There’s a concept of the Matthew Effect which uses math to illustrate what folks have lamented about for thousands of years – the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. Take tech for example – the rich and poor often have different problems, but because it’s more profitable to solve problems for the wealthy a disproportionate share of tech innovation focuses on solving problems for the affluent. However, it doesn’t have to be this way – and we have been blown away by the thousands of members of our community who have devoted their lives through their businesses, organizations and art to serve the underserved.
Casey Wailes
As a prior service member I taught soldiers and friends and family proper weapon handling and shooting techniques. In Colorado, where I was stationed, it was very easy to find a safe place to shoot with proper backstops and distances. When I moved here to Florida I found this to be difficult. The ranges are full, expensive, and there are not many of them. With no public lands close by that offer safe areas to shoot. Thus VRT came about. A safe place to train or teach your children how to safely handles weapons in a climate controlled, accident free environment. With the ability to reserve a time slot and no need to set up or clean up the range, training or instruction time is dramatically increased. The training weapons are provided, shooting IR lasers, alleviating your need to purchase expensive equipment or ammo. Read more>>
Torie Helsel
Absolutely. My business is rooted in serving people with chronic illnesses, ADHD, autoimmune disorders, anxiety, depression, disabilities, and busy moms who often feel they’re being pulled in every direction. These individuals face constant hurdles that most people don’t see or understand. Their lives are unpredictable due to fluctuating health, energy, and mental capacity. They often feel like burdens, are seen as unreliable, and have their talents and potential overlooked because they can’t always fit into the rigid molds of conventional work and productivity. Read more>>
Reilly Tartre
Right now, besides working full-time in weddings, I’m beginning to market the non-profit side of my business, where I tell the stories of the work that non-profits and organizations are doing around the world. I was in my high school photography class when we had a guest speaker come in. He was a full-time wedding photographer who also spent his time overseas documenting some of humanity’s most moving and raw moments through various nonprofits and mission organizations. I remember it was the first time I saw and understood the weight of photography beyond beautiful photos. Read more>>
Deborah Samukele Khumalo – Dludla
Coming from a rural background, I come from an underserved community, the rural community, with high illiteracy, poverty and people with disability , but we are also a community with hope, beautiful with culture and beautiful community stories especially women stories of resilience. It is without a doubt that i have never left my roots with my people that i believe when we grow, we should grow with our people who raised us. In African Context, a child is raised by a village not by parents alone, and when a child is successful, the village will be successful and prosperous. Read more>>
Latoya Gaines-plunkett
My organization ensures that at least 10% of the caseload is made up of pro bono clients at all times. The amount should never be less and can always be more. The underserved are individuals who cannot afford quality mental health services. These individuals are usually referred to community mental health, which is where my career started. Therapists who are often well known for their quality service and are able to charge a higher rate are sometimes not available to provide services for those who cannot pay those higher rates. I ensure at my company that it remains that individuals that cannot afford to pay are still receiving high-quality counseling services. Read more>>
William Freeman
Yes, People of Purpose (PoP) serves returning citizens in Black and Brown communities, addressing the deep inequities they face post-incarceration. One participant, Jamal, returned to his neighborhood with few resources and faced discrimination in housing and employment. His story reflects the systemic barriers many face. PoP provides peer support, job training, and mentorship, ensuring individuals like Jamal have a second chance. These services are critical because they empower individuals to rebuild their lives, strengthening both families and communities. Our commitment is to provide resources and guidance to reduce recidivism and foster long-term success in these underserved populations. Read more>>
April Dodd
Yes, my business serves an underserved community, particularly at-risk youth. One memorable experience was during an etiquette class I facilitated. Many of the kids came from homes where formal dining was unfamiliar, and some had never sat down for a meal in a structured setting. We focused on teaching them how to set a table, serve and be served, and practice basic dining etiquette in a semi-formal environment. Read more>>
Chip Reichanadter
Pinyon Montessori was founded to address a significant gap in educational access for underserved families in the Salt Lake City area. Our school specifically serves children ages 3-12, providing authentic Montessori education that is often inaccessible to many families due to the high cost of private schooling. We saw a need for an alternative education model that offered not only affordable tuition but also a space for neurodiverse students and children with unique medical needs. Read more>>
Nicole Blaser
I co-founded the Karuna Project, a boutique adventure travel company. We want Karuna Project to be a role model for the multibillion-dollar tourist industry. Our mission is to leverage travel to directly and effectively empower the global communities that tourists visit and impact. Many of these communities are under-resourced and watch tourists pass through, enjoying their landscapes and culture while gaining no benefit or indirect harm from the tourist industry. Too often, tourist dollars land in the hands of a few, often not local, giant business owners. There are new and effective avenues for putting those tourist dollars directly into the hands of the local communities. To be truly effective, the following factors must be involved in this form of “community tourism.” Read more>>
Diamond Booker
My brand, “Invest Like a Diamond,” is a representation and creation of my life story. It was founded with the mission to serve a community that often faces stereotypes, injustice, and biases. Growing up, I realized that women, particularly Black women, are frequently placed in boxes regarding what we can achieve. We often see tech giants and billionaire entrepreneurs as men. Coming from a small town in Cleveland, OH, I felt that we were especially limited in what we could learn, do, and achieve. Many people around me believed that certain things, such as financial literacy and entrepreneurship, were only for the privileged or other races. I always told myself, “If anyone can do it, then so can I.” Read more>>
Mauro Netzahuatl
Yes, Faster Drivers Delivery is deeply committed to serving underserved communities, especially independent local restaurants and drivers, particularly veterans, who have been overlooked by larger delivery platforms. For example, in my hometown of Vista, California, I saw firsthand how local restaurants were struggling to stay profitable while relying on third-party delivery platforms. One day, I had a conversation with Priya Swami, the owner of Turmeric Hut, an family-run Indian restaurant in Oceanside, CA., who shared how they are not even breaking even due to the 30% commission fees charged by popular apps like DoorDash and UberEats. These fees were eating into their already slim margins, making it hard to pay their staff and keep prices reasonable for customers. Read more>>
Deborah Hayter
In my role as a publicist, I have a unique opportunity to connect celebrities with causes that truly matter. I give my support to two organizations, Expose, a non profit that supports two schools in West Africa and Children Uniting Nations. Given celebrities immense platforms and influence, it’s crucial for those in the entertainment industry to use their voices to advocate for underserved communities. When celebrities speak out or contribute to these causes, their fans and the global community take notice, amplifying the message in ways that individual activists sometimes can’t. I love working on the two annual fundraisers that connect celebrities to the community. Read more>>