space.
I do this because it brings me joy. My daughter asked me, “Daddy, why do you work so much?” And it's because it doesn't feel like work. When I'm able to build with young men, their families, and my staff, it really brings me joy. I love to see people excelling and thriving.
I remember as a little boy wanting my own space where people understood me. When I got older, the first thing I wanted to do was become a barber because I saw the way that barbers held space. I opened a barber shop and started to cut hair. That fabric of having a space has always been a part of my existence.
When the pandemic hit, space became something sacred. I asked myself, “All these young men that are in the midst of COVID, who are out in the community, and no one can protect them–what if they had a space?” And that's why we built the BRO Experience. I wanted to provide a space for the next generation, to make them feel like they belong to somewhere.
No one taught me how to structure this. It was passion, love, and a willingness to commit to the process. To build something from nothing to where it is now, impacting over hundreds of young men every single year is downright amazing. These are the profound moments that I have, to have created the arc needed for young men to be authentic, brave, and connected. It's not just a thought–it's real, it's lived, it's experienced, and people are benefiting from it. That to me is the most profound thing.
I do this because it brings me joy. My daughter asked me, “Daddy, why do you work so much?” And it's because it doesn't feel like work. When I'm able to build with young men, their families, and my staff, it really brings me joy. I love to see people excelling and thriving.
I remember as a little boy wanting my own space where people understood me. When I got older, the first thing I wanted to do was become a barber because I saw the way that barbers held space. I opened a barber shop and started to cut hair. That fabric of having a space has always been a part of my existence.
When the pandemic hit, space became something sacred. I asked myself, “All these young men that are in the midst of COVID, who are out in the community, and no one can protect them–what if they had a space?” And that's why we built the BRO Experience. I wanted to provide a space for the next generation, to make them feel like they belong to somewhere.
No one taught me how to structure this. It was passion, love, and a willingness to commit to the process. To build something from nothing to where it is now, impacting over hundreds of young men every single year is downright amazing. These are the profound moments that I have, to have created the arc needed for young men to be authentic, brave, and connected. It's not just a thought–it's real, it's lived, it's experienced, and people are benefiting from it. That to me is the most profound thing.
