We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shay Gipson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shay below.

Shay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Goodwill is more than a thrift store. The largest employer of people with disabilities in the world, Goodwill believes that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, creativity, trust and friendships. Everyone deserves this chance.

Shay, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Goodwill North Central Texas is based in Fort Worth and serves 18 counties in the region. The nonprofit’s 27 area retail locations provide revenue through the sale of donated goods to support Goodwill’s mission to CREATE lives of independence and BUILD a stronger local community. Job training and career services programs for people with disabilities, such as physical or mental disabilities and other barriers to employment including lack of education or work experience and homelessness are guided by the organization’s vision of a North Central Texas where everyone person has the opportunity for maximum independence and abundant living. For more information, please visit www.GoodwillNorthCentralTexas.org.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In 2019 Goodwill embarked on what would’ve been a long journey and set an ambitious goal to raise $12 million dollars to expand facilities and classroom space. COVID-19 forever shifted the lives of the community we serve and shifted our plans as well.

Thanks to a generous donation from philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott, Goodwill was able to take advantage of an opportunity that arose in early 2021 to purchase a two story 27,718 square foot administration building, along with a 10,474 square foot single-story building ideal for further expansion of Goodwill’s Workforce Development offerings.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, Goodwill North Central Texas hosted a tri-chamber ribbon cutting and open house to officially open their new headquarters and career center just northeast of downtown Fort Worth. US Congressman Marc Veasey, Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles, representatives from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce along with Goodwill North Central Texas President & CEO David Cox and members of the Goodwill Board of Directors ceremoniously cut the ribbon to open the new facility. Attendees enjoyed an open house and food trucks onsite to celebrate the occasion.

With the headquarters relocation and career center opening, Goodwill North Central Texas will significantly expand their mission services by adding a new Career Center to serve the northeast Fort Worth area and relocating administrative staff to this new location to repurpose space at their 4005 Campus Drive facility for existing program expansion. Situated on 2.28 acres at 4200 and 4304 Airport Freeway, the new campus includes two buildings positioned side-by-side with nearly 650 feet of frontage along TX 121.

The administration building features a large community room, while the single-story building serves as a Career Center and offers additional classroom space for mission services including the North Texas Institute for Career Development, Goodwill’s career school.

With additional training and education space for at-risk youth, innovative classroom space for foster care and independent living skills training, programs for ex-offenders and re-entry training, and expansion of Goodwill’s credentialing programs, the nonprofit expects to hire an additional 56 full-time staff to run new programs and serve an additional 35,000 individuals over the first five years.

Education and employment are the only proven pathways out of poverty. Indeed, the need for Goodwill’s services has never been greater and we are excited to expand employment and education services to break the cycle of poverty for those in our community.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.GoodwillNorthCentralTexas.org
• Instagram: @goodwillnct
• Facebook: facebook.com/goodwillnct
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/102465
• Twitter: @goodwillnct
• Youtube: youtube.com/@goodwillnct

Image Credits
Justan Martinez