Milan Dennie struggled as a teen. Now he mentors teens to choose a better path.
ST PAUL, Minn. — You’ve seen plenty of stories about barber shops, most of them focused on what’s taking place up top.
But Milan Dennie’s barbershop is notable for the parade of kids heading downstairs.
“The first thing we do when we start a business is we have to come up with an idea,” Milan, standing at the front of the room, instructs a small group of teens intently listening.
Four days a week after school, the teens sit at tables, classroom style, in the basement of King Milan’s Barbershop.
Call it the students’ MBA-BB program: Milan’s Business Academy in a Barbershop Basement.
The real name Milan chose for his youth programming is simpler and more broadly focused. “It’s Our Neighborhood,” is Milan’s gift to the community.
“I always reflect on what I had to go through,” the 42-year-old barber says.
Milan grew up poor, with two …