My Nonprofit Reviews

On the surface what I do on behalf of Bpeace seems so simple. I volunteer as a Skillanthropist and donate my capabilities and experience to business owners and their teams to help them grow their businesses. However it is the knock-on effect where the real impact is made and felt. A growing business creates more jobs. A job lifts an individual and his or her family out of poverty. A community where people are working and in turn contributing to the economy lifts the community and makes it healthier. More jobs in countries like El Salvador and Guatemala means less violence. The impact is real and visible and it is one of the most gratifying things I do. Bpeace makes a difference and working with them, so can you.

I have been involved with Bpeace for a number of years and with each passing year my passion for what they do only grows. I have had the privilege of working with Bpeace's FastRunners in El Salvador and Guatemala. These are companies that against challenging odds are growing their businesses and creating jobs. Those jobs in turn lift individual lives, families and entire communities. These jobs help cut the oxygen to the violence that pervades these countries.

I often say that I receive more than I could possibly ever give. I have a sense of purpose in working with these individuals and I can see the impact I have. It is exhilarating to work with people who are eager to learn and discover new approaches.

If you have a skill that would be of help to these organizations, whether it is in agile development, supply chain, branding, human resources, marketing, distribution, social media - whatever you do and do well - see if there is an opportunity for you to join our efforts. If you want to travel fine, if not, there are opportunities that do not require travel. Make a difference and have one of the most satisfying experiences imaginable.

This is the second time I've traveled to El Salvador to conduct a workshop with Fast Runners and talk about how to create an engaged workforce in order to create a positive culture, drive profitable business growth and create more jobs. And similar to the last time I leave feeling as if I've received much more than I could have possibly contributed. How is that? These are individuals and businesses that remain positive and forward-looking even in the face of intractable poverty, corruption and violence. They are eager to learn and more importantly apply that learning. They are willing to be challenged about their current practices and open to considering different ways of approaching their challenges. Dahlia Carranza of In-House Printing is revising job roles and descriptions to make sure her employees not only know WHAT they are expected to do but also HOW she expects them to do it. Luis Arevalo of Speak is re-thinking organizational structure to address his changing business needs while more deliberately and effectively leveraging the skills of his employees. I could go on and on however I'll give a general shout out to ALL the Fast Runners with whom I was privileged to interact with at the workshop or spend time with at their place of business: your work matters, your passion and resilience are strengths and you have invigorated me and inspired me. Thank you.