DETROIT- For the fifth consecutive year, Platinum Equity is supporting the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy senior class with a mentorship program.

In late March, firm representatives and JRLA students met at the Henry Ford–Detroit Pistons Performance Center for a mentorship exercise. Afterward, the group attended that night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, watching from the personal suite of Platinum Equity Founder and Pistons Owner Tom Gores.

Gores personally welcomed the teens shortly before the game.

“We were the first group to meet Tom Gores, and that just doesn’t happen very often,” JRLA senior Cierra Gee said afterward. “You get to do great things, but you don’t get to see who does them for you, and I think that was really important.”

The event was the kickoff to a series of mentorship outreach opportunities with the JRLA senior class that will culminate with graduation exercises in June.

“These kids were jazzed to be there; they didn’t take this opportunity for granted,” said Platinum Equity Director of Accounts Payable Katherine Reyes, who participated for the first time.

“These kids really took the opportunity to not only just have one mentor but have multiple mentors as well. This class was very high energy, and they were there to maximize their opportunity to receive good mentorship from everyone there.”

Platinum Equity Global Head of Human Resources Emily Hofer added: “Our goal is to provide each student with a mentor — someone who can serve as a sounding board and thought partner as they begin to map out their path beyond high school.”

In addition to providing mentorship, Platinum Equity is awarding $50,000 for scholarships to be divided among five students.

“We’re committed to showing up for students not only as mentors, but with meaningful financial support,” Hofer said. “For many young people, access to resources can be transformative — creating options for essentials like books and transportation. We see this as a direct investment in their future.”

JRLA is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school, which opened in September 2011. The school currently serves more than 400 9th-12th grade students as well as nearly 1,000 alumni from metro Detroit.

To build off the friendship between Gores and former NBA player and Detroit native Jalen Rose, the firm introduced the mentorship program in 2022, building on years of charitable involvement that includes sponsoring the school’s annual golf fundraiser. The program reflects a deeper commitment to supporting students beyond fundraising efforts.

“Tom and his wife, Holly, have supported the school through donations and the program is just a natural outgrowth of that,” said Platinum Equity Senior Vice President Vince Ellis, who is based in Detroit and is still in touch with two JRLA mentees.

“It’s morphed into figuring out a way to truly impact the kids’ lives with our presence.”

 

Students in the suite

Giving back and making mentors  

It was a usual Wednesday morning at JRLA, which is located in the northwest Detroit neighborhood of Rose’s youth. Pallets of milk, fruit, crackers and yogurt were stacked high alongside the curb as dozens of cars lined up for the weekly food drive sponsored by Forgotten Harvest, a Detroit-based nonprofit fighting food insecurity.  

JRLA students volunteer at the food drive throughout the year, but they were joined by Platinum Equity employees to kickstart the day of mentorship. 

As regular volunteers, the teens knew the drill. The students met, chatted and delegated tasks like counting apples or communicating with food recipients. 

“I was super impressed with how the kids led the food drive,” Hofer said. “They told us what our jobs were and were holding me accountable to make sure I was listening to what needed to happen, and they were really proud of what they do with the community.” 

Reyes said the food drive was an ideal start.

“I think it was a good opportunity to actually get to know the kids,” Reyes said. “We made it a point to connect with the kids and gauge their energy and different backgrounds.”  

Following the food drive, everyone gathered at the PPC for a speed-networking exercise that is held for mentees to interact with mentors. 

“These kids are very talented,” Reyes said. “I think the program can help set them up for success, but a lot of them knew exactly what they wanted to do. When I was their age, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do, but many of them are very driven.”  

Gee, who plans to double major in sports management and political science, met with her mentor right after being matched to start planning for college. 

“The first thing that we’re tackling is what college I want to go to,” Gee said. “She helped me make a spreadsheet of how many scholarships I’ve gotten from other schools, where they are, how far they are from home and if I could transfer to them if I wanted to. We got right into it; she’s really dope.”  

After the mentorship exercise, the students received a tour of the PPC, which serves as the Pistons’ corporate headquarters. The students received a behind-the-scenes look at Pistons’ business operations to show career options in professional sports. There was of course time for the group to take some shots on the practice court.

Then it was time for the game-night experience. 

As Ellis was giving the group a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of an NBA game, Gores appeared. As he was being transported to his seats, he encountered the students and said some brief words of encouragement and high-fived several students.

The students were engaged throughout the game, but unfortunately, the Pistons suffered a rare loss. 

“We ate a lot of food,” Gee said. “Everyone was very excited, and even though we ended up losing it was worth it because we all had a great time.”  

Hofer said she hopes to grow the program over the next several years.

“It was a surprise for me how grateful all of the Platinum Equity employees who participated were for the opportunity,” Hofer said. “I think there’s a real opportunity for us to have an impact and for our employees to be able to take home the gift of being able to have contributed to the community.”  

Gee added: “I just had a blast. Once I get old enough, I will look into being a mentor. Some of my friends who are in college now have done it and they still talk to their mentors so just seeing the impact, it makes it’s something I want to do, too.”  

Published: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | Updated: Friday, May 8, 2026
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