KPIX News Channel 5 Covers Hip-Hop Chess Federation

    Kenny Choi did a fantastic look at HHCF for Channel 5!! Check out the link here on:  KPIX NEWS . It does a great job of showing that the kids at John O'Connell's Chess and Life Strategies class is thriving. Looking forward to next semester. If you would like our class at your school visit www.hiphopchess.com .

HHCF Classes on Chess & Life Strategies NOW Enrolling!!!

HHCF is now enrolling kids in classes on chess, chess and life strategies and chess and jiu-jitsu and youth entrepreneurship . Our classes are fun, all ages and help kids of all backgrounds learn to value the power of their own mind and body.  We also offer amazing Hip-Hop dance classes taught by Grant Torino and Karate classes taught by Sensei Anthony Thomas! Visit www.hiphopchess.com to learn more. 

LISTEN: The Cipher Podcast Talks to Adisa Banjoko about life BEFORE HHCF (parental discretion advised)

Over the trajectory of our existence, there have been many cool stories done our organization. We have had amazing features in Forbes, Good Morning America, Chess Life, Hard Knock Radio and others. This however, was very special. It was special because I don't think anyone has ever researched my life so intensely as Shawn Setaro when he decided to interview me for The Cipher Podcast. If you like Hip-Hop even a little bit, you must listen. He is my favorite Hip-Hop podcaster on the planet. Not because he did this story on me and the creation of HHCF. But, because he tirelessly tries to understand every person he interviews on a higher level.

Please give this a listen and understand that a lot of what is on here deals with my life before HHCF. So there is gonna be some talk about cops, guns, memories of some of my folks like Eazy and Tupac and a lot of the pain I went through that brought me to creating the HHCF.

                               Shawn Setaro creator of The Cipher Podcast and Forbes writer.


I hope you like it. I'm sorry to Shawn for taking so long to formally post it.

HERE IT IS: The Cipher Podcast interview of Adisa Banjoko by Shawn Setaro

13 Year Old Blind Chess Player Wins Technology Award for Phone App Idea!

13 Year Old Blind Chess Player  Wins Technology Award for Phone App Idea

Chess and Entrepreneurship Student Wins Inspiring Youth Entrepreneur Award

for EyeMenu Phone App!  

San Jose, CA 5/2/16-  Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) is proud to announce that their thirteen year old student Emmanuel Bard of San Jose, CA won the Inspiring Youth Entrepreneur Award for his phone app concept for EyeMenu. Emmanuel suffers from optic atrophy; the optic nerve in his brain is damaged and makes him legally blind. This prevents him from clearly reading menus at restaurants when he goes out to eat with his mother Emilie Bard. The HHCF is a 510c3  the first nonprofit to fuse chess, martial arts and music to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. Their unique fusion of art and has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America, Black Enterprise and KPIX News.

EyeMenu was Emmanuel’s  solution to the problem he faces in restaurants. Emmanuel’s EyeMenu App is a phone application that will allow him to see enlarged text of menu items and prices or read menu section and prices using the screen reading software that all phones provide. His idea has been covered in DeBug Magazine as well as  the San Jose Tech Museum. Young Bard has been a participant in the HHCF Chess & Entrepreneurship classes for two months, but has been with the organization for four years. In their weekly classes his mentor, HHCF Founder and author Adisa Banjoko has been assisting Emmanuel on mapping out his app concept, functionality and marketing . “We recognized immediately that the EyeMenu idea was something the world needed.  It is not meant to be an app with a ton of cool graphics. It is a utilitarian to help people navigate through their day with more ease. We know EyeMenu will change the world. ”

He presented his concept on stage with his mother  at the Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Festival where several  young entrepreneurs shared their ideas with the panel of judges. Emmanuel’s story moved the judges and the audience deeply.  His mother, Emilie Bard stated “I’m very proud of Emmanuel for pushing forward with his concept. His mentor from HHCF was instrumental in helping him cultivate his idea and raise his confidence working on his pitch and telling his story. We look forward to the next stages of actualizing the app.”

If you would like to help Emmanuel complete his EyeMenu project you can donate today to his GoFundMe account. He is also building a team to help him manage the project at Ideator.com.

Emmanuel also participate with his brother in the Hip-Hop Chess Federations’ Chess & Jiu-Jitsu Program. In that class students learn chess and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu concepts in the same class. This fusion gives students a unique balance of physical and emotional control. When asked about how chess and business work together Emmanuel stated “When you have the mind of the entrepreneur you have the mind of playing chess. You have to use different strategies to win” he said with a smile.

The HHCF recently announced a new summer camp where kids can study chess and entrepreneurship, jiu-jitsu, dance and TV and Film.  To learn more about the HHCF summer camp or donate to the Hip-Hop Chess Federation visit www.hiphopchess.com today!

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Launches Summer Camp on Chess and Entrepreneurship

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Launches Summer Camp on Chess and Entrepreneurship

Non-profit bridges gaps between music, business and technology

San Jose, CA 6/9/2014- The Hip-Hop Chess Federation(HHCF) is proud to announce that it will be hosting its annual Summer Camps. This summer the camps will be held at Ocalla Middle School starting June 16 and will run for 8 weeks . Camp programs include classes Chess, Entrepreneurship Camp,  Hip-Hop Dance and Cheerleading.

It is well known the some of Silicon Valley and Hip-Hop have chess as a common theme in their life.

