Tom Vazzo

We've always thought, give back, be on boards, be a part of charities, right? So I'm having lunch at Homegirl Cafe. I'm thinking, and I'm looking around, and I'm looking at the employees, and the employees are working hard. They're smiling. They're engaging with the customers. By the way, my background, my last eight years, I bought 40 companies and sold four in my for-profit world.

We've always thought, give back, be on boards, be a part of charities, right? So I'm having lunch at Homegirl Cafe. I'm thinking, and I'm looking around, and I'm looking at the employees, and the employees are working hard. They're smiling. They're engaging with the customers. By the way, my background, my last eight years, I bought 40 companies and sold four in my for-profit world.

You get a sense of employee base. I'm having lunch. I'm looking around, and I'm realizing I would have not hired one of those folks in my prior job because of the tattoo on their face. because of the felony, because they were gang members. And yet here's this workforce that's actually working hard and doing good. And so it challenged my notion that I'm a hot shot business guy.

You get a sense of employee base. I'm having lunch. I'm looking around, and I'm realizing I would have not hired one of those folks in my prior job because of the tattoo on their face. because of the felony, because they were gang members. And yet here's this workforce that's actually working hard and doing good. And so it challenged my notion that I'm a hot shot business guy.

You get a sense of employee base. I'm having lunch. I'm looking around, and I'm realizing I would have not hired one of those folks in my prior job because of the tattoo on their face. because of the felony, because they were gang members. And yet here's this workforce that's actually working hard and doing good. And so it challenged my notion that I'm a hot shot business guy.

I think businesses are good for society, but here at Homeboy, in the context of a business, we're helping people change their life in the most dramatic way. And so when my friend asked me to get involved, I had time on my hands. I want to know, can my business skills be used in a different way? And so I signed on as a volunteer and

I think businesses are good for society, but here at Homeboy, in the context of a business, we're helping people change their life in the most dramatic way. And so when my friend asked me to get involved, I had time on my hands. I want to know, can my business skills be used in a different way? And so I signed on as a volunteer and

I think businesses are good for society, but here at Homeboy, in the context of a business, we're helping people change their life in the most dramatic way. And so when my friend asked me to get involved, I had time on my hands. I want to know, can my business skills be used in a different way? And so I signed on as a volunteer and

And I thought I would be there for five, six months and help them out and move on. Now I'm here 12 years later and still helping out and still loving life.

And I thought I would be there for five, six months and help them out and move on. Now I'm here 12 years later and still helping out and still loving life.

And I thought I would be there for five, six months and help them out and move on. Now I'm here 12 years later and still helping out and still loving life.

Yeah. I mean, it's a multi-part answer to your good question. First of all, just sort of set the context. Businesses need people, right? They need people who are good. They need people who are loyal. They need people who are going to work hard.

Yeah. I mean, it's a multi-part answer to your good question. First of all, just sort of set the context. Businesses need people, right? They need people who are good. They need people who are loyal. They need people who are going to work hard.

Yeah. I mean, it's a multi-part answer to your good question. First of all, just sort of set the context. Businesses need people, right? They need people who are good. They need people who are loyal. They need people who are going to work hard.

And the way the work world is out there, it's hard to find enough good people along the way. And so there's this sort of on-tap amount of folks out there. So at Homeboy... Let me take a long answer to your question. At home, the folks we work with, they're all victims of complex trauma at a young age. That's why they join a gang. They think, you know, because they didn't have a family.

And the way the work world is out there, it's hard to find enough good people along the way. And so there's this sort of on-tap amount of folks out there. So at Homeboy... Let me take a long answer to your question. At home, the folks we work with, they're all victims of complex trauma at a young age. That's why they join a gang. They think, you know, because they didn't have a family.

And the way the work world is out there, it's hard to find enough good people along the way. And so there's this sort of on-tap amount of folks out there. So at Homeboy... Let me take a long answer to your question. At home, the folks we work with, they're all victims of complex trauma at a young age. That's why they join a gang. They think, you know, because they didn't have a family.

Their parents told them not to go to school. Their parents told them be on the corner for the drug lookout. They're second, third generation gang members. They join a gang thinking that's their true family, false hope. They do something bad. They go to prison. They come out of prison. And they don't want to go back to that situation. They want to be better.

Their parents told them not to go to school. Their parents told them be on the corner for the drug lookout. They're second, third generation gang members. They join a gang thinking that's their true family, false hope. They do something bad. They go to prison. They come out of prison. And they don't want to go back to that situation. They want to be better.

Their parents told them not to go to school. Their parents told them be on the corner for the drug lookout. They're second, third generation gang members. They join a gang thinking that's their true family, false hope. They do something bad. They go to prison. They come out of prison. And they don't want to go back to that situation. They want to be better.