Yousef Ismail of Newark is executive director of Stop Shootin’ Inc. He uses his boundless passion to end gun violence in urban communities nationwide. Growing up in Newark’s Baxter Terrace Housing projects, Ismail embraced a life of crime, unaware of the impact that drugs and violence had on him. After completing a two-year prison term for drug dealing, surviving a near fatal shooting and witnessing his best friend’s mother gunned down by stray bullets, he made a life-altering decision to become an entrepreneur. He and two friends co-founded Stop Shootin’ to promote programs and events that provide youth with educational, cultural and economic alternatives to criminal activity. With money received through federal and private grants, Yusef, his colleagues and volunteers tell youth “Stop Shootin’, Start Thinkin’, Keep Livin’.” They accomplish their goals through mentoring, sponsoring workshops on conflict resolution, providing social skills training and hosting an after school basketball program that includes sessions on peer leadership and violence prevention.