DISCLAIMER: If you have some questions or concerns about Adam Ford, Sun Zulu, or True & Livin I am writing this report on behalf of two people who are close to me in activism and community service in the Baltimore City area. I held back from writing this report, but when I heard a second incident of Ford attempting to take money from children in Baltimore to fund local businesses, I had to speak up about it.
To anyone who is reading this report and is interested in engaging in "activism" with Ford, let me just say it is exploitative in nature, and it's all a scam to get businesses their money/donations back (unfortunately). Realize that you are coming from a good place in your heart and that this place can be vulnerable (especially if you are just willing to help).
The first person I am speaking on behalf of, I will call them Pat, was contacted by Ford and offered over $4,000 to be paid in monthly installments to work for him as a business partner. When their legal team read up on his terms and agreements they discovered that he was willing to put money into their pockets, his own pockets, and businesses pockets at the expense of Baltimore's youth, and not just some small "one-time payment" type of amount.
Their legal team had this to say about the proposed documents:
"I am still reading the two items you forwarded yesterday and your legal team has more questions than answers, not the least of which are: (1) Sun Zulu would be highly advised to refrain from referring to his approach as an investment with investors with royalty payments--because such terminology will quickly get the attention of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) which regulates investment offerings. He could get into a lot of unwanted scrutiny from the SEC regarding numerous filings and schedules that would be required before Sun Zulu could solicit a single business or individual as his plan sets out; and (2) participating students will pay $25.00 a month so that the "investments made by the businesses" can be "repaid"? Not certain that is really realistic. There are other things that would need to be addressed, as one might expect. Don't sign anything and simply indicate that everything is being reviewed."
That's the kicker, asking inner-city/low-income Baltimore high schoolers to pay him $25 a month for four years in exchange for community involvement and possibly a connection to a college or two. At this point I was tempted to contact Ford myself and explain to him the definition of community service, it's not something that would leave your pockets empty, but rather leave your hear full (but I digress). I had directly talked to Ford before and quickly dismissed his proposal, the two people I am writing on behalf of got to a whole other level with their involvement/time-investment (so I do not feel qualified enough to speak on my own, brief enounter, with him), I just went ahead with the research and I encourage others not to dump their time in the endless pit that is Ford's "community service".
So $1,200 out of the pockets of literally children & their families so that he could pay back businesses that wanted to "invest in them". Ford did not only lie to Pat (as well as the other person I am speaking on behalf of) about the fact that this was a charitable community venture (versus a business one that would put money into his own pockets), Ford also lied about his identity on social media to one of them, claiming that he had deleted his Faceboook account "long ago" and when they saw it & added him, it turned out that he hadn't (what was he hiding?).
After all of this Pat's legal team had this to say about it:
"Given that there are no actual monies on the table--we are concerned about the capacity of SZ to deliver the resources noted in the draft agreement. The investor/investment/royalties language and wording concerns your team considerably. Strong cautions are in order."
After doing a bit of research and talking to Pat I found that Ford also maintains Baltimore's Higher Achievement Middle School program, this report in no way is written to invalidate Baltimore Higher Achievement, but rather Ford's new "initiative" of a "True & Livin" revamp for high schoolers.
Once Pat told Ford that they could not assist him in his scammery he sent an email claiming that his initiative had "moved in another direction" but that he would keep in touch, and unfriended them on Facebook (very mature of him). They blocked him and tried to forget about it happening. I have been working over a few months to gather information on this and one other case (both people I've known) and am posting the most important facts here, for Pat especially, who is too busy to do it themself.
The second person I know is part of a (charitably known) business that Ford reached out to with a promised return on their charitable donations (does that even make sense)? This person expressed to me that a business donation should be "like a balloon and not a boomerang". They declined Ford's offer after little consideration.
I believe that, like myself, Ford likely found these people on social media websites such as Tumblr, Facebook, or YouTube.
At the end of the day what he is doing is fraudulent and if he wants to continue this attempted scam (that I really doubt will go anywhere) he should consider doing without calling it community service, it is a BUSINESS model that will rob students of $1,200 just to "keep them off the streets" or "save them". He should be up front about it or, better yet, get involved in charity/non-profits the way everybody else does--without it solely or mostly benefitting you and businesses financially.
I cannot even afford to pay $25 a month for 4 years for non-essentials and I am a college graduate, how can you expect high schoolers to (the minimum wage isn't even $9...)?
Consider investing your (and possibly even your child's) time in already existing, free programs such as (((competitors' names redacted))) It seems that Ford is not heavily involved in community outreach outside of Higher Achievement and this history is reflected strongly in him attempting to make thousands of dollars off of our inner-city youth, let's not let him get away with this.
Thanks for the cautionary read & let's spread love, not greed!
Adam Ford Reviews
DISCLAIMER: If you have some questions or concerns about Adam Ford, Sun Zulu, or True & Livin I am writing this report on behalf of two people who are close to me in activism and community service in the Baltimore City area. I held back from writing this report, but when I heard a second incident of Ford attempting to take money from children in Baltimore to fund local businesses, I had to speak up about it.
To anyone who is reading this report and is interested in engaging in "activism" with Ford, let me just say it is exploitative in nature, and it's all a scam to get businesses their money/donations back (unfortunately). Realize that you are coming from a good place in your heart and that this place can be vulnerable (especially if you are just willing to help).
The first person I am speaking on behalf of, I will call them Pat, was contacted by Ford and offered over $4,000 to be paid in monthly installments to work for him as a business partner. When their legal team read up on his terms and agreements they discovered that he was willing to put money into their pockets, his own pockets, and businesses pockets at the expense of Baltimore's youth, and not just some small "one-time payment" type of amount.
Their legal team had this to say about the proposed documents:
"I am still reading the two items you forwarded yesterday and your legal team has more questions than answers, not the least of which are: (1) Sun Zulu would be highly advised to refrain from referring to his approach as an investment with investors with royalty payments--because such terminology will quickly get the attention of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) which regulates investment offerings. He could get into a lot of unwanted scrutiny from the SEC regarding numerous filings and schedules that would be required before Sun Zulu could solicit a single business or individual as his plan sets out; and (2) participating students will pay $25.00 a month so that the "investments made by the businesses" can be "repaid"? Not certain that is really realistic. There are other things that would need to be addressed, as one might expect. Don't sign anything and simply indicate that everything is being reviewed."
That's the kicker, asking inner-city/low-income Baltimore high schoolers to pay him $25 a month for four years in exchange for community involvement and possibly a connection to a college or two. At this point I was tempted to contact Ford myself and explain to him the definition of community service, it's not something that would leave your pockets empty, but rather leave your hear full (but I digress). I had directly talked to Ford before and quickly dismissed his proposal, the two people I am writing on behalf of got to a whole other level with their involvement/time-investment (so I do not feel qualified enough to speak on my own, brief enounter, with him), I just went ahead with the research and I encourage others not to dump their time in the endless pit that is Ford's "community service".
So $1,200 out of the pockets of literally children & their families so that he could pay back businesses that wanted to "invest in them". Ford did not only lie to Pat (as well as the other person I am speaking on behalf of) about the fact that this was a charitable community venture (versus a business one that would put money into his own pockets), Ford also lied about his identity on social media to one of them, claiming that he had deleted his Faceboook account "long ago" and when they saw it & added him, it turned out that he hadn't (what was he hiding?).
After all of this Pat's legal team had this to say about it:
"Given that there are no actual monies on the table--we are concerned about the capacity of SZ to deliver the resources noted in the draft agreement. The investor/investment/royalties language and wording concerns your team considerably. Strong cautions are in order."
After doing a bit of research and talking to Pat I found that Ford also maintains Baltimore's Higher Achievement Middle School program, this report in no way is written to invalidate Baltimore Higher Achievement, but rather Ford's new "initiative" of a "True & Livin" revamp for high schoolers.
Once Pat told Ford that they could not assist him in his scammery he sent an email claiming that his initiative had "moved in another direction" but that he would keep in touch, and unfriended them on Facebook (very mature of him). They blocked him and tried to forget about it happening. I have been working over a few months to gather information on this and one other case (both people I've known) and am posting the most important facts here, for Pat especially, who is too busy to do it themself.
The second person I know is part of a (charitably known) business that Ford reached out to with a promised return on their charitable donations (does that even make sense)? This person expressed to me that a business donation should be "like a balloon and not a boomerang". They declined Ford's offer after little consideration.
I believe that, like myself, Ford likely found these people on social media websites such as Tumblr, Facebook, or YouTube.
At the end of the day what he is doing is fraudulent and if he wants to continue this attempted scam (that I really doubt will go anywhere) he should consider doing without calling it community service, it is a BUSINESS model that will rob students of $1,200 just to "keep them off the streets" or "save them". He should be up front about it or, better yet, get involved in charity/non-profits the way everybody else does--without it solely or mostly benefitting you and businesses financially.
I cannot even afford to pay $25 a month for 4 years for non-essentials and I am a college graduate, how can you expect high schoolers to (the minimum wage isn't even $9...)?
Consider investing your (and possibly even your child's) time in already existing, free programs such as (((competitors' names redacted))) It seems that Ford is not heavily involved in community outreach outside of Higher Achievement and this history is reflected strongly in him attempting to make thousands of dollars off of our inner-city youth, let's not let him get away with this.
Thanks for the cautionary read & let's spread love, not greed!