A Maplesville High School graduate is working to help his new home of Birmingham.

James Sullivan, who graduated from MHS in 2001 and was a member of several Red Devils athletics teams, is one of three founders of MILLEN Forward.

MILLEN, which is an acronym for “Millennials, Inspiring, Leveraging, Leading, Encouraging, Navigating,” is a “non-profit, multi-racial, multi-issue, independent-minded movement that finds issues in our communities and focuses on action, which will give millennials a voice and a seat at the table to navigate change,” according to the organization’s website.

Other founding members are Jacqueline Sullivan, James Sullivan’s mother and MHS teacher, and Leah Bigbee.

After high school, James Sullivan graduated from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa in 2005 with a business administration degree.

Sullivan began working with Hyundai out of college and later with Southern Company, when he moved to Birmingham.

“The Birmingham area was totally different (than other places Sullivan had lived),” he said. “I wanted to find out what was going on and get more involved.”

Sullivan joined organizations including Birmingham Change Fund, Birmingham Public Library and Young Professionals of Birmingham.

The roots of MILLEN Forward began to grow.

“There are always things in a community that can be improved,” Sullivan said. “I wanted younger people to be the leaders as far as trying to get things done.”

After taking time to learn more about the city and what its needs are, MILLEN Forward got off the ground, officially being chartered in early 2015.

“The first thing that’s important is to get people involved at the grassroots level—inform them of our vision and where we want to go,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said there are five pillars vital to the success of the organization: volunteerism, creativity, entrepreneurship, philanthropic mentality and integrity.

Sullivan identified mentorship for youth as a potential focus.

“You’ve just got to get people working together,” he said.

Sullivan also mentioned financial issues, such as micro lending, economic development and items as simple as teaching people the importance of saving.

“These concepts are not new, but I think they would be perfect for the Birmingham area,” he said. “I’m hopeful, but of course it takes support.

Sullivan said he’d like to create a model that would work in other cities and areas.

“My vision is that it will start in the Birmingham area, but I want it to be a concept that can go other places,” Sullivan said. “I want to establish a road map that anybody can follow.”

For more information about the organization, visit millenforward.com.