ISO: The Assist

ISO - In Search Of

For too long we been sold the idea that you grow in isolation. That it’s you vs you. Truth is, we made it because somebody in our community was doing real things and let us get close enough to learn. That access is disappearing. The Assist is a weekly talk highlighting overlooked individuals in our communities to share their journey, their playbook, and their game. ISO is where engineers, founders, doctors, lawyers - the ones truly building our communities - are celebrated like superstars. ISO is changing the culture. Status is no longer the standard. Impact is. It’s not you vs you anymore.

Episodes

  1. Aug 1

    The Assist | EP. 08 - Beyond the Box Score | The Warrior Pathway with Laolu Oke

    ISO: The Assist is a weekly talk series hosted by Anis Benyoucef, a University of Colorado Denver Mechanical Engineering graduate and 6x intern with experience at Apple, Zoox, Stanford, and more.Each episode features real conversations with guests who are quietly making an impact in their communities — people who have been overlooked, under-platformed, and underestimated. No gatekeeping. No performance. Just game.On EP. 08, the season finale of The Assist season one, we have Laolu. Laolu Oke grew up in Denver, walked onto a Division II court, and became the most dominant defender in his conference two years in a row. Instead of settling, he entered the transfer portal, went Division I, and finished his MBA while still competing at the highest level of college basketball. Then he took his game overseas and won a championship in Denmark and then played in France. Laolu is proof that the work you put in when nobody is watching eventually puts you on a stage the whole world can see.The Assist exists because we spend too much time looking outside of our direct proximity for inspiration, mentorship, and guidance. The truth is there are incredibly bright, accomplished individuals everywhere, hidden by geography, circumstance, or simply because no one gave them a platform.This is the platform.Rooted in the ISO mission to inspire ambition, elevate overlooked talent, and rebuild community pathways to success, The Assist is the first chapter of something much bigger. A basketball-inspired, faith-driven developmental movement built on the belief that isolation was never meant to be you vs you. It means going up against someone who challenges you, pours into you, and sets you up to score. There are 6 pathways of development - The Seeker, The Builder, The Warrior, The Founder, The Healer, and The Reformer. Each week we will bring someone from each pathway.Every Sunday. Every week. One conversation at a time.

  2. Jul 25

    The Assist | EP. 07 - The Fuel for the Drive | The Founder Pathway with Abdulla Ermila

    *Skip to 45 seconds in for the start of the episode* ISO: The Assist is a weekly talk series hosted by Anis Benyoucef, a University of Colorado Denver Mechanical Engineering graduate and 6x intern with experience at Apple, Zoox, Stanford, and more.Each episode features real conversations with guests who are quietly making an impact in their communities — people who have been overlooked, underplatformed, and underestimated. No gatekeeping. No performance. Just game.On EP. 07 of The Assist - Founder Pathway. Abdulla started his career building critical infrastructure as a civil engineer. Then he built something of his own. A 2x business owner behind 218 Customs and Coffee Story by Barakah Brews, he broke the generational expectation of staying comfortable and bet on himself instead. And through it all, he never stopped giving back. He also runs talks and lectures at local mosques and pours into his community the same way he pours into his businesses, keeping faith at the center of it all.The Assist exists because we spend too much time looking outside of our direct proximity for inspiration, mentorship, and guidance. The truth is there are incredibly bright, accomplished individuals everywhere, hidden by geography, circumstance, or simply because no one gave them a platform.This is the platform.Rooted in the ISO mission to inspire ambition, elevate overlooked talent, and rebuild community pathways to success, The Assist is the first chapter of something much bigger. A basketball-inspired, gamified developmental platform and cultural movement built on the belief that isolation was never meant to be you vs you. It means going up against someone who challenges you, pours into you, and sets you up to score. There are 6 pathways of development - The Seeker, The Builder, The Warrior, The Founder, The Healer, and The Reformer. Each week we will bring someone from each pathway.Every Sunday. Every week. One conversation at a time.

  3. Jul 17

    The Assist | EP. 06 - Reforming from Within | The Reformer Pathway with Josué Rodríguez

    ISO: The Assist is a weekly talk series hosted by Anis Benyoucef, a University of Colorado Denver Mechanical Engineering graduate and 6x intern with experience at Apple, Zoox, Stanford, and more.Each episode features real conversations with guests who are quietly making an impact in their communities — people who have been overlooked, underplatformed, and underestimated. No gatekeeping. No performance. Just game.On EP. 06 of The Assist - Reformer Pathway. Josué didn't just experience the system from the outside. He decided to get inside it and change it. Growing up watching his family navigate blue collar work, incarceration, and immigration challenges in Montbello and Denver, he saw firsthand how the legal system could either destroy people or defend them. Now a full-ride law student at CU Boulder and a 2024 Islamic Scholarship Fund scholar with experience in civil rights, immigration litigation, and public defense, Josue is building a career around the people the system was never designed to protect.The Assist exists because we spend too much time looking outside of our direct proximity for inspiration, mentorship, and guidance. The truth is there are incredibly bright, accomplished individuals everywhere, hidden by geography, circumstance, or simply because no one gave them a platform.This is the platform.Rooted in the ISO mission to inspire ambition, elevate overlooked talent, and rebuild community pathways to success, The Assist is the first chapter of something much bigger. A basketball-inspired, faith-driven developmental movement built on the belief that isolation was never meant to be you vs you. It means going up against someone who challenges you, pours into you, and sets you up to score. There are 6 pathways of development - The Seeker, The Builder, The Warrior, The Founder, The Healer, and The Reformer. Each week we will bring someone from each pathway.Every Sunday. Every week. One conversation at a time.

About

For too long we been sold the idea that you grow in isolation. That it’s you vs you. Truth is, we made it because somebody in our community was doing real things and let us get close enough to learn. That access is disappearing. The Assist is a weekly talk highlighting overlooked individuals in our communities to share their journey, their playbook, and their game. ISO is where engineers, founders, doctors, lawyers - the ones truly building our communities - are celebrated like superstars. ISO is changing the culture. Status is no longer the standard. Impact is. It’s not you vs you anymore.