Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Vozzo.
Hi Thomas, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I consider myself an average guy. I’m a first-generation college grad who kept my head down, worked hard, and scaled the corporate ladder based on merit. I ultimately made it to the top of my profession as a longtime executive at a Fortune 200 company. After considering retirement from the business world a decade ago, I pivoted into the nonprofit sector because my work felt incomplete despite all I’d accomplished. I felt called to do something radically different.
I had been a longtime Salvation Army board member and admired their selfless work, but when I landed at Homeboy Industries in 2012, my eyes were truly opened. Homeboy is unlike any other organization I’ve ever encountered; not only is it the largest gang rehabilitation and reentry nonprofit in the world, but it’s also a place where you can sense there is magic happening from the moment you step through the doors of our headquarters.
Walking amongst previously incarcerated folks, former gang members, the poor, and the disenfranchised – people on the margins facing real tragedy and heartbreaking circumstances – I quickly realized that I didn’t know as much about life as I thought… I had lived in some version of a corporate bubble, sheltered from some of the realities of the broader world.
Through a decade at the helm of Homeboy, my life has been enhanced immeasurably by working with former gang members who are working to change their lives. I was a hard-charging numbers guy, and today, I consider myself someone who leads with compassion, driven by a desire to help others. I have been transformed by The Homeboy Way, an ethos we’re all guided by that invests in people and allows them to be the best they can be.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hands down, running Homeboy’s $35M budget is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And I was used to steering a $2B business managing thousands of employees… Despite a vastly smaller operating budget, the stakes at Homeboy are significantly higher. The cost of failure has real consequences, and to be blunt, that can mean people out on the streets, back in prison, in relapse, or dead.
Another challenge is the lack of money we have to help and invest in people… We always need to be in fundraising mode, which is a constant, uphill battle. Uncovering new funding sources can take a Herculean effort, in part because many more people come into Homeboy than we can handle. (I will caveat this by saying that when we invite people to Homeboy and they immerse themselves in our community space, and they can see how people change their lives at Homeboy, it becomes an easier sell.)
We also grapple with the fact that because we’re located in LA County, people incorrectly assume that government provides us ample resources, but there are still so many individuals who remain poor and unhoused. (Government funding only contributes to 5% of our budget) …. Not many people realize how vital community organizations like Homeboy are – in a way, we’re like a microcosm of the city’s needs.
And honestly, much of society wants to forget about gang members and people in prison – lock up the “bad” people up and throw away the key… At Homeboy, we reject that notion; there is no such thing as a bad person. We invest in our trainees, help them heal from their trauma and give them jobs – decent jobs with regular hours, particularly at our social enterprises like Homegirl Catering, Homeboy Threads, Homegirl Café and the ten other businesses we run.
I want to encourage more companies to join us – we need more employers to be felony-friendly, that is, willing to employ people returning to the workforce after prison…
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When you hear the name Homeboy Industries, you might think of our inimitable founder Fr. Greg Boyle, who is the heart and soul of Homeboy and is as close to a living saint as there is. Alternatively, you may think of the chips and salsa we sell across grocery stores or our namesake café at LAX, which is great, but Homeboy is so much more than that… We are a human services organization, fundamentally helping people heal from complex trauma so they can deal with whatever society throws at them.
Officially, our mission is that we provide hope, training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated individuals allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.
Homeboy started in 1988, and we’re celebrating our 35th anniversary this year! We welcome 10,000 people who come through our doors every year, seeking to transform their lives. While we surround our trainees with wrap-around services, training, and support, our secret sauce is an alchemy of love, kinship, and compassion…. And these very values fuel our organization.
What I am most proud of is that 2/3 of our management team is comprised of people who were formerly incarcerated gang members, and they are all homegrown. They began as trainees. This has taken a lot of effort, resources, and attention, and it’s all been worth it.
I’m also happy to report that our organization is truly thriving. We’ve grown from a single bakery to 13 social enterprises which provide both a vital training ground for our trainees as well as revenue streams to support our mission. The expansion of our businesses proves that people can transcend their pasts and become valuable, empowered employees and business leaders.
We raise money through the Homeboy Venture and Jobs Fund (a venture fund model) to create more Homeboy businesses so we can continue to create quality jobs for graduates of our program. The fund’s mission is to pay market-based wages, provide benefits, and offer both predictable scheduling and upward mobility.
I want everyone reading this to know that you can visit us at Homeboy. Drop by for a tour or to revel in our inspirational morning meeting (weekdays at 850am sharp), enjoy a meal in our Zagat-rated Homegirl Café, or just come be in kinship with the homies.
We’re also getting ready to launch our first-ever Book Club so stay tuned for details for that on my LinkedIn. Loyola Press published my book, The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life, last year, and Fr. Greg has authored a number of beloved books. Homeboy is teeming with incredible stories and we look forward to sharing more of them with you on that front.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
People who knew me as a Fortune 200 exec might be surprised to learn that I spend my time in kinship with gang members and felons. For the folks who know me from Homeboy, they would be surprised to know the corporate nature of my first career…
I came to Homeboy as a competitive and combative business guy who always wanted to win. I’m now a guy who utilizes that competitive spirit to fight on behalf of the poor and demonized. I want to build more Homeboy Industry social enterprises so that our employees can make their dreams come true – just like everyone else in our society has a chance of doing. It’s taken me ten years of learning, listening, planning and trying.
And I’ve learned so much at Homeboy… We shine a light on the erroneous notion that there are winners and losers. We shine a light on the goodness of everyone. As a leader, my spiritual path led to a better personal and professional life balance, which ultimately became the key to better understanding “the Homeboy way.”
Today I don’t judge and I have compassion for others. I clearly see now, as Fr. Greg Boyle says, “There is no us and them, just us.” These are words to live by.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://homeboyindustries.org/thehomeboyway/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeboyindustries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeboyIndustries/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeboyInd
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1qB5vOjXwp2ptuS7wkijxw
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X
Image Credits
Louie Mora
