As the daughter of Tommie Agee, a professional baseball player for multiple teams including the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers, J’nelle always thought she would end up in sports marketing. However, after pursuing internships in this field, J’nelle realized that she was more interested in telling other peoples’ stories, rather than promoting a brand or event. 

“Growing up, I always heard my father’s stories about his experiences as a professional athlete,” says J’nelle about her late father. (Mr. Agee passed away in January of 2001 following a heart attack.)Many of his stories were about their lives, stories that were never really told. She heard about discrimination that he and other black players experienced, how they couldn’t stay in hotels with their white teammates because they were black. Her father also told her that, “having a strong work ethic, always being prompt, and being nice to people were the keysto success. It doesn’t cost anything to be nice.”