MILWAUKEE — Ever since he was little, Mwanje Thompson had a passion for all things media related. Over the years, he turned that passion into a career by starting his own media business called Audio Moguls Media in 2016.
Now, he's using his talents to help Black and Brown children in Milwaukee. He created a free audio program called Brilliant Voices where he teaches kids as young as 10 years old how to start their own podcast. He also shows them how to start and market their own business.
"They learn all this equipment here from the microphones to the soundboard to actually editing and cutting up their own tracks and producing the show," said Thompson." There's money here. Podcasting is a $1 billion industry and it's going to continue to grow."
"It was actually really fun seeing other people my age be able to do the same thing that I'm doing," said one of the program students, Maya Thompson.
Thompson says the goal behind creating this program was to give kids in the city a voice.
"I know they have a story to tell so I want them to be able to take their own narrative, take control, their power back, and tell their own stories," said Thompson.
The Milwaukee native also says the rise in young people getting into trouble and stealing cars in the city has been concerning. He wants to give them an opportunity to channel that energy into something positive.
"A lot of kids my age, they don't do the smartest things, but they have the smart minds," said Maya.
"I want them to be able to say, you know what maybe I don't want to do this. Maybe I can talk about cars on the podcast and then create a partnership with Kia and now you are building generational wealth," said Thompson.
By providing these resources, Thompson hopes to be able to help change the narrative for the youth in Milwaukee.
"There's some brilliant kids in the city that have some great voices, some great talents, I want to be able to tap into those talents and help grow those talents," said Thompson.
To learn more about the Brilliant Voices program, click here.
