Justice Reign, a former resident of the Monarch Apartments, is a man of business and a lover of Seattle. He and his company, the Reign Group, are aiming to reach out to the progressive thinkers, artists and business folk in the area to hold Seattle to a higher standard. Below is an interview with Justice about his work. 

Jake Uitti: Let’s start out simple, what is the Reign Group?

Justice Reign: The Reign Group is a talent accelerator, management and production company that provides business and branding development, sustainable strategic planning, and increased production value to select emerging entertainers who desire social change, environmental accountability, and global reach. Our commitment is to bring emerging talent’s endless potential out of the stratosphere and into practical systems that will support them in becoming the culture creators and shapers of the future. Unlike talent agencies, we provide a capitalization and philanthropy mechanism, an engaged and empowered fan base, and a sustainable and regenerative relationship with your communities. We are committed to helping foster a regenerative economy, one in which the vehicles of commerce, work in conjunction with our communities and our environment to beautify and stabilize the entire ecosystem, and create the conditions for thriving life on the planet.

I started the company 4 years ago, as a means to proliferate future social entrepreneurs into the world – people who would come up with innovative and profitable solutions to our environmental and social justice challenges that our world community is facing. However, I could never fully move forward with the full vision of the company because it just wasn’t possible legally. With the passing of the JOBS Act of 2012, and Benefit Corporation legislation that is currently passed in 18 states (Washington State has Social Purpose Corporation legislation which is similar), and now the Washington Jobs Act, those blocks have disappeared, and I am making some strategic changes to take advantage of the new legislation.

JU: And you were working recently with an Olympic-class boxer. How does that experience work into the Reign Group?

JR: Ah, yes, Queen Underwood, 6-Time USA Boxing Champion and 2012 Olympian. She’s currently putting in a lot of work to go back to the Olympics in 2016 – she has some unfinished business to attend to. I’m a certified NeuroPositive Life Coach, and I’ve created curriculum to work with champions, social entrepreneurs and global culture influencers to empower them to be expanded versions of themselves. Before the laws changed, our focus was on helping people feel better, become more authentic and go after greatness. One of the things I found was that so many people feel bad, and after about three months of work they feel much better. Most people are done when they hit that spot. Really only 20% of the population is going to keep going and keep striving to do more. I’ve found that athletes, entertainers, military members and entrepreneurs are really the group of people that will keep pushing themselves to higher heights. I worked with Queen on the track doing speed and explosion development (I previously coached sprinters and hurdlers at the Air Force Academy and University of Louisville), did some mental and emotional coaching, and helped raise funds to get her to the Olympics in 2012.  So much of success comes down to funding and branding and marketing.

JU: Can you explain more about how the laws changing affects your work?

JR: The federal JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act passed in 2012, which allows for investments by non-accredited investors into businesses. Up until that point you could offer shares of your company to about 35 friends and family regardless of their status as an accredited investor. After that, everyone has to be accredited, which means they have a net worth of at least $1 million, not including their primary residence, have an income of $200,000 a year for the last two years if single (or $300,000 together with their spouse if married) and have the expectation that the same amount will be made this year. That narrows who can invest in your company to wealthy people and organizations. Also, you are not able to broadcast the fact that you are looking for investment, it had to be word of mouth. Generally what happens, in order for non-accredited investors to be able to invest, is the company go public, sells shares to a investment bank, who mark it up and sells shares to a commercial broker, who marks shares up and then sells them to a retail broker, and finally, the public can buy it once the company has gone public. This new law will allow for everyday people to invest in companies on the ground floor, and it will allow for companies to be able to broadcast that they are seeking investments. Even though the law has been passed, we are still waiting on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to come down with the final rules on how the law will be implemented.

Washington State has gotten tired of waiting and has passed the so called Washington Jobs Act to make it legal for Washington businesses to crowd fund investments from Washington residents.  It has been passed, and we are waiting on the governor to sign it.

