We recently connected with Jeremy C. Park and have shared our conversation below.

Jeremy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

When it comes to corporate philanthropy and community engagement, there are a number of important, high profile shifts and trends taking place. These trends are being driven by both consumers and employees, so if business owners and executives are not mindful and strategically looking ahead, they quickly can lose market share and top talent.

The big trend, overall, is that social impact is now mandatory. Consumers are choosing where they shop in-person and online based on the social good efforts of companies and how those efforts align with their personal values. You can research the statistics online and pull different numbers from various websites and studies, but they all point in the same direction with consumers wanting to know what the brands they support are doing to address social and environmental issues. Likewise, employees are looking for “meaning” in their work. More than collecting a paycheck, employees want to feel that what they do matters and they are able to make a difference in their community. One recent study posted on sustainablebrands.com, noted that 86% of employees say having “meaning” in their work is more important than ever before, and 84% of employees will only work at Purpose-driven companies/brands. Employees are looking for and requesting their companies to develop volunteer activities to give back to the communities and support their causes during work hours. The GOOD news is that studies also show that businesses with social impact initiatives have teams that are more inspired, motivated and productive, and these companies are growing 30% faster than their competitors (viewsforchange.com / 2022).

Some of the other major trends that tie in with corporate philanthropy and social impact are: 1) corporate giving is becoming more strategic, systematic and sustainable; 2) companies are aligning expertise and leveraging all of their assets; 3) companies are engaging the public in giving back; and 4) companies are making volunteerism turnkey. In order to create positive change in a larger, social context, companies are becoming more strategic and picking areas of focus for their charitable efforts. They are putting their philanthropic statement, their higher purpose, front and center on their website and declaring the difference they are trying to make in the world beyond the products and services they offer. These companies are strategically aligning with nonprofits and now measuring and tracking the societal outcomes and impacts of investments. People now believe that businesses bear as much of a responsibility as governments to drive positive social change. That is a BIG shift, where the public now is looking at businesses to be accountable, like elected officials, in making a difference locally, nationally and globally. So, the alignment and accountability are becoming important shifts in the story of creating and reporting positive outcomes.

We’re also seeing the shift of companies taking political stands. In the past, companies could sit on the sidelines and not have to publicly make statements or take one side or another on issues, especially ones that could be deemed controversial. Now, though, consumers and employees alike are asking their corporations “where they stand” so they know if their values are aligned. We’ve been seeing this play out in the media on numerous fronts and so it is important for companies to understand, articulate and live out their purpose, to be engaged in the community and committed to positive social impact, and to equip and empower their team to serve and make a difference.

These are all things that we focus on each day with cityCURRENT as we work to connect businesses with community to power the GOOD through events, positive-oriented media and philanthropy. We host and organize hundreds of enrichment events and turnkey volunteer experiences for companies and their employees to serve as sparks in their city. Each time we host a school or nonprofit tour or a volunteer experience, like our Samaritan’s Feet shoe distributions where we have more than a hundred adult volunteers come out to wash the feet of hundreds of youth and provide them with new socks and shoes, food, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and more, it opens the hearts and minds of business leaders, connects them more deeply with their team and the community, and leads to transformational outcomes. For many of the youth, it is their first new pair of shoes and their smile lights up the room. For the adults, the experience of sharing their love is something that means even more because it connects on a deeper level of caring. That’s why our Samaritan’s Feet shoe distributions are one of the most popular and most talked about events each year. They have become a “Community Calling Card” for us at cityCURRENT because the events are fueled by love and caring.

In essence, all of this boils down to caring. Consumers and employees want to know that you care. In a world connected by social media, people want to see you and your team caring for others and for the community. The more you care, the more you become aware and then can get involved to create positive social change. And, the more you get involved and give, the more you and your organization can GROW, which is why we say giving leads to GROWTH.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My personal and professional mission is to help individuals and organizations power the GOOD. I’ve been leading cityCURRENT for over 15 years now. cityCURRENT connects businesses with community to power the GOOD through events, positive media, and philanthropy.

cityCURRENT works with more than a hundred corporate partners, including some of the world’s largest employers, like FedEx, AutoZone, International Paper, ARS/Rescue Rooter, Varsity Spirit, Monogram Foods, and Smith+Nephew. These corporate partners join forces and funds to strategically make a difference. We have teams working full time in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and thanks to the support of Higginbotham, one of the largest independent insurance agencies in the nation, we are in the process of expanding into more cities across the nation.

cityCURRENT helps you create purpose-driven relationships and become a catalyst to impact and transform your community. We’re believers that corporations can make a powerful difference by engaging and empowering their teams to serve and volunteer in the community, when they leverage their expertise and available assets and resources, and strategically support nonprofits through financial and in-kind donations; but realistically, it has to be easy and there needs to be an ROI, so that’s where cityCURRENT shines. We host more than 300 events each year for enrichment and to foster community collaboration, we produce an array of positive-oriented media, and financially and physically give back to support nonprofits. We work closely with our corporate partners and other companies and organizations around the nation to create, align and activate their social impact strategies and then share the GOOD news of how their investments and their teams are making a difference. We also work with nonprofits to help connect them with corporate support and to help raise awareness for their efforts through our broadcast media.

Aside from my serving as CEO of cityCURRENT, I’m an author of two books, contributor to Forbes and The Business Journals, producer and host of four television and two radio shows and the ChangeMakers podcast, and a speaker trying to inspire audiences around the nation with our model and the power of “Giving for Growth,” which is the title of my second book and focused on helping you achieve higher levels of success by becoming a SPARK for your community.

