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.

David Sanders

My company is proud to support the Jenesse Center, Inc. in Los Angeles, one of the largest and most successful domestic violence intervention and prevention organizations on the West Coast. Read more>>

Kelly Banks

I coach women with ADHD because they are massively underserved—not just in terms of resources and support, but in even being recognized as having ADHD in the first place. The diagnostic criteria were built around how ADHD presents in boys because nearly all ADHD research has been conducted on men and boys. This means many women go undiagnosed and internalizing their struggles as personal failings rather than symptoms of a neurodevelopmental condition. By the time they do get diagnosed, they’re often carrying a lifetime of shame, burnout, and self-doubt, wondering why they can’t seem to function the way everyone else does. Read more>>

Olivia Kim

Both are strong, resilient, highly capable, and deeply caring, but often deeply misunderstood. These women have spent a lifetime being problem solvers, care takers, the first to carve a path for those around them. They are expected to do and be so much and deviating from this unwritten rulebook can lead to alienation and judgement from family and peers. Read more>>

Matt Fogarty

My business comprises both for-profit and nonprofit entities dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. I founded Cherry Willow Apparel, our nonprofit arm, to symbolize unconditional love. Wearing Cherry Willow signifies hope and advocacy, fostering a community passionate about supporting the homeless. Read more>>

Lakota Ruby-eck

I try as much as I can to help the little guy tell stories through the film medium. People who have access to less resources have stories to tell that are just as viable, if not moreso than those with significantly more. A large amount of the short films and features I have been involved in as a cinematographer have budgets that reflect a fraction of the amount of money other such projects usually have. That’s not to say I won’t or haven’t shot films with more legitimate budgets, those jobs provide me with an income that makes the ability to help on smaller things more feasible and allow me to expand the equipment I have, which in turns make it’s so I can make those smaller projects better, at least in the cinematography department. Read more>>

Avaneesh Potti

Across all chapters, Hope4Spandana is dedicated to uplifting individuals with mental and physical disabilities, many of whom are overlooked by society. From children with neurological impairments to elderly individuals with mobility challenges and impoverished families struggling to survive, our work focuses on providing education, healthcare, and economic support. Read more>>

Dawn Richards

Our mission is to develop underserved high school students into productive citizens through family, school, and community partnerships by way of monitoring self-progress, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community service. We primarily serve students in N. County area from districts that have a high rate of families who qualify for free and reduced lunch. This community has experienced much turmoil as a result of the aftermath of the death of Mike Brown in 2014. Although we have overcome quite a bit, the students in our comunit Read more>>

Heidi Heimarck

I’m not an actual business owner in the traditional sense, but it was closest on the list to what I am, which is Executive Director of a non-profit organization called All Aboard of America 1 (aka All Aboard). Our mission is to provide recreational, social, and educational activities for adults with developmental disabilities and to help them develop an active, positive, and inclusive lifestyle. Read more>>

Genesis Zuniga

Absolutely. At Z Realty, we are deeply committed to serving the Hispanic community, a group that is often underserved in the real estate market—not just because of language barriers, but because of a lack of guidance, resources, and representation. Read more>>