Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonathan Ford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jonathan, 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.

While we do not serve an underserved community, our company has been located in an underserved community from which we try to hire employees and interns to give them hands on experience and develop IT skills.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Jonathan E. Ford is a true Philadelphia son. He was born and raised in the Germantown and Mt. Airy sections of Philadelphia and educated in the city’s finest educational institutions, including Central High School and Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Pastor Ford has remained local and been a real driver of change on a variety of fronts. Many years ago, he met the love of his life, N’Jameh Samuels and they married in the spring of 1998. To date, their union has produced three sons, Jordan, Jackson, and Jacob.

Mr. Ford also serves as the executive director of Turning the TIDE, a technology and employment training center operated as a separate non-profit subsidiary of the church. Turning the Tide has received a number of federal grants to support its renowned program, Project ECHO, which focuses on providing job training and job placement services, along with entrepreneurial training for ex-offenders. Turning the Tide was recognized in March 2007 by the U. S. Department of Labor with it “Compassion Award” for its exemplary services and long-term success. Under Pastor Ford’s leadership, Turning the Tide has also become one of the leading faith-based organizations providing HIV/AIDS education, counseling and rapid-testing in the city of Philadelphia. Most recently, Turning the Tide has launched a Christian based after-school youth program. One of the funders and supporters of the after-school program has been the Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia initiative launched by Pennsylvania State Representative Dwight Evans.

After a number of successful years in corporate America, Pastor Ford left to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Currently, He is the managing principal for Urban Harvest Partnership, LLC, (dba UHP Wireless Networks) a U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) certified firm specializing in wireless technology solutions for commercial businesses and municipalities across the country. In 2007, it was voted one of the fastest growing companies in the Delaware Valley by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Mr. Ford is a desired speaker and thought leader for faith-based partnerships and programs. He has been a speaker at the White House on behalf of the Center for Faith-Based Initiatives and on numerous other occasions for the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Labor. In May 2010, Pastor Ford received the Distinguished Leadership Award from Community College of Philadelphia for his contributions to community enrichment and outstanding support to education.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner, John Cureton, and I met while attending the University of Pennsylvania. While matriculation at the University of Pennsylvania we both joined the same fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi. From there our friendship began to grow. After graduation, we both joined and began attending the same church, Taylor Tabernacle, located in West Philadelphia.
We also serve on the board for the same non-profit, Turning the Tide, also located in West Philadelphia.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I believe the recent pandemic caused many businesses to pivot in order to survive and continue to grow. This reality was no different for UHP. We had to shift our business model from project-based IT installations to become connected smart buildings specialist, providing design and enginnering services for improved cellular services, upgraded network capability and smart devices (Cameras and IoT.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.uhpwireless.com