We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Bullard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Courtney , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

When the idea of Pearl House came about, I knew I needed to travel to Ghana on a vision trip and see how this idea/vision would become a reality. So, I went to Ghana and visited several orphanages trying to gain as much knowledge as I could. I was met with the same messaging of “this is impossible”. But I knew what God had asked me to do. And I knew we needed someone on the ground helping us to run this. So after I returned from Ghana, three days later, we were introduced to a young lady whose heart was to move to Ghana and run a home for teenage girls. She sold all she had, moved to Ghana, and we rented a house where we started with 20 girls who needed our help.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m in the business of helping others, especially young ladies, where they understand how much value and worth they have. My goal is to empower women and give them a voice, so they know their life matters. They can make a difference in this world. What I love about Pearl house is that when we see a need, then we try to meet that need. We have an incredible team of people helping to accomplish this. Running a nonprofit is hard work. But when you truly see people, not just look at them, but see them, it makes a difference. I want every donor, every staff member, every child we are helping, to know they matter and they are just as much a part of Pearl house as I am.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My husband and I and one other lady are cofounders of Pearl house. I had just returned from Ghana on a vision trip feeling very frustrated and questioning how we would begin Pearl house. I had told my husband, Steve, that we need someone on the ground running this thing in order for it to be a success.
So, two days later, Steve went on a mission trip to Memphis Oklahoma. He was volunteering at a refugee center where African children would go after school for tutoring. While he was there, he was introduced to another youth pastor who had gone to Ghana a dozen times. She would take her students there every summer. In fact, she believed God had told her she was to move to Ghana, run a home, but not just any home, a home for teenage girls.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of our main roles for the Pearl house offices here in the states is to raise funds so that we can continue the mission and work in Ghana. One of the biggest pivots for us was during Covid when we had to do fundraising events online instead of in person. We learned a lot, but it was incredible to see the amount of support, encouragement in funding donors gave at that time. You had to truly think outside the box because no one had ever done anything like this at that time. I look back, and it now might be one of my favorite events. We visually, in real time, were able to connect people here and in Ghana!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pearlhouse.org
• Instagram: thepearlhouse
• Facebook: The Pearl House Ghana
• Linkedin: the pearl house
• Youtube: PearlHouseGhana
• Other: https://courtneybullard.com

Image Credits

Photos taken by Sarah Rhoads; We Are The Rhoads