I am a futurist. I study trends and anticipate opportunities….then I march out to meet that “likely” future with the audacious goal of changing it. Here’s an example.
There are 90 million “Millennials” (people born between 1985 and 2000) in America…and they have been raised doing service. They will have a huge impact on America if they choose to move beyond the charity that they may have encountered during those service trips and channel their ideas and energy into tactics that embrace economics and politics. Some already are.
I travel ALOT, and I dig the road for so many reasons, but most of all, I dig seeing living breathing examples of innovation in action. Last year, I visited the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, and wrote about students efforts to register to vote in local elections, and the many hoops they had to jump through to gain that right. In the months since that visit, they elected one of their own to the City Council. His name is Scott Foster, and he is a natural leader, as you’ll see from this video. But what I dig the most about him is that he is trying to expand the communities understanding of their assets. He sees students, seniors, nonprofits, along with traditional businesses and trade association as important contributors to the future of Williamsburg. That greater vision is exactly the kind of “all hands on deck” thinking that will be required to help rebuild and right America’s listing economic ship.
A week ago, I stood in front of Monroe Elementary School in Topeka Kansas, where the historic Brown vs the Board of Education lawsuit originated. That Supreme Court decision struck down the odious “separate but equal” ideal that kept white students and black students divided. Of course, the Courts decision was driven by the Constitution, but make no mistake—they knew this was not only illegal—it was stupid. Our country only works when we work together, without false or antiquated divisions. I believe that that idea will one day let us leave behind the idea of that .COM businesses drive the economy, while .ORG charities do good deeds. Truth be told—we are equal in that NO community can function, thrive or grow without a dynamic combination of both. There is no profit without nonprofit. And when we meet that future, we will rightly view any business that helps this country stay free, safe, secure, open and just as an essential player in the great and unfolding American dream.
R
Robert is the Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen, which will open in 2013. The L.A. Kitchen will professionally recover fresh food, with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, which it will use to fuel a culinary arts job training program for men and women coming out of foster care, or older men and women returning from incarceration.
Robert pioneered this model during his 24 year tenure as the President of the DC Central Kitchen, the country’s first “community kitchen”, where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms is used to fuel a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen (which is a $10 million a year, self-sustaining, social enterprise) has produced over 26 million meals and helped 1,000 men and women gain full time employment. The Kitchen operates its own revenue generating business, Fresh Start Catering, as well as the Campus Kitchens Project, which coordinates similar recycling/meal programs in 33 colleges or high school based kitchens.
In addition, Robert is the Founder and President of CForward, an advocacy organization that rallies employees of nonprofits to educate candidates about the economic role that nonprofits play in every community, and to support candidates who have detailed plans to strengthen the economy that includes nonprofits.
In Washington, Robert was the founding Chair of both the Mayor’s Commission on Nutrition and Street Sense, Washington’s “homeless” newspaper. He was also the Co-Convener of the first Nonprofit Congress, held in Washington DC in 2006. Currently, Robert serves on the Board of the national addiction recovery program, Back On My Feet, the Philanthropic Collaborative, and Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen.
Robert’s book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, was released in 2004 by HarperCollins. It received the 2005 McAdam Book Award for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.
Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential” nonprofit leaders from 2006-2009. He was the recipient of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s 2007 “Lifetime Achievement” award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation “Humanitarian of the Year” award. He has been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 15-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.
Robert speaks throughout the country and internationally on the subjects of hunger, sustainability, nonprofit political engagement and social enterprise. He writes blogs and editorials to share his ideas about the nonprofit sector and the future of America. To check out Robert’s most recent speaking schedule, blogs, and editorials, please visit www.robertegger.org.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
and is filed under Blog.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to “Gen NOW Leaders are Knocking Down the Divide”
Great photo! It was a total thrill to meet you, and I’m so glad that you came to Kansas. Our time with you has sparked a lot of thinking and shifting here, in very exciting ways. You’ll definitely see some of us in D.C. on our next trip there, but, in the meantime, I’m glad that there’s a virtual space to be connected to your ideas. Thank you for challenges, and inspirations!
Subscribe to this blog
September 20th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Great photo! It was a total thrill to meet you, and I’m so glad that you came to Kansas. Our time with you has sparked a lot of thinking and shifting here, in very exciting ways. You’ll definitely see some of us in D.C. on our next trip there, but, in the meantime, I’m glad that there’s a virtual space to be connected to your ideas. Thank you for challenges, and inspirations!