Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Welcome to Obama Summit 2017.
Please welcome president of
Ariel investments, Mellody
Hobson. 
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: this is very
exciting.  I'm very, very excite
ed to introduce his Royale
Heighness, Prince Harry.
[Applause]. 
This is a great thing about
introducing a Prince, you just
say Prince, you don't have to
say anything else about the bio,
background, it is clear.  We'll
have a great conversation today 
You see there are four chairs
here because we'll invite up two
young people that will help us
in this conversation in a little
bbit but we'll start getting
into issues around philanthropy,
charity, youth involvement, very
much the subject of this Summit 
I want to start Prince Harry by
asking you just really to put
this in context for us your
beliefs, your involvement,
Americans say it is a -- we have
to say we have a fascination
with royals, we don't have any. 
Therefore, we don't quite
understand.  I mean that in a
genuine way.  One would say that
is it fair to say that when
you're born royal you are born
to serve?  Is that fair?
PRINCE HARRY: that's definitely
fair.  I think over the course
of your life you start to get a
better understanding as you
would expect of what that
service, what that actually look
s like and to a certain
extent you have to create it or
structure it suiting your
passions, suiting your
preference and suiting the need
as well. 
understand it to begin with? 
How do you know that's a part of
your destiny?
PRINCE HARRY: we don't sit in
the room with a queen and back
board going -- it kind of -- I
don't know.  I think it is -- I
wouldn't say it is in our blood
but at the same time it is over
the history and watching our
parents, watching our
grandparents, just learning our
way through that process.  I
mean, I think I went to my first
proper royal engagement at the
age of 4 or 5.  You make mistake
s like we all have, and
then slowly you find your way
and realize that you have it an
incredible platform to make
really positive change.
MELLODY HOBSON: Do you always
brace this role and
responsibility?
PRINCE HARRY: no, I don't think
I understood it.  I think what
-- what happened to my mum
probably put me a step back
thinking, well, how could
someone who did so much for the
world and did so much for
everybody else could be treated
like that by a certain
institution.  It's -- it takes a
bit of getting used to.  As I
said, you know, it is -- once
you understand the privilege
position that you're in you then
spend the rest of your life
earning that privilege and
giving back and also gaining the
trust and respect of the general
public and using that position
for good. 
MELLODY HOBSON: What helped you
understand that position that
you were in.
PRINCE HARRY: Spending ten years
in the in I will tri -- in the
military was one.
MELLODY HOBSON: what did that do
I wouldn't say change my Outlook
in life but there was experience
s I went through in
the ten years that not only was
I surrounded by normal people on
a day-to-day basis and sharing
and talking about every day
issues they were going through,
but it was a grounding moment
for me as well.  You know,
wearing the same uniform as all
other people that I was serving
with, getting an opportunity to
serve your country on operations
, but also being a
part of a family.  That's not
just the guys and the girls that
were wearing the uniform but the
wives, the girl friends, the
kids, that whole network of
support was huge.  I think --
yeah.  I think my understanding
of service and duty became
really, really engained or was
given to me bymy service in the
military.  That's what it is
about, you're taking young
people from some of the most
depriveed cities and towns
across the U.K. for the British
armed forces and I know for the
rest of the world as well, you
take some of the people who have
had really, really hard
upbringings and hard backgrounds
and you are training them to be
ambassadors.  Training them to
be fighters but training them to
be brothers in arms with each
other as well.  I think that's
an incredibley powerful tool to
do and I have a huge amount of
respect for anybody, whatever
the background is to be able to
serve their country like that.
MELLODY HOBSON: We'll come back
to that in a bit in terms of the
efforts you have around leaders
in the military.  I want to ask
you, you travelled whole
world in both your military role
, in your royal role, as you
were going around the world, how
did you get more focused on
things that you careed about?  I
mean, we see a lot of pictures
of you with children, you spent
a year in -- bring that to life
for us. 
PRINCE HARRY: I get all of my
passion and inspiration and
energy from young people.  
That's from the ages of 6 or 7
in the Caribbean when you get a
6-year-old turning around and
telling you exactly how much
damage your country and the
developed world has caused them,
all the way to 28, 30 year olds
who at some point in their life
have already a better
understanding of duty and
service than I ever did at that
age because it is all about
giving back.  I think lots of
people say the job of travelling
the world is wonderful, of
course it is wonderful, when we
get sent to some countries we
don't always get to see the
beautiful parts.  We're there
trying to deal with some issues
but doing everything we can to
bring people together to make
change, to make positive change 
It's an absolute Joy and
privilege to meet the younger
generation of change makers
across the world who genuinely
believe in the fact that they as
a single person, as a group, as
a community, as a nation not
only can change their country
but can change the world as well
.  That's what keeps me
going on a day-to-day basis.
MELLODY HOBSON: when a 6
-year-old says your country is
ruining theirs, what do you do,
say?  Had.
PRINCE HARRY: Agree slightly.  
We all know the issues that are
out there with the climate and
the environmental issues and I
don't want to say it is refresh
ing but it is nice to
know that kids that young have
an appreciation and
understanding greater than some
of the people who have been on
this planet for 60, 70 years.  r
generation of the world has turn
ed me into an optimist.  
They are the best connected,
best -- one of the most
passionate generation that I
think that we have ever had.  
What we need to do is create a
platform so that they can be
heard.  They have the solutions
to some of the world's biggest
powerplays.  -- biggest problems
MELLODY HOBSON: I was going to
ask that t my sense is that you
have seen a lot of things up
close, you have seen miracles
and great sadness.  You go to a
famine, most of us read about
one.  You can see some things
that perhaps none of us
understand the devastation up
close and you're saying that
young people are the ones that
keep youish motivated, why is
that voice not treated the same
as that 60-year-old voice?
