Building Local Profile: GL Imprinting

Syracuse University’s Building Local initiative, launched in May 2019, sought to expand participation of Central New York businesses—including those owned by women, minorities, veterans and others (referred to collectively as XBEs)—in University purchasing decisions.

Since the launch of the initiative, several local businesses have become newly-licensed partners of the University, selling products adorned with Syracuse University trademarks. GL Imprinting, based out of the South Side Innovation Center on South Salina Street, secured its internal license with the University in February 2020. Since that time, the business has provided thousands of branded products to the University, including pens, cinch sacks and masks.

The company, which specializes in apparel and promotional item printing, embroidery and graphic design, is a subsidiary of the Good Life Youth Foundation. GL Imprinting was started to create sustainability for the Good Life Foundation and its programming efforts, which include training for children and teens in the city of Syracuse, as well as to provide a viable avenue for generating income for high-risk, high-poverty youth.

Good Life was founded in August 2012 by Hasan Stephens, also known as DJ Maestro. Stephens came to Syracuse as a DJ for Power 106.9 FM and later for Hot 107.9 FM. He was also the official DJ for Syracuse University basketball and football games from 2013 through 2017. It was through music that he started working with children and teens in Syracuse. Stephens taught a hip-hop culture class at the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center, and the shared passion for the subject allowed him to connect with his students on a deeper level. He left the detention center to start the Good Life Foundation after hearing a Hillbrook co-worker say, “they’re gonna have to lock up more kids or we won’t get any hours.”

The foundation’s mission is “Walking marginalized youth along a journey toward ending the cycles of poverty, incarceration and violence by utilizing hip-hop culture as a vehicle for understanding identity and purpose while achieving sustainability through entrepreneurship.” Young people are not only able to contribute to the design and print of custom-designed apparel and promotional items, they too can design their own clothing labels and sell them both online and in a new storefront at the Salt City Market.

University purchasers can contact GL Imprint by calling 315.407.1145 or visiting their website.