A Chocolate Kid from The Southside of York PA

Tavon Parker or “Mr. Motivation” as he’s come to be known, was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. He is a father, husband, son, brother, student, community activist, published author, motivational speaker, and businessman. Throughout his childhood, Tavon excelled in sports and is a thousand-point scorer at his alma mater, William Penn Senior High School (York High). At the age of 14, Tavon began his journey as an entrepreneur when he started his own Lawn Care Business called Tavon’s Lawn Care LLC. As his lawn care business grew, he hired employees and by the age of 15, he purchased his first truck before he even had his license! 

After gaining a scholarship and venturing to college at Millersville University, Tavon excelled more in sports than academics. He began to lose focus and it caught up to him quickly. His business struggled with him being away in college, which added more obstacles for him to overcome. These led to Tavon losing his scholarship which then forced him to move back to his hometown. With a lazy mindset and the need to survive, Tavon became a drug dealer. Less than a year into this new entrepreneurial endeavor, Tavon was arrested for the first time and was given three years’ probation. Less than 6 months after that, Tavon was arrested once again and had the same charges, same district attorney, but this time was a different outcome. Tavon faced 2-5 years in state prison but luckily went through a 6-month military-style program at Quehanna Boot Camp that allowed for an earlier release. 

After serving 14 months in state prison, Tavon was released back to society with a new vision and mission for his life. His commitment to leaving the system with a new mindset by devoting his time to reading, working, and taking different classes, paid off. Tavon has turned his life around and now dedicates his time to helping others get to the next level through his many CHANGE THE NARRATIVE initiatives. After losing his brother to gun violence in February 2020, Tavon quickly realized that exposure to opportunities makes a huge difference in one’s life. Tavon went on that same year to form his nonprofit called The Advantage Program. Through this, he is able to empower youth, provide mentorship, exposure, and work on sustainable life plans that overall will contribute to changing the narrative. Tavon wrote his autobiography titled “Changing The Narrative” which was published in 2021. He is also the co-author of “What Do You Mean?” a children’s book that was published in 2022. In 2022, Tavon also published his “Changing The Narrative Workbook” where he took the principles from his autobiography (budgeting, time management, creating a sustainable plan, cost benefit analysis, personality test) and made them more tangible. He facilitates workshops across York County Schools where he teaches students how to take control of their own destiny at a young age without having to go down a negative path. In 2024, Tavon published another workbook titled “B.Y.O.B - Be Your Own Boss: A Guide For New And Experienced Entrepreneurs.” This workbook is taught to adults who are new or experienced entrepreneurs, and also to school aged children in order to expose them to entrepreneurship and legal ways to create multiple streams of income. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Tavon is also a volunteer for the York County Wellness Courts. Over the years, Tavon has been awarded various honors and awards as well. As a motivational speaker, Tavon also uses his gift to mentor others through his CHANGE UNIVERSITY where he provides group mentorship along with one on one mentorship for both adults and students. Creating a safe space for others to share their challenges and being able to help them overcome those is one of the most important things that Tavon does in his role as a speaker. Tavon has presented to various organizations across Pennsylvania, ranging from nonprofits to schools to small and large organizations. He has presented on various topics at different company events, meetings, festivals, sports teams, school assemblies, and motivational groups.