PRINCE HARRY: That's the way it
alwys was, before the way it
was when people were connected
in a positive way it was
presumed -- this is in eye take
on it, it -- my take on it, it
may be wrong -- the presumption
was the longer you spend on the
planet the more experience and
knowledge that you have.  Fine. 
I think we all agree the longer
you're around the more
experience you have.  What kind
of world are we going to end up%
being a part of if we don't
listen to the younger generation
who handle the solutions, that
are better connected than ever
before and because of the
connectiveity they have the
opportunity and the ability to
be able to fix problems in a
quarter of the amount of time
than anybody else in previous
generations was able to do in a
10, 15-year period.
MELLODY HOBSON: You're
affiliated with many charityies,
patrons of certain organizations
, I read that you
have 15 charities you're
affiliated with, your brother
and sister-in-law have 35, but
that's less than some other
members of your family.  You all
are doing it a bit differently.
PRINCE HARRY: Yeah.
MELLODY HOBSON: How do you focus
?  Tell us by contrast how
many charityies might other
royals be affiliateed with in
different generations.
PRINCE HARRY: Hundreds.  My
grand grandmother had to -- my
grandmother rewrote the rule
books, my father and mother have
done it their way.  the younger
generation coming through trying
to do it our way.  the world has
changed so much.  We believe
that by streamlineing, bringing
people together in order to
affect real positive change is
the only way forward.  You know,
it worked for previous
generations, we were always
saying yes to become a patron of
a charity that we believe in and
that we're incredibley fashion
Nat about, in today's world you
have to be involved with things
that make sense to where your
passions lie rather than
potentially turning up to a
charity once a year.  I don't
think that's necessarily
beneficial to anyone.  Our
mental health campaign back in
the U.K. is a classic example of
bringing together eight charity
ies within the mental
health sector.  We were able to
bring together 8 mental
charities that worked in the
sector for many, many years.  
Bringing them together right.  
You never sat around a table
together, discussed the main
issues, we want to be able to do
now through the foundation is
create a platform in which your
expertise and experience is
elevated and therefore you tell
us what needs to be done around
mental health within the U.K.
and globally.  They said if you
can remove the stigma, that make
s our life easier.  That's
exactly what we did.  We try to
remove the stigma and normalize
the discussion around mental
health. 
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: In some ways,
the past --
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: the protocol may
have been lending your name and
using your name to create a halo
around the organization that
would benefit it.  It sounds
like the younger royals are more
about more than just name
association, more direct action
and involvement.  So do you feel
you are more hands on?  Is that
fair to say?
PRINCE HARRY: I think in today's
world you have to be.  I think
you have to be much more hands
on and also --
MELLODY HOBSON: Why?  You could
have done it the same way, you
could have 200 charities and
been a patron of them.  No one
would have thought any different
. 
PRINCE HARRY: No.  If you end up
working individually for 200
charities in today's world that
dilutes the impact you can have 
What our foundation is all about
, our platform it about is
encouraging people to come
together, to work together so
that there is less competition
within that sector, whether it
is financially or otherwise, and
say, you are all doing the same
thing, let's get around the
table, talk to each other, work
it out and come up with a long-
term strategy.
MELLODY HOBSON: Wouldn't that --
isn't it obvious?  Why haven't
other people done it this en? --
done it then?  You have createed
with your brother and
sister-in-law your royal
foundation.  You started the
charity.  My first question is
do we need another charity? 
What was your thinking in coming
together?  Whose idea was this?
PRINCE HARRY: My motto is
exactly that.  Why another
charity.  Our foundation is not
another charity.  We're not
trying to take up space.  the
charity sector is quite full at
the moment.  About what we're
trying to do is use our platform
to bring people together to
affect change. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Why haven't
others done this.
PRINCE HARRY: I genuinely
believe we as a foundation will
never be able to compete with
some of the other big
foundations financially as much
as that sounds, but it is fact. 
We have a unique ability to be
able to put our name and
everything that comes with to a
really good purpose, to a really
good cause.  As I said, there
are many organizations out there
that have never come together
and would never sit around a
table to discuss the topic of
which they're all involved with,
but we have proven that, we have
made that possible.
MELLODY HOBSON: In some ways
you're leverageing the name it
seems to me.  Does this create
something unique to you and your
brother and sister-in-law in
that you can get the people to
come together and talk to each
other?  Working together is hard
. 
PRINCE HARRY: Yeah.  It is hard
working together as a family, it
is hard working together when
you're scrapping for the same
money in the same sector as a
lot of people know.  You know,
for some initiatives we have
createed, the games, that
brought together as an Example
ten, twelve different charities
to share expertise, knowledge,
experience specifically around
mental health so that all the
standardizeation across the
board to make sure that whatever
the best practice was everybody
was sharing that.
Therefore, if there is a wounded
soldier that's left the forces
that's been lost among the chaos
of everything else, if they
stick their head above the --
and they go to a help for heroes
in the you can, if it is not for
them -- everybody chooses a
supermarket they want to go to,
same with charity sector, if you
have 102 choices, every person
is unique, their cure, their fix
, it will be specific to them
.  What we're able to do is
bring everybody together around
the table and say, right, you're
part of a group, part of
something.  Therefore, anybody
that comes in gets the
opportunity or option of 12 of
you rather than one.
MELLODY HOBSON: Whose idea was
this?  Whose idea was it?  Yours
, Prince William?
PRINCE HARRY: the royal
foundation?  I don't remember.
MELLODY HOBSON: Was it obvious
it was a good idea. 
PRINCE HARRY: I think it comes
with the territory.  Once you
realize the affect your name and
position can have, surely all
you want to do is make sure that
you spend every living day
trying to bring people together
and trying to make the most of
that position. 
