DETROIT – Last June, local sportswriters gathered at the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center basketball court for a news conference where Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores welcomed Trajan Langdon, the franchise’s new President of Basketball Operations.

After a series of questions from veteran journalists, a new face added his voice to the proceeding. Platinum Equity Partner Mark Barnhill, who was overseeing the news conference, called on Jalen Rose Leadership Academy senior Ethan Dorsett, who was seated among media members. 

“What do you most look forward to doing for this organization?” asked Dorsett, who is considering a career in sports media.

Langdon said he hoped to establish a foundation so players “can be the best versions of themselves,” which aligns with the goals Platinum Equity has for its relationship with JRLA students.

Now a freshman at Clark University in Atlanta, Dorsett recalls that experience as one of several that occurred because of the Platinum Equity-sponsored mentorship program for JRLA. Through the program he was paired with Platinum Equity Vice President/Marketing Vince Ellis, who is based in Detroit and is a former sports journalist. 

“Trajan said I asked a great question but, in that moment, I was a little nervous,” Dorsett said recently. “But after that day, it kind of set the tone for me with my mentor, Vince. 

“That’s a lifelong connection for me.”  

On March 11, Platinum Equity representatives will travel to Detroit and for the fourth time, the firm will conduct a mentorship event with students from JRLA, the Detroit-based public charter school founded by former NBA player Jalen Rose. The event led to Platinum Equity awarding $25,000 in scholarships to JRLA students last year.

Ellis, who meets with Dorsett monthly, said the program is an outgrowth of Gores’ commitment to be impactful in the community. Ellis, along with the Pistons and several other Platinum Equity executives, arranged for Dorsett to attend the Langdon introduction where he got the chance to meet members of the Detroit media contingent, giving the young man the opportunity to network and talk to other potential mentors if he decides to pursue a sports media career.

“The program serves its purpose because for one day we will expose them to potential careers – whether it’s the world of private equity or the business of the NBA,” Ellis said. “It’s like putting a cherry on top when you are actually paired up with someone and it leads to a long-standing, helpful relationship.” 

JRLA is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school on the northwest side of Detroit, which opened for its first academic year in September 2011. The school currently serves more than 400 9th-12th grade students as well as nearly 1,000 alumni from metro Detroit.   

On the day of the program, as in years past, JRLA students will be bussed to the PPC where they will participate in interactive networking exercises with Platinum Equity and Pistons representatives where hopefully mentor-mentee relationships will be established. Afterward, the students will tour the PPC. The day concludes with the students being treated to a Pistons game at Little Caesars Arena. 

The program is a continuation of Platinum Equity’s long-time support of JRLA. Gores and Platinum Equity have sponsored the JRLA golf outing for more than 10 years, and Gores, and his wife, Holly, have made donations to the school in the past. But several years ago, the firm started exploring ways to do more. 

“Platinum Equity has proudly supported JRLA for many years, but we wanted to get closer to the students and directly support them by sharing our experiences and lessons learned,” said Platinum Equity Head of Corporate Marketing Katie Hulgrave, who oversees the program.  

“I know for myself and many of us at Platinum Equity, relationships and mentors helped get us where we are today. Tom is a huge advocate of mentoring, so we thought that it was time to connect with the students on a personal level, share what we’ve learned and get to know them and hopefully add value as they map out their paths.” 

Ellis is one of several Platinum Equity employees who continued relationships with mentees after the program. Dorsett’s classmate and fellow mentorship program participant, King Bethel, also attended the news conference. Ellis maintains a relationship with Bethel, who is a freshman at Wayne (Mich.) State.

“For me personally, mentorship is important because it gave me a clear path of how I wanted to get into my career,” Dorsett said. “Sports journalism is where my interests meet my ambition, but I didn’t know how to get into it. Now, since my mentee was in the field and has those connections, he’s introduced me to people and given me tips.  

“Mentorship has just really opened my eyes to many new things.”  

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