Twenty-five years ago, I started Be Someone, Inc. with a simple mission: to use chess to stop crime and violence and give young people the tools they need to win in life. After a tragic robbery in Queens, New York—where seven innocent employees were shot and five lost their lives—I knew I had to make a move. I could no longer stand by and watch our children fall victim to bad decisions, peer pressure, and a broken system. I made a commitment to be part of the solution.