When self-proclaimed “country boy” Cedric Pride arrived in Denver during his 20s, he didn’t have a roadmap, but was equipped with absolute faith, a deep willingness to learn, and an entrepreneurial spirit. That mindset would later become the foundation of the Pride Initiative, the faith-based nonprofit he founded to support the Black community toward economic freedom and generational wealth. Today, the organization operates out of a 10,000-square-foot office space.
As a child, he was fascinated by brands like Sears, Wells Fargo, and Ferrari—early influences that sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. He began studying very successful families, and he says he “learned very quickly that it was one person that made the difference.”
Pride, who was raised by his grandparents, grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and has fond memories of his hometown. He reminisces about family and the vibrancy of Black culture—the food, sports scene, prevalence of HBCUs, Southern hospitality, and a sense of togetherness unique to the Deep South. He still speaks of his hometown with great fondness. While he still misses many of those things that made his home, he also remembers a reality that was fraught with lack of opportunity and the invisibility of Black people in positions of power.
After his mother moved to Colorado when he was 4 years old, he visited her and was exposed to a refreshing level of diversity in Park Hill and Montbello that he hadn’t experienced back home. In the Mile High City, he developed new relationships and bore witness to three men of color who led the city as mayors. Seeing Federico Peña, Wellington Webb, and Michael B. Hancock, elected in a city with a Black population that hovers around 6% to 10%, energized Pride to pursue success at higher levels than he’d seen modeled back in Alabama.
After the death of his grandparents, he moved to Denver at age 27 and stayed with his mother for about 90 days to get his footing. He worked two jobs, earning about $10 per hour. A full-time single dad, he knew he needed to put some effort into getting access to health and wellness benefits. He landed an interview at a local, family-owned sheet metal company, where a question was asked that seemingly shifted the trajectory of his life.
When asked, “Do you know how to read a tape measure?” Pride responded, “No, but it’s not because I’m stupid; it’s because I’ve never been taught.”
He went on to sell his ability to outwork his competition, got the job, and rose in the company during his three-decade career there.
Starting at the bottom of the company making $6.28 an hour, he became a supervisor after two years, then a journeyman, and ultimately led the company’s manufacturing arm for his remaining 15 years as a production manager. He was one of the first Black union delegates for sheet metal workers in Colorado, representing almost a thousand workers. His team earned great livings, producing heating and cooling systems for residential and commercial use. They also secured top-tier health benefits and lifetime pensions that would make most college graduates question their career choices.
Pride’s prosperous journey into the trades is contemporary proof of the value of skilled labor at a time when the nation debates the necessity of soaring college debt while workforce shortages are hitting critical industries. According to industry data, many trades offer starting wages that exceed entry-level, white-collar salaried positions, along with benefits, pensions, and union protections that are increasingly rare in today’s economy. For Pride, the appeal was never just financial–it was about access.
Before heading to work most days, he would make a 6 a.m. stop by McDonald’s for breakfast, where he’d meet different young people working behind the counter. Seeing himself in many of them and knowing the potential they have to earn more money and build something lasting for themselves, he would hand out his business cards and invite them to shift their focus to working in a trade. He recalls that before he knew it, he had helped more than 200 young people enter the trades. He was later appointed to the Denver Workforce Board by Mayor Hancock, and began working with major organizations including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, along with various school districts across the state, creating a pipeline to working in trades.
While climbing the ladder in blue-collar America, he also fell into the entertainment space, which he considers completely unintentional. If you’ve been in Denver long enough, you likely recognize the Cedric Pride Entertainment. The brand is best known for hosting Denver’s Derby Day that brings stars including Malik Yoba (New York Undercover, Cool Runnings), Morris Chestnut (Rosewood, The Best Man), and Leon (The Temptations, Five Heart Beats).
Pride considers large-scale events like Derby Day and his annual New Year’s Eve Extravaganza as a means to an end–a way to leverage “a funding mechanism to bring underserved people into trades.”
He credits Moses Brewer, a fellow Alabamian who Pride considers a surrogate uncle, for motivating him to launch the Pride Initiative. Brewer, a former longtime director of community commerce and partnerships for MillerCoors, invited Pride out for lunch where he asked why Pride hadn’t started his nonprofit yet and strongly encouraged him to take it seriously. This conversation energized him to build the nonprofit, working with government organizations, workforce centers, sober living facilities, youth serving organizations, and other partners.
In 2025, the Pride Initiative trained more than 500 people across industries. The nonprofit was designed with accessibility at its core. With classes available for as little as one week and up to 30 days, training is structured to remove common barriers that keep Black and Brown people from entering skilled fields including cost, time, and lack of exposure. Participants receive industry-recognized certifications in fields such as healthcare, HVAC, construction, artificial intelligence, and coding, all without incurring student loan debt. Trainees also leave the program with $1,000 to $2,000 worth of high-end clothing to help them walk into their new careers with confidence and in style, thanks to donations from a community of supporters.
Beyond technical training, the organization places equal emphasis on financial literacy. Participants learn how to navigate retirement plans, understand benefits packages, and manage money in ways that support long-term stability for generations to come.
“I feel that without a doubt, trades are America’s best-kept secret,” said Pride.
What started for him decades ago as an eagerness to outwork the next person has grown into a life mission to ensure others don’t have to rely on luck or proximity to opportunity, especially those in need of a second chance. This isn’t just talk. His programs are reaching people often forgotten or dismissed by larger society, including SNAP recipients who can take their class offerings at no cost.
Today, the career field options have expanded. Trainees will soon have opportunities to enroll in courses that prepare them to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed home or commercial childcare workers.
Pride considers this a “ministry assignment to bring underserved, especially in Black and Brown communities, into trades.” It all comes down to encouragement–he wants the people who come through his programs to know that they are not without hope.
