We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Juan Ramos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Juan below.
Juan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Staring R3 was actually a very long and difficult process. To begin with, I was working off of passion and faith, not resource. Meaning, there was a starting budget, there was no budget! There wasn’t a business plan, there was no plan! In the early days, we where building on urgency and complete faith the God would bring us through to the other side.
My best friend who is our board president-having only known me about 4 months at the time, gave me about $5,000 which was exactly what I needed to get into the storefront we still operate from to this day. I remember walking into our space for the first time, with one chair, the only piece of furniture we opened and sitting in the middle of the room thinking “What now?”.
Initially, all I knew was that I wanted R3 to be a place for youth from all walks of life and that they would find home here. I also had absolutely no experience in running a nonprofit. At first, getting our foot in the door to have any conversation or any meeting was nearly impossible! We had no credibility, I had no credentials as an Executive Director or in being a youth worker despite working with youth for years prior.
It took extreme focus, looking ahead to what we knew we wanted to do and a whole lot of prayer to keep moving forward. As youth would come in and we saw what needs they had, we began to build programming around those needs. First in finding resources and then figuring out ways that we could be the resource to meet the need. This is initially how we built R3’s programming up to where we are today. By meeting daily needs and listening to what the youth of our community needed!
Juan, 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?
In middle school I was severely bullied by classmates and even teachers. There where was a-lot of physical, mental and emotional damage that happened during that time. A-lot of the things that where said to me and even done to me, Im still affected by to this very day. Although I had very loving and caring parents and family, I had to walk through most of process alone. Despite having a caring family, I felt very alone. But carrying the burdens, lessons and hardships of these past experiences I never forgot the need for youth supports and guidance. I knew that one day, I wanted to be there for youth who where in my shoes or worse.
In 2019 I came across several articles of youth who had committed suicide all connected to bullying. The most gruesome was a boy, here in San Antonio, who committed suicide in his closet, because his friends told him to do so via cyber bullying. It was in that moment that I knew it was time to take action.
By faith and without any backing or even reason to believe it could be done I began searching for a building, a place youth from all over the city could call home. Within a few days and with the help of a great friend and partner, Angela Brown Williams, I had the keys to what would become R3 Student Outreach. We opened the doors of R3 in 2019 and alongside an incredible team we have helped serve over 3,000 youth and young adults with tutoring, mentorship, food, clothing and resources.
I think one of the proudest things I feel about R3 is that Ive always felt that we are very much the underdogs. I dont have all the credentials, degrees or certificates that a Executive Director should have. Although I do love and chase knowledge, Im not as qualified as “I should be”. Our team for a very long time had no idea what we where doing, we ran (and run) on Dr. Pepper, prayers and a whole lot of Jesus.
Yet despite all the hurtles and obstacles stacked against us, we’ve managed to succeed and even thrive. Our little nonprofit has accomplished more than well established Nonprofits do in their 5th and 6th year of operations. I most definitely don’t say that to brag, but I do say it to show that when you’re called to do something, and when you act out of faith and obedience, it IS possible! While it’s good to have the knowledge, the skill, the “know how”, if you are meant to do it, the rest will follow!
You just have to be willing to learn and open to working with a determination you may not be used to. If you can commit to the process, overtime endurance will build up and you will find that staying the course becomes easier and easier!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Opening R3 was definitely a HUGE career pivot. I never in one million years thought I would ever run a nonprofit. I had a sole proprietorship small business in marketing and creative. I would design websites, graphic design, offer photography and video/commercial photos etc.
I even had in my opinion the coolest name: Avocado Creative Marketing! Who doesn’t like Avocados? My dream at the time was to have a full service agency with my own creative team and be able to move on to bigger projects. My top goal then was to one day produce content for Santikos and have a big brand name under our belt! I was absolutely obsessed with another local design agency- Chamoy Creative and they where my “goals”.
Design was my bread and butter, I loved starting from scratch on a project and seeing the final project come to life! Especially when I got to see it in action. To this day, you can catch some of my designs at your local Yogurt Zone or my stock photos in billboards and magazines.
When the urgency to open R3 came, I knew it had to be my sole focus or it would not work. So, with a-lot of sadness, Avocado was no more. I still design here and there for a few clients and it keeps me sharp and allows my to filter my creativity somewhere!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I think my story and the story of R3 is the best illustration for R3. Clearly from my past, I was always the outcast kid. I remember in high school finding it hard at. times to make friends. And thinking to myself “Well I cant wait to have a car! When I do I’m going to do everything that they won’t take me along to do!” That was pretty much me in a nutshell. By most peoples standards, I don’t look the part of a pastor, I don’t act the part of an Executive Director, I don’t hold the expertise to be an effective leader.
Top that with a-lot of my insecurities in my weight, how I talk, how I walk, how I dress, the list goes on! I remember being in Chicago a few months ago getting ready to meet an Executive Director who was over many youth centers. While I was ecstatic, my mind was focused on all the things he would think about me. Everyday he’d see through all that I lack. And how he’d pass judgment on this “poor little guy” who was trying but wouldn’t succeed. Welcome to Juan’s mind!
But despite alllllll this, I get up everyday excited and ready to push through my mind and be a part of a youth serving, life giving organization that serves hundreds of youth yearly, and help lead a church that thrives on real genuine community! I know the insecurities will be silenced as I continue to see the successes we get to experience!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://r3student.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r3student/
- Facebook: Facebook.com/r3student
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@r3student