Eli Morgan Gesner on second chances

“You may think what I have to say is just sales talk,” says Eli Morgan Gesner, cofounder of both Russell Simmons’ clothing company Phat Farm and global skate brand Zoo York, creative consultant for HBO’s How to Make It in America, and a director and narrator of multiple films. “But it’s not. The only reason I was ever able to do anything meaningful with my life is a direct result of going to Forman. I cannot stress that enough.”

Eli struggled in his teens: “I had a lot of energy but I was a complete disaster child.” But at Forman, he felt listened to. He learned how to focus his creative energy, convey his ideas clearly, and develop the discipline to work. “They assessed my abilities and my shortcomings, and they took the time to treat me as an individual,” he says. “They helped nurture me into a person with the discipline, skill sets, and abilities to succeed in the world. I am forever in their debt.”