Rasheed Aziz

Rasheed Aziz
Citywide Youth Development
Baltimore City
https://www.CitywideYouthDevelopment.org

Under the leadership of Executive Director Rasheed Aziz, City Wide Youth Development (CYD) is building a culture of economic and community development in the heart of inner-city Baltimore. As President of CYD’s business operations, he is spearheading application of the multiple systems of the manufacturing industry as a philosophy and tool for transformation. CYD’s goal is to utilize entrepreneurship and manufacturing as a crime prevention, poverty eradication, and community revitalization strategy. Established in 2012, today, CYD’s is a collective of social enterprises including a flagship arm consisting of three manufacturing divisions: Made In Bmore Clothing produces and sells urban branded streetwear. Students of Style manufactures and retails school uniforms and other locally produced school branded merchandise. Frozen Desert Sorbet products are distributed through several outlets in Baltimore’s Oriole Park. Dedicated to programming for young adults 14 to 21, the Center offers paid training that leads to employment once participants reach 21.

Rasheed works with a vast network of local, state, and private for profit and non-profit sector interests, advocates, and collaborative assistance and funding resources. “The impact has been like a tsunami, literally transforming a community where there was no economic development,” says Rasheed, who saw another goal come to fruition four years ago. CYD broke ground for the Entrepreneurs Making And Growing Enterprises Center, E.M.A.G.E., repurposing an abandoned building in one of the poorest distressed and underprivileged communities in West Baltimore to establish a 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility. An additional 15,000 square foot space was connected in 2022.