Chapter 14 - The New FoundationBy early summer, my firm launched a philanthropic foundation dedicated to providing tech apprenticeships and college scholarships for underrepresented high school students in the greater Chicago area—focusing specifically on kids working part-time jobs to support their educations.
At the inaugural dinner in downtown Chicago, I stood before an audience of tech leaders, community organizers, and young scholars.
"Talent is everywhere," I said into the microphone, looking out over the crowded ballroom. "Opportunity is not. When a young person works forty hours a week just to earn their first chance at a future, they shouldn't have to trade their dignity to keep it. This foundation exists to make sure that hard work is recognized, protected, and rewarded."
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David stood in the back of the room, raising his glass in a quiet toast as the room erupted in applause.
After the event, as I walked out into the cool summer night air along Michigan Avenue, I realized how far the trajectory of my life had shifted. What had begun as a desperate fight to protect my own autonomy had evolved into a platform capable of lifting dozens of others out of financial vulnerability.
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