By Dezimon Alicea, Gary Crusader
If you mention the name Antwaun Clemons to someone in Gary, IN; some people might associate him with the Gary Community School District. For several years, Antuwan Clemons served as president of the Board of the Gary Community Schools. He states serving in that capacity was his way to give back to the Gary community. Life after being president of the school board has not slowed this millennial down, he has found himself doing something slightly different. His new setting is in media and entertainment.
Clemons is no stranger to this field of work. Before working with the school corporation, he was the host of a local talk show, acted in many plays throughout the area, and even did some wrestling. Clemons has a pretty lengthy list of different interests, but he was quick to let me know that media and entertainment is his passion. “Dancing, singing and acting is something I enjoy doing,” Clemons states. All of those interests are a representation of his new business venture.
Laughing Right Productions, Inc. is an internet based television corporation and advertising company, based in Northwest Indiana. Their slogan is simple, “It’s simply entertainment.” LRP produces a wide and very eclectic array of programming. Ranging from wrestling, talk shows and game shows. Currently, LRP has 15 employees and 30 outsourced staff that assist with the production of their shows.
Clemons came to Northwest Indiana from Chicago; upon his introduction into the city he met some people who would be influential on his journey. A couple of those people were Irene Smith King, wife of former Gary mayor Scott King; and the late Marilyn Krusas. Those connections led Clemons down a path that would ultimately find him where he is today, and those relationships would garner Clemons much wisdom and valued advice.
One of the many lessons Clemons is quick to share is that with “Major success comes major failures.” The idea of an entertainment company was pitched repeatedly in the NWI and Chicagoland area for five years. But, opportunity approached Clemons way on the East coast. With this opportunity came partnerships and with those partnerships came funding, which is something Clemons needed if he was going to see his company get off the ground and on its way.
Clemons can remember the countless flights to D.C., that helped build these partnerships and relationships. Clemons knows the fundamental business rule- which is you can’t do it alone; so he was willing to give up full control of his company and retain a percentage. To some business owners, this may have been a deterrent, but to Clemons it was an opportunity to really get his dream a reality.
Finances is a word many business owners are too familiar with, but it’s a road Clemons has been down and is currently still travelling. He wants to help as many hungry and ambitious entrepreneurs as possible, to overcome some of the same hurdles he’s had to jump through. Clemons looks at the LRP network as not just a source of income but he says, “I want to create a network where people don’t have to struggle.”
Jerome Nichols serves as Director of Content and Broadcasting for the LRP Network. He states that LRP is special because it gives “People who can’t go to OWN or ABC, a platform to pitch an idea for a show.” Overall, Clemons aspires go public with LRP. And he wants people to know that shares are now on sale. Clemons and the entire team of Laughing Right Productions are excited for their future; they’re looking to make their mark nationally and internationally.
For more information on the LRP network, and its programing you can visit lrplive.tv.
