About US

About Here’s 2 Life™ Foundation

Founded in 1999 by Dr. Julian Owens, PhD, MPH, Here’s 2 Life™ Foundation creates pathways to wealth, wellness, and resilience for youth, families, and communities. Leveraging music, media, and culturally relevant programming, the foundation engages vulnerable populations to improve health, education, and behavioral outcomes.

Dr. Owens, a thought leader, social entrepreneur, and innovator, has built a multidimensional ecosystem of initiatives—including LIFE 20/20™, FreeFeelGoodMusic, J’Dillian™, and Jufura Media—bridging creative production, strategy, and social impact. His work empowers youth, families, and organizations to align purpose with performance and cultivate emotional intelligence.

Our Mission

We aim to:

• Leverage music and media to shape attitudes, beliefs, and choices (ABCs) and link them to behavior, culture, and lifestyle (BCL).

• Provide educational, enrichment, and therapeutic programs that measurably improve literacy, health, and life skills.

• Equip youth and families with STEAM opportunities to build wealth, wellness, and resilience.

• Develop leaders and communities through training, coaching, and collaborative partnerships.

Our Cultural & Media Insight

For those who came of age in the late 70s and early 80s, the rise of the music video transformed how music and media influence culture. Here’s 2 Life™ builds on this insight, recognizing that media shapes attitudes, beliefs, and choices (ABCs), which link to behavior, culture, and lifestyle (BCL). While access to high-speed technology is now common, it is not uniform—handheld devices give youth and families near-constant access to information and entertainment.

Our programs leverage this reality to deliver measurable outcomes through:

• Curriculum, coaching, enrichment, and therapeutic interventions

• STEAM-based pathways linking science, technology, arts, entrepreneurship, and media

• Engagement strategies that reflect cultural relevance and social-emotional learning

Our Approach

Drawing on Cultivation Theory and Social Learning Theory, we create environments where youth and families observe, model, and internalize positive behaviors and skills. Programs are designed to:

• Enhance digital literacy and media engagement

• Promote positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and mitigate adverse experiences (ACEs)

• Build critical thinking, decision-making, communication, and social-emotional skills

Leadership & Team

Dr. Julian Owens, PhD, MPH – Founder & Executive Director / Creative Director
Dr. Owens leads Here’s 2 Life™, guiding vision, strategy, and programs. An executive, educator, creative producer, and innovator, he integrates music, media, and social entrepreneurship to deliver measurable impact.

Dr. Julian Owens — affectionately known as Dr. Juju — is a scholar, educator, and creative leader who bridges the worlds of public health, education, and the arts. A former management consultant and senior analyst in Washington, D.C., Julian has built a career advancing innovation, leadership, and strategic transformation across health, education, and community systems.

As founder of Free Feel Good Music and CEO/Managing Partner of LIFE 2020, Dr. Owens combines behavioral research with artistic storytelling to help young people make sense of life, culture, and emotional balance through music. His frameworks — including the 4D Model of Dialogue, Discovery, Discernment, and Decision — connect self-awareness, decision-making, and resilience in ways that resonate across classrooms and communities.

At the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, Dr. Owens teaches Global Strategic Management, drawing on his leadership at Accenture and his experience in organizational design and transformation. His teaching, research, and community engagement all reflect one consistent aim: empowering people to live, learn, and lead from the inside out.

Connect with Dr. Juju → [Learn More / Watch & Listen / Book Appearance]

Tyrone Lofton, BA – Coordinator, Community Outreach & Youth Development
Mr. Lofton manages partnerships, program delivery, and youth engagement. He ensures programs are culturally responsive, age-appropriate, and outcome-driven.

Mr. Lofton represents Here’s 2 Life (H2L) at community and roundtable events locally and virtually. He follows up with prospective community-based partners to provide in-depth information about programming opportunities and works with Dr. Owens to deliver training. Mr. Lofton also coordinates the H2L Internship Program and consults on ways to customize the integration of science, technology, and the arts into curricula and our curriculum-based programs.

He assists in designing professional development workshops that emphasize the balance between social justice and personal responsibility in advancing wealth and wellness. Mr. Lofton coordinates and hosts community pop-up and tabling events where age-appropriate, culturally engaging information is shared. He applies his extensive knowledge of positive youth development programming to conduct interviews, community forums, and monthly briefings that inform stakeholders of program activities.

Instrumental in assessing community needs, Mr. Lofton ensures that all programming and services address health, education, and economic disparities in age-appropriate, culturally responsive ways. He brings a youth-friendly lens to this work, leveraging his keen interpersonal communication skills to optimize teaching, learning, and enrichment programming in both formal and informal settings.Advisors & Affiliates
We benefit from a network of advisors and collaborators with expertise in health, education, media literacy, and community development, providing guidance and strategic support to advance our mission.

History & Impact

First Ten Years:
Focused on closing the digital divide and improving access to federal health resources, including MedlinePlus®, AIDSinfo®, PubMed®, and ClinicalTrials.gov®. Partnered with LIFE 20/20™ and community organizations to train clinicians, educators, and youth, creating strong local and institutional networks.

Last Ten Years:
Emphasized prevention and early intervention for adolescents using music and media to improve behavioral health, social-emotional learning, and digital literacy. Programs integrated STEAM principles and built life skills and resilience.

Today:
Expanding nationally and globally, Here’s 2 Life™ builds alliances, coalitions, and partnerships to improve access to culturally competent care. Programs continue to develop critical thinking, decision-making, communication, and multiple literacies, empowering youth and communities to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Here’s 2 Life™ programs are guided by evidence-based approaches:

• Cultivation Theory: Repeated exposure to media shapes how youth perceive the world and what they consider “real,” influencing attitudes, beliefs, and choices.

• Social Learning Theory: Young people learn from observing and imitating others, especially influential role models. Positive behaviors that are modeled and reinforced help youth internalize skills and decision-making strategies.

By combining these frameworks, our initiatives leverage music, media, and experiential learning to teach critical thinking, social-emotional skills, and culturally relevant life strategies.

Julian D. Owens, PhD, MPH