MELLODY HOBSON: It hadn't been
done before this way.
PRINCE HARRY: True.  As I said,
with the way that the world has
changed and with the platforms
we now have used in a positive
way we can really bring people
together from all over the world
, across the Commonwealth,
52 countries, a third of the
world's population of which 60%
of the age is under 30, that's a
platform of youth that needs to
be listened to. 
MELLODY HOBSON: the scale and
vastness of that --
[Applause]
MELLODY HOBSON: -- it is really
hard then to manage.  How do you
pick what you're going to do? 
You mentioned the games, you do
everything from that to a
program to develop coaches in
the U.K. and around the world,
you have mentioned heads
together which is focused on
mental health.  How do you
decide what to do?  You have
literally seen a lot, you have
seen a lot of programs, you have
seen great need in the world.  
Who puts a finger down on
something and says this one?
PRINCE HARRY: I think when
you're part of a large charity
or a large foundation I think it
is very hard to -- it is very
hard to say no.  What we have
realized is it is even harder to
have a finger in every single
pie.  for us, early intervention
where possible is key.  Impact,
it is definitely -- it has to be
a priority.  You know, none of
us want to spend the rest of our
lives connected to charities of
which we're just making people's
lives better.  We would rather
identify a problem and try to
fix it before it is even a
bigger problem. 
MELLODY HOBSON: When you come at
it from that perspective is
there a vetting process for what
you decide to do or is it these
are just particular areas of
interest to one or all of you?
PRINCE HARRY: It depends on our
background, passions, what we're
really interested in. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Do people pitch
you ideas?
PRINCE HARRY: Yeah.  There is
plenty of ideas pitched.  to go
back to the mental health thing,
that was -- that was luck of the
timing.  There was an issue that
needed to be talked about,
probably needed to be talked
about many, many years ago.  I
imagine ten years ago if we
started that campaign or anyone
else would have, it wouldn't
have succeeded.  the success of
that campaign was built on the
need within the U.K. and the
fact that every single person in
the U.K. was ready for that
conversation and all of a sudden
when you normalize that topic,
that discussion, everybody
started to realize, wow, not
only do I know other people that
have suffered, I might have
suffered as well.  Once that
becomes normalizeed, then all of
a sudden you realize that
actually more people have tasted
a mental health issue to a
certain extent than haven't.  
That's the tipping -- that's the
tipping point of which we kind
of are at at the moment.  the
success was that everybody was
ready for the conversation.
MELLODY HOBSON: I hate to keep
beating a dead horse, I want to
ask practically, let's say that
comes to you, it has the unique
characteristics where you can
see the need, you can see the
ability to leverage, you can see
how lending your name and
reputation will elevate an issue
that's important whose moment
will come, do you vote?  Do you
sit down, say I'm in, out.
PRINCE HARRY: Prius it is a
young organization.  Our first
grant was in 2012 with these guy
s.  Yeah.  We're still very
much in the infans -- infancy
years.  We want to prove the
model in different sectors.  
When we have proven it we want
to expand it.  There is no-point
in doing it otherwise because
what's the point in being
involved with something unless
you know you're succeeding to a
certain extent if you know what
I mean. 
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Is this easier
or harder than you thought to
start your own foundation and
what would you say?
PRINCE HARRY: It is easier with
the people we work with.  with
the support we have, obviously
it certainly is made easier
having had the name and position
because with that comes the
ability to convene some amazing
people and expertise of which a
lot of other organizations
wouldn't have the opportunity to
do.
Yeah.  It has been emotional.  
the highs, no lows.  There is so
much to do as everybody in this
room knows, there is so much to
do and the question is making
sure that you streamline it, you
do it the right way the first
time and the crucial point is
that we listen and that we don't
go into a project, we don't go
into a community and stamp our
authority down saying with our
foundation this is who how
you'll do it.  Its completely
opposite.  That's why I believe
we have been so successful.  We
have gone in the communities and
said we know there is a problem,
what's the solution, let us
facilitate and fund you in the
process. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Why do you think
it is that, again, this model is
so unique which seems so obvious
because so many organizations
say they have the answer and
they go and impose that.  You
know, how did you see this
differently?
PRINCE HARRY: I think as far as
I can explain it, to us, it was
a simple case of we have to
listen.  We have to listen to
the younger generation because
they are the cure of some of the
world's biggest problems.  
They're the cure of many
communities as well.  As we'll
hear from these guys, especially
from Chantelle Stevanovic,
you're talking about young
people, individuals who have
lived experience.  You can teach
someone to be a lawyer, teach
one to be a pilot, you can't
teach some of the experiencess
and some of the scars that some
of these people have.  Therefore
, in my mind, the
workforce is already there.  
What we have to do is be able to
create a platform, be able to
create a way that the workforce
is reintegrated back into
society because they can do
things that we can never do.  If
I was in their position I
wouldn't want someone in a suit
or tie or prince or anybody else
telling me how to do things.  I
would much rather them come in
and say, right, we have an
amazing platform, we have an
amazing ability, we have a bit
of money, how do you want to do
this?  How can we succeed the
first time and make sure that
you guys are running this
project?
This is a perfect segue, we'll
bring out the other two guests
to go deeper in this issue.  
Chantelle Stevanovic will come
out.  David Peterson, they're
coming right out.
This is a real life example.  
[Applause].  This is exciting! 
Chantelle Stevanovic is here
from Nottingham and David is
here from pullman, we'll tell
the stories but before that, I
want to use this to help me
introduce Chantelle Stevanovic's
stoy, we'll start with her, one
of your programs, called Full
Effect and that's a --
PRINCE HARRY: It is one of her
programs.
