True Star Media & Foundation

True Star is a media company and digital agency led by youth. True Star youth are journalists, reporters, creatives, videographers, marketers, and brand strategists, who work alongside industry professionals. True Star provides its clients with unparalleled access to the culture creators and origins of new trends. True Star empowers youth by amplifying their voice, and making them the engine that drives its business. Since its formation, True Star has provided on-the-job training to over 10,000 youth ages 14-24 living primarily in underserved communities on the south and west sides of Chicago. True Star instructors are media and business industry professionals who work closely with participating youth teaching skills that are transferable to academics and the workplace. True Star is addressing a challenge that many small businesses face, the lack of digital content, digital marketing or even a digital presence online. True Star connects the knowledge capital of its advanced youth with the needs of small businesses, marketers and other non profits, its ultimate goal being to improve business and life outcomes for those in underserved communities. True Star is addressing the inequalities in digital learning, where affluent youth are likely to be content creators and disadvantaged youth content consumers. There has always been thought that digital media and access to it would create more meritocracy, however the digital disruption of media is exceedingly lacking in diversity. True Star is attempting to build leaders, content creators, and innovators, creating a more diverse and inclusive space, which is critical to our society and democracy.