Vernon “Donveto” Boisseau
Vernon “Donveto” Boisseau’s story is one of survival, transformation, and purpose. He grew up in Harlem during an era when the streets dictated opportunity, and for a time, that world pulled him in. Over the years, he served seventeen years in prison — two for robbery, five for gun possession, and ten in federal custody. Those years behind bars became his breaking point and his awakening. It was there that Vernon began to rebuild his mind, his spirit, and his vision for a different kind of power — one rooted in discipline and purpose, not destruction.
When he came home, Vernon put that new mindset to work. After ten years with New York Sports Club, he built Health Is Wealth Fitness Inc., a business dedicated to transforming people’s physical and mental strength through structure, consistency, and self-control. For more than fifteen years, he’s used fitness as a vehicle for redemption — helping others, especially young men, channel their energy into something that builds rather than breaks.
Vernon’s drive didn’t stop there. He co-founded The Beat 139 Foundation and The Beat 139 Podcast, and leads other ventures including Rikers Island Anti-Gang Violence Program and Vernon Boisseau Marketing LLC. Each of these projects reflects his mission to reach those still trapped in the cycles he escaped — offering guidance, opportunity, and truth.
His commitment to change runs deep. Vernon regularly visits Rikers Island to speak directly with the incarcerated about the cost of choices, the reality of freedom, and the work it takes to rebuild a life. In his own words, he doesn’t tell people what they want to hear — he tells them what they need to know.
A proud father of three — Vernon Harris, Everett Harris, and Brandon Boisseau — and grandfather to Jaden Harris, Vernon draws his strength from his family, including his sister Mahogany and his mother Loretta, age 80. From Harlem’s hard lessons to the foundation he’s built today, Vernon “Donveto” Boisseau stands as proof that real change starts the moment you stop lying to yourself and start building something that lasts.
