Community Champion Organization
Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Mentor Charles Fisher
Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Mentor Charles Fisher’s mission is to take the financial wellness movement to the next level by championing whole communities with economic and social empowerment. Through the organization he founded – the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council (@HHSYC) – Fisher builds connections to bring resources and raise awareness about the power of financial literacy in New York communities, with a goal to expand that reach across the country and worldwide.
As a nonprofit venture, the HHSYC has worked with the United Nations (UN) since 2006, signing a contract with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to promote the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, in particular eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Charles Fisher also is Mentor and Consultant to “The People’s Shark” Daymond John, co-host of ABC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning hit TV show Shark Tank and founder of the globally recognized FUBU Apparel brand. Charles and Daymond collaborate to sponsor community-based projects and create opportunities for youth in New York and throughout the nation. The HHSYC has received official proclamations, resolutions, and other accolades from New York City Mayor Eric Adams; former NYC Mayors de Blasio and Bloomberg; the New York City Council; Former NYS Governor Cuomo; the New York State Senate and Assembly; and U.S. President Biden, as well as former Presidents Obama and Trump.
A true community champion, Charles continues to create opportunities through a host of partnerships for youth and young adults in underserved communities around New York and beyond.
Company History
Charles Fisher has displayed his dedication to New York communities for 46 years. An activist, entrepreneur, author, and veteran of the Hip-Hop music industry, he founded the HHSYC subsequent to the historic Hip-Hop Summit meeting of record companies, musicians, community leaders, and elected officials held in 2001 at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. He previously managed the career of two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and co-star of the CBS hit TV show NCIS LL Cool J, as well as the sensational gold-selling recording group The Lost Boyz. Charles was also a consultant working with songwriter, composer, musician, TV, film, and music producer legend Quincy Jones on the NBC and UPN 9 hit TV show, “In the House,” starring LL Cool J. Quincy has been a member of the HHSYC Advisory Board for 22 years.
Charles worked with Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams and Lyor Cohen, who is now Youtube’s global head of music, to establish the Cold Chillin’/Warner Brothers record label dynasty, home to some of the most successful artists in Hip-Hop including Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Marley Marl, Roxxane Shante, Kool G. Rap, and MC Shan. In addition, he served as an Entertainment Consultant to the White House in the 1990s, helping former President Bill Clinton launch the AmeriCorps program.
Charles has been involved in financial literacy and entrepreneurship mentoring since the early 2000s. He began his relationship with the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) – the parent organization to the New York Financial Educators Council – in 2009, when he took part in the NFEC’s Money XLive celebrity financial literacy event. In 2023 he and Daymond John developed an elementary and junior high school financial education curriculum based on Daymond’s book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn. This New York Times bestselling kids’ book tells the fun story of how an enterprising boy and his friends work together to start a small business. Fisher’s HHSYC team has delivered the curriculum in New York City schools and he plans to expand its reach into other major U.S. markets.
Above-Right: David C. Banks, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools, alongside Charles Fisher, Founder of the Hip Hop Summit Youth Council
In 2016 Charles launched the Hip-Hop ‘Hood Report, a TV news magazine and blog created to inform, educate, and empower students, youth, and young adults. In 2024 the HHSYC partnered with iHeart Media and Power 105.1 to launch the 105 Days of Summer podcast to further empower young people with the resources and information for success. He is also the Chairman and CEO of P.O.G. Entertainment and Publishers, Inc. and its newly-formed music division, P.O.G. Music Group. Together with the HHSYC, they have co-published more than 50 hot Hip-Hop books on some of the most prominent stars in the music industry, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Will Smith, and Usher.
As a member of the New York Financial Educators Council, Charles has a vision to bring the NFEC’s Accredited financial education resources to communities around New York and the rest of the nation. Through financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, he believes the country can make inroads into solving many of the social problems we face including poverty, illiteracy, the opioid crisis, obesity, mental health, and gun and gang violence.
The HHSYC’s unique 13-year groundbreaking partnership with iHeart Radio/Media/Power 105.1, the nation’s largest radio conglomerate, gives him the reach to bring his programs to almost any U.S. market, as they continue to promote initiatives that address gun and gang violence prevention. Recently they launched the Hip-Hop Drive to Stay Alive Campaign to promote the importance of road and driver safety. Gun violence is the #1 cause of death among children and teens today and car crashes is #2. Solutions to end these twin crises are in development, with financial literacy and entrepreneurship playing a major role.
Left: Sammy’s Law was written to adjust speed limits in New York State, including reducing speed limits in most city limits to 20 miles per hour and below. The original bill was named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, 12, of Brooklyn, who died when struck by a van in 2013.
Community Service Gratitude for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Mentor Charles Fisher
Thanks to Charles Fisher’s generosity and advocacy, the New York Financial Educators Council can make significant progress toward achieving its mission of raising awareness, providing resources, and creating sustainable financial literacy initiatives. His contributions make it possible for the New York chapter to take the financial wellness movement to the next level.
Charles’s investment provides programming for beneficiary individuals and organizations around New York. In addition, he facilitates strong connections with celebrities, policymakers, community and educational leaders to raise greater awareness and extend the campaign’s reach. These partnerships will help propel the movement forward far into the future.
Charles’s financial literacy and entrepreneurship initiatives are centered around the principles of empowerment, resilience, networking, mentoring, and spirituality. He consistently displays these qualities in all of his many efforts to make New York a better city and the world a safer place for all citizens to live.