MELLODY HOBSON: Where the royal
foundation has gotten deeply
involved.  Is that fair to say? 
Adopted would not be the right
word but certainly as -- you
have createed it together in
some ways, right?
PRINCE HARRY: In short before
Afghanistan in 2012, the
foundation said please find
somewhere, a community which is
suffering from youth violence
and crime of which we can go
into and try to help them.  It
has to be led by them.  I think
it was April, 2013 arrived in
Nottingham, the royal foundation
, and we met this
incredible group of young people
that in their way were trying to
do everything they could but had
been let down so many times by
other organizations and other
people -- not -- just some
people had struggleed.  Again,
they come in they think they
though who exactly how to do it
and they're a let down.  You can
see it in their faces.  What we
wanted to do was try to work out
what all right existed.  the
community recording studio
already existed headed up by
Trevor rose and epic partners of
which Chantelle Stevanovic was
part of.  the two organizations
existed.  They worked 200 meters
apart.  They were in Nottingham,
they had never met each other.  
That was a classic example of us
coming, right, who do you
recommend, they said them and
them.  Okay.  Are you interested
in working together?  Let's make
it happen. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Tell us first
about your story before we get
into the work that you do as a
program coordinateor for Full
Effect.  Tell us about how you
grew up?  I think in America we
have movies like James bond that
leads us to Romanticize all of
the U.K. and we don't think of
them having communities like
Nottingham which have had
violence and very, very tough
situations.  I read dating back
to the 1800s.  It has gone on
for a very long time.  You grew
up in a really tough
circumstance.  Tell us a little
by the about that. 
Yeah.  -- a little bit about
that. 
Yes.  I grew up in the U.K.,
Nottingham, years ago it was --
it was built to house poor
people.  They put everybody
together and unfortunately
that's kind of continued.  
Growing up there was tough.  You
have a lot of different
opportunities, positive and
negative, a lot more negative
than positive.
Yes.  So when you live in a
household that's suffering from
deprivation, there isn't in much
money, a lot of children there
--
MELLODY HOBSON: How many
children in your family?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: five
children and I'm the oldest and
two parents.  Knowing growing up
that your mother is having
trouble feeding you.  All you
want to do is help.  You help by
any means necessary.  the
easiest kind of solution for me
when I was younger was to go out
and help in a way that was quite
negative.  My father was very
good at teaching me how to make
money.  Yeah.  That was one of
my biggest things.  Growing up
when I got to about 16 my mum
finally wanted to better herself
and better our situation.  She
started doing community sports
leadership, helping out in the
St. Thomas community and she
drug me along to see if I would
do something positive instead of
going down the wrong --
continuing down the wrong path
in a spiral and that's how I got
into working with epic just
doing volunteer work in the
community.  It was in my
community where I lived.  I
started seeing a difference
within myself.  Okay.  This is
pretty good.  I started empower
ing myself.  It was a
gradual slow progression, I'm
not going to lie.  It got me to
where I am how.
MELLODY HOBSON: Help us a little
bit.  You were a kid.
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: yeah.
MELLODY HOBSON: Involved in
crime.  This was not light stuff
, running to a corner store
and steelling a cup cake.  It
was drugs and a lot of things.  
You were -- and then you went
off to -- you were introduced to
it by your father. 
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: in the
community, that's what happened 
That was the easiest way.  That
was what was going on.  You know
, going down to the local pu
b with the family, there was
always something happening and
that was just apparent what was
there, it is what happened.
MELLODY HOBSON: You went off and
started to do it on your own.  
You thought you were helping.  
You were off basically involved
in a life of crime as a 16, 17
-year-old, right?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: I became
an adult quite young, but forced
to be an adult and take on a lot
of responsibility.  I just
wanted -- I knew I wanted better
.  I knew I wanted better
for my family.  It was just
getting out of a really tough
situation and there's not many
opportunities especially if you
have been involved in something
so negative not many people will
give you that chance.  They
won't -- you know, okay, let's
give you this chance today and
let's see how it goes.  That
doesn't happen.
MELLODY HOBSON: You're 22 and
you basically turn the page on
that life.
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: yes.
MELLODY HOBSON: You start taking
courses, volunteering when
you're younger with your mother 
You literally walked away from
one life and walked into another
one of service?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: yeah.  I
walked away from a life, but
like I said, I still live -- I
still live in the community.  It
is still right in front of me.
I wouldn't say that I have turn
ed away from it.  I embrace
what's happened to me as a child
and growing up because it made
me the person I am today.  If I
hadn't experienced that I might
not be here.  I don't think it
is about turning away from it
but looking past it, trying to
find that solution to those
situations.
MELLODY HOBSON: You're doing
something.  Explain to us what
Full Effect is, you start with
children who are very young,
right?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: yes.  
Obviously, this partnership
between myself epic and CRS,
epic worked a bit with children,
did after school and holiday
provision, that kind of stuff.  
Then obviously we met the Prince
and started to look at this kind
of project that we wanted to do 
We hooked up with the CRS and
realized that we work in schools
from 8 to 12 years and then CRS
work with 13 and older so it
made perfect sense.  Both of our
-- what we were doing in the
same community just complemented
it very well. 
MELLODY HOBSON: I love this
story.  David, I promise I'm
coming to you.
You're touring Nottingham and
she gives you a letter, right?
PRINCE HARRY: Touring --
MELLODY HOBSON: You're --
PRINCE HARRY: Me and my band.  
Yeah. 
MELLODY HOBSON: You're going
around, observing conditions and
issues and I'm not certainly
meaning to make it light.  These
issues are significant.  and
this woman comes up to you and
gives you a letter.
PRINCE HARRY: There was a group
of them actually in the
community recording studio and
the point was I was going to be
there and we were going to have
an open discussion and talk
about the issues of which these
guys were facing and hopefully
get to some solutions. 
