Our Team

FOUNDER

TJ's life is a testament to resilience and transformation. After enduring a turbulent upbringing filled with abuse and bullying, TJ was expelled from school and homeless by the age of 15, drawn into a life of crime and violence. His story is one of survival, having lived through gang involvement, addiction, and brushes with death, including multiple stabbings and a near-fatal drive-by shooting. At his lowest point, facing a 10-year prison sentence and an unsuccessful suicide attempt, TJ made the decision to turn his life around.

Today, TJ is a leader at Gloves Not Guns where he developed the impactful program for at-risk youth in Calgary, successfully steering them away from criminality and gang involvement. In partnership with law enforcement, corrections, academia, and various nonprofits, TJ’s work has reached 75 youth in just nine months, with particular success in connecting with marginalized groups such as the homeless, addicts, and incarcerated individuals.

Through his leadership, TJ is not only a role model for those overcoming adversity but also a driving force behind efforts to heal and uplift his community. His goal is to help young people avoid the dangerous paths he once walked and become the best versions of themselves.

PROGRAM FACILITATOR

Kale Barr is a Canadian artist and poet from Calgary, Alberta, whose work delves deeply into themes of pain, resilience, and transformation. His raw, unapologetic creations reflect a life shaped by violence, loss, and self-discovery.

A former hockey enforcer, Kale’s career abruptly ended after a severe knee injury, leaving him vulnerable to destructive influences. By 19, he was entrenched in the criminal world, selling drugs and using his imposing 6-foot-3 frame to enforce gang rules. Violence became routine until an assault charge in 2016 forced him to sever ties with his gang and begin rebuilding his life.

Kale’s journey of healing began with painting and poetry, which allowed him to process his trauma and rediscover his identity. His art, now displayed internationally in Germany, Poland, and Miami, transforms his pain into powerful storytelling and has connected with audiences worldwide.

Today, Kale is channeling his experiences to help others by working with Gloves Not Guns, a boxing mentorship program dedicated to steering at-risk youth away from gangs, drugs, and violence. Through mentorship, fitness, and his own life story, Kale provides young people with the guidance and hope needed to create a better future.

Kale Barr’s art and advocacy stand as a powerful testament to the strength of redemption and the ability to turn hardship into purpose.

SPEAKER & RAPPER

Levi Lund, better known as 7even7ide7moke, is a rapper and custom jeweler based in Edmonton, Alberta. Growing up, Levi faced a turbulent life that steered him into a world of crime, violence, and incarceration. During his latest sentence, he made the life-changing decision to turn his struggles into purpose. He began crafting a plan to combine his passions for music, motivational speaking, and charitable work into a single mission.

As 7even7ide7moke, Levi uses his music to shed light on social injustices, poverty, and the hardships of growing up in an environment that shapes destructive beliefs. Through raw, authentic lyrics, he connects with youth who face the same challenges he once did. His powerful storytelling inspires others to take accountability for their actions and shows them that rising above their circumstances is possible.

Levi’s mission is clear: to guide young people out of darkness and help them find a brighter future. That’s why he has joined Gloves Not Guns Boxing, where his lived experience and motivational speaking are key to steering at-risk youth away from gangs, violence, and crime.

Through his music, mentorship, and advocacy, Levi is committed to creating real change and empowering youth to take control of their lives.