We recently connected with Kenny Rogers and have shared our conversation below.

Kenny , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

Yes, I do, in the capacity of our nonprofit, Rogers Generational Foundation where I serve as cofounder, with my wife and rock Alexis Rogers, and through my work with the Town of Hope Mills. I currently serve as Chair of the Hope Mills Prime Movers, a millennial committee, and on the town’s Homeless Advisory Board.

Presently, our nonprofit is hosting its 5th Annual Toy Drive this year , which supports the Cumberland County Boys and Girls Club, serving underserved youth in marginalized communities, primarily across Fayetteville, NC. Our goal is to provide every child with two toys. After three years of self-funding the drive, my wife and I have been blessed by the support of local businesses, allowing us to continue giving back to the community.

Some of our early efforts included working with our alma mater, Terry Sanford High School, where we launched “Growl Sessions” (Growing Respectable Omnipotent Wise Leaders). These sessions focused on life skills and featured small business owners, mentors, and elected officials who helped create a supportive village for the attending students. We believe that networking and community are vital for youth success.

Through my involvement with the Town of Hope Mills’ millennial committee, we’ve focused on creating opportunities for underserved areas in our town. Although Hope Mills is still a rural area on the outskirts of Fayetteville, it holds tremendous potential. One of our proudest accomplishments through the Prime Movers has been the creation of Family Fun Day,a field day-style event that brings families together for outdoor fun and activities. Due to its success, it has since been adopted by the Parks and Recreation department.

Other initiatives include our Women’s History Month collaboration with a community staple, Superior Bakery, where we honored local women with free donuts,a small but meaningful gesture. Our current event, “Ties and Tiaras, Capes and Crowns,” is a celebration bringing the community together for an evening of fun, food, and family.

Looking ahead, we’re launching two key initiatives to support youth: a scholarship fund and a school lunch fund. Additionally, we are introducing an “Adopt-a-Teacher” initiative. We plan to begin each fund with $1,000 and will work with local partners and the town to expand these efforts. The scholarship program is tied to a broader vision I’m developing with the town,a hub focused on the changing economy, including AI, machine learning, construction, and entrepreneurship. We aim to collaborate with local universities to offer scholarships that keep our youth in Hope Mills while strengthening the local economy.

The school lunch fund is a personal mission. We believe no child should go without a meal due to financial hardship. Our goal is to begin by funding 300 meals and grow the program through partnerships with local entities.

Finally, through the “Adopt-a-Teacher” initiative, we aim to ease the financial burden teachers face when buying school supplies. We hope to support as many educators as possible by providing much-needed resources.

Kenny , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a husband to a beautiful and caring wife, who has served the community as a child therapist, and a proud father to two amazing daughters and a son. My original industry was retail sales with Toyota, where over a decade I experienced a lot of failures, successes, friendships, and lessons, and was honored with the Toyota PROS award, one of the company’s highest recognitions.

I now serve as an Economic Development Specialist focused on partnerships and business development with MatchAwards. My work involves collaborating with chambers of commerce, trade associations, educational institutions, and Web3-based companies to develop co-branded platforms that connect small and medium-sized businesses, students, and job seekers to relevant opportunities. These include grants, loans, contracts, scholarships, jobs, and careers, eventually expanding to include state and international opportunities by leveraging AI and building local, regional, and global supply chain partnerships. MatchAwards is a global ecosystem fostered for small and medium businesses, students and job seekers formed in Fayetteville, NC.

We recently released our MAPU token, a blockchain-native token with concrete utility, full platform integration, and a real-world mission. It serves as a functional engine that powers an already operational system connecting businesses to government contracts, grants, and private sector opportunities.

I’m proud of the growth we’ve achieved at MatchAwards, with over 160,000 followers, more than 66,000 global active users, and over 62 strategic partners. The future of MatchAwards is bright, and I’m excited to be a part of it.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I would also mention that my cofounder, business partner, and wife has been by my side from the beginning. We met at Terry Sanford High School and are coming up on our 8th wedding anniversary in June, hopefully I got that right, or she might kill me haha. We’ve been together for a long time, and from the moment we met, there was an instant connection. We share a deep passion for helping others, being positive role models for our children, and breaking the generational barriers we experienced growing up.

Her support, both in our nonprofit and in the committees I serve on, is invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

When I worked in the car business, my goal was to separate myself from the pack of wolves—a term often used to describe the industry. While that label isn’t entirely accurate, as there are many hardworking and honest salespeople who truly care about providing a great experience.

One marketing tactic I used involved going to the service drive and joking around,often loudly and enthusiastically asking, “Who wants to buy a car today?” It was all in good fun, and while my managers and colleagues would joke about it, people in the service area would laugh but gravitate towards me. They’d often come over to my desk just to talk, and that genuine interaction helped me sell many cars and build strong connections. It all came down to confidence and a willingness to stand out by doing things differently.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MatchAwards.Com/https://www.townofhopemills.com/129/Boards-Committees
• Linkedin: Kenny Rogers