MELLODY HOBSON: She didn't want
to talk.
PRINCE HARRY: She decideed not
to talk and handed me a letter
afterwards.
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: any only
-- I was the only female in
the room as well.  Mornings out
of how many.
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: 12, 13.  I
was the only female.  I lived in
that area and for a long time
you hold what's happened to you
very close to your heart.  You
don't want to express it because
you don't want people to judge
you.  Because I lived around
those people, you know, I just
felt a little bit uncomfortable 
I fostered that. 
MELLODY HOBSON: You planned it,
the letter.  What did the letter
say.
PRINCE HARRY: the letter was her
life story on -- actually wasn't
her life story but as much as
you can say on a two-sided piece
of 8X4, she quite understandable
y didn't want to
share most of the stuff that she
had been through which is pretty
har rowing.  She didn't to share
that with that group of people. 
They soyed do -- she decideed to
say you need to had know my back
story and what happens in the
community, there it is in a
letter.  I really respected and
admireed it.  It was exactly --
it was exactly what I needed to
he no that we were in the right
place. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Then afterwards,
you two have had this great
partnership, the foundation,
Full Effect and you have
actually developed a friendship,
I have watched you together.  
You seem very comfortable with
each other.  Is that odd?  Seem
Nova Scotia?  I feel even odd
asking -- is that odd?  Feel
unusual?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: the first
time we met, I don't think I
could say my name appropriately 
It was breatheed out, Chantelle
Stevanovic, that was it.
Then as time went on you know,
Harry is an amazing person.  
He's very inspiring.  He makes
you very relaxed.
He listens.  It was the first
time that someone came to our
community and listened and
didn't tell us what to do or how
to fix ourselves, he was more
intrigueed about what he could
do for us and not anything else 
It was really, really an
inspiration. 
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: David, you are
the and Executive Director of
the -- I want to get the title
right, the --
The first and only black labor
history museum in the world.
MELLODY HOBSON: First and only. 
That means we need a lot more.  
Your story is also a unique one
in some ways and also the story
of tens of millions of people.  
In this country and in other
places.  You grew up with a
couple of siblings, single mom,
tell us a bit about the back
story.  You were going to lab
school, one of the best schools
in Chicago.  You had a good life
.  What happened?
DAVID PETERSON: I came from an
entrepreneurial background, my
mom was and my dad were
entrepreneurs, I just kind of
picked it up.  When I was a kid
I would pick up chip bags off
the ground and put them in the
mike cave and sell them -- in
the microwave and sell them as
key chains.  My mom would have
community festivals and I worked
the nacho and cheese stand.  I
came from that entrepreneurial
background and as I got older
she would push me into places
that would nurture that
entrepreneurial perspective.  So
galloway 37 was one, a summer
program job I got right after
graduating right down the street
.  You know, that's why I
met people that were with
gallery 37 and we made art and
they sold our art.  I was
introduced to cultural economic
development because I understood
that our history, heritage,
culture is for sale and it can
benefit us and moving fast
forward, graduateed, I went to
University in the Tallahassee,
Florida.
You skipped over -- I don't mean
to get -- to pry -- you're going
to school, the family can't pay,
you're taken out.  You move to a
rough area on the South side,
culture shock you said.  You
said you have seen both sides.  
You are thrown into that
circumstance and what happens? 
Tell us --
DAVID PETERSON: I always went to
school from hyde park and we
moved from there to the wild
hundreds, 103rd, 115th street,
cottage grove to the expressway 
That historic district changed
my life.  We moved over there,
my mom was doing real estate
speculation and that later
evolveed into an entrepreneurial
endeavor if you will.  from that
, you know, I always was --
I always was kind of captureed
by the culture, by the arts, by
Entrepreneurship.  When I was 1%
a best friend was murdered a
block from my house, that's when
things became real for me, if
you will, and then --
MELLODY HOBSON: What kept you
focused?  You had a mom, but you
stayed on the path, you went to
college, you got a Master's, you
never left that community, you
stayed there in terms of your
work with the museum. 
DAVID PETERSON: absolutely.
MELLODY HOBSON: What kept you
focused and let's talk about how
you're paying it forward in
terms of working with young
people there.
DAVID PETERSON: what kept me
focused was a Devine appointment
.
-- divine appointment.
MELLODY HOBSON: Did you always
know that?
DAVID PETERSON: when you allow
yourself, you know, at a young
age you have a personal
relationship createed with God. 
So with that, as I got -- as I
became older and I researched
religion a lot, I understood
that most was inside of me.  You
know, that's what kept me going 
I began to use myself as a
vessel for the ancestors to
pretty much do the work.
In that, I understood that I was
standing on the shoulders of
giants.  You know, basically
that turned into an every day
motivation, every day motivation
, when I was at FMU, I
dropped out for a bit, I said I
I don't need school, I'll start
my own business.  I had guys
from an investment Committee
scoop me up and nurtureed me and
they said I had to stay in
school and finish and introduced
me to Entrepreneurship.  You
know, they raise their endowment
rate 500%, that's 1.9 to 7.9%
from 2006 to 2007, this is what
the entrepreneurial investment
Committee did at Florida, that
proof of concept let me know
that this is something that I
could do for the rest of my life
and as a result of that I grew
up in the hip-hop era, I was a
contributeor to hip-hop and it
was cool to do that.  As I
became older I reliesed that
this is the same mechanism that
creates billionaires, all the
millionaires I know come from
the art community.
You didn't pursuit commerce, you
pursued a life of service. 
DAVID PETERSON: absolutely.
