John G. Hunt, President of TripGear: Fresh out of high school, John enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corp. In the 90s, upon his return to civilian life in hometown Gary, Indiana, John developed several mentoring programs in both Gary and Indianapolis which include: Leadership by Example, Steering Young Minds, Applications for Life and Amen (African-American Men). John worked 2 jobs - one as a substitute teacher and the other as a prison guard at Westville Corrections facility. At this time John realized that students from elementary to high school displayed the same behaviors he witnessed from incarcerated offenders within the prison system. This motivated John into extensive research in the areas of reading and literature within schools.

Among his findings were that books in inner-city and rural areas lacked interesting characters, were culturally insensitive and did little in way of provoking thought. With the goal of closing the gap of illiteracy among African Americans and others, John established a new faith-based company by the name of TripGear. Through TripGear Publishing, John alongside a handful of partners, produce creative and engaging literature that is full of vibrant art and is culturally relevant to its readers. Since its original conception, TripGear has grown into an effort to reach communities sharing the relevance of good moral character in today's world using the tools of original art and literature. J.G. Hunt - Marine, MA Human Service, BS psychology, and a doctoral student, business owner, family man, and volunteer.