Clando Brownlee
My name is Clando Brownlee, the 3rd. I never imagined I’d become an advocate for the environment, let alone a champion for sustainability and carbon reduction. I didn’t grow up learning about global warming or environmental justice. It wasn’t a part of my everyday life until one day in 2008, a friend asked me to help coordinate eco-clubs for students across San Diego. What started as a favor quickly turned into a mission. I began to see the world differently through the eyes of passionate youth, eager to clean up their communities and fight for a greener future. As I learned about landfills, pollution, and the long-term damage to our planet, a fire was lit in me—and I couldn’t put it out.
My Story
My journey has been anything but easy. After surviving throat cancer in 2019 and enduring multiple mini-strokes in 2023, I came out of rehab with a renewed vision and a new identity: Clando 2 point O Yeah. The theme “I’m Still Standing” became my mantra. I realized that my second chance at life came with a responsibility—to serve, to educate, and to lead. I created innovative programs that trained and empowered youth to recycle, clean up neighborhoods, and earn money doing it.
We worked alongside local festivals, businesses, and schools, what I didn’t realize at the time I was developing a motivational coaching bran. For team building and a no excuse just excellent customer service attitude. “Out of that I developed The Accept vs. Except Mindset Seminar, a high-impact experience that helps people stop making excuses and start showing up with full commitment. We teach that excellence doesn’t come with conditions—it comes with consistency. This mindset shift transforms customer service, team performance, and personal accountability. It’s not about working harder—it’s about owning the challenge, even when it’s hard.” Shortly after I launched California’s first African American Lions Club, we hosting Earth Day festivals, Green Expo’s and was honored with the Beacon of Hope award for the best environmental project out of 22,000 global entries—every step was fueled by faith and purpose.
Eventually, I took a bold step and started electronic recycling events across California, even signing contracts with Home Depot to hold weekend collection drives. Thousands of cars came through, and we diverted tons of e-waste from landfills, throughout the entire state of California. With the funds we raised, we supported underserved schools, veterans, and youth advocacy groups. We planted fruit trees, sent kids to D.C. to speak to Congress, and gave scholarships to families who couldn't afford quality education. The same hands that once didn’t know how to sort trash were now shaping a movement. We didn't just recycle electronics—we recycled hope.
Today, my passion continues with the Green the Block Initiative. I’m raising funds to train the next generation of green leaders through a certified 10-module curriculum from Roots of Success. This initiative will equip young people to become eco-consultants, job-readiness in sustainability fields, and able to support businesses, schools, and civic agencies with climate action plans, zero-waste planning, and environmental compliance. I’ve gone from, uninformed to unstoppable, and now I’m building a legacy where others can follow. Because when you’ve, been given another shot at life, you don’t waste it—you honor God, by giving back by giving your very best, by serving the people who have the least, but need it the most!