MELLODY HOBSON: You talk about
hip-hop meeting history with
museum 44 which has to do with
--
DAVID PETERSON: it is with our
44th president.  We came up that
in 2009.Good morning America,
they did a live segment there, I
said to myself, you know, we
could do this ourselves.  I said
we're going to do a TV show and
call it museum 44 because we
want to change the narrative, we
want to control the narrative.  
We're tired -- I'm tireed of
looking on the news and seeing
somebody else tell me what I'm
about.  I'm looking on the news,
yeah, these young kids, urban
terrorists, I'm like that's not
me!  I live in this neighborhood
, the guys that
you're demonizeing are the same
ones that pick me up at the
train and walk me home every day
.  You know what, this is a
young guy that will be somebody,
we want to make sure that we
protect him, install the
principals in him so that he can
navigate any street that he
walks on, now 22 years later,
this is the proof of concept
sitting before you.
MELLODY HOBSON: Building on that
question, asking all three of
you, how hard is it today to
inspire young people.  You're
young people, I'm 48, I sound
like -- relative to you, I'm old
.  Your actually young people
in the trenches, all three of
you in your own way.  Society
has made it easier in some ways
with the connectiveity and
harder in others in that the
connectiveity leads to some
anonymity and some passiveity I
think would be fair to say.
Doing what you do, how hard is
it.
You're saving lives. 
Just to be Frank, it is very
hard.  You know, I hear myself
as I'm older saying things that
my mom used to say.  You're
entitled, you think it is easy,
you're from the microwave era,
you want it right now.  I mentor
the kids, we have an after
school program right now, museum
44, we have a podcast as well,
museum 44.  As I mentor these
kids, sometimes they're on the
phones, sometimes they come late
, I'm just like you have
some nerve!  I'm like oh, you're
the mom!  What are you doing!  I
have to step back and look at it
through their lens, okay.  Maybe
they have been in school all day
, maybe they're jittery, I
have to give them time to sit
back, do what they do.  There is
a sense of entitlement that they
just naturally have.  It is our
duty as leaders and as mentors
to instruct to them that this is
something that they have to
value.  Every day, that's my
thing.  You have to understand,
there is a list of kids that
would rather be in your space.  
This isn't just a summer program
, this is a job, after
After school matters, we have 7
,000 promise over the City of
Chicago, we have employed 200
,000 people.  So think about
that.  You know, you need to
understand that and appreciate
it.  Then, once again, I just
have to humble myself, I go to
the office and laugh and say
this is hilarious.
MELLODY HOBSON: I love that you
talk about after school matter,
I chair that, we're doing
amazing work, a reason that you
are here is that people we have
direct relationships we could
enhance the opportunity for them
in terms of you.  Answer the
question, the same question, how
hard is it to inspire the young
people.  You're starting really
young, you're starting with at
risk youth you want to make sure
don't go down the wrong path.  
Is it hard for you?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: it is
always hard.  Times change.  I
used to think I was quite hip
and now I have realized that I
have got older.  It is hard for
the fact that children are not
inspired by things that I
thought they would be.  Now it
is mobile phones, social media,
everyone on TV.  They have --
for me I would say to them I had
to inspire myself.  I had to be
my hero in my own eyes and every
mistake I made I had to take a
lesson from that to inspire
myself to go further.  I think a
lot of children don't have
inspiration in themselves, it is
trying to shine that light on
them like the light was shineed
on me.  I now need to shine the
light on them to give them the
stage and for them to be become
whatever they want to become.  
Its hard and a listening process
.  Definitely. 
[Applause]. 
MELLODY HOBSON: What do you
think?  How hard is is it for
you to inspire young people? 
Sounds like you're inspired by
young people, you have the other
side going in spades. 
PRINCE HARRY: Yeah.  I think
especially for these guys it is
about turning a negative into a
positive.  Some of these guys,
they have lived experiences of
which you cannot teach people,
they have it.  They have made
that choice to give back to the
communities.
MELLODY HOBSON: Isn't that true
of you, too?
PRINCE HARRY: Yes.  of course it
is.  If you have a lived
experience in anything, then
automatically it gives you the
ability to be able to see it
from their eyes as such.
I think, you know, Chantelle
Stevanovic, she's -- she's not
really sharing the full story.  
the effect she's having on the
kids, let's not not forget,
she's making sure that they have
better choices and that they
don't end up making bad choices
--
MELLODY HOBSON: Bring it to life
for us.  Tell us how --
PRINCE HARRY: I'm just saying
she's downplaying her talents,
her abilityies.  Before she was
around primary school kids the
age of 7, 8, they were being
used by their younger brothers
to move guns, move knives around
the place.  She herself -- she
wouldn't want me -- mind me
saying hopefully, she was used
in that sense as a young age,
what she's doing, using her
experience to make sure that
those young kids don't go
through what she went through.  
the same with mental health, you
talk about mental health suffer
ers, it is a community.  
It is a club of people and
nobody who suffered ever wants
anybody else to go through what
they have been through.  That's
what I love about both of you
guys and the young people in
today's world.  They -- I think
there is a real lack of trust
and there is a sense of optimism
in a world where wherever they
turn, they don't know who to
trust.  Therefore, if you can
build that trust, it may take
time, if you can build that
trust and give that belief and
confidence because all of the
potential and qualityies, all of
the skills, they're within every
single one of these people.  
Therefore, we shouldn't start
looking elsewhere, we should
look at where the actually
problem is and realizing that
the solution, it is all around
them. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Is so much of
the solution the example of you
and Chantelle Stevanovic, I read
a quote about a prince said that
we mattered.  Is validation, you
just said you're validating the
young people, is one of the
silver bullets of this
validation?  Is that a big theme
that runs through it?  By
showing up in Nottingham, by
showing up for these kids, by
showing up and giving them the
awareness of these issues that
you're talking about, is that in
itself perhaps more than half
the battle?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: I think a
lot of -- you know, a lot of
children I know, they're let
down.  They're let down over and
over and over again.  You can
only take so many knocks until
you just go I'm done with this. 
