Name: Harold Green Profession: Renaissance Man Age: 30 Coffee shops, cafes, and lounges are packed day and night with people who want to hear the sound of poetry filling the space and overflowing their cup of spoken art. BE Modern Man would like to invite you into the Green Room where captivating lyricist, inspiring motivational speaker, new age poet, and renaissance man Harold Green resides. Armed with a unique set of talents, Green possesses a fluidity that has captured audiences across the country. An ever evolving artist chiefly known as a poet, Green's ability to bring words to life has expanded beyond the confines of local java cafes and bars to performances at festivals, rallies, college campuses across the country, major Chicago music venues and even center stage at the inauguration of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. While in college Green realized that poetry and creativity placed him in a position of leadership among his peers. "They let me know my work made them believe in something: themselves, love, peace, etc.," Green tells BE Modern Man. "I specifically remember a classmate sending me a picture of her with her newborn child, and telling me my album prevented her from committing suicide. Imagine how heavy that is. Now imagine how selfish it would be to keep such beauty from the world." Inspiring others to be the best by strategically molding words together that touch the soul has allowed Green to redefine the space. Being open to sharing his talent has translated into the creation of CDs, books, videos and successful collaborations. He tells BE Modern Man "Focus, growth, perseverance, and research can help monetize any passion. Stay the course, overcome the speed bumps, and use the right maps along the way." Green believes that breaking through the static and making an impact is a direct result of his ability to express himself. "Men are believed to be less emotional than women, but I love being able to express what I observe and how it affects me or others around me," says Green. "I believe there will always be a space carved out for people with that ability. It's what sets us apart from the robots." Read more on page 2... After years and years of time spent working on his craft, Green is seeing his words come to life. He has written four full-length plays, starred in over a dozen, and his first book From Englewood, With Love is a collection of poetry and photography celebrating his upbringing on Chicago's south side. "I think with the evolution of social-media everyone has become a "leader" in some form of the word, so the term gets diluted to a degree. BE Modern Man represents a fraternity of gentlemen who still believe in longevity and dedication. I think this representation is important because it shows that there are still men who believe in hard work and consistency." With many eyes fixated on him and the words that he pens, Green realizes that he has a direct impact within his community and embraces the responsibility that comes along with that. "I experience it daily, because I work with youth," says Green. "For instance, I coach basketball, and I'm able to stay in contact with my players, see them maturate and watch how I've had a direct impact on their lives. As a result my goal is to reach the highest of heights, with no cap or end goal, because I know that there are always eyes on me. Plus I'm a father, so the success I encounter directly impacts my sons. Thus, they will have a thirst for greatness which also will impact future generations. So, simply put, if I keep carrying myself with pride and dignity and executing at a high level then I create offspring, literally and figuratively, who will stop at nothing less than greatness." A man of passion, Green says "being highlighted as a BE Modern Man means I possess qualities that stand out in a multitude of others while representing a culture I love and fight for daily." The BlackEnterprise.com team congratulates Harold Green for his willingness to allow his emotions to create art. A visionary that brings ideas to life, Green is not only captivating audiences but inspiring people and changing lives. We look forward to reading and hearing where his words take him, and seeing the thousands he will impact. It's our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @blackenterprise and join the BE Modern Man conversation using #BEModernMan.