​cityCURRENT has an e-learning and online personal development platform, called GROWTHcurrent, where you can subscribe (only $8 a month) and access virtual events with thought leaders and industry experts, along with learning modules and other exclusive content. We have some exciting news that will be coming out soon related to a partnership with a nonprofit hub for volunteerism to further open access for individuals and companies to find opportunities to serve, track volunteer time and impact, and help increase the number of volunteers and rate of volunteerism to help lift nonprofits and our communities. So, we’re working on a number of fronts to try and make a difference.

Personally, ​I’m a shareholder in Higginbotham, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas. cityCURRENT became a division of Higginbotham in 2020, and their support is allowing us to expand our efforts as a community-focused catalyst into new cities across the nation. I’m an investor in startups, like SweetBio and UpSquad, and I serve on the board with Delta Dental of Tennessee, where I also chair their philanthropic, Smile180 Foundation.

I was raised in Weatherford, Texas, graduated from the University of North Texas, spent eight years in Los Angeles, California, and now live with my wife, Meredith, and two boys, in Germantown, Tennessee. I’ve had the privilege of being the head tennis professional at Beverly Hills Country Club, working in national television and radio, and being mentored by entertainment icons, like Merv Griffin. I serve on many nonprofit and education advisory boards, including Slingshot Memphis, Inc., the Avron B. Fogelman Center for Professional Career Development at the University of Memphis, and New Leaders, where I currently serve as Memphis Board Chair. I’m a member of The Business Journals Leadership Trust and have enjoyed coaching my younger son’s middle school tennis team, finishing the 2022 season as State Champions.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe we’re all in the TRUST business. As the saying goes, “The most expensive thing in this world is TRUST. It can take years to earn and only seconds to lose.” So, when it comes to building my personal and professional reputation, and that of my organization, cityCURRENT, I’ve focused on building TRUST. To me, TRUST is built by doing the right thing when no one is watching, giving and expecting nothing in return, and showing up to serve and help others.

One of the best ways to build TRUST and your reputation is through volunteerism and community service. This holds true as both an individual and as an organization. Business leaders understand the importance and value of serving on boards, supporting nonprofits and giving back to make a difference. When you volunteer, you have a chance to connect with these business leaders and build purpose-driven relationships. You have an opportunity to meet others who care and have a heart for serving others, who will want to get to know and help you and your company, as well.

I recommend to get involved with at least two nonprofits, one large and one small. You’ll learn a lot from working with the larger nonprofit, connect with many people, and it gives you a recognizable association when you’re talking with others about purpose and community efforts. The smaller nonprofit is where you will make your mark, though, because you’ll have an opportunity to take on more of a leadership role and showcase your value. You’ll have your opportunity to build your reputation as a changemaker.

Everyone loves to support a winner and every company is looking for a leader and changemaker. The more you get involved and start making a difference in your community, the more people are going to look to you as someone who they can TRUST, who can help them or get the job done. Once again, this holds true as an organization, as well. Companies focused on social impact, that are engaged in the community and equip and empower their employees to serve and volunteer, receive higher reputation scores and outpace their competitors in metrics ranging from growth to employee satisfaction and retention rates. So, volunteerism and community service is the best way in my opinion to build TRUST and your reputation within your market and community.

Have you ever had to pivot?

At this point, I feel like we have to pivot or at least be willing to pivot just about every day in life and business. Technology and the world, in general, are evolving at such a rapid pace that what we knew yesterday could be irrelevant tomorrow. Look at social media and the launch of Threads. It creates powerful new opportunities but for those who spent years building a loyal following on Twitter, it can seem a frustrating pivot to have to start anew.

For cityCURRENT, we’ve had a number of big pivots and I foresee we will continue to as the event, media and philanthropic industries continue to shift, turn, and evolve. During the pandemic, we went from hosting about 300 events each year in-person to almost immediately moving to a fully virtual environment. We hosted big virtual events with national guest speakers, panel discussions and other content heavy webinars sharing ideas and innovations and trying to keep everyone connected. Now that we’re beyond the pandemic, most of our events are hybrids as we now meet people where they are, mentally and physically. Events are a little harder to manage these days for countless reasons, ranging from staffing shortages with caterers to cultural shifts with changing priorities and working from home versus being in the office. So, you have to manage through a lot of layers and different sets of challenges to be successful, and those challenges change almost event to event.

Hosting hybrid events means we need more technology, we need to think about the experience for both sets of attendees and how we interact with each of them differently and the same, and then how we market to a local versus global audience. The pivots have been fun and yet frustrating, humbling and then confidence building, so it has been a roller coaster ride for sure. The good news is that those pivots have led to new television shows, new corporate partners, the launch of an e-learning website (GROWTHcurrent), and a much larger, global audience for cityCURRENT and our efforts to power the GOOD. So, the pivots and the lessons learned have truly helped cityCURRENT grow and expand. The more we have embraced the idea of continuous improvement, consistently looking to pivot to stay ahead – or as my friend, Sterling Hawkins, puts it, “Hunting Discomfort” – the easier it has become and the stronger we have become, as a result.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cityCURRENT.com or www.jeremycpark.com
• Instagram: @jeremycpark or @cityCURRENT
• Facebook: @cityCURRENT or @jeremycpark
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jeremycpark
• Twitter: @cityCURRENT or @jeremycpark

Image Credits
Some of the images were taken by cityCURRENT partner, Donny Granger from Creation Studios. The others were taken by cityCURRENT team members.