Raised by a single mother, in one of Pittsburgh's most dangerous communities during the height of the 90's, also known as the "Gang Bang Era", Grind Mode Management LLC CEO, Dion Dupree, has shown the true definition of perseverance. A 1994 Graduate of George Westinghouse High School, Dion endured a dangerous community and the loss of many close friends to gun violence, drugs and incarceration by what he now attributes to effective decision making. Utilizing sports as his escape, Dion participated in youth sports since 9 years of age. He played baseball in a community on the other side of town called the Hill District. He also played football for his neighborhood team in Homewood while being involved in the Boys and Girls Club in Shadyside. His family moved to various communities many times throughout his childhood in which he developed good peer relations with people from Garfield, East Liberty, Wilkinsburg and Homewood. Dion would later come to realize the friendships he was able to build with the kids from various communities would afford him the ability to navigate the City of Pittsburgh when street gangs ravished the inner city communities during the 90s. He watched innocent kids turn into major players in the underworld becoming gang members, drug dealers and addicts. Having one foot in the streets from the heavy influence of the times and the other set on not wanting to fall victim to the negative outcomes, Dion struggled with balancing his peers with his ambitions. He had witnessed many of his friends from his community and others end up incarcerated or killed as a result of street violence. His involvement in sports throughout his childhood kept him involved in positive environments. When Dion entered High School in 1990, the City of Pittsburgh shifted into a gang ridden culture turning former childhood friends into foes and creating invisible barriers in which people knew not to cross those lines unless you were prepared to meet your opposition. Living in Homewood, Dion spent the next 3 years of his life being exposed to an unbelievable amount of violence, grief and loss. His family moved into a rival blood community called Mckeesport in his senior year. He had to endure the transition and travel to and from school, while being hunted by several Blood Gang members who found out he was from a rival Crip neighborhood. Yet, he was able to find the ability to graduate high school and attend Slippery Rock University. Unfortunately, he was removed from the University after his first year and returned to the violence of the city. His family moved from Mckeesport to Lincoln and it was there when he decided he needed to start making plans or he would become a statistic. He had been hired for a position as a Peer Educator with Family Health Council at 19. He quickly excelled at public speaking and became a Lead Peer Educator affording him the ability to speak across the country. He spoke to youth on teen sexuality in Texas, Erie, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Dion found music as an escape and began writing and rapping also. His ability to captivate an audience and engage the youth gave him the opportunity be seen in a more positive light and gain the respect of his peers and the adults he was around. He began working with dependent youth in a court ordred group home called The Whales Tale. Working with them, gave him the motivation he needed to remain a source of hope and inspiration for the young men he was intrusted in working with. Treating them like little brothers, he quickly realized that life was about being able to overcome the challenges and learning what you are and aren't in control of. At 22, Dion was hired at Allegheny County Juvenile Court's Community Intensive Supervision Program after speaking to several of the young men there a few years earlier. Again, Dion was faced with helping youth manage difficult circumstances and helped to empower them to understand what circumstances they were in control of and which ones they weren't. At 28, Dion was hired at Pittsburgh School District as a Para Educator working with kids with Autism. He was transferred to Pittsburgh Perry High School, in which he worked as a Classroom Assistant with teens with an Autism Diagnosis. He spent 13 years utilizing his life experiences to help encourage youth to effectively create life goals and endure the challenges of life to attain them. He worked full time at the CISP and School while launching Grind Mode Management in 2012. At the age of 35, Dion took his passion for music and megred it with his God given ability to inspire and encourage people to chase their dreams while chasing his. He realized that he had reached his ceiling in his current positions and decided that he was ready to utilize his skills to run his own business. Dion began working as the Vice President of Nick Nice Productions. He was responsible for handling contracts and bookings for DJs and began developing relationships with very influential individuals in the music industry. After receiving his own distribution deal in 2014, Dion launched Grind Mode Music Worldwide that provides industry standard music distribution for unsigned recording artists. In 2016, Dion developed Grind Mode Worldwide Radio, an online radio platform designed to help unsigned artist get their music heard on a global platform. In 2017, Dion acquired his own Television Network on the Xperienc On Demand Platform and launced Ur Vision Television Network in 2018. Ur Vision Television Network is an On-Demand streaming platform giving content creators an opportunity to have their content broadcast in 270 million homes worldwide while receiving revenue for their content. Dion is currently developing a massive media base and advertising production agency that is giving content creators to have their content distributed and advertised around the country. Dion has endured an unbelievable amount of adversity but did not let the challenges stop him from taking chances on chasing his dreams. He is now prepared to share his story and help encourage and motivate youth. Specializing in Effective Decision Making, Dion is prepared to discuss Overcoming Adversity, Music Business, Conflict Resolution, Mental, Physical and Spiritual Development and Business Development with your Youth Group, Students, Colleges, Community Groups or Conferences. For booking information, email gmmworldwide@gmail.com
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