Resolution 141034

..Title Honoring, recognizing and commending Philadelphia's Young Entrepreneurs Salim Weldon, Tonae Simon, Andre Dominique Landry, and Amurri Kinsey for their creative spirit, success in business and commitment to service. ..Body WHEREAS, Native Philadelphians Salim Weldon and Tonae Simon founded Whimsicle, LLC., a gourmet popsicle company in 2012; and WHEREAS, Salim Weldon, a former Therapeutic Staff Support worker for the School District of Philadelphia, and Tonae Simon, a school nurse, both passionate about helping children, after seeing the high sugar and salty snacks children often brought to school were inspired to create a healthy, yet desirable alternative that would help to combat childhood obesity; and WHEREAS, Whimsicle popsicles are made from fresh organic fruits, vegetables and other all natural ingredients and packaged and presented in a creative design that is appealing to children as well as adults; and WHEREAS, Whimsicle, LLC. has rapidly grown since its inception from a business serving the Philadelphia metro area to one that provides customizable gourmet snacks to cities across the United States, from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles and in Europe; and WHEREAS, In addition to creating fun and delicious snacks to help children consume a varied diet with the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, Tonae and Salim also donate time to speak with and mentor at risk youth in and around Philadelphia, including those at Lincoln High School, Gratz High School, Clymer Elementary School and Pickett School; and WHEREAS, Two years after graduating from Saint Joseph's University with a baccalaureate degree in Business Management, Andre Dominque Landry co-founded Common Ground Management, LLC.; and WHEREAS, Common Ground Management is a brand management, consulting and event planning company that was created to unite consumers through platforms that feature commerce, education, entertainment and philanthropy; and WHEREAS, Mr. Landry and his business partners have recognized the importance of giving back and have frequently donated a percentage of profits to local non-profit organizations; and WHEREAS, In addition to donating a percentage of the business' profits, Mr. Landry also donates his time by mentoring local youth and assisting with local little league athletic teams; and WHEREAS, Ammuri Kinsey, a graduate of Delaware Valley Charter School and the Art Institute of Philadelphia has founded two organizations in the last four years, the WKND Academy in 2011 and Artmurri Creative in 2013; and WHEREAS, Ms. Kinsey discovered her passion for the arts early in life and through the WKND Academy seeks to bring the arts to young by hosting an annual day camp which consists of art therapy, dance, and music workshops; and WHEREAS, The WKND Academy has been successful in achieving its goals of teaching young people the importance of teamwork, creative thinking and creative expression and has inspired many children to pursue artistic endeavors; and WHEREAS, Ms. Kinsey's second entrepreneurial venture, Artmurri Creative, is a forum for collaboration which provides a platform for artists to network, interact with and inspire one another; and WHEREAS, Ms. Kinsey donates a significant amount of time to mentor at risk youth to use the arts both as an outlet and a form of dispute resolution; and WHEREAS, In addition to their individual endeavors Mr. Weldon, Ms. Simon, Mr. Landry, and Ms. Kinsey frequently collaborate to think of creative ways to assist the homeless, the elderly, and the less fortunate; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Honors, recognizes and commends Salim Weldon, Tonae Simon, Andre Dominique Landry and Ammury Kinsey for their creative spirit, success in business and commitment to service. FURTHER RESOLVED, That Engrossed copies of this resolution be presented as a sincere expression of City Council's appreciation and recognition. ..End