FROM JOE

One of the earliest memories with my grandfather,

Anthony, was a visit to the food pantry he managed for his church. I was probably in the first grade and was whining for one of the sweeter treats we were stocking from a recent donation. Regardless of the desperation I could muster, there was no way my grandpa was caving. He took it as an opportunity to teach me a very early lesson in service and caring for others – my family had resources and stability, these items were for families experiencing hardship and adversity that I never knew. This, along with many other lessons from my family, planted a seed of service that grew throughout my adolescence.

Simultaneously, another interest was flourishing – entrepreneurship. I launched my first business in the fourth grade, an ingenious effort to resell the soda, snacks, and candy from my family’s pantry to tradespeople building the new subdivision where we lived. The business lasted through two grocery trips, at which point mom caught on that I was running a business without any expenses. From that short-lived startup on, I always found ways to create my own income.

It wasn’t until college that the two threads intertwined. During my sophomore year at Capital University, a mentor exposed me to social entrepreneurship – and I

never looked back. I committed the rest of my education and work experience to prepare myself to build sustainable solutions to the complex challenges facing our community. I’ve made nearly a half dozen attempts as a social entrepreneur since and have met varying degrees of success and failure along the way.

More than anything, however, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the unique experiences people have, particularly those life experiences very different than my own. I’ve met some of the most influential people in my life and have become addicted to building businesses that can be a foundation for men and women who’ve likely never had one before.

My goal now is to share our story and encourage other business leaders to do more good and to leverage their influence to raise all ships within our community. I speak regularly with businesses, universities and leadership organizations to spread the word about social entrepreneurship, fair-chance employment, and innovative workforce strategies.

I hope we get to speak soon.