I think it is about being there
and trusting and having that
belief, like I said before,
listening as well.  You know, I
live in the area where I work.
I'm never shut-off ever.  There
are children that live all
around me, a lot of children
that they they can shout my name
, knock on the door,
families, parents, advice, for
me it is about bringing people
together as well as just
believing in them. 
MELLODY HOBSON: How do you
protect yourself, take care of
yourself in that situation? 
That's an overwhelming
obligation especially if you
have the thesis that they were
let down, which I'm curious, who
let them down?  Is it society,
is it parents?  What are we not
doing right and letting these
kids down?  How are you process
ing all of that?  You
live there.  You are dealing
with it -- there is nowhere for
you to go?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: I have
thick curtains and blinds and
after I finish I come home and
they close.  I think there is a
ricochet affect, it is society
and the parents, then you know
sometimes parents, they try
their best, I know so many
families that want to give more,
but they just cannot find more
to give.  I think it kind of
goes down within that triangle
of society, parents, we need to
empower the parents and empower
the children, empower that
community and try to give
instead of taking all the time. 
We have to give something back.
How much of your transformation
is about acceptance as well?  I
remember having this
conversation with my husband and
we're talking about issues
relateed to childhood and some
things that I had encountered
that were hard.  I remember him
saying that your moor did the
best she could -- your mother
did the best she could.  My
mother was extraordinary.  with
human frailtyies, like all
people have, including myself,
but I remember it landing on
such a different way and giving
me a level of acceptance that I
hadn't had before.  It sounds
like you have accepted some
things differently than maybe --
do we -- is it in the -- is it
not accepting them in terms of
being content with less, but
accepting in terms of
understanding.  How much of that
is about this transformation?
My mum is amazing.  If you're
watching this, hey!  My mum is
absolutely amazing.  She's
always believed in me.  Like
what you just said, it was about
me accepting who I am more of --
accepting my -- accepting my
story and kind of what I have
been through myself and not
being embarrassed by it if I'm
honest.
MELLODY HOBSON: How do you teach
that to others?  Do you believe
there is any threat that you see
with the young people you work
with?
DAVID PETERSON: most of the
youth I come in contact with,
they're -- it is an economic
concern for them.  They're more
victims of deprivation.  It is
not necessarily a matter of
validation in an era where
social media gives you that
validation you need anyway.  It
is more why am I trying to do
the right thing and I see
somebody else doing the wrong
thing flourishing before my eyes
MELLODY HOBSON: Can't
deprivation make you feel you're
not worthy?
DAVID PETERSON: that's why it is
up to us as leaders to come up
with unconventional ways to
address that solution base.  We
can have conversations all the
time and talk until we're blue
in the face but it only happens
when we talk about solutions and
the solutions are in my case,
cultural, economic development,
being able to benefit from this
and our proof of concept of that
is an ability to work with a
7 million population of alumni,
you know, there are 186 out
there, and it is our duty and
goal to work with them, to bring
about a venture capitalist
ecosystem.  Historically black
college University and
predominantly black institution,
so with that, you know, proof of
concept, creating an ecosystem
where we can fund businesses, we
can create millionaires and
billionaires by giving them
access to the capital so that
they can change their mindset
from donors to investors and
shareholders.  You know, we can
be self-sufficient.
MELLODY HOBSON: I heard you say
program managers and funders
must remember their role is to "
help" provide help, not save
communities.
DAVID PETERSON: absolutely.  So
many times --
MELLODY HOBSON: Elaborate on
that. 
DAVID PETERSON: so many people
come in with a superiority
complex, because I'm this person
, I have this, you should
do it this way as opposed to
saying I have these resources,
okay, who needs help.  You know,
hey, I heard you're hungry, here
is a pot luck, I brought this
for you, everybody get down,
let's eat.  Instead of that,
what we have, people come in,
they basically are saying what
should go on in the community
but they don't again have the
proof of concept, the personal
experience.  They have not seen
the friends shot down dead,
haven't dodge the bullets, they
have not been a victim of gang
violence and poverty and social
exclusion.  They have not been a
victim of that.  They haven't
had to walk in a room and people
look at them because of the
color of their skin and
undermine them automatically no
matter the background.  These
types of things, just like what
you talked about with the mental
health thing, that's going on in
the neighborhood, these kids are
victims of mental health and
they're self medicateing so you
have kids doing exotic drugs
because they're self-medicateing
and that's made popular.  You
know, the mental health, you
know, my mentor, he started off
Bobby Wright on the west side,
mental health facility and
brought that proof of concept to
Chicago state University where
he directly affected the male re
edge it be rate at that --
retention rate at that school.  
the rate increased because of
the influence and the
re-inforcement that he offered
and that re-inforcement was
based on culture.  We were
meeting people where they were
and had where they didn't know
that they were.  We come from an
African perspective.  I'm not
born in Africa, my blood line
comes from Africa.  We have been
spread out all across to the
Caribbean, all -- the Americas,
you know, even though ships were
coming over long before
Christopher Columbus but that's
a whole other question.  I say
that all to say that the
cultural re-inforcement is the
key.  Culture is the cure.
MELLODY HOBSON: Prince Harry,
when you hear that, you nod, you
were not dodgeing bullets, not
in a situation of of where the
color of your skin defines your
life, but you understand, you
talk about the self line, you
spend a lot of time listening,
why do you think so many
organizations get that wrong? 