Also, Benefit Corporation legislation is beginning to sweep the country; 18 states thus far, and Washington has what is called the Social Purpose Corporation, which if set up correctly, can act as a Benefit Corporation. A Benefit Corporation requires that companies formed as such must have a “stated benefit to society”; can take into consideration other stakeholders, like employees, the community and the environment, and not just the profits of the shareholders; and each year they must have a third party validate that they are adhering to the goals they set out to accomplish. Currently, companies that forgo profits for the benefit of the community or the environment are liable and can be sued by the shareholders of the company. What that means, is that if a company can save millions of dollars by closing down manufacturing in your city and shipping it over sees, they have to do so. Benefit Corporation legislation means they can make different choices than gutting entire communities for a single bottom line. With Benefit Corporations you have multiple bottom lines, and those are generally: people, planet, profit, and purpose.

JU: You’ve been vocal about your love of Seattle and Washington State being progressive. What is it you love so much about it here? And what still needs to progress further?

JR: On a purely physical level there are few places that can beat the beauty of this region. Mountains, lakes, ocean, rivers, forests, rain forests, desert, wetlands; you name it, we got it. I don’t think that anyone who lives here cannot have at least one or two very grand and epic ideas – that’s a byproduct of looking at the majesty of this area and feeling connected to it.  I love how we have really begun to put teeth to our progressiveness: Medical Marijuana has been legal and we just voted to legalize recreational use, marriage equality was voted into law here, we have Social Purpose Corporation legislation that passed, and we just passed the Washington Jobs Act. Very often it feels like the progressive lacks focus, discipline and action to move things forward; I see us getting much better at putting our lofty ideals into practical movement. Seattle is recognized as the smartest and most educated city in the country, the most philanthropic city in the country, we create more national trending topics on Twitter than any other city, we are the social entrepreneurship capitol of the world, and arguably the sustainable entertainment capitol of the world.

I left Seattle in 1994 and came back in 2006 as an adult. It was tough for me to make the connections that I needed to make. The city can be tricky when it comes to networking, but I do see that improving. I also think that the city has seen itself as small in the past, and resists becoming a major mecca for arts and entertainment. It’s always bothered me that when cities get the shout out in songs, we always hear of Miami, New York, Dallas, LA, St Louis, Atlanta, but no Seattle. I think if the city, and I’m really speaking to the entertainment world, realized that there is plenty to go around for everyone, and that working in conjunction with each other to raise the value of each other and the region works in all of our best interests.

JU: So what is the Reign Group working on now to help progress those ideas?

JR: One thing we are doing is creating a pilot for a web series/tv show called “Social Justice” that will highlight Seattle, the artists, venues, social enterprises and causes that everyone supports. I think bringing attention to our community is a good thing, the philanthropic work we do will be even better, and doing so at high production value is important to present the city and the region in a way that truly represents its beauty, class, and excellence. It will also give me an opportunity to scout and recruit up-and-coming artist to become community funded and benefiting brands – what we call SupraBeingsâ„¢. Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Dr. Dre are all brands supported by a huge team of people with one goal: raising the attention and engagement that brand gets in the public. That equates to more profits for the brand. We build a similar team around emerging artists who acknowledge the value they receive from the attention and support of the community, by sharing profits with their fans and community organizations and endorsing and supporting socially responsible technologies and products.

I’m also back in school getting my MBA in Sustainable Systems from Bainbridge Graduate Institute at Pinchot, a university for the common good here in Seattle. It was the first MBA in sustainable business in the country and is still ranked in the top 5 with the likes of Yale, Michigan, and Stanford. Navigating the new laws and building out a company that can help create and proliferate celebrity brands that care about their fans, the environment and their communities is involved, and the added education and network provided by a business school will ensure we roll it out in the right way. Finally, I’m very interested in getting together a entertainment industry chamber of commerce. Things are changing rapidly, and I’m not sure we’ve got an adequate way of supporting and networking with one another, and voicing our concerns or ideas for improvement.

To reach out to the Reign Group, you can email them at info@reigngroup.us  or follow them on Twitter @reigngroup. For more information, visit www.reigngroup.us.