We recently connected with Jesse Pina and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jesse thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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.
We are a non-profit volleyball club focused on providing competitive sports to underserved youth in our communities. We believe that socio economic status should never get in the way of having BIG dreams. Sports is an avenue that when used properly can help develop the necessary character and foundation for youth to pave their own path.

Jesse, 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?
We started this club to ensure that competitive club sports would be available to youth regardless of socio-economic status. In the 5 years that we have been operating we have had the honor to serve homeless youth, political refugees, and even traveled to Asia to play and share the sport of volleyball with underserved youth in Vietnam and Laos.

I am most proud of the community we are building and the players, coaches, and families our mission attracts. Our families know that their membership in our organization extends beyond the sport of volleyball and allows for more youth to reap the benefits in participating in organized sports.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We all experienced the last two years on our own terms. For me it first meant the end of all my sources of income. With schools shut down and youth sports shut down everything I had worked for in the last 10 years had left my control. As a solution driven individual, I found ways to make the best of the situation.

The global shutdown gave me two things that I am most grateful for. It allowed me to spend so much time with my two growing boys and it also provided a reset button for the organization. I was able to really take a step back and rethink our approach on how we served our communities. The results of all that preparation has already blossomed into being able to serve the most amount of youth through project Rose Gold that we have ever served.
(Rose Gold is what we call our community outreach program)

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson when growing a business is to stick to what you do well and be the best at it. That consistency will attract the right coaches, players, families. Ultimately that is all you need, people who can see the vision and want to be part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.exodusvolleyball.org
• Instagram: @exodusvolleyball
• Facebook: @exodusvolleyball