That so many have -- not to be
critical, but have that spear
spear -- that superiority
complex.  You have seen hundreds
of charities with good
intentions but go in with a plan
you said without asking.  Why is
that fundamental human
connection of listening missing
in some of these conversations.
Why did you see it differently.
Was it time in the military? 
Something else?
PRINCE HARRY: As we said offline
as well, you know, for someone
in my position, you're
immediately born with privilege 
You spend the rest of your life
paying back that privilege.  
Also spending the rest of your
life trying to earn the respect
of others, but also to use that
position, that platform for
change.
I don't think I can answer that 
That's -- as long as -- as far
as what we're concerned, as long
as we're doing what we think is
right, then hopefully others
will follow. 
It was never that you were
decideing what was write right
for people -- right for people,
you were asking them.  If you
look at the various efforts you
have had, which have been pretty
successful, early days, but
still you have seen immediate
success, like Full Effect, like
the Games, you went, you sought
opinions first.  Right?  You
didn't presume anything?
PRINCE HARRY: True.  I -- you
know, for us, we put the people
at the core of everything we do,
the heart of everything we do is
the people.  the organizations,
yes, fine, in the media, most of
the time, all you hear is names
and what so and so is wearing,
that stuff.  Our focus is always
them.
If that is showing other people
how it should be done.  Then
that's fine.  We can't control
who writes what.  You -- it can
be frustrating when you're
trying to be as positive as
possible about a certain issue
and trying to make the focus X,
Y, Z but everybody else is more
interested or concerned about
something else. 
MELLODY HOBSON: You reconcile
yourself with that, the price
you pay, a positive effect it is
that the organization gets
coverage they would never get.  
So the world does end up knowing
something even if there is a mis
placed focus.  Is that what
trade-off you're willing to make
PRINCE HARRY: No.  I think as
long as -- as long as the focus
from our perspective is the
people on the ground and the
organizations of which we are
supporting on that day, whatever
they want to write about, they
can write about.
We'll do everything we can to
make sure that the core of the
issue and the charity and the
name and the support thereafter
is all focused around that.
MELLODY HOBSON: I thought there
was an interesting theme with
you Al of you.  Around mothers.
So your mother you said had a
big influence in leading you to
shift?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: yes.
MELLODY HOBSON: Yours high
school a big influence on keep
ing you on track.  Your
mother, start here, the people's
Princess, the monicar that was
given to her, why do you think
she got that monicar?  You know,
when -- there are royals
involved in service for a long
time before her, she was
positioned very differently.  
Why do you think she became the
people's Princess and what did
you learn from that that informs
what you're doing today?
PRINCE HARRY: I think she had a
lot in common with everybody.  
Also she certainly listened.  
You know, very, very short space
of time, she was like a vacuum
going around sucking up all the
information and all of the
criticism and all of the issues,
positives, negatives from
everybody and putting her name
and had platform to towards some
of the biggest issues of which
have never been talked about.  
We do, in society, we suffer
from this illusion or this
reality I suppose where some
problems become so big that
nobody wants to get involved.  
She was one that changed that.  
I will always look up to her as
being, you know, my ideal role
model because everything that
she did and the way she did it
was having an impact.  It was
making a difference. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Is that
informing you and your work?
PRINCE HARRY: Look, it is
because of the position that
we're in and the role that we
play as part of the -- as part
of our institution, it is --
you're in it for life.  a you
are not in it for four years, 8
years, you're in it for life.  
Therefore, anything that we can
do has -- we have a bigger,
longer platform than politicians
, let's say.  
Therefore, we can't get involved
in certain things, but she
rewrote the rulebook.  She
pushed boundaryies more than
ever before and she was
successful.  I think that all of
the people -- the people she was
working with, they would be
incredibley grateful for her
pushing the boundaryies.  You
know, it is no the always easy,
but in today's world I think
that the boundaries need to be
pushed more and more. 
MELLODY HOBSON: You said that
you're becoming mother.  Are we
all becoming our mothers?
DAVID PETERSON: no.  Not
technically. 
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: I am. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Around these
mannerisms, values, you know,
speeches, is that inevitable
that we become our mothers,
fathers, or --
DAVID PETERSON: I don't think so
.  I think it takes an
intentional effort on the
parents' side to make sure they
dump those things into you.
MELLODY HOBSON: Are you glad
you're becoming your mother?
DAVID PETERSON: absolutely.  Not
technically my mother.  I'm glad
, again, she's provideed me
a proof of concept, I watched
her thrive in this society as a
single black female who was
educateed, who went, got her PHD
at 67, you know what I mean,
that's strength!  I can't do
anything but applaud her for
that.
You know, so yes I'm deeply
impacted and she's pushed me to
the point where now I interact
with the Trinidad government
taken Cape Verde and all of
these other communities and
she's trained me in order to
craft my conversations with
people of this statute.  It is
easy.  a breeze. 
MELLODY HOBSON: Are you the
mother of the kids that you're
looking after?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: no.  I'm
not.  No.  No.  Not of
Nottingham.  That's way too much
children.  I don't have any
myself!  I like to think that
I'm an auntie.  I'm kind of the
big auntie for some of them,
someone to lean on, a friend
that you can count on.  I
definitely am becoming my mother
MELLODY HOBSON: How is that
manifesting itself?
CHANTELLE STEFANOVIC: it is
funny, my mum would say that I
empower her and she empowers me 
.
We're both very similar.  We're
best friends.  We just moan at
each other constantly and I hear
myself I say my God!  I sound
like my mum.  We people power
and push each over.  .
MELLODY HOBSON: Ladies and
gentlemen, Chantelle Stevanovic,
David Peterson and Prince Harry 
Thank you very much!
Buses will begin departing for
dinner in 15 minutes.  Please
head down to the hotel lobby.