Thanks to the generosity of the City of San Jose Safe Summer Initiative Grant, the HHCF is able to drop the price of the camp from $295 a week to a low price of $99 a week. This grant will help some kids attend who might not have been able to otherwise. The HHCF works to ensure that learning the game of kings is not reserved for only the economic elite.  

“Our chess camps stay full because they are more than  just becoming a chess champion” stated HHCF Founder Adisa Banjoko. “Chess teaches kids how ideas followed with the right planning and action make you victorious. Our methods teach young people the connection between chess, life and education strategies. We are really excited about this years entrepreneurship camp where participants will develop skills to help them become the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. Throughout the camps we will bring in will bring in company founders and start-up Silicon Valley executives to host guest lectures on topics such as business strategies, chess and more”.

The camp for K-12th grade encourages local schools and community members to participate in this summer camps. The $99 fee provides each camper with materials for camp activities and for those registered by June 13, a free camp T-shirt.

A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Parents should contact Crystal Silva atcamps@hiphopchessfederation.org, if finances are a concern.

About Hip-Hop Chess Federation: The Hip-Hop Chess Federation is the first nonprofit 501(c)3 to fuse music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and nonviolence. They host celebrity chess events and panels of life strategies for at-risk, gang impacted and gang intentional youth. Artists like RZA from Wu-Tang Clan, chess master Josh Waitzkin, actor Emilio Rivera,  Immortal Technique, Asheru, Zion I, DJ Qbert, Dilated Peoples, Hieroglyphics and many others have participated in their events. Founder Adisa Banjoko has presented at Harvard University and World Chess Hall of Fame on how chess, martial arts and music promote peace in the streets. Visit their official website at www.hiphopchessfederation.org.

Chess and the Art of Business

Chess and the Art of Business

By: Adisa Banjoko

                               Top business chess players include Peter Thiel, Danille Rice, Seth Bannon

About a year or so ago I gave a short keynote speech to a group of  300 high school  kids interested in entrepreneurship at San Jose City Hall. Since it came out, different people have asked me some of my thoughts on the connection between chess and business.

When teaching the HHCF Life Strategies program to teens I always highlight the fact that rappers like RZA,  Jay Z, 50 Cent and Will Smith love the game of chess. I remind them that these guys are not consumed with chess mastery as much as using the game to master their emotions and stay focused on options. I teach them how concepts like “divide and conquer” and “win first, then seek battle” can apply to almost any team sport or business endeavor. Ideas from Sun Tzu and Machiavelli work on the chessboard as well as the boardroom.

The connection between chess and business is not new, but it’s also not very often explored deeply. Like many other aspects of the world chess touches it sits on the sidelines of the American consciousness.

In 2005 the Harvard Business Review interviewed chess icon Garry Kasparov about his thoughts on business and chess. Anatoly Karpov put out a great book a few years ago called Chess and the Art of Negotiation. It’s a great look at how the psychology of combat plays a role in business decision making. The main thing to consider here is that one not need be a Grandmaster or Master to understand and use these ideas for your own business. You only need to play consistently and pay attention to the reasons behind your losses and victories.

Here are some thoughts I had about how chess and business are alike, specifically to the chess pieces on the board.

    This set is designed by Studio Anne Carlton Chess follow them on Twitter @SACchess

King=CEO:

Creates the vision for the entire company. This is where the core ideas, values and purpose arise. Kings have the lion's share of the ideas and inspiration but very little of the ability to actualise everything in its totality. This is the person who essentially creates the brand. But brand building is the root of so much else that needs to be actualized. This is why the other pieces on his team are so important. Without a king there is nothing to fight for, he is priceless.

Queen= Investors/Board of Directors:

The queen is the defender of the Kings vision. and economic model for maximum profit. They survey all the terrain ahead and map out the grand strategy for actualizing the kings vision. A king without a queen is always doomed. A CEO without his board and investors support and resources is also doomed.  

Bishops = Business Development

These are the people who understand and live the brand's philosophy and use angles of differentiation and positioning to gain advantages for the company. They are the key evangelists for the brand. They know their lane and stay strong in it.

Knights = Outside Sales

These guys jump directly into the fog of war to go head up with the competition, and do battle in the name of their king. You have to respect them because of their fearless devotion to the brand's mission. Their work in the field makes them indispensable as a resource for information for Bishops and queens. They move in unorthodox ways at times, but always work well with Bishops and Knights.

Rooks= Inside sales.

These guys take the vision of the product directly to other industry leaders. Its their job to look forward and hit people straight up with the value of the company. Philosophically, the rook also symbolizes those of in depth knowledge of the product and purpose of the company.

Pawns= The daily workers that make the entire operation happen:

This word pawn often gets overused to represent the simple underling. This is a huge mistake. Pawns outnumber every other piece on the board. Their unity spells disaster for the opposing team. They are usually the first to hit the battlefield and sacrifice themselves for the sake of the king. Those that survive and cross to the other side can gain the power of the queen.Their ability to work together is the root of victory for the kings empire.

Now enjoy your day, and go have a good game with a few friends!!

Adisa Banjoko is the Founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation 501(c)3. Learn more by following the official HHCF Instagram @realhiphopchess

LISTEN: Adisa Banjoko Keynote Address: The Art of Chess & Business

Here is a short clip of his presentation at San Jose City Hall to several hundred teenage innovators on Chess and the Art of Business.