We recently connected with ACTS Global, Inc. and have shared our conversation below.
ACTS , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
Networking! We cannot stress enough the power of networking. Every time we took the time to go to a networking event, it benefited us tremendously. We typically always meet someone who wants to help our organization in any way possible, including introducing us to a friend in the business, donating their time or money, providing resources, or sharing more knowledge in the nonprofit field (which is always a win). We believe some of our most significant contributors have come from striking up a random conversation and meeting new people. Networking can take your business to the next level because it always opens the door to new opportunities!
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?
We are ACTS Global, which stands for Advocating Children Towards Success. Our mission is to spark the interest of underserved youth to create generational wealth in a global society. We do this with two core programs: H.E.A.T (Higher Education, Economics, Agriculture and Technology) and Mind to Money, and its purpose is to close the mental health-wealth gap. Our willingness to connect with youth on their level sets us apart from other organizations. We have discovered that most young individuals are vastly underrecognized for their knowledge, talents, and views about the world and how to create a better society. Our programs provide a creative outlet for our students to unleash those talents to help solve many financial and wellness issues we all face while also learning how to create generational wealth for their families and communities. Is it easy – absolutely NOT! Children have a keen sense of detecting when someone or something is not genuine, so we strive to establish a nurturing rapport with each student, which can take time and a lot of energy. Still, we put in that effort to see our students become the best versions of themselves. Overall, the main lesson we have learned and are still learning is to have patience, keep doing what is needed on our end, and the rest will work out!
How’d you meet your business partner?
Dr. Erika Hill and Jaleesa Hardy met in college at Savannah State University, and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Since then the relationship between the two has been inseparable. Dr. Hill and Mrs. Hardy are both passionate about helping the community and providing global opportunities for youth. In 2015, they decided to step out on faith and incorporate ACTS Global, Inc.
Have you ever had to pivot?
In September 2021, ACTS Global, Inc. lost one of our amazing students to gun violence. She deserved more. Her parents deserved more. Due to this heartbreaking loss, we had to pivot to best support our other students who were grieving. As well as process such a tragic loss ourselves. This has brought us closer together and motivated ACTS Global, Inc. to continue to advocate children toward success in memory of our unique student.
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