Written by Dennis Harvell The Hustle Hierachy: BRAZIL: The Art of “O Jeitinho” If you grew up in the Bronx, you know the “Standard Procedure” is usually a polite way of telling you get lost. The system is a wall. Most people see the wall and stop. The hustler sees the wall and starts looking… Continue reading The Hustle Hierarchy, Episode 1- BRAZIL: The Art of “O Jeitinho”
Tag: resilience
The Ascent of the Steady Heart
Written by Dennis Harvell The Ascent of the Steady Heart The Encounter The building was an architectural paradox, a cathedral of movement where the floor didn’t simply exist — it climbed. I stepped onto a motorized path that tilted higher the further I walked. To my left, a traditional staircase overflowed with people sprinting upward,… Continue reading The Ascent of the Steady Heart
Undeniable: Stacey Abrams — The Architect of Access
I’m not optimistic or pessimistic. I’m determined. — Stacey Abrams” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: Stacey Adams — The Architect of Access Why Stacey Abrams Is Described as a Force Stacey Abrams is often described as a force because she combined skill, strategy, and stamina in a political environment where the structural odds were steep.… Continue reading Undeniable: Stacey Abrams — The Architect of Access
Undeniable: Jerry Lawson — The Invisible Architect
The whole reason I did games was because people said, ‘You can’t do it. — Jerry Lawson” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: Jerry Lawson — The Invisible Architect The Forge Jerry Lawson grew up in a public housing project in Jamaica, Queens — a place where curiosity had to fight for space. He was a… Continue reading Undeniable: Jerry Lawson — The Invisible Architect
Undeniable: George Foreman — The King of the Second Act
It’s not about the age. It’s about the attitude.” — George Foreman” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: George Foreman — The King of the Second Act George Foreman was shaped in the Fifth Ward of Houston — a place where poverty, street fights, and survival instincts were the daily curriculum. He dropped out of high… Continue reading Undeniable: George Foreman — The King of the Second Act
Undeniable: Ursula Burns — The Corporate Disrupter
Where you are is not who you are.” — Ursula Burns” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: Ursula Burns — The Corporate Disrupter The Forge Ursula Burns grew up in the Baruch Houses on the Lower East Side, raised by a Panamanian immigrant mother who ran a home daycare and ironed clothes to keep the lights… Continue reading Undeniable: Ursula Burns — The Corporate Disrupter
Undeniable: Felix Semper — The Pivot Artist
When everything collapsed, he stretched a single idea into a new world.” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: The Pivot Artist – Felix Semper The Forge Felix Semper didn’t begin as an artist; he began as a man with a plan. In North Carolina, he built a thriving real estate and construction company — stable, profitable,… Continue reading Undeniable: Felix Semper — The Pivot Artist
Bronx Stories: The Borough Finally Breathes, Part 7
Written by Dennis Harvell The Borough Finally Breathes There’s always that one Saturday — the one that hits 55°F out of nowhere — where the borough feels different. The heavy parkas get thrown over chair backs, people step outside without bracing themselves, and the survival mindset finally loosens its grip. It’s not spring. It’s not… Continue reading Bronx Stories: The Borough Finally Breathes, Part 7
Undeniable: Jan Koum — The Giant Killer
Some people break into the system. Jan Koum broke out of it.” Written by Dennis Harvell Undeniable: The Giant Killer – Jan Koum The Forge Before he was a tech titan, Jan Koum was a ghost in the system. At sixteen, he arrived in California from Ukraine with a single suitcase and a mother who… Continue reading Undeniable: Jan Koum — The Giant Killer
Undeniable: Dennis Harvell — The Anatomy of a Private Fire
I grew up in a place that tried to define me before I even knew who I was. But instead of letting it shape my limits, it sharpened my instincts — memory, observation, resilience, the ability to read a room before I walked into it. That was my forge. – Dennis Harvell, The Bronx Philosopher… Continue reading Undeniable: Dennis Harvell — The Anatomy of a Private Fire