Building Legacy: What is your 2020 Vision?

Legacy Dinner: A Moment in time and life-long friendships.

On the evening of December 6, 2019 the Mastermind Connect collective held its annual Legacy Dinner on a swanky Downtown Brooklyn rooftop, overlooking the gorgeous New York City skyline. The purpose of the dinner is to break bread in brotherhood, while reflecting on a year hard-fought, celebrating the moment, and sharing our visions for the future.

Our members traveled from as far as the State of Colorado to be part of this experience. It was one of our best legacy dinners to date. We were blessed to have the honorable Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams as a special guest, who gave an amazing speech on legacy, and why he is running for NYC mayor in 2021.

Mastermind Connect founders Manny Almonte (left) and Mike McConnell (right) with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (center), during the Legacy Dinner 2019

The Moment: It was something men don’t often get to do; being in a room full of familiar faces, completely vulnerable, letting their guards down. We watched our buddy Omar Davis walk in and be showered with warm Happy Birthday wishes and love. I saw a somber face light up with joy, and dap as he exited the elevator and into the room. The dress code was all black as a symbol to reclaim our power. The side conversations and instagrammable moments were had between members, who have now become life-long friends. It was all too overwhelming, to the point we lost track of time.

I stood up and gave a speech about the importance of legacy, and then proceeded to allow each member to give one word that they want to be remembered by. We heard everything from “Love” and “Respect” to “Honor.” This was the moment where the room became serious and we pulled together to allow space for one another. 

Mike McConnell speaks about Legacy

Our collective is not the typical Mastermind group. We have several focus areas, providing an immersive experience that encourages vulnerability, mental and physical health, as well as community involvement. In 2020, our goal is radical self-development by way of full accountability. This message was conveyed in the room, and accepted as a new commitment, as we sat down to toast to a better, healthier new year. 

In 2019, we expanded with a new chapter in Los Angeles, helped gather 100 Black men in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn to meditate, raising awareness about the importance of mindfulness and the issue of Domestic Violence, we launched the Young Masterminds nonprofit organization, and the Camping to Connect Initiative, which helped us work with awesome young people.This year will be even bigger, as we cement our legacy by continuing to build in our vision of building better men.

What is your 2020 Vision?