Brandolon Barnett: Homeless to Philanthropist

Would you ever think that someone you see sleeping on the streets would one day end up being an angel investor, a philanthropist? Stay tuned, you’re about to meet that person, Brandolon Barnett, author of "Dreams Deferred: Recession, Struggle, and the Quest for a Better World."He is a facilitator of partnerships for community good. Barnett is head of corporate social responsibility industry solutions in Salesforce.org’s philanthropy cloud and leader of the Democratize Ventures investing and advisory institute. He has promoted development and volunteerism on three continents, led the Bill and Melinda Gates-funded Growfund donor-advised fund effort, and participated in research and consulting engagements at the Council on Foundations and Global Impact.His LinkedIn profile says he’s an Angel Investor through Democratize Ventures, Agent of Change Creating a World where Philanthropy Belongs to Everyone. Showing Social Impact can Happen Anywhere.From 2008 through 2013 Barnett was hit hard by the great recession, struggling to find work, even searching the streets of San Francisco looking for a place to sleep.In the episode, Barnett talks about that and how he came to be involved with corporate philanthropy. Here are some other questions we discussed:1.What is it that you’re doing?2.Are you helping Black entrepreneurs raise money? Training? How?3.Exactly what is Sales Force.org? You are director of Corporate Social Responsibility Industry Solutions there.4.What’s your view regarding progress being made for minority business entrepreneurs?5.What advice to you give these individuals as they embark on their journey?6.How have the experiences of those tough times informed your own work today?7.Has racism in this country worsened or improved in the past few years? 8.What factors have contributed to this?9.Tell us more about your book.Take a listen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.