This is another installment in AL.com’s series “Beyond the Violence ," which explores solutions that could make Birmingham safer, healthier and happier.

After a friend was shot and killed, 16-year-old Landon Barnes said he wanted to find solutions to stop the violence.

A Birmingham program helped him channel that determination and learn not just real-world business skills, but also violence prevention tactics. He’s since started his own business, Allocate, and advocates for change in his city.

“After that, I’ve always wanted to get more active in the community so I can offer people different solutions,” Barnes told AL.com .

“We learned skills such as violence intervention. They taught us how to work hard. That really makes a difference in the community and in